Arab-Israeli Conflict Essays - Zionism, Land Of Israel, Free Essays

Arab-Israeli Conflict Essays - Zionism, Land Of Israel, Free Essays Arab-Israeli Conflict The Arab-Israeli conflict came about from the notion of Political Zionism. Zionism is the belief that Jews constitute a nation (or a people) and that they deserve the right to return to what they consider to be their ancestral home, land of Israel (or Palestine). Political Zionism, the belief that Jews should establish a state for themselves in Palestine, was a revolutionary idea for the 19th Century. During World War I, Jews supported countries that constituted the Central Powers because they detested the tyranny of czarist Russia. Both the Allies and Central Powers needed Jewish support, but Germany could not espouse Zionism due to its ties with the Ottoman Empire, which still controlled Palestine. British Prime Minister Lloyd George & Foreign Secretary Lord Balfour, favored Zionism and supported their cause in a letter that became known as the Balfour Declaration, ensuring that the British government would control Palestine after the war with a commitment to build the Jewish national home there, promising only to work for the creation of a Jewish state in Palestine and not harm the civil and religious rights of Palestine?s "existing non-Jewish communities". After the Great War, Britain?s Forces jointly occupied the area known as Palestine with Faysal?s (Iraq) Arab army. The British set up a provisional military government in Jerusalem that soon became a struggle between Jewish settlers and the Arab inhabitants. In April 1920, the Palestinian Arabs revolted, killing Jews and damaging property, opening the Arab nationalist revolution in Palestine. The League of Nations awarded the Palestine mandate in 1922, charging Britain with carrying out the Balfour Declaration, encouraging Jewish migration to Palestine and help create the Jewish "national home". But the Arabs suspected the British mandate would hold them in colonial bondage until the Jews achieved a majority in Palestine. Winston Churchill issued a white paper denying that the British government meant to give preferential treatment to Jews with a proviso for restricting Jewish immigration to conform with Palestine?s "absorptive capacity". Another action that seemed to violate the mandate was the creation of the Emirate of Transjordan, removing two-thirds of Palestine that lay east of the Jordan River from the area in which Jews could develop their national home, claiming the partition was only temporary. During the first civilian governor of Palestine, it looked as if Jewish-Arab differences would be resolved when more Jews emigrated out of Palestine than immigrated and with the presence of a complementary relationship among the two peoples, but the hopes dissipated during the 1929 "Wailing Wall Incident". The Wailing Wall (a.k.a. the Western Wall) is a remnant of the second Jewish Temple, symbolizing the hope that one day the Temple will be rebuilt and the ancient Jewish rituals revived; but the Wall also forms a part of the enclosure surrounding the Temple Mount, which the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa mosque stand atop; Muslims feared that Jewish actions before the Western Wall could lead to their pressing a claim to the historic site. In 1928, Jewish worshipers brought some benches to sit on. The police took them away several times, but the Jews kept putting them back. To Muslims, this activity was an attempt by the Jews to strengthen their claims to the Wall and retaliated by running a highway past it to distract the worshipers. Several fights broke out that escalated into a small civil war. Arabs perpetrated massacres in other places in Palestine. The British constabulary was inadequate and Britain sent a commission of inquiry; later issuing a report that justified the Arab position. The colonial secretary, Lord Passfield, placed blame on the Jewish Agency and the Zionists, and Britain tightened restrictions on Jewish immigration. Due to domestic embarrassment, the British government issued a letter explaining away the Passfield condemnation, hardly appeasing the Zionists, but angering the Arabs. As Arab animosity increased, the Arab Higher Committee in Palestine called for a general strike, paralyzing the country for several months. The British sent another commission of inquiry, headed by Lord Peel, which recommended partition, giving a small area of northern and central Palestine to the Jews, while leaving the most to Arabs. But the Palestine Arabs opposed the partition, fearing its? acceptance would be a step toward their loss of Palestine. Britain scaled

6 Things You Must Know About Changing Careers

