Learning Principles in Video Games Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Learning Principles in Video Games - Essay Example Presently the â€Å"Play- station† has revolutionized gaming as it is fun, trendy, at times violent and at most times intelligent and kindles curiosity. It appeals to all age groups because it includes sped, accuracy with a filmic production values and background. Game Chosen – â€Å"Democracy†: Democracy is a highly educational game. It featured as the best Sim Game of the Year in 2005. It is related to politics where the player finds himself as the President or the Prime Minister of a country. â€Å"Democracy†, lets you find out how you would fare as a leader of a developed country such as The United States of America, France, Germany or Canada. The game allows you to take charge and manage your country’s finances, policies, internal affairs and security. Principles of Democracy: The most important principle of any video game is its multi media form of entertainment involving a unique synthesis of 3D art, CG effects, architecture, dramatic performance, music, sound effects, story telling, artificial intelligence and most importantly inter- activity. The basic principles of this particular game, is to educate a person on how to cope with a situation using good leadership tactics. The player is very often placed in the middle of a dilemma or a crisis where he has to use his skill and intelligence to get out of it. The most difficult aspect faced by the player is in finding the correct balance between finances, taxation and legislation to ensure the country doesn’t go into bankruptcy.

World War I, World War II Essay Example for Free

World War I, World War II Essay Technological innovation has played a significant role in most modern twentieth century armed conflicts In both the great wars- World War I, World War II and in the consequent Cold War era ,technology was used to enhance and develop weapons to garner military advantage and turn the conflict in favour of a particular country or respective front. In fact technology has helped to revolutionize the manner in which both the great wars were fought and eventually won. The cold war was actually more of a foreign policy exercise than an actual war. After the Second World War the new world order stipulated the polarization of most of the world into two blocs- the Capitalist Bloc headed by the United States and the Communist Bloc headed by the USSR. Though the cold war was never fought as a military battle the accumulation of weapons of destruction was a major feature of the foreign policy tactics of both the USSR and the US. Known aptly as the arms race this tactic was a key factor that helped determine regional power play in the thirty to forty odd years of the cold war. Some of the weapons introduced by various countries to secure military advantage in the first and Second World War as well as the cold war have been developed and widely adopted to form the military arsenal of most countries world wide Today when we look at armed conflict it is difficult to imagine a battlefield without machine guns, grenade and tanks. But prior to world war one most battles were fought with bayonets, swords, rifles and muskets. The use of technology to develop new weapons to be used in conflict revolutionized combat in World War One. Combat underwent a metamorphosis from a battle fought by infantrymen on a battle ground to a new model: trench warfare. This new style of warfare is attributable to technological development that was taking place in the factories of an industrial Europe. The innovative weapons that helped changed the course of the First World War can be essentially categorized as follows: Machine guns: Though machine guns were first developed and employed in the American Civil War to achieve a devastating effect it was in World War One that the effectiveness of these weapons reached a new height. These weapons achieved the capability to fire up to 600 bullets a minute- the equivalent of 250 men firing bullets with rifles and were classified as a weapon of mass destruction. This was highly beneficial to the armies deploying the weapons because it increased both effectiveness and reduced the number of infantry men employed in combat. These additional infantry could be trained and deployed in Ariel and naval combat Artillery: The First World War set a new standard in the number of cannons used. Never before were so many cannons used in one war. German scientists were responsible for developing Big Bertha the deadliest artillery of the time. This cannon was so powerful it had the potency to fire into the heart of Paris from a distance as far away 120 kilometres away. The scientists of the time did not only work on improving the cannons they also developed high-explosive shells. Instead of using the conventional materials these shells used thin casings filled with tiny lead pellets. These shells were highly effective and artillery power killed hundreds and thousands of men during the course of the war. The artillery was also used to blow up the ground and render trench warfare ineffective as it mad hiding underground in trenches more difficult. Gas Warfare: the First World War introduced humanity to the horrors of gas warfare. Invented by the Germans gas grenades were extremely toxic and highly effective in wiping out battalions of enemy soldiers. There