Week Six Free Essays

Use the Internet to research and evaluate two (2) commercial HR database systems for your organization. Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of each system and, based on your knowledge of human resources and database systems, propose one (1) package that would fit the needs of your organization. Suggest three (3) specific reasons why you would recommend that system over the other. We will write a custom essay sample on Week Six or any similar topic only for you Order Now Capterra is a HR database provider that can provide the needs an organization to help with their HR needs. Their fully integrated, web-based suite automates and simplifies performance appraisals, 360 degree feedback, learning management, succession planning, compensation management, job descriptions and recruiting. Halogen’s products make HR best-practices accessible to companies of all sizes. They also offer specific suites to meet the unique needs of a variety of industries. † (capterra. com) â€Å"Waypoint open source and other web-based software applications outlined on this website have been developed by HR-Fundamentals limited. Since 2002 HR-Fundamentals ltd has been providing online tools to help employers manage their staff and their business more effectively. Our friendly and approachable attitude enables us to work with different types of organizations, in many industries, across many continents, to deliver visible results to their business. HR-Fundamentals ltd offer a wide range of bespoke and personal services to employers, directors, line managers and employees. Our services include web based software applications and online employment related documentation available for immediate download. † (waypointhr. om) One of the advantages that Capterra has to offers program that can track holiday and sick time, along providing software to process payroll. It handles HR needs such as pre-employment testing and background checks. Capterra assist with all onboarding needs such as applicant tracking. Capterra can assist with all of a company’s recruitment needs. The disadvantage that Capterra has is there are a lot of options to choose from, and the website doesn’t seem to be easy to follow. The customer can easily be lost and maybe confused on what type of service they may need to choose from. With Waypoint I feel it can provide more support what a company is looking for and the website is easier to understand. Customer will get the feeling this company understand their needs and is willing to give them the service they are looking for. Waypoint specializes in HR Software and Web Development. They have modules that assist with Exit Interviews, HR Intranets, Online Appraisals, and Online Recruitment. The disadvantage that Waypoint may have is that their website is vague and it may give a potential customer the impression that it doesn’t have the areas of expertise a company is looking for. I would propose the absence management online program â€Å"Absence levels can be reduced through monitoring and management, sending employees a clear message that you take sickness absence seriously. Our web-based Online Absence Management software is easy-to-use and accessible from any PC via a web browser and includes many features to help you and your line managers monitor, manage and handle sickness, injury and medical related absences. †(WaypointHR. com) I would recommend Waypoint because the services are on point with a customer needs. They can provide services such as online absences, and Exit Interview, and Online Intranet. These are basic services that most companies would like and want to promote. I would use Waypoint because it has the recognizes what companies needs are what they needs to make HRIS more efficient within the company. Waypoint specialty is Web Development and that is a must for HRIS to be utilized to its full capacity. To reduce using a lot of paper, Waypoint has an option that will allow important forms to be downloaded instead of always printing forms out. Suggest three (3) efficiencies that an organization would gain from using a SAAS for its HRIS needs and three (3) inefficiencies from maintaining an MS Access-based database application. The efficiency of HRIS, the systems are able to produce more effective and faster outcomes than can be done on paper. Some of the many applications of HRIS are: Clerical applications, applicant search expenditures, risk management, training management, training experiences, financial planning, turnover analysis, succession planning, flexible-benef its administration, compliance with government regulations, attendance reporting and analysis, human resource planning, accident reporting and prevention and strategic planning. With the many different applications of HRIS, it is difficult to understand how the programs benefit companies without looking at companies that have already benefited from such programs. † (ezinearticles. com) â€Å"One such company is IBM. IBM has a paperless online enrollment plan for all of its employees. Not only has the online enrollment saved the company 1. 