On April 20, 2010, in the Gulf of Mexico fifty miles off the shore of Louisiana, an explosion occurred on BP’s offshore drilling rig Deepwater Horizon, leaving eleven rig workers dead and injuring seventeen others. Four days later it was …[Continue]
Election 2008
With the presidential election just a month away, the campaigns are heating up. In addition to the official candidate sites for Barack Obama and John McCain, here are some online resources for students to learn about the election process and …[Continue]
Presidential Candidates
In the years preceding a presidential election, many candidates announce their intent to run. But by mid-September of election year, the race focuses primarily on the candidates chosen by the Republican and Democratic parties. How do the parties choose their …[Continue]
Current Events
This week’s crop of news sites includes special editions just for elementary ages, as well as news sites that cater strictly to high school students. Whatever grade level you need, these sites are sure to spark conversations in the classroom …[Continue]
U.S. Population
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, on October 17, 2006 the United States become the third country (behind China and India) to be home to more than 300 million people. Big numbers can be hard to understand, but I found …[Continue]
Presidential Election 2004
Because a democracy is a government led by its people, voting to elect our leaders is a vital responsibility. With November’s presidential election just four months away, the campaigns are heating up. Here are some online resources for kids and …[Continue]
In Pursuit of Tolerance
Edmund Burke, an eighteenth-century writer and philosopher said “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” If spreading tolerance and stopping hatred is important to you, the following sites offer both historical perspective …[Continue]
Conflict with Iraq
Twelve years ago, U.S. led air strikes drove Iraq’s armies out of Kuwait but left Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in power. Now we face another showdown with Hussein. The following sites, (some written expressly for students) explore the why’s and …[Continue]
Fire Safety
Fire Prevention Week is celebrated every October. Originally proclaimed as Fire Prevention Day in 1920 by President Woodrow Wilson, it commemorated the anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. In 1925, President Calvin Coolidge expanded the event to a …[Continue]
Pledge of Allegiance
“One nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all.” Do these words violate the religious freedom guaranteed by our Constitution? Last month a federal court declared the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional. Is this absurd? Or is this religious freedom? …[Continue]