6 Things You Must Know About Changing Careers If you’re switching to a whole new career (or are just thinking about it), there are some things that will be true no matter what your field is. Keeping these in mind can help you get that crucial foot in the door in your new career. Here are 6 things you must know about changing careers. 1. You’ll need to shift your mindset.â€Å"Change† is the mantra here. You’ll be the same you, but everything else- your day-to-day, how you apply your skills, the challenges you face on the job- will be different. Part of what makes a career change so appealing is that â€Å"everything is new!† aspect. Embracing that freedom, where anything could happen, is a big part of being ready to make the switch.2. Your resume needs an overhaul.You might think a few â€Å"find and replace† tweaks will cover your resume as you start sending it out to a new field of job openings. After all, your history is your history, and they’ve never seen it before, right? It ’s all new to them! †¦Not quite.The best thing to do is to build your resume from scratch so that it fits for your anticipated industry. The way you interpret your past jobs and your current skills may be different for this new field, so take the time to think about a) what the industry needs are; and b) how to give your skills and experience a makeover for that brave new world.3. Even if you don’t have experience, you have skills.It may seem like you’re totally starting over. But guess what? Even if your experience doesn’t really translate to your next professional life, you’ve also built up a stash of abilities that could serve you well no matter what. Focus on the kinds of skills that transfer well across job lines, like communication skills, problem solving skills, and leadership skills.4. You should think big: industry, not job description.I usually recommend that you tailor your resume for a specific job description. But as you get start ed on a new career path, where you may not be as familiar with the ins and outs of that industry, it’s better to approach it on a macro level. This is especially true if you don’t have some of the necessary experience. Focus on what the company does, what it provides, their audience/consumers, and what you can offer in those areas.5. It’s okay that there’s a lot you don’t know (yet).If you have a strong background of skills and experience behind you, it can be tempting to let that translate into swagger, even if you’re walking into an all-new professional world. The whole point of switching careers is the challenge of learning new things, and taking a different direction. So bring that eagerness to grow, not the â€Å"I know everything† confidence, into the process with you.6. There will be disappointments.Changing careers can be a really hard process. You’re leaving behind a very familiar world for a field you likely donâ€⠄¢t know as well. You might be leaving behind a reputation, and sets of skills that you worked hard to build. When you take a risk like that, it can be doubly frustrating when things don’t happen right away, or you don’t get the level of job or salary that you were hoping for. So as you go into it, take a deep breath and understand that there will be challenges.Changing career lanes is a brave thing to do. It involves making the best decision for yourself in the long term, even knowing that the short term may be a bumpy transition. The more prepared you are for these challenges, the readier you’ll be to face them and move on to your next great opportunity.

Error logging sentence corrections Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Error logging sentence corrections - Essay Example Woman defends the product of her tenderness and devotion for her children and others, and the sacrifices of women in life’s events, in which we all participate. The participation of women in performing their role as mothers in society always appears predominantly as related to their children. Working tirelessly for them to have the best and she is always concerned about what happens to them. The primary factor in creating a family bond is the mother, because she contributes to the formation of her child’s emotional and social development. Her children are gaining most of the behavioral patterns from their mother. My days go by more quickly with the help of my family and with my role of being a sty-at-home mother. These responsibilities are things that I adore, but also a demanding job. As a mother, I must provide care for my children, take responsibility for my family and love them all at the same time. I put my family together through affection, love patience, gentle l istening, consoling and encouragement. I also have to try to extinguish interpersonal conflicts in the family by watching over each member with true tenderness. The home should be well cared for and the education of children is essential for the proper functioning of the family and society. This is all a part of a mother‘s devotion to her children.