2 million per year on printing and mailing costs, the employees enjoy working with the online plan. Since we began offering online enrollment, we’ve learned that employees want web access,† Donnelly [Senior Communications Specialist] says, so they can log on at home rather than through the company intranet. So the company has been working to put in place a web-based enrollment system that employees and retirees can access from anywhere (Huering, 2003). By utilizing the flexible-benefits application HRIS has to offer, IBM was able to cut costs and give employees the freedom to discover their benefits on t heir own time and pace. † (ezinearticles. om) â€Å"The privacy of employee information has become a major issue in recent years. With identity theft becoming a common problem, employees are becoming more sensitive about who sees their personal information, and the security it is kept in. By making sure employee information that is kept in the HRIS is relevant to the company and making sure there is limited access (password protection) to such information, companies can make its employees more secure with the safety of their information. Whether electronic or paper, employee files deserve to be treated with great care. Establishing security and end-user privileges calls for a balance of incorporating, HR policy, system knowledge and day-to-day operations (O’Connell, 1994). † (ezinearticles. com) â€Å"Illogically or inconsistently stored data can cause a number of problems. In a relational database, a logical and efficient design is just as critical. A poorly designed database may provide erroneous information, may be difficult to use, or may even fail to work properly. Most of these problems are the result of two bad design features called: redundant data and anomalies. Redundant data is unnecessary reoccurring data (repeating groups of data). Anomalies are any occurrence that weakens the integrity of your data due to irregular or inconsistent storage (delete, insert and update irregularity, that generates the inconsistent data). † (www. databasedev. co. uk) Assess the (3) most significant risks associated with combining products from multiple vendors into one (1) HRIS. â€Å"IaaS allows organizations to avoid the large capital expenses associated with infrastructure and data centers. It also has a low barrier to entry and enables automated scaling. One negative aspect of IaaS is that it brings with it new security risks that require different measures. For example, due to stringent information requirements associated with regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX), enterprises must carefully assess where such information resides and mitigate any privacy risks. In addition, how well IaaS works is vendor dependent. † (cloudcomputing. ys-con. com) The major drawback that must be mitigated is the security risk associated with centralization. In addition, since applications are centralized, version control and updates are relatively headache free and deploying software becomes instantaneous. On the other hand, applications that are centralized present enhanced security risks. (cloudcomputing. sys-con. com) Predict three (3) unintended consequences of not managing an HR database properly and how y ou would circumvent those situations from occurring. What is the impact of a poorly structured performance management process? If individual goals are not aligned with business strategy, then time and resources are wasted. Low employee engagement levels may mean that individuals are not performing at their best. Inconsistent evaluation criteria and rewards can lead to mistrust, lower productivity and higher attrition. If top performers see no differentiation in performance ratings, opportunities and compensation from underperformers, morale can suffer. Lack of documentation, visibility, and accountability can negatively affect stakeholders who are demanding more and more transparency. If accurate performance information is unavailable or difficult to access, training and development decisions along with project assignment decisions may not be made in the company’s or the individual’s best interests. An annual process will not adequately alert managers to problems in a timely manner. Last, but not least, a lack of proper documentation related to performance may result in legal issues. (www. successfactors. com) How to cite Week Six, Essay examples

Fire Safety In Car Parking Lot free essay sample

This paper focuses on car park fire safety. Numerous huge underground auto parks are found in the large residential, administrative and office areas. A large portion of them are developed in order to battle issues identified with indoor air quality, particularly the carbon monoxide radiated via autos, mechanical ventilation frameworks must be introduced to supply air that is natural. Because of an abundant number of detailed car lot fire mishaps in the recent couple of decades, vigour of these parking fires against regional fire is gaining expanding consideration. There has been an alarming matter about the outcomes of fires in auto parks related with present day vehicle construction for e.g., plastic fuel tanks etc. And how these flames may spread to different vehicles stopped ad-jointly and close-by. Thus , this paper will mainly highlight on various aspects on how these parking lots catches