were 3 main types of gas warfare which was used in the First World War. The first type of warfare employed a tearing agent which was responsible for causing temporary blindness and resulted in greatly inflaming the nose and throat of the victim. The second type of Warfare employed poisonous gases, including chlorine, phosgene and diphosgene which were highly toxic and resulted in almost certain death. Though gas masks were used during the war to protect against these gases they did not prove to be very effective. The third type of warfare employed the most dreaded of all chemical weapons in World War I mustard gas. Mustard gas burnt the lungs and skin of the inhaler leaving them to die a slow agonizing and extremely painful death. Thousands of troops were forced to die a painful death as a result of the gas warfare employed in the First World War. Tanks: Manufactured and deployed during the First World War to aid trench warfare the early tanks were no more than giant blocks of metal that could carry 1-2 people and travelled at 5 kilometres per hour. The benefits of these early tanks were that they served as moving armour car that could stand machine gun fire and could move over bared wire and destroy the machine gun nests of the enemy. Though they still required considerable developments the early version of the tank did meet with some success and created a permanent place for itself in the contemporary battle field. Planes: In the First World War planes were not armed and air combat did not play an active role in the war. Warplanes were developed in 1914 and were used primarily to observe enemy troop movements provide support to ground troops and provide information about artillery deployment. The Germans in particular deployed a number of aircrafts to help their war efforts including mini scout planes to huge floating blimps called Zeppelins that were used to carry bombs and throw them at the unsuspecting enemy. Naval Units: Naval combat played a very important and significant role in the First World War. The majority of the conflicts were fought at sea with the Allied powers aiming to negotiate a blockade of the Central Powers by sea and the Central powers attempting to break this blockade. Technoloy was used to create and deploy battleships that could carry weapons and engage in naval warfare. While the British excelled at producing and deploying Battleships the Germans developed the initial version of a submarine which would attack these battleships with stealth and speed and benefit from the element of surprise by submerging itself in the water. Technological warfare played a crucial role in determining the outcome of World War II. By the time the Second World War broke out in 1939 Scientists and researchers had already developed most of the weapons that were initially deployed in the First World War including tanks, and submarines and also developed new technology to accommodate a new brand of warfare known as aerial combat. The war greatly escalated technological development in most nations throughout the world and when the war ended many nations found them in possession of invaluable technological knowledge. This research and technological knowledge initially carried out during the war to develop new weapons of technological warfare later lead to several new sciences and developments after the war ended like cybernetics and the production of nuclear energy to name a few some innovative weapons that defined and characterized the course and outcome of the Second World War include Air Bombs Torpedoes and Missiles. Air combat was one of the biggest strategies used during the Second World War to bomb and eliminate enemy targets. Considerable research was put into developing aerial â€Å"smart bombs† which could be manoeuvred to destroy enemy targets. The German Military lead the development and deployment of these aerial weapons. Some of the weapons developed for air combat by Germany include the Glide bombs which were the world’s first smart bombs and the Fritz X anti-shipping missile, which was operated using radio remote control. The German Military also developed and deployed the world’s first jet fighter known as Messerschmitt 262 as well as the first jet bomber called Arado 234 as well as first operational military helicopters known as Flettner Fl 282 and the worlds first rocket-powered fighter (Messerschmitt 163) The war also witnessed the development of the worlds first cruise missile known as the Pulse jet powered V-1 flying bomb as well as the creation of self guiding weapons such as Torpedoes. Considerable research and development was also done on aiming devices for bombs, torpedoes, artillery and machine guns. Radar The development of digital electronics was given a massive boost by war-related research one such important invention which was used to garner significant military advantage during the Second World War was an instrument known as the radar. The UK and the US achieved prominent breakthroughs in the development and deployment of these devices which were used to track and destroy enemy aircraft, ships, submarines and carriers these devices proved to be very useful and extremely strategic in helping the Allies win the various battles. After the war these radars were deployed in various capacities for policing, monitoring and supervisory purposes in the civilian context. Submarines and Air craft