Social Studies Toolbox

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/05/30/spelling-bees-are-only-fun-in-english-heres-what-other-countries-do-instead/ http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/05/30/here-are-the-five-best-moments-from-the-national-spelling-bee/

To quote from Whitman, "O me! O life!... of the questions of these recurring; of the endless trains of the faithless... of cities filled with the foolish; what good amid these, O me, O life?" Answer. That you are here - that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. That the powerful play *goes on* and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?”   ―   N.H. Kleinbaum ,   Dead Poets Society “If you listen real close, you can hear them whisper their legacy to you. Go on, lean in. Listen, you hear it? - Carpe - hear it? – Carpe, Carpe Diem, seize the day boys, make your lives extraordinary.” ―  N.H. Kleinbaum ,  Dead Poets Society “No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world.” ―  N.H. Kleinbaum ,  Dead Poets Society “We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with...

Using the infographic below, answer the following questions about the Bay of Pigs Invasion. What was the Bay of Pigs Invasion? Name the countries and leaders involved. What motivated the invasion? When was the plan set in place? Under what president? When did the invasion take place? Under what president? What went wrong? List two mistakes/problems listed in the infographic. How many Americans captured? Died? How many planes shot down? Ships sunk? How long were captives held? What did we give Cuba in return for the Americans held in captivity? How did the invasion affect U.S.-Cuba relations? Bay of Pigs infographic by Whoisshih .

http://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/videos#vietnam

http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.8585863/k.9F31/State_of_the_Worlds_Mothers.htm Using the infographic below, answer the questions about the Save the Children "State of the World's Mothers 2013" report. How many babies die on their first day of life? How many babies die in their first month of life? Where is the United States on the list? How many babies die on the first day of life in the United States? Most of these deaths are a result of________________________. List the top ten countries in the world to be a mother? List the bottom ten countries. Most of the top ten countries are on what continent? Most of the bottom ten countries are on what continent? What are the major causes of newborn death? What four life saving solutions could prevent many of these infant deaths? Are any of these solutions expensive?

Complete the simulation below: http://library.thinkquest.org/18355/the_cuban_missile_crisis_simul.html Choose a leader. Read the "issue at hand." Make a decision based on the options provided. 1. Which leader did you select? 2. What was the ultimate result of your decisions? Using the infographic below, answer the following questions: 3. When was the Cuban Missile Crisis? 4. How many days did it last? 5. What was the issue that provoked the crisis? 6. What deal ended the crisis? 7. What part of the deal remained secret until 1989?

https://www.cia.gov/kids-page/games/world-exploration/index.html You will need to play several rounds to get enough information to answer all of the questions. The questions are not in order. What natural resource can be found in Antarctica? The physical characteristics of Antarctica are: Which is the northernmost national capital city in the world? True or False? The official language of Angola is French. What type of government does Algeria have? True or False? Liberia is named so because it was a settlement for freed slaves from the U.S. Madagascar exports the following products: True or False? The Soloman Islands experience extreme weather conditions. The official language spoken in Antigua and Barbuda is: What form of government does Costa Rica have? True or False? The United States is the third largest country in the world according to population and size. The type of government in Mexico is: The capital of Uruguay is: True or False? A...

The goal is to make it to the end of the month living on about a dollar a day. Play the game as "realistically' as possible. Make decisions in the game as close to what you would do in "real life" if you were forced to make similar decisions. http://www.live58.org/survive125/ After completing the simulation, answer the following questions: Did you choose to live in a village or city slum? What was your job(s)? Did you have children? If so, how many? Did they attend school or did they work? Were you able to feed your children every day? Were you or your children ever sick? If so, how did you deal with it? What was the most difficult decision you had to make in the "game"? How would you play the game differently if you were to play it again?

http://hansengeorge.blogspot.com/2012/05/top-10-place-you-are-not-allowed-to.html

Video: http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/events/refugeecamp/movie.cfm Map: http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/datablog/interactive/2012/jun/20/refugees-map-unhcr-asylum-2012?INTCMP=SRCH

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/01/1000-places-to-see-before_n_1122062.html#s504973 Which destination was voted the #1 travel destination in the world? Where is this place located? Briefly describe this place. (Why is it an attractive travel destination?) Which destination took second place? Where is this place located? Briefly describe this place. (Why is it an attractive travel destination?) How many destinations in the United States made the top 10? List them. Choose and describe five places mentioned in the videos that you would like to visit. Locate and label the top 15 travel destinations (from the travel bracket) on a world map. Using the infographic below, answer the following questions: Which place has the least time remaining? Why? (What is the threat and what is the cause of the threat?) Where is the world's largest coral reef (also the only living thing on earth visible from space)? The world's saltiest...

