Social Studies Toolbox

Unique Physical Features of the United States Grand Canyon) http://explorethecanyon.com/explore-learn/grand-canyon-facts/ Location : Fact) Fact) Death Valley) http://www.nps.gov/history/museum/exhibits/death_valley/index.html Location : Fact) Fact) Mt. Rushmore) http://www.nps.gov/moru/index.htm Location : Fact) Fact) Old Faithful) http://www.yellowstone.net/geysers/oldfaithful.htm Location : Fact) Fact) Niagara Falls) http://www.niagarafallslive.com/Facts_about_Niagara_Falls.htm Daredevils who have tried to survive Niagara Falls: http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/survival/wilderness/niagara4.htm Location : Fact) Fact) General Sherman Tree) http://www.examiner.com/outdoor-recreation-in-los-angeles/visiting-the-general-sherman-tree-the-world-s-largest Location : Fact) Fact) Devil ’ s  Tower) http://blackhillstravelblog.com/10-fast-facts-about-devils-tower Location : Fact) Fact) Mt. Da nali...

The richest 1% in America own what fraction of its net worth? How many millionaires are there in the United States? How many billionaires are there in the United States? Who are the three wealthiest individuals in the United States? What was the average yearly income in 2010? Where is most of the average American's wealth invested? Where is most of the richest 1% of American's wealth invested? Today, how many Americans are at or below the poverty line? How many Americans do not have health insurance? What is the current minimum wage in America? What does it mean to be "food insecure"?

Toolbox for Change Activity: Toolbox for change : Everyone will receive a photocopy of a toolbox. Fill your toolboxes with "tools" for change (things used by Civil Rights leaders in their struggle for civil rights). We will brainstorm a list of five things as a class. Each individual must come up with ten additional "tools". You will need to find pictures of these things (or pictures of things that symbolize your "tools"), or words from magazines. Cut out your pictures/words and glue them in your "toolbox". Write a brief explanation of why you selected each tool on the back of your "toolbox". For extra credit, use google images to find pictures of famous Civil Rights activists. Print, cut, and paste the pictures in the margins of your poster.

My letter to the editor (domestic violence awareness): http://lacrossetribune.com/vernonbroadcaster/news/opinion/letter-raising-awareness-of-domestic-violence-supporting-victims-are-ways/article_cd0a987c-0b0c-11e1-9be8-001cc4c03286.html

1.  Spend 10 minutes playing this budget simulation "game". Write a paragraph reflection of your experience. http://www.playspent.org/ Causes of Poverty Spend a few minutes looking over the results of this npr online poll on public attitudes about poverty: http://www.npr.org/programs/specials/poll/poverty/ 2.  When was this online poll conducted? (Hint: look at the copyright at the bottom of the page.) 3.  Why do you think it is important to know when the poll was conducted? 4.  Do you think public attitudes about poverty have changed since this poll was conducted? Why or why not? 5.  According to the results of this poll, what do most Americans perceive as the causes of poverty? 6.  According to the results of the poll, how do black and white Americans differ in their perceptions of poverty. Four examples are given. Please list two of them (include percentages). Later, you may participate in this online poll: http://www.npr.org/progr...

Participate in the online poll, see your results: http://www.npr.org/programs/specials/poll/poverty/poll.html Summary of the online NPR poll: http://www.npr.org/programs/specials/poll/poverty/

New York Times Multimedia: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/10/30/nyregion/where-the-one-percent-fit-in-the-hierarchy-of-income.html?ref=incomeinequality

http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/02/income-inequality-in-america-chart-graph

Watch Why Are 46 Million Americans Living in Poverty? on PBS. See more from PBS NEWSHOUR. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57317400/1-in-15-americans-now-rank-as-poorest-poor/?tag=contentMain;contentBody

Time Magazine Special Coverage: http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/0,28757,2080345,00.html

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/multimedia/babies/12.html

Go to the Freedom House FAQ Page: http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=265 1. What is Freedom House? 2. List three things Freedom House does. 3. Freedom House measures two types of freedom. What are they? Now go to the 2011 Freedom Around the World report: http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=594 First look at the map of the Americas. http://www.freedomhouse.org/images/File/fiw/FIW2011_AmericasMap_1st%20draft.pdf 4. How free is the United States? 5. How free is Mexico? 6. How free is Cuba? Now look at the map of North Africa/Middle East http://www.freedomhouse.org/images/File/fiw/FIW2011_MENA_Map_1st%20draft.pdf 7. Find one country identified as "free." 8. How many countries on this map have been identified as partly-free? 9. How many countries on this map have been identified as not-free?

"Inside every older person is a younger person – wondering what the hell happened." - Unknown

Unitary Federal Confederation  Further explanation of Unitary, Federal, and Confederation government structures and advantages and disadvantages of each: http://www.dsusd.k12.ca.us/users/scottsh/Govt/Advantagesdisadvantages%20federal.htm

"Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe." Frederick Douglass “The mother of revolution and crime is poverty” Aristotle “If you're in trouble, or hurt or need - go to the poor people. They're the only ones that'll help - the only ones.” ― John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath: The Play “The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.” ― Franklin D. Roosevelt

Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/02/increase-in-extreme-poverty_n_1072505.html Share your perspective on the the state of the economy (online activity): http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/03/30/business/economy/2009-economy-words.html

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/11/28/us/20091128-foodstamps.html Find Crawford, Iowa, Richland, and Sauk counties in Wisconsin. What percentage of children are receiving food assistance in these counties? Of these four counties, which county has the highest percentage of children on food assistance? Staying in Wisconsin, find the county with the highest percentage of children receiving food assistance. What county is it? What county and state has the highest percentage of people receiving food assistance? What county and state has the highest percentage of children receiving food assistance? According to the headline, what percentage of people are receiving food assistance in the United States? What percentage of children are receiving food assistance in the United States? Read the full story here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/29/us/29foodstamps.html Make your voice heard here: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/03/30/business/economy/2009-economy-words.ht...

World Religions: Source: LiveScience What are the four largest religions in the world? What percentage of Christians are Catholic? What is the second largest Christian sect? What percentage of the world identify themselves as atheist? What percentage of the the world consider themselves "non-religious"? What are the four largest religions in the United States? What is the largest Christian sect in the United States? What percentage of Americans identify as Mormon? CIA Factbook: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html