The role women played in todays society Research Paper

The role women played in todays society - Research Paper Example As a result, more women were more open to the idea of sticking to the traditional perception of women as housewives and PAs, as opposed to high flying career women (Empey 152). While women ascribed to feminist opinions that suggested otherwise, many still harbored conservative perceptions which characterized them as having intrinsic limitations and therefore unable to choose between careers and marriage (Empey 152). In high schools and colleges, young women were found to have aspirations that saw them stick to the traditional roles regarding family and gender. A further study carried out on a sample of 1194 girls spread across high schools and colleges in Washington revealed that 80% of them preferred marriage to careers, while only 8% preferred careers to marriage (Empey 152); the remaining 12% was unsure about where they stood. The overwhelming majority of the sample stated that the most important role of women in the society was to get married and raise a family. The small remaini ng percentage favored both career and marriage as being a woman’s most significant obligations to society (Empey 152). Some other responses to the survey that support this stance include the opinion of majority of the surveyed women that they would not take up jobs to which their significant others were opposed; they would not move away from their families immediately they had settled, in pursuit of better career prospects elsewhere; and they felt a greater sense of accountability towards preserving the repose of their families (Empey 152). Fast-forward to the 1970s and the number of women pursuing professional postgraduate programs upon completion of their college education rose sharply in the United States (Goldin and Katz 730). Expectedly, the age at which women got married for the first time also escalated drastically (Goldin and Katz 730). Beginning in the 1970s, more and more women began to venture into professional courses such as law and medicine; a scenario which saw the number of female law graduates increase by well over 26% between 1970 and 1986 (Goldin and Katz 730). In the same breath, the number of married women among college graduates began to take a dip (Goldin and Katz 731). While Goldin and Katz attribute this phenomenon to the increased popularity of the birth control pills, what is agreeable is that more and more women postponed the decision to get married to much later years than before. The pill was seen by women as giving them more sexual freedom without facing the consequences of unwanted pregnancies and hence facilitating the ability of women to invest in their careers in the long term. More women found that the pill enabled them to delay marriage and engage in establishing their careers, as the pill greatly reduced the cost of doing this in what Goldin and Katz refer to as â€Å"reducing the cost is the marriage market† (731). The overall effect was that women could delay marriage for as long as they pleased. The number of women graduating from college and getting married within two years of leaving college plunged (Goldin and Katz 731). Consequently, more women compared to men began to pursue professional courses after graduation from college. In the present the day, the situation has changed even more significantly. According to Wallop, more and more women are getting married in their 30s and 40s than ever before (telegraph.co.uk). The mean age which women found appropriate to get married in 2008 was 29.9

Frederick Douglass Fight For Freedom History Essay

Frederick Douglass Fight For Freedom History Essay In his speech, The Hypocrisy of American Slavery, Frederick Douglass enforces his main concept of inequality in the nation and the cruelty of slavery. Douglass endured a rough childhood of slavery in Maryland without the presence or help from his parents. From the very beginning of his life, Douglass knew nothing about the whereabouts of his father nonetheless who he was and barely ever saw his mother. During a tough period of a nation infested with segregation and inequality, Douglass applied to his master to have the right to find work for himself. During employment, he concocted a plan to escape slavery. After a successful getaway, Douglass assisted the Underground Railroad. At this time, the country was in great need of change. Certain historical events that occurred during the time period, such as the Compromise of 1850, and Douglasss rugged life experiences as a slave are applied to help frame the speech and convey how African Americans feel on Independence Day. Through a tone progressing from earnest to inflammatory and the use of rhetorical questions, biblical allusions, and puns, the delivery of The Hypocrisy of American Slavery effectively brings forth an awareness of the deterioration of the nation, the inequality between races and reveals how African Americans are affected by the harsh treatment they receive to help persuade the audience that slavery must be abolished. The Compromise of 1850 and Douglasss life as a slave during this time are important factors that help shape Douglasss speech. To help please the nation, The Compromise of 1850 was passed in an attempt to abolish and control slavery. The document states that it is inexpedient to abolish slavery in the District of Columbia whilst that institution continues to exist in the State of Marylandà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Compromise). This affected Douglass negatively as well as other states in America because as long as Maryland accepted slavery, other places were not allowed to abolish it. To Douglass, this was unfair