ABC Scavenger Hunt Activity Complete the ABC Brainstorming Sheet with study tips/note-taking/reading comprehension tips we've discussed this semester in class.  Use each letter of the alphabet. Briefly explain each word in the box provided. For example: A: Ask Ask yourself what you need to know for the test. A: Arrive Early Arrive a few minutes early when taking a test in order to find a seat and get settled. B: Budget your time Budget how much time you have to answer each question on a test or how much time you have to complete an assignment. B: Bring necessary materials. Bring plenty of pencils, pens, erasers, etc. to class on test day. C. Clarification Ask a teacher for clarification if you do not understand an assignment or a test question. C: Clues Listen for word "clues" when taking notes. For example, "The most important reason..." "This will be on the test..." D: E: Eat  Eat Memory boosting foods such a blueberries th...

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/business/2012/09/slammed-for-using-food-stamps-ga-woman-seeks-apology/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/07/state-of-the-worlds-mothers-report-2013_n_3224181.html?view=print&comm_ref=global_motherhood

Watch A More Perfect Union on PBS. See more from Constitution USA with Peter Sagal.

Watch It's a Free Country on PBS. See more from Constitution USA with Peter Sagal.

Visit the link below: 7 Wonders of the Natural World http://world.new7wonders.com/new7wonders-of-nature/new7wonders-of-nature-finalists/ 1. Have you heard of any of the 28 finalists? If so which ones? 2. One continent does not have any finalists. Which one? 3. Which continent has the most finalists? 4. Which finalist is the biggest single structure made by living creatures and can be seen from outer space? (Hint: it is in the  Eastern Hemisphere . ) 5. How many finalists are located within the " low latitude belt "? 6. Which of the finalists is/are an  archipelago of volcanic islands  distributed around the equator (Hint: you can find this finalist in the  Western Hemisphere .) 7. Which of the finalists is 420 metres below sea level, its shores are the  lowest point on Earth  that are on dry land and  with 30 percent salinity, it is 8.6 times saltier than the ocean. 8. Which of the finalists is the highest...

https://www.cia.gov/kids-page/games/world-exploration/index.html

Answer the following questions from the infographic above. 1) What are the two basic study patterns students can follow? 2) What method works best? 3) Test anxiety affects __________% of students. 4) Test anxiety can cause students to stay up all night cramming for their exams. Stress affects students' sleep more than: 5) The ave. GPA of students who pull all-nighters: 6) The ave. GPA of students who do not pull all-nighters: Study Tips: 7) Study __________ minutes a day in the week leading up to the test. 8) Exercise before you ______________. 9) Exercising before studying or taking a test gets _________   ________  to your brain which helps you focus and absorb more information. 10. Sleep after studying. During sleep, the brain _______________ what it has recently learned into memory. 11). Eat a healthy ______________________ which will help you stay alert and focused.

http://dynamo.dictionary.com/games/48048/state-capitals-in-the-united-states/match

Create a Positive/Negative Civil Rights Timeline Using class notes, the internet, and videos watched in class,  brainstorm a list of events to include in your Civil Rights timelines. Rank events according to their historical significance. The most significant positive ranking would be a +5, and the most significant negative ranking would be a -5. For example, if you include the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., you would likely rank it as a -5. You are required to include at least 40 events on your timeline. Timelines can be made from various materials -- graph paper, construction paper or tag board.  This project is worth 100 points. 80 points for people/events 10 points for pictures 5 points creativity 5 points appearance

The Perks of Being a Wallflower Exam The setting of the book is (time): (place): The character I would most likely have as a friend is_______________________ because __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The character I would least likely have as a friend is ______________________ because __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Tunnels are a symbol in the book. Give an example of how tunnels are used as a symbol in the book? _________________________________________________________________________________ Some themes from the book include “passivity,” “Coming of age,” “friendship,” “love,” “sadness,” etc. Choose one theme and give an example from the book illustrating this theme. ___________________________________...

The setting of the book is (time): (place): The character I would most likely have as a friend is_______________________ because _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The character I would least likely have as a friend is ______________________ because _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Bees/the beehive is a symbol in the book. Bees/the beehive in the book symbolize: ___________________________________________________________ One theme in the book is _____________________________. Give two examples from the book illustrating this theme: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________...

Positive/Negative World Timeline and Map Project: Create a Positive/Negative Timeline covering the past year. Include 20 the following countries: Afghanistan http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/afghanistan/index.html Bangladesh Cambodia China http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/china/index.html Democratic Republic of Congo http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2071007,00.html http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2035319_2035317_2035516,00.html Greece Haiti India Italy Israel Japan Libya http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/26/world/africa/26libya.html Mexico North Korea Pakistan http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/pakistan/index.html Russia Rwanda Sierra Leone South Korea South Sudan Sudan http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/country_pro...