Carriers Though submarines were initially deployed during the First World War they developed increased capability during the Second World War and helped change the face of naval combat. Another major development which changed the manner in which naval battles were fought was the production of the world’s first aircraft carrier. These ships made it easy for fighter planes to launch aerial attacks on enemy battleships and destroy them. Atomic Bomb: The extensive research and the quest to develop new and dangerous weapons to advance the cause of the war lead to the institution of what came to be known as the Manhattan Project which was dedicated to the endeavour of developing an atomic bomb. Today the atomic bomb remains the most profound military development of the Second World War and the ultimate weapon which helped the allies win the war irrevocably. Though there is evidence that Germany was endeavouring to develop the bomb before America the German atomic Bomb project did not come to fruition. The world’s first atomic bomb was developed and deployed by the American military against Japan in 1945. The use of the nuclear bomb against the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was the turning point and also the virtual end of the Second World War. The devastating effects of the bomb in these two cities made the bomb a horrendous weapon of mass destruction which grew to be feared by most nations. The atomic bomb thus became a symbol of the ultimate power the possession of which gave a country significant leverage over others. After the Second World War ended the new world order was dominated by a conflict between two ideologies: communism and Capitalism. After the defeat of Nazism and fascism the Allied forces of the Western World found a new enemy: the USSR and its doctrine of Communism. Though the USSR had been among the allied nations during the Second World War it soon became apparent that the ideological differences between the country and its neighbours could mot let them exist together peacefully? The ensuing cold war between the Western Bloc led by the United States and the Eastern Bloc led by the Soviet Union was essentially a clash of the two rivalling ideologies of Communism and Capitalism. The cold war never played out an actual war between the two super powers. It was manifested in the arenas of espionage diplomacy and to some extent in the early 80’s in the field of sports. It was also manifested in lands ravaged by internal strife and struggling to find a new political system to function under. Over the course of the cold war there were several conflicts and wars which were connected and influenced by this ideological conflict. These wars include The Korean War of 1952, the Cuban Missiles Crises 1962, the Vietnam War of 1969 and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1980 to name a few. The majority of the weapons used in these wars were developed and manufactured by the US and the USSR The Cold War witnessed the development of may new weapons ranging from improved fire arms to new technology deployed in tanks , jets submarines ships helicopters , explosives and missile guidance systems. In the Korean War the American military supplied technologically advanced weapons to the UN forces as well as the South Korean forces. Since the battles in South Korea and Vietnam involved jungle warfare the weaponry involved in both battles followed a similar pattern. However the weapons used in Vietnam were more technologically advanced than those used in Korea. Some of these weapons include: M1 Garand the world’s first successful semiautomatic rifle which had the capability to dominate the battle field. A more advanced variation of these rifles was used in military hand combat in Vietnam. The Sioux and Huey Helicopters these were used predominantly by Allied troops in Korea to ferry troops to battle fields. Advanced versions of these helicopters were also used in Vietnam by the American troops T-34 Tanks These technologically advanced tanks were designed in Russia and used by the Communist forces in North Korea. A highly technological advanced version of this tank was also used in Russia Fighter Jets F-86 Sabres and the MIG-15 Fagot The Korean War is known for some of the intense jet fights which took place between USAF pilots flying their F-86 Sabres and North Korean and Russian pilots flying the MiG-15 â€Å"Fagot†. Both of these planes incorporated the latest technology and set the standard for future jet planes designed and deployed by both the countries Napalm Gas: Used as a biological weapon of mass destruction by American troops in the Vietnam War, the Napalm gas was developed for use in the Second World War but was never deployed. It gained notoriety in Vietnam for destroying both the agricultural lands of Vietnam and poisoning the Vietnamese people. The Cold war also led to the development of technology to aid espionage activity. The U2 spy plane was one such weapon which was developed in the United States to record and photograph military activity in the USSR and other communist States. These planes used especial technology that was not easily distinguishable on the radar and could easily take pictures and document confidential activity without detection. The pictures from one of these spy planes had led to the escalation of Cuban Missiles Crises of 1962 when the US discovered that Cuba was