and contributed to his reasoning on why he spoke to the public emphasizing the need of a free nation. Douglass lived a good part of his life in Maryland and had to endure the challenging life of a slave because he did not live in a free state. As a child, Frederick Douglass did not get to live a luxury life like whites. In an excerpt from his novel he writes I never saw my mother, to kn ow her as such, more than four or five times in my life; and each of these times was very short in duration, and at night (Frederick, Being). Douglass never got to have a relationship with his parents thus forcing him to grow up faster. In effect, it made him a stronger person in the end. He got split up from his mother because of silly things like the color of his skin. Later in his speech, Douglass references these silly things by referring to America as a blacker nation which is a pun between race and the status of the nation. The African Americans of the audience are captivated by the speech as they relate to the common struggles endured. Also, Douglass was educated about religion when he was young which explicated his frequent use of biblical allusions. He states that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦if their increase do no other good, it will do away the force of the argument, that God cursed Ham, and therefore American slavery is right (Frederick, Being). Things pertaining to God were always p resent in his life which explains his use of biblical allusions. These biblical references appealed to his audience that comprised of Christians. Also, the irrelevant claims towards why slavery is acceptable are recognized. All of this information about history and Douglasss life are important components when understanding Douglasss purpose for giving his speech. Douglasss experiences of suffering and mistreatment along with being asked by the leading citizens of Rochester on Independence Day led him to his exigency. He passionately expresses his feelings about the life he endured during slavery in an excerpt of the narrative of his life: I say, let him place himself in my situation- without home or friends- without money or credit- wanting shelter, and no one to give it- wanting bread, and no money to buy it, and at the same time let him feel that he is pursued by merciless men-hunter, and in total darkness as to what to do, where to go, or where to stay,- perfectly helpless both as to the means of defense and means of escape,- in the midst of plenty, yet suffering the terrible gnawings of hunger,- in the midst of houses, yet having no home,- among fellow-men, yet feeling as if in the midst of wild beasts, whose greediness to swallow up the trembling and half-famished fugitive is only equaled by that with which the monsters of the deep swallow up the helpless fish upon which they subside,- I say, let him be placed in this most trying situation,- the situation in which I was placed,- then, and not till then, will he fully appreciate the hardships of, and know how to sympathize with, the toil-worn and whip-scarred fug itive slave. (Frederick, Narrative) At this point in his life it is evident that he is already fed up with the struggles of hunger and homelessness along with the rights he was not able to enjoy. Frederick Douglass was finally ready to speak his mind to the dark world. Another reason for his exigency is the concept of freedom. Frederick Douglass was all for Lincolns platformà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦free soil, free men, and free labor (Abolition). Knowing that could possibly become the outcome of his efforts, he was quickly enthused to deliver his speech. The overall concept that drove him to give the speech was the possibility of a better future for him as well as the entire nation and to persuade his audience at Corinthian Hall in Rochester that slavery must be abolished. Douglass begins with an earnest tone and polite diction to appeal to his audiences feelings and uses rhetorical questions to get everyone thinking about the issues between the nations need of freedom and equality. At the start of his speech he declares Fellow citizens, above your national, tumultuous joy, I hear the mournful wail of millions, whose chains, heavy and grievous yesterday, are today rendered more intolerably by the jubilant shouts the reach them? (Douglass). Douglass uses nice words that contrast with harsh words like fellow citizens, to ease the seriousness of the critical references to slavery. Rhetorical questions were incorporated into his speech to make his audience feel accountable for the greatly needed equality and freedom in the nation. Most importantly, he asks Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in the Declaration of Independence, extended to us? (Douglass). This one question forces everyone to think about what rights exist in the nation and who they are extended to. Also, Frederick Douglass became fed up with the inequality of the nation because of race. He expresses that This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn (Douglass). He feels very strongly about the indifference of the nation and its status between the freedom and rights extended to all people. Douglass brings up a valid point that the Declaration guarantees the rights of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness and that slaves are not all blacks are privileged to enjoy these. Douglasss first half of his speech captivated his audience and enabled him to shift to more serious matters. The speech soon shifts to a vexed tone as Douglass explicates the obstacles of slavery and uses biblical references to point out the injustice of the mistreatment of slaves. Douglass becomes irritated when he complains Must I