fire and sometimes may spread vigorously endangering the whole building . We will write a custom essay sample on Fire Safety In Car Parking Lot or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page We will discuss about the safety measures using various engineering controls on how to curb the smoke and heat production. In this paper, we will also present 2 case studies on major car parking fire accident. (Liverpool ECHO arena car park fire)INTRODUCTIONCar parking structures are generally found in present day in most urban places. Such structures can be solitary structures or joined to other inhabitant compounds. The structures can be multi-story; over the ground or subterranean; be completely or halfway encased; and be utilized to stop a variety of vehicles. The increase in the rate of construction of underground parking lots, especially in crowded urban places leads to safety in fire a alarming problem. Due to which, reduction in the in-plan places have set rigid restrictions on the pathways of clearing, which needs a proper planning in structures and also due to crouched or low roofs and absence of openings has an effect on the scenario of fire and as well as the thermal fie ld. Thus, the after effect is that the temperature will be higher in these structures and may lead to more damage.Parking garage fires are pretty uncommon. They are likely to be limited to a single vehicle. According to a study conducted, only about 8 percent of incidents are area beyond the footprints of the vehicle where the fire has originally started. In simple words, the majority of fires are constraint in scope to a single vehicle. However the bad news is that we will never know when the fire will strike. The life security worries of tenants and fire contenders and the proper design situations for basic configuration have prompted the thought of the effects of fires in automobiles parking structures. CausesIn a car there is abundance of fuel which includes flammable fluids like petrol, engine oil and almost everything in the car is a fuel, from seats, to plastic used in the interior. Oxygen is abundant in nature and as long as we park the vehicle in a vacuum, subtracting Oxygen from the above equation is impossible. Depending on the miles the car has clocked before parking, weather, adjacent vehicle, state of the car machinery and human failure the possible causes are as follows: 1) Arson: It is very much possible that someone may alight the car, which can be a deliberate Violation (whether Routine, Situational, or Exceptional). 2) Electric malfunction. 3) Static electricity: Static discharges of the car or adjacent cars, through friction build up in the tyres, or wind blowing over the metal body causes ignition spark. 4) Radiation: If the car is parked where there is a radiation leak from the buildings or other one off scenarios where the other vehicles are carrying unsafe illeg al materials. 5) Electricity/arcing: This normally happens when we park the car under overhead electric lines. 6) Flashpoint/auto-ignition: The flashpoint of gasoline is -43 degree C, and auto-ignition temperature is 280 degree C, hence car temperature matters too.7) Poor maintenance: Leaking fluids, Overheating engines, Overheating catalytic converters, battery issues, bad gasket are all examples of poor maintenance which may lead to fire.

The Stranger free essay sample

The novel immediately starts off with Meursault receiving word that his mother died. He seems pretty indifferent as he goes through asking off work and attending the funeral. When he returns home from the funeral, he pretty much goes straight back into normal life as if nothing was different. He enters a relationship with Marie and befriends his neighborhood pimp, Raymond. Throughout, he remains detached from reality around him, being indifferent to the fact that his girlfriend is in love with him. His apathy (somehow) results in his engagement to Marie and they (along with Raymond) go on vacation to the beach. While at the beach, Meursault shoots and killed an Arab man who was the brother of Raymonds mistress. After his arrest, Meursaults attorney seems disgusted at his detachment and indifferentness to the murder in addition to his mothers death. When Meursault meets with the magistrate, the magistrate claims that Meursault is the antichrist. It is important enough to him and his story that he even studys the way it made him feel, and introspective quality not exhibited concerning many other subjects in his life. Scholar William Conroy says, Since this is virtually the only incident of his past life that he recalls, it is surely of crucial significance for him. 2 It is this crucially ignificant event of his childhood that causes him to lose faith in the order of society and makes him think that he cannot count on anything, especially people. Without his educational career as proof that hard work and studious dedication can result in success and happiness, Meursault resolves that life in general is meaningless, and that with or without ambition, both paths lead to the same disappointing destination. To try to protect himself from the inevitability of disappointment, Meursault overcompensates by regulating his daily routine. At