building a missiles program with USSR’s backing The so-called stealth bomber should be able to penetrate the Russian air defence system better than existing American bombers. The Cuban Missiles Crises was perhaps the closest the world ever came to a nuclear confrontation. The Cold war and the policy of brinkmanship often cantered on the crucial deployment of both the super powers ability to use nuclear bomb. In 1949 the US lost its monopoly over the atomic or hydrogen bomb as it was called at the time when the tested their first nuclear weapon The importance of the hydrogen bomb, and its even more powerful successors lead to a competition between the two superpowers to develop the most deadliest weapon first . This mad rush to build nuclear weapons lead to an arms race with each nation spending billions of dollars to build a military arsenal designed to effectively eliminate enemy weapons. One of the weapons that were given considerable importance from both sides was the ballistic missile. This is essentially a rocket which shoots its warheads into space and then guides them towards the desired targets. The ballistic missiles were developed by both sides at a cost of billions of dollars to ensure that neither party retains the upper hand in the arms race. The development and search for elusive technology to create weapons deployed in the First World War second war and the cold war has left an enduring legacy. Though these weapons help determine the fate of the war they also left humanity with a source to wreck endless destruction and havoc. The negative effects of the race to build nuclear weapons were witnessed in the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. With the end of the cold war the endless arsenal of weapons of mass destruction that both the USSR and the US spend billions of dollars to build was rendered useless. However as evidenced in history as one conflict ends another begins and the US has found other battles and causes to fund more development of new weapons to fight new enemies. Many of the weapons used in all three of the conflicts are the predecessors of the modern weapons deployed in modern military combat throughout the world and therefore present considerable historical significance Works Cited History on the Net dot com. World: War One Weapons Retrieved May 27 2010 from the website, http://www.historyonthenet. com/WW1/weapons. htm First World War dot com: Weapons of War Retrieved. May 27 2010 from the website, http://www. firstworldwar. com/weaponry/machineguns. htm World War Two dot net :Weapons . Retrieved May 27 2010 from the website http://www. worldwar-two. net/armamento/ Military Discovery dot com: Korean War Weapons and Vehicles. Retrieved May 27 2010 from the website http://military. discovery. com/history/korean-war/weapons/weapons. html

Thomas Paine :: essays research papers

Library: Historical Documents: Thomas Paine: Rights Of Man: Part The First -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Order The Rights of Man now. Part The First Being An Answer To Mr. Burke's Attack On The French Revolution -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- George Washington PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA SIR, I present you a small treatise in defence of those principles of freedom which your exemplary virtue hath so eminently contributed to establish. That the Rights of Man may become as universal as your benevolence can wish, and that you may enjoy the happiness of seeing the New World regenerate the Old, is the prayer of SIR, Your much obliged, and Obedient humble Servant, THOMAS PAINE -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Author's Preface to the English Edition From the part Mr. Burke took in the American Revolution, it was natural that I should consider him a friend to mankind; and as our acquaintance commenced on that ground, it would have been more agreeable to me to have had cause to continue in that opinion than to change it. At the time Mr. Burke made his violent speech last winter in the English Parliament against the French Revolution and the National Assembly, I was in Paris, and had written to him but a short time before to inform him how prosperously matters were going on. Soon after this I saw his advertisement of the Pamphlet he intended to publish: As the attack was to be made in a language but little studied, and less understood in France, and as everything suffers by translation, I promised some of the friends of the Revolution in that country that whenever Mr. Burke's Pamphlet came forth, I would answer it. This appeared to me the more necessary to be done, when I saw the flagrant misrepresentations which Mr. Burke's Pamphlet contains; and that while it is an outrageous abuse on the French Revolution, and the principles of Liberty, it is an imposition on the rest of the world. I am the more astonished and disappointed at this conduct in Mr. Burke, as (from the circumstances I am going to mention) I had formed other expectations. I had seen enough of the miseries of war, to wish it might never more have existence in the world, and that some other mode might be found out to settle the differences that should occasionally arise in the neighbourhood of nations. This certainly might be done if Courts were disposed to set honesty about it, or if countries were enlightened enough not to be made the dupes of Courts.