argue that a system thus marked with blood and stained with pollution is wrong? No I will not. I have better employment for my time and strength than such arguments would imply (Douglass). Douglass progressively becomes more passionate with his words as he becomes annoyed. He states here that it is ridiculous for people to not understand how seriously wrong slavery is and hopes it is a wakeup call to everybody. Next, he uses biblical references to relate to the audience. When mentioning the act of selfish men that would not rejoice when slaves are free, he implies that I am not that man. In case that, the dumb might eloquently speak, and the lame man leap as an hart (Douglass). The meaning behind this biblical reference is that a man is healed by God and then l eaps like a deer. Douglass acknowledges that he would be the one to rejoice when slaves were finally free. Certain references that come from the Bible relate to everyone because it points out the mistreatment of slaves and reminds everyone that God would not approve of this injustice. Both his tone and his references have transformed to be more harsh and unpleasant. Lastly, the tone is shifted to sound inflammatory and Douglass uses puns in order to point out the status of the nation due to race. Douglasss tone becomes bombastic towards his audience when he begins to bring up similarities between blacks and whites to prove that they are equal. He implies à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦that we are engaged in all the enterprises common to other men-digging gold in California, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦feeding à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦cattle on the hillside, living, moving, acting, thinking, planning, living in the families as husbands, wives, and children, and above all, confessing and worshiping the Christian Godà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦-we are called upon to prove that we are men? (Douglass). Douglasss inductive argument continues to incorporate references to God and rhetorical questions. These things repetitively remind the audience to think of what they can do to change the nation because God would not approve of such behavior. Finally, Douglass cleverly incorporates a pun into his speech. He reasons I do not hesitate to declare, with all my soul, that the character and conduct of this nation never looked blacker to me than on this Fourth of July (Douglass). He cunningly uses blacker to reference race as well as the shadowing darkness the nation lies under. Usually puns are used for comic relief; this one is not. Frederick Douglass effectively conveys his message to his audience by all three of those rhetorical strategies along with his change in tone. Douglasss remarkable speech led to many accomplishments like abolitionist movements with William Lloyd Garrison as well as contributions to the Emancipation Proclamation. In the end, the Thirteenth Amendment was passed which completely abolished slavery in all of America. With the efforts of Garrison and the delivery of Douglasss speech, life in America was greatly impacted. It is recorded that In 1841, Garrison hired Frederick Douglass, a former slave, as an agent for the society. Douglass was an immediate success on the lecture circuit, first in the North and later on a six-month tour of meeting halls throughout the American West (Abolition). Both men teamed together and became a successful duo. Douglass and Garrison started successful abolition movements in the North and rattled the South. Soon after, propaganda in the South arose. It is concluded that When Lincoln was elected, the South saw him as a threat to Southern institutions and resorted to secession. And the Civil War bega n (Abolition). It can be assumed that the efforts of Douglass and Lincoln began the Civil War. The war led to an outcome of abolishing slavery for which Douglass speech will always be remembered. Finally, In 1863, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared all slaves in the Southern secessionist states free. Two years later, the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which states that neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall exist in the United States, was ratified, and the abolitionists finally had their victory (Abolition). The country finally saw change and began to lighten up. Slavery was finally abolished as an effect of the hard work of Garrison, Lincoln, and Douglass. Most importantly, Douglasss efforts will always be remembered because it caused an unforgettable change in America. Frederick Douglass was an outstanding man with great character and strong beliefs. He did not care what others would think of him and stood strongly for what he believed and knew was right. The struggles of being a slave child shaped him to be the man he turned out to be. Also, historical events including the Compromise of 1850, shaped the phenomenal speech he gave on July 4th, 1852. By using rhetorical questions, biblical allusions, and puns, Douglass effectively conveyed his message that the freedom of slaves all around America was essential and that the nation was unhealthy, unjust, and slowly deteriorating as time progressed. Another key element he incorporated were shifts in tone. Douglass starts off nice and not over bearing but evolves to a bombastic tone. The legacy of his speech will forever be remembered because of the astounding things it caused including but not limited to abolitionist movements, the Civil War, the Emancipation Proclamation, and most importantly the Thirt eenth Amendment to the Constitution. If it were not for the hard work of Frederick Douglass, slavery may not have been abolished to this day.