Mamans funeral, the attendant ays, If you go slowly, you risk getting sunstroke. But if you go too fast, you work up a sweat and then catch a chill inside the church. She was right. There was no way out. (p 27) In this instance, Meursault is attempting to account for the inevitable, to literally and figuratively try to keep himself in a happy medium temperature wise and emotionally. To deal with the possible emotional strife of losing the last family member that the reader is aware of, Meursault chooses to concentrate on his usual regimented lifestyle, focusing on the days of the week rather than the events ranspiring. He is utterly passive, seemingly oblivious to the funeral as he concludes, It occurred to me that somehow Id got through another Sunday, that Mother now was buried, and tomorrow Id be going back to work as usual. Really, nothing in my lite nad changed (p 30) As William Conroy puts Meursaults misguided priorities, Sundays bother Meursault, not his mothers death. 3 By focusing on the aspects of life he can control, like his Sunday schedule, Meursault is able to focus on the things that do matter in his sphere, in this case the minimal behavioral necessities such as eing on time, going to work, eating, and sleeping. Contrary to what might be apparent indifference on the surface, Meursault subconsciously tries to avoid disappointing society Although he does not necessarily wish to marry Marie, he plays the role of boyfriend and even considers marriage because it is what she, and society expect of him saying, I explained to her that it didnt really matter and that if she wanted to, we could get married. (p 41) Similarly, Meursaults interactions with the priest and lawyer simply boil down to what Meursault has to do or say to please them so they will leave him alone. While telling his story to the lawyer, Meursault says, l felt the urge to reassure him that I was like everybody else, Just like everybody else. (p 66) He does not want to be a stranger to society, but rather to appease everyone so they will not question or inspect his actions, which he fears may disappoint. Perhaps the best example of Meursault trying to please people, for little to no personal gain is his interactions with Raymond. Upon Raymonds vague request to write a controversial letter to a woman who had been beaten, and now accused of cheating by Raymond, Meursault simply takes the ask at face value saying, l wrote the letter. I did it Just because it came to me, but I tried my best to please Raymond because I didnt have any reason not to please him. (p 32) Meursaults first consideration is not about the morality of the letter, but instead if it will satisfy Raymond. This aversion to disappointing people is a contributing factor in his end predicament, because it is his associations and perhaps loyalty to Raymond that puts him in the situation on the beach with the Arab. The turning point in the novel is when Meursault shoots the Arab because that is is first real contact with death, and the ultimate disappointment to society as he breaks the most integral aspect of human nature. It could be argued that Meursault does not mean to kill the Arab, that the first shot is fired purely by chance. He goes to the spot by accident, meets the Arab by chance, the sun happens to be unpleasantly hot, making Meursault uncomfortable. When the blade catches the sun and the reflection flashes into Meursaults eyes, he simply responds mechanically- like a coiled spring- and the gun goes off. 4 For a man who avoids death in his life, it seems ounterintuitive that he would inflict such damage upon another human. Yet it is not his thirst for death or vengeance that drives this act, but an ulterior force manifested in the sun and heat that motivates this last action. By removing the blame, instead placing it on inanimate objects like the gun trigger, he eliminates himself from the deathly aspect, not considering the ramifications in his own life, or the life he Just took. It is this lack of an understanding and self introspection about the finality of death, born of his resistance to considering his own feelings from his lack of personal xperiences with death, that prevent him from grasping the gravity of his actions. The similarities between Meursaults experience at his mothers funeral and the Arabs shooting are eerily similar in their treatment of death. Even Meursault observes the similarities saying, It was the same sun as the day I had buried Mother and, like then, I nad a great pain in the torenead where all the veins were beating together under the skin. (p 79) Conroy states the similarities saying, The sun, the sweat, the pulsation, the fatigue, the coloring, the tears, and death are dela vu; they esuscitate for Meursault the experience of his mothers funeral and the emotions he was then feeling. 