Using Material from Item a and Elsewhere

Using material from item A and elsewhere assess the view that social class differences in educational achievement are the result of school processes such as labelling. Social class is typically known as social grouping or hierarchy based on differences in wealth, income or occupation. In the UK there are mainly two social classes; working class and middle class. 33% of students who are currently on free school meals achieve 5A*-C at GCSE, however 61% of students who are not on free school meals also achieve 5A*-C grades. 0% of the failing school are from deprived areas, and 79% of children from a higher professional family are more likely to go to university, whilst only 15% of children from unskilled and manual backgrounds go to work. Sub cultures are a group of people within society who share the same norms, values, beliefs and attitude that go against the main stream in society. This is usually different from or opposed to the main stream culture, for instance an anti-school subcu lture is more likely to be formed by pupils in lower streams.This is backed up by â€Å"They have examined the way in which labelling is linked to other processes within schools that result in class differences in achievement† (Item A) â€Å"These processes include self-fulfilling prophecy, streaming and the formation of pupil subcultures† (Item A) Therefore working class children will underachieve and middle class children will continue to progress. This can disadvantage working class children because of the use of home and school contracts.The education triage for working class are labelled as â€Å"hopeless cases† which then produces a selffulfilling prophecy and failure, which then leads to working class children going under stereotypical ideas. However, some labelled students go against their label to prove teachers wrong, which pushes them to do just as well as middle class children. Labelling is to attach a meaning or definition. Typically teachers label students as, bright, thick or hardworking. This usually affects working class students as they are labelled ‘thick’.This is backed up from item A â€Å"some sociologists explain social class differences in achievement in terms of school processes such as labelling† According to Cicourel and Kitsuse teachers judge students according to their ability, social class and race. Labelling can lead to self fulfilling prophecy where the student will accept the label and do what is expected of that particular label. However, this can advantage working class children to work against their label and achieve the best possible grades.According to the Sutton Trust 80% of ethnic minority pupils aspire to go to university. This goes on to show that labelling working class children can affect their final grade. Another process that school use that affect educational achievement is streaming. This process is when students are put into groups according to capability. â€Å"These pr ocesses include the self-fulfilling prophecy, streaming and the formation of pupil subcultures† (Item A). Becker begins to believe that the capability groups are those who will pass, those who might pass and those who will not pass.However, Stephen Ball takes the analysis a step further to abolish banding, in favour of teaching mixed ability groups. This has created new opportunities for schools and teachers. This is to differentiate between pupils on the basis of their class, ethnicity or gender and to not treat them unequally. Therefore showing that streaming is a major factor in underachievement. Finally Self-fulfilling prophecy can affect educational achievement. This process consists of a prediction that comes true simply by virtue of it having it being made.This can affect those less able because it foes against the main stream. This is backed up by â€Å"Gilbourn and Youdell have examined the role of educational policies in creating the context for such school processe s to take place† (Item A) Gilbourn and Youdell shows how teachers notions of ability conclude to their decisions of which pupils have the potential to achieve 5A*-C grade gcse’s. Neil Keddie then argues that the more intelligent students get taught more complex and advanced information and methods while the students in the lower sets are not recognised and being left behind.However Rosenthal and Jacobson performed an experiment where they picked random students from the class who were also working class and told teachers they are able to improve, this later resulted in teachers spending more time with these ‘selected’ students which made them improve and achieve better. Therefore showing that self-fulfilling prophecy can have an effect in education underachievement. To conclude sub cultures, labelling, streaming and self-fulfilling prophecy can effect education underachievement, due to social class, gender and race.Being labelled tends to be based on your s ocial class, where you will be labelled between smart and dumb. Streaming is typically based on your ability on whether you’re smart or dumb. Also, sub cultures and self-fulfilling prophecy is known to go under all social class, gender and race as it is a group of people who tend to go against the norms, beliefs and values of mean stream sub culture. However education underachievement cannot just be a social class difference, it has internal factors as well as external factors.