Phonics †Word Identification Essay

1. Identification of Student Prerequisite Skills Needed for Lesson: (4 minutes) a. The teacher begins the lesson by asking her students to think about strategies that they use to read and spell bigger words. The students are prompted to write one of these strategies on a sticky note and to compare strategies with their pod. b. After reviewing strategies as a class, the teacher writes the following objective on the board: i. Given a set of letter cards, and verbal directions from the teacher, students will spell and write down multisyllabic words for their weekly spelling list. c. Before passing out materials, the teacher engages the class in a discussion to focuses the on the term multisyllabic, and especially the pre-fix â€Å"multi†. 2. Presentation of New Information or Modeling: (7 minutes) a. Parent volunteers help pass out â€Å"letter cards† to each student, and all  students are prompted to keep letter cards in the envelope until the activity begins. b. The teacher tells the students about the contents of the envelope and its purpose. Next, the teacher asks the students to open their envelopes. c. As a modeling exercise, the teacher reads the following directions: i. â€Å"As a class, we will now spell the word â€Å"ate† using three letters from our envelope.† d. She models how she would arrange the letters in the correct order (a-t-e) underneath the document camera for all students to see. She has the students do the same, as she roams the room to informally check their understanding of directions. She prompts those who finish early to attempt to construct other words using the same three letters. (tea, eat, tee, etc.) 3. Guided Practice: (10 – 15 minutes) *As students finish up the modeling exercise, the teacher gains student attention by clapping three times. She prompts students to open their spelling notebook and then she gives her first direction for guided practice: â€Å"Students, our first multisyllabic word that we are going to construct is a five letter, two syllable word: â€Å"pizza†. Before you arrange your letters please attempt to spell â€Å"pizza† in your spelling notebook. Once you have it written down in your spelling journal, please construct the word using your letter cards. When you have finished, please put your pencil down, and your thumb up. Remember to keep your answer a secret from your neighbors†¦We will reveal our answers at the same time. *After all students finish, a volunteer arranges the letters â€Å"p-i-z-z-a† underneath the document camera. Students who misspelled the given word are prompted to correct the word in their spelling notebook. As more words are introduced, the parent volunteers line up the completed words on the chalkboard ledge. Students are prompted to discuss patterns among their new spelling words (prefix, suffix, vowel combinations, etc.). After all words are shown on the chalkboard ledge, the class discusses these patterns. This is repeated in the culminating activity, as well. *Lastly, students check their answer with a neighbor to ensure proper understanding. -The teacher roams the room, checking for student understanding. -The same directions are repeated for the following words: lastly, general, mostly, optional, directly, moral, and anticipation. 4. Independent Student Practice: When students finish their guided practice work, they are prompted to pair up, grab a computer, and log in to their accounts on spellingcity.com *After logging in, students are prompted to take turns typing their new spelling words into a new list. This list should be saved as â€Å"making words list† on their account. *When finished with the list entry, students are prompted to play a game or activity related to their list. Examples of games and activities include: 1. Test Me (orally given by computer generated voice) 2. Hang Mouse (similar to Hang Man, but with words from the new list) 5. Culminating or Closing Procedure/Activity/Event: After comparing/reviewing spelling patterns among their new words, students are prompted to write down two challenge words to add to their list at a later time. These words must be at least three syllables and 8-12 letters long. Pedagogical Strategy (or Strategies): – direct instruction – modeling of desired behavior – partner work (checking for partner’s correct spelling) Differentiated Instruction: Gifted/accelerated learners: *These students are given a separate (and more challenging) list of words. They can also help check the work of the other students at their pod. Student Assessment/Rubrics: *informal assessment performed by teacher during guided practice *results from â€Å"Test Me† and other games/activities are sent to the teacher’s spellingcity.com account and this data is used to modify instruction.