5 The events being so similar in a physical sense allows them to mirror the other emotionally as well. The final link between the two events is the presence of death. These similarities force Meursault to again remember his other experience with death, that he has so strongly repressed, and for those pent up emotions to resurface. As he heats up on the beach, those same emotions resurface and bring death to the forefront of his mind causing a reaction, or the first shot of the The next four shots are of a different nature, seemingly contradictory to the theory of avoiding death. This conscious decision to fire four more times at the motionless body (p 59) shows that the action is no longer motivated by sheer chance and reaction. As scholar Christopher Robinson observes, it is apparent that Meursault feels no emotion, reflecting little on the act he has Just committed, and instead continuing to narrate the sequence of events following rather than his own feelings about what transpired. 6 The only remorse seen immediately following the shooting s Meursaults comment, And it was like knocking four quick times on the door of unhappiness. (p 59) This, while proving he is not happy with what Just happened goes deeper as this door of unhappiness, he is now poised to open is the door to his own repressed thoughts about death, especially his mothers passing. Whether he knows it consciously or not, those knocks, will bring about unhappiness because they are a reminder of his own mortality, a fact he will have to face in an execution made necessary because of these shots. William Conroy suggests that in firing into an inert ody, Meursault is possibly trying to kill death, releasing those pent up emotions and providing a catharsis for the unsettled feelings about his mothers death. 7 It is his own way of coping with death, a subject he wants so far removed from him, he feels the need to eliminate it four more times. As Meursault finally is forced to consider his own death in the form of execution, he contemplates the use of the guillotine as the method of the death sentence. He has in some ways accepted his fate, due to the lack of an interest in putting forth an appeal, but he struggles with he concept of rooting for his own death. The one memory Meursault shares about his father is the story of how despite being sickened by the event; his dad would attend the executions of criminals. While it disgusts Meursault as a child, after considering his own situation, Meursault concludes, here was nothing more important than an execution, and that when you come right down to it, it was the only thing a man could truly be interested in.. (p 110) Meursault is beginning to see the motivation to live, in part because he understands the threat of death. It is not so uch the fact that his life will end soon, but the inevitability of the guillotine doing its job. Without this slim possibility of failure, E ven one in a thousand was good enough to set things right. (p 111) Meursault is forced to accept death, Just as he sees how precious life is and finally welcomes both chance and motivation into his sphere as he tries to escape the finality of his own death by changing. At the trial, Meursault is not Judged for his failure to understand death, but instead for disappointing society. In his own account ot the trial , Meursault beings to understand now the courtroom eels about him saying, for the first time in years I had this stupid urge to cry, because I could feel how much all these people hated me. (p 90) While the fact remains that he has killed a man, the majority of the trial focuses on his reaction to his mothers death and Meursault struggles with adapting to the disappointment aimed at him. Considering the politics involved in the trial, author Christopher Robinson says, He is Judged, because he challenged the conventions, however superficially observed by others, regarding th e proper respect a son shows his mother. 8 These broken conventions stimulate the disappointment of society and force him to adapt to his new role of murderer in order to please the society he has disappointed. He attempts to embrace his new role in society by fitting the mold of a criminal. Talking with the examining magistrate he even goes so far as to physically stop his natural movements to fulfill the demands of his new role saying, l was even going to shake his hand, but Just in time, I remembered that I had killed a man. (p 64) By realizing that he has disappointed society, Meursault is forced to mbrace the role of murderer, causing him to come to terms with the reality of his death, and even dismiss the appeal. The final line of The Stranger, For everything to be consummated, for me to feel less alone, I had only to wish that there be a large crowd of spectators the day of my execution and that they greet me with cries of hate, (p 123) exemplifies the culmination of Meursaults struggle to come to terms with the death and disappointment in his life. He has disappointed society by breaking its moral code and now must complete the final act as his new persona, the ated murderer to once again try to please people and he has had to come to terms with his mothers, and his own death to try to understand the motivation for living. Yet, most importantly, Meursault has been forced out of his static lifestyle of repressing thoughts of death and trying to live a life void of disappointment. Meursault is forced to change because of the death and disappointment in his life, and it is that change that finally allows him to open himself, to the gentle indifference of the world, (p 122) and accept his tragic fate.