Deena Shakir Essay

Richard Watts Jr. describes the striking similarity between the Salem witch trials and the McCarthy Era as a â€Å"struggle between the rights of freeman and the mass efforts to destroy them under the guise of defending decency. † All good writing conveys a strong message for the reader to take away, and effectively apply to his everyday life. In the novel The Crucible, author Arthur Miller uses 17th Puritan society, and the Salem witch trials as a vehicle to make a strong political statement about the nature of conformity in an overly hysterical society, and the fundamental struggle man faces to retain moral righteousness in the face of a cruel world. Written in the heart of the McCarthy Era, The Crucible makes sweeping statements about the nature of society during a crisis, and how people deal with the introduction of beliefs that differ from their traditional way of thought. Claiming the people of his society are just as intolerant as the Puritans, Miller desperately pleads with them to learn from their mistakes, and not persecute others based on the nature of their beliefs. Through the story of the Salem witch trials, Miller epitomizes the never-ending conflict between an individual and society as a continuous struggle to retain one’s moral righteous, and not give in to illogical societal demands. Through the actions of the court officials, the girls, and the Christ figures, Miller effectively points out the manner in which society persecutes those who refuse to conform in their ways of thinking, and the nature of the challenging test individuals are forced to make in such a conflict. The society in Salem also demands conformity from the court system, a place where those who dare to be different are tried. At least on face, it appears that the court simply wants those people who challenge society to be brought to justice. However, during the Salem witch trials, the court officials, who ironically are the one group in society who are single-handedly responsible for administering justice fairly, act simply out of self-interest, striving only to appease the community, and gain fame. Relaying on nothing more than spectral evidence, Danforth and the other court officials condemn those who refuse to conform to society’s beliefs. Under the guise of religious duty, Danforth strives solely to appease the community, and benefit his standing in society. He believes that â€Å"a person is either with the court or he must be counted against it. † When one does not conform to the norms of society and challenges it, he is condemned to die. For example, upon discovering that John Proctor does â€Å"not come to church† on Sundays, he automatically assumes that Proctor must be guilty, and must be hanged. He appears motivated solely by the desire to gain fame. For example, in the final act of the play right before the hanging, Reverend Hale tries to convince Danforth to postpone the hanging. Danforth knows that â€Å"the village expects to see them die this morning† and cannot postpone the event because â€Å"postponement now speaks a floundering on my [Danforth’s] part. † Danforth’s actions show that he not only acts out of self motivation and the desire to appease society, but also fails the to overcame his conflict with society. Reverend John Hale, on the other hand, also appointed to work with the court during the witch trials, makes his decisions based on his own morals instead of what society prefers. Hale, an expert on witch trials and a â€Å"stranger† in Salem finds â€Å"it difficult to draw a clear opinion on them that come accused before court. † Being a minister of the Lord, Hale judges others based on clear evidence and does not â€Å"dare [to] take a life without proof. † His morals prevent him from just simply doing what will appeal to society. Even though he desires to be â€Å"allied with the best minds in Europe- kings, philosophers, scientists, and ecclesiasts of all churches,† he, unlike Danforth and the court officials, refuses to let his personal ambition come in the way of administering justice fairly. He even rejects his religious doctrine in the name of justice, claiming that â€Å"life†¦ life is God’s most precious gift; no principle, however glorious, may justify the taking of it. † Unlike Danforth and his selfish motivation, Reverend Hale refuses to conform to what society dictates, clinging on to his own moral beliefs.