Battling Nerves and Anxiety Over Presentations

Nearly everyone experiences nervousness when they perform in some way, whether in giving a speech, taking a test, offering a presentation, or teaching a class. Its something everybody deals with. But some people hide their nervousness more than others. Some people simply understand that nervousness is self-perpetuating. Here is an alarming little equation: Signs of Nervousness Leads to Increased Nervousness In other words, one sign of nervousness can cause other symptoms to pop up. To clarify this cruel little formula, just think back to a time when you were speaking in front of a group. If you noticed that your hands were shaking or your voice was cracking, you probably became distracted and unnerved by these signs. They probably embarrassed you and made you even more nervous, which made your heart beat faster. True? Theres good news: This formula also works in reverse. If you can prepare ahead of time to prevent and disguise the normal causes for nervousness, you can avoid a chain reaction of symptoms. Types of Fears That Cause Anxiety The best thing you can do is to over-prepare when youre facing an intimidating situation that makes you nervous. The number one cause for nerves is feeling inadequate about the topic. Fear of Looking Stupid: Whatever your topic may be, from phases of the moon to Internet safety, you must research it thoroughly. If you try to skimp or slide by with a little knowledge, youll start to feel insecure--and it will show. Prepare ahead and go way beyond the parameters of your specific topic. Find out all you can about the how and why of things, especially if you will be answering questions about your topic. Fear of Forgetting Information: When giving a speech, its normal to forget details if youre nervous, so you should take steps to avoid this. Make an outline of your topic or make several note cards to use as prompters. Practice with the note cards and re-make them if they confuse you in any way. Make sure you number any note cards so you can keep them in the right order. Fear of Freezing Up: You can avoid the appearance of freezing up during your presentation, discussion, or speech by having props on hand. These can include a drink of water, a notepad, or a visual aid. Anytime you feel like you might go blank, say Excuse me for a moment, and take a drink or pretend to jot something down. This will give you an extra moment to gather your thoughts. Its also a good idea to have one note card prepared that you can go to in a moment of panic. This card could contain a space filler like an anecdotal story that goes along with your topic. If you need to go to this panic card, you could simply say, You know, this reminds me of a story. After you complete your story you can say, Now where was I? and someone will tell you. Types of Symptoms That Increase Anxiety You can reduce some nervous symptoms by scoping out the room where youll be speaking or presenting. Find out if youll be standing still, sitting down, walking around, or using a microphone. Educate yourself as much as possible about your situation. It will give you a greater sense of control. Dry mouth: Prevent dry mouth by carrying a glass of water with you. Also avoid drinking carbonated drinks before you speak, since those tend to dry out your mouth.Shaky, nervous voice: The more you know your topic and the more confident you feel, the less trouble youll have with your voice. If you start to feel short of breath or shaky, just pause to consult your notes or take a sip of water. Breath slowly and give yourself a moment to re-group. It wont look odd to the audience.Rapid heartbeat: Its not a good idea to eat a big meal before an event. The combination of jittery nerves and a full stomach can create a strong heartbeat, which will make you feel short of breath. Instead, eat a small but healthy meal before you speak. More Tips for Battling Nerves Prepare transitional phrases ahead of time to help you flow from one idea to the next. If you dont have a good transition, you might get nervous as you struggle to change from one topic to another.Practice your speech, presentation, or argument out loud and in front of the mirror several times. This will help you fix any awkward segments.If you have a microphone, concentrate solely on it as you speak. This helps you block out the audience.Dont think about underwear. Some people suggest that you imagine your audience wearing underwear. You can do that if you really want to, but it might not prove very helpful. The real idea behind this trick is to think of your audience as ordinary people just like you. They are ordinary, and chances are, theyre all impressed at your courage and very supportive.Move around the room if you have the opportunity. This sometimes helps distract you from the eyes of your audience and it can make you look professional and in control.Start out your presentati on with a great quote or a funny line. For instance, a good line to use as an icebreaker is I just want you all to know that I am not picturing you in your underwear.