Smart Growth Essay Example

Smart Growth Essay Actually smart growth is community development program aimed at revitalizing older suburbs and central cities, supporting and enhancing public transit, promoting bicycling and walking, preserving agricultural lands and open space for people. From definition it is apparent that smart growth can’t be negative and perception of smart growth is misinterpreted. Smart growth tends to revitalize â€Å"the already-built environment and, to the extent necessary, to foster efficient development at the edges of the region, in the process creating more livable communities†. (Cox 2003)It is necessary to state that smart growth advocates planning in order to develop and to revitalize communities which preserve natural and cultural resources, distribute efficiently the benefits of development, promote public health, expand range of housing and employment opportunities, etc.   The main components of smart growth are: historic preservation, transit-oriented development, affordable hou sing, mixed-use development, walkable-friendly design, preserving open space and reusing land, protection of air quality and water suppliers, etc. Thus five main tools are: (Cox 2003)1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Incentive programs aimed at encouraging development of land in eco-friendly manner. Programs to be employed in Leesburg: tax incentives, revolving funds, grants and loans.2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Open space protection aimed at developing policies of open space and agricultural protection. Programs to be implemented in my town are:   quality development of urban areas.3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Growth rate tools. Leesburg could develop rate allocation systems, caps, capacity limits and finally phasing systems.4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Growth management tools. It means that city should establish boundaries of urban development and design development zones.5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Comprehensive Planning. Leesburg can guide growth management by involving zoning on all government levels to prov ide realistic view of planning. (Cox 2003)

Qualitative Research Method Analysis

Hate Crimes in America essays

Hate Crimes in America essays Hate Crimes In America Did you know that people with blonde hair have low I.Q.s? Or that people less than five feet tall are more likely to spread a disease? How about that people with brown eyes are really worshipers of Satan? That did not sound very logical, did it? No, you know that people with blonde hair can be as smart or as unintelligent as the next person, that short people are not necessarily better hosts to disease, and that people with brown eyes can believe in whatever they want. Some people, on the other hand, would say these things made perfect sense when applied to a different race, religion, ethnic background, gender or sexual orientation. The idea of prejudice is as old as Mans time on Earth, that someone who is different just is not as good. When a person thinks like this, it can clutter their judgement. They start to see others, different from themselves, as not even human let alone equal. Violence often ensues. When that happens, we have a hate crime. A hate crime does not necessarily have to be a physical violent act. Words and threats can be just as damaging on an emotional level as a physical blow is to the head. Laws have been passed to prevent these actions, however, year in and year out there are hate crimes against different groups running into the thousands...and those are just the reported incidents. The most common variety of hate crimes is committed against the African American community. Acts of violence and hatred against Blacks have been seen throughout history. The earliest forms of hate groups often led these attacks, and groups of old are still present today, such as, the Aryan Nations, and the Ku Klux Klan (http://sociology.ucdavis.edu/classes/grattetHate_Crimes_Class_Site/Hate_Groups.html). Although not thriving as they had in olden times, these groups still exist and have strong followings in many different places. Today, because of their lack of pop...