The Crucible Essays (309 words) - Salem Witch Trials, Tituba

The Crucible Essays (309 words) - Salem Witch Trials, Tituba The Crucible The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is a fact-based story about a town called Salem and it's unjust people. Salem, was a town ruled and governed by religion. Things such as games, newspapers, or anything alien to their small town were considered evil. Though a strict, religion-based town might sound appealing to some, the town had many problems. One such problem was the witch trials that took place in Judge Hathorne's Court. In these trials little girls would sit in the front and the elder people in the back. Judge Hathorne would sit in the middle with the defendant sitting in a chair to the right. The defendant would be questioned and interrogated like any case held in court today. Then the girls in the front would put on a show that the person was "grasping them with a chilly hand " or attempting to kill them. After this the defendant would be sentenced, usually to hanging. I pitty those girls. It's amazing that a show put on by such adolesence could end a persons life without factual proof. I think, on a more positive note, that Tituba was a strong character in Salem. Tituba told the children stories of which they'd never heard. Tituba influenced them to think beyond which their parents and teachers had instilled and enlogged inside their heads. But my views aren't agreed with by Abigail who shouts, "She sends her spirit on me in church; she makes me laugh at prayer." (p44) Many times, Tituba is accused of witchcraft and "compacting with the devil." This is sad because all Tituba's intentions are two show the children that there'' more to life than Salem wants them to see. On the whole, The Crucible is a story that has greal moral and has many lessons to be learned(as well as other Arthur Miller selections)

Qué es USCIS, qué hace y cómo contactar con una oficina

Quà © es USCIS, quà © hace y cà ³mo contactar con una oficina El Servicio de Inmigracià ³n y Ciudadanà ­a de los Estados Unidos (USCIS, por sus siglas en inglà ©s) es la agencia federal encargada de gestionar todos los trmites relacionados con la inmigracià ³n legal. Todos los migrantes legales deben hacer trmites con el USCIS, al igual que los ciudadanos americanos que desean pedir los papeles para un familiar. Por esta razà ³n, es importante conocer cules son los trmites de los que se ocupa USCIS, dà ³nde estn ubicadas sus oficinas,  cà ³mo contactar para obtener informacià ³n y, finalmente, en quà © consiste la verificacià ³n de antecedentes penales (background check, en inglà ©s) que realiza esta agencia y cà ³mo saber lo que esta agencia sabe de cada migrante. Qu hace USCIS y cules son los tiempos de espera en sus trmites USCIS se ocupa de asuntos muy variados. Por ejemplo, es el organismo que estudia y aprueba o deniega las solicitudes de tarjeta de residencia permanente, conocida  como green card, por peticià ³n de un familiar o de una empresa. USCIS gestiona las solicitudes de adquisicià ³n de la ciudadanà ­a estadounidense por naturalizacià ³n o la aprobacià ³n de visas temporales de trabajo. Tambià ©n se encuentra dentro de las competencias de USCIS aprobar permisos de trabajo (EAD, por sus siglas en inglà ©s), programas especiales de proteccià ³n a migrantes como, por ejemplo, VAWA para và ­ctimas de violencia domà ©stica, TPS, para ciudadanos de paà ­ses en situacià ³n de catstrofe humanitaria, o DACA, para jà ³venes indocumentados que llegaron a Estados Unidos siendo nià ±os. Asimismo, USCIS gestiona el programa e-verify para determinar que una persona est autorizada para trabajar legalmente en Estados Unidos. Por à ºltimo, entre otros trmites  frecuentes tambià ©n destacan la gestià ³n de los casos de asilo afirmativo, los de adopcià ³n internacional y  las solicitudes de advance parole, para permitir salir de Estados Unidos y su regreso sin problemas. En cuanto al tiempo de demora para que USCIS apruebe o deniegue un trmite hay que decir claramente que no hay una respuesta à ºnica, ya que depende del tipo de trmite. En su pgina oficial se pueden verificar tiempos aproximados, una vez que se sabe el centro que gestiona el trmite y el nombre del documento del tipo de peticià ³n o solicitud. Por ejemplo, I-130 para el caso de peticiones de un familiar, N-600 para la naturalizacià ³n, etc. En todo caso es necesario destacar que si se trata de una peticià ³n de familia donde hay un là ­mite  de solicitudes que pueden ser aprobadas por aà ±o fiscal, como es el caso de todas las peticiones de residentes o en las peticiones de ciudadanos para hijos mayores de 21 aà ±os o casados o para sus hermanos hay que esperar ms. Es decir, hay que esperar a que exista