Elizabethan Era Social Classes Essay Example

Elizabethan Era Social Classes Essay Example Elizabethan Era Social Classes Paper Elizabethan Era Social Classes Paper Elizabethan Family Life Family life during the Elizabethan period was largely determined by what class the family was in. As in how rich the family was. But the main exception to this was religion. It didnt matter whether the family was wealthy, poor, young or old, each family was expected to attend a protestant church service every Sunday. Each family member also wore different clothes. A wealthy family led a completely different life to one of a poor family and men led very different lives to women. The men had quite a lot of control over the lives of the women in the family during the Elizabethan times. The women were expected to always be ready to do whatever the men told them to do and were supposed to obey the men in all aspects of their life. In their religion, disobedience was seen as a crime or wrongdoing. The whole purpose for women to get married was to Increase the position and wealth of her own family and then to produce children. Love was not really considered as a reason to get married back then but may come In the marriage. Male children were preferred back In those times. There were no careers available to women and the girls did not receive an education either, so most of the females werent able to read or write. It was the womens job to keep the house tidy and in good shape. It was also the responsibility of the women to keep their family healthy by producing medicines from their available herbs. The Elizabethan men led a life of power, completely opposite to the women and much more favorable. The men made all the decisions and the women were expected to obey them. The men supported the family by going to work and they had a wide variety of occupations. The men were expected to Improve the positions of family members too by working with wealthier people and families than their own and patronizing with them. Boys had an education and went to school for 6 days a week. This meant they were literate, unlike the girls. When tobacco was introduced, smoking was very popular among men. The lives of the children during the Elizabethan times wasnt too different from how it is today. The children of the family had to serve and obey the adults of the family, including women. They were raised to obey and respect their parents. Children were very precious during the Elizabethan period because infant mortality was high. Just like the 21st century, children had toys to play with for entertainment. Some of those toys Included dolls, toy soldiers, hobbyhorses and many others. But unlike the Elizabethan times, children now have PCs and play stations to entertain themselves. Children were split in classes like the adults. The more high-class children were more punished more severely for bad behavior than the lower class children. The homes back in the Elizabethan period depended on how rich the family was. What the family did in and outside of the home was also determined by what time of day it was. Most of the Elizabethan houses were half built out of timber with black ND white styles The interiors had separate rooms and usually levels. The walls were made of wattle, which were daubed with mortar and later had whitewash applied to it. For an upper or middle class family, windows were constructed from glass, like today, but if the family was lower class then windows became wooden shutters. The houses had thatched roofs made of straw or reeds. Rushes were used to cover the floor for most families but marble or slate was used only for the very wealthy families. The chimneys were very high and made of stone. The houses didnt have running water so it had to be obtained through water pumps, owing this caused many people to get typhoid. Heat was produced by fires and lighting from candles and torches. Bubonic plague was spread easily as the thatched roofs made good homes for rats and mice (from which the disease was spread). The Elizabethan home was where families were able to find comfort. Education during the Elizabethan times was mainly for the boys of the upper and middle classes and girls of the upper class. Girls were usually not allowed in schools. The simplest form of education started at what was called a Petty School. This school was conducted for boys from 5 7 years of age. This type of school wasnt actually held in a school building but the teachers house. These petty schools ran for only a small fee and were conducted by a local and well- educated housewife. Reading and writing English and lessons about behavior were taught at these schools, as they were considered to be the fundamentals of education and must be taught early in childhood. From 7 14 years of age, boys not in the upper class would attend a grammar school. They were taught by ushers (senior students at grammar school) from 7 10 years of GE. They learnt slightly more advanced English writing and speaking skills and basic Latin. When the boys turned 10 they left their ushers to be taught by masters in more Latin, literature, Greek study, religious education and simple math. After grammar school, the boys left for university at an early age of 14. People ate different things in the Elizabethan period depending on their wealth and social status. During those times, meat was thought to be a luxury enjoyed by the rich. The poor would not have had much food varieties but the rich had plenty to choose from! Old eat are lamb, beef, mutton, bacon, fish, carrot, leeks and fruits. Many different kinds of food were introduced in the Elizabethan period, such as tomatoes, kidney beans and potatoes. Tutors also enjoyed eating dessert, obviously. They ate pastries, tarts, cakes, custard and cream. The food in those times werent actually too different compared to what we eat now. Family was very important back then and still is. Although life as a family was very strict and standardized, it was also vital to have close bonds as a family and to have good respect and obedience towards each other.