cupo para lo cual es ms indicativo verificar las fechas que publica el Departamento de Estado cada mes en el Boletà ­n de Visas. En relacià ³n a los trmites que se realizan con USCIS, se debe  recordar que todos los formularios oficiales son gratis y pueden descargarse de su pgina oficial, incluso admitià ©ndose casos de e-file. Adems, en ciertos casos es posible solicitar una exencià ³n para no pagar la tarifa que requiere el caso. Asimismo, se debe  insistir que todos los documentos que se presentan en espaà ±ol, como por ejemplo, las partidas de nacimiento o matrimonio, deben ir acompaà ±ados de una traduccià ³n al inglà ©s, que debe ser certificada. Por à ºltimo, tener en cuenta que cuando el USCIS deniega una peticià ³n es posible apelarla en algunos casos. Oficinas de USCIS y cmo obtener informacin En la actualidad, USCIS cuenta con ms de 19.000 empleados repartidos en aproximadamente 200 oficinas, algunas de las cuales se encuentran ubicadas fuera de los Estados Unidos. Desde el punto de vista orgnico, el USCIS pertenece al Departamento de Seguridad Interna, conocido en inglà ©s por sus siglas de DHS. Lo importante es enviar los formularios y la documentacià ³n de apoyo a la direccià ³n correcta, que va a depender de dos factores: el tipo de solicitud y el lugar en el que se reside habitualmente. Todos los formularios especifican claramente este punto, y tambià ©n se establece una distincià ³n segà ºn el tipo de envà ­o: ordinario o urgente. Tambià ©n es posible solicitar informacià ³n del USCIS. Si es de carcter general, se puede acudir a una de sus oficinas locales con servicio de atencià ³n al pà ºblico, aunque es recomendable que se abstengan de esto los migrantes indocumentados. Otra opcià ³n para no esperar es realizar una cita previa mediante el sistema de INFOPASS. Si la pregunta que se desea realizar es sobre un caso concreto se puede marcar  a USCIS al 1-800-375-5283 para lo cual es necesario tener a mano el nà ºmero de caso, que se puede encontrar en la carta en la que USCIS notifica que ha recibido los papeles para una peticià ³n o solicitud. Asimismo, con esa informacià ³n es posible obtener informacià ³n và ­a Internet. En qu consiste la verificacin de antecedentes penales que realiza USCIS Para realizar los trmites, USCIS pide frecuentemente datos biomà ©tricos, como foto y huellas dactilares de la persona para quien se solicita un beneficio migratorio. Esos datos le sirven para verificar los posibles antecedentes penales de una persona. Es lo que se conoce en inglà ©s como background check. Esto consiste en cotejar las huellas digitales con las bases de datos de otras agencias federales y tambià ©n enviarlas al FBI para determinar si la persona que solicita el beneficio migratorio ha sido arrestada o detenida en el pasado y, en caso afirmativo, la causa. Adems, se envà ­a informacià ³n biogrfica a otro departamento del FBI para que lleve a cabo la verificacià ³n del nombre para determinar si la persona es un delincuente, se tiene sospechas sobre ella o se le considera un riesgo para la seguridad de Estados Unidos. Todas las personas con un expediente presente o pasado en USCIS que desean saber cul es su contenido pueden solicitar dicha informacià ³n mediante lo que se conoce como FOIA. El formulario a llenar es el G-639. La direccià ³n a la que se debe enviar es: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration ServicesNational Records Center, FOIA/PA OfficeP.O. Box 648010Lees Summit, MO 64064-8010 Cmo evitar problemas con USCIS y fraudes En asuntos migratorios es fundamental llenar bien los formularios de peticià ³n y enviar a tiempo la documentacià ³n de apoyo. No es necesario usar los servicios de un abogado pero es recomendable, particularmente en los casos que no estn claros y pueden dar lugar a interpretacià ³n.   Datos sobre buenos abogados de inmigracià ³n pueden obtenerse en la base de datos de AILA. Tambià ©n se recomienda verificar la reputacià ³n de un abogado en el BAR (colegio de abogados) del estado. Finalmente, tambià ©n se puede obtener informacià ³n para buenas referencias o letrados pro bono en asociaciones de defensa de los intereses legales de los migrantes. Debe desconfiarse de los llamados notarios, que no pueden ejercer como abogados en Estados Unidos y de todas las personas que prometen resultados porque supuestamente conocen a alguien dentro de USCIS. Esos casos son fraudes. Finalmente, USCIS no se dedica a juzgar casos migratorios ya que eso es competencia de las cortes y del Board de Apelaciones (BIA, por sus siglas en inglà ©s). Tampoco se ocupa de arrestos ni de ejecutar deportaciones ni de guardar la frontera, que es competencia de ICE y la CBP. Este es un artà ­culo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.