Manifest Destiny - The Story of The US Told In 141 Maps The United States Constitution came into effect, forming the new nation. Note that the states ratified at different times, but to simplify the map, the final result is shown here. The United States achieved independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain with the Treaty of Paris on September 3, 1783, which established that the thirteen colonies were sovereign and independent states. The borders were established by Article 2 of the treaty, but with a couple of issues. First, it stated that the border would run west from the Lake of the Woods to the Mississippi River - at the time, it was not known that the headwaters of the Mississippi lay south of such a line, so the border has since been taken to run south from the lake to the river. West Florida claimed a border further north than what the United States said it had. The Wedge, disputed since the 17th century, remained a point of contention between Delaware and Pennsylvania.
The 13 Best Science and Technology Books of 2013 by Maria Popova The wonders of the gut, why our brains are wired to be social, what poetry and math have in common, swarm intelligence vs. “God,” and more. On the heels of the year’s best reads in psychology and philosophy, art and design, history and biography, and children’s books, the season’s subjective selection of best-of reading lists continues with the finest science and technology books of 2013. (For more timeless stimulation, revisit the selections for 2012 and 2011.) Every year since 1998, intellectual impresario and Edge editor John Brockman has been posing a single grand question to some of our time’s greatest thinkers across a wide spectrum of disciplines, then collecting the answers in an annual anthology. In 2012, the question Brockman posed, proposed by none other than Steven Pinker, was “What is your favorite deep, elegant, or beautiful explanation?” Puffer fish with Akule by photographer Wayne Levin. In art, the title of a work can often be its first explanation.
Creative Commons Resources for Classroom Teachers Posted by Bill Ferriter on Sunday, 09/08/2013 If your students are using images, video, or music in the final products that they are producing for your class, then it is INCREDIBLY important that you introduce them to the Creative Commons -- an organization that is helping to redefine copyright laws. With a self-described goal to "save the world from failed sharing," the Creative Commons organization has developed a set of licenses that content creators can use when sharing the work. While every Creative Commons license requires that attribution to be given to the original owner of a piece of content, every license also details the ways that content can be used by others WITHOUT having to ask for permission in advance. That makes Creative Commons content perfect for use in classroom projects. Students can find engaging images, videos and music clips to enhance their work AND respect the ownership rights of content creators all at the same time. #winning Related Radical Reads:
Using Primary Sources | Teachers Library of Congress Primary sources are the raw materials of history — original documents and objects which were created at the time under study. They are different from secondary sources, accounts or interpretations of events created by someone without firsthand experience. Examining primary sources gives students a powerful sense of history and the complexity of the past. Helping students analyze primary sources can also guide them toward higher-order thinking and better critical thinking and analysis skills. Before you begin: Choose at least two or three primary sources that support the learning objectives and are accessible to students. 1. Draw on students’ prior knowledge of the topic. Ask students to closely observe each primary source. Who created this primary source? Help students see key details. What do you see that you didn’t expect? Encourage students to think about their personal response to the source. What feelings and thoughts does the primary source trigger in you? 2. 3. Top
Education Update:The Class Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest: Teaching "Controversial" Topics in Social Studies:The Class Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest February 2014 | Volume 56 | Number 2 The Class Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest: Teaching "Controversial" Topics in Social Studies Pages 1-4-6 Teaching "Controversial" Topics in Social Studies Rather than shy away from controversy in the classroom, teachers draw on edgy topics as an authentic opportunity to practice the critical thinking and social-emotional skills needed to debate sensitive issues. The phrase "ripped from the headlines" is often used to hook viewers into a TV show, but in the classroom, are similar topics off limits? Social studies class, in particular, can present a catch-22 for educators who want to engage students critically with complex issues from both current and historical events. Truth and Consequences "Any time you tell the full-circle truth on a topic, that automatically makes it controversial," says Beth Sanders, a 10th and 11th grade American history teacher at Tarrant High School in Birmingham, Ala.
The Dangers of Trusting Wikipedia with Your Life A camp on the Libyan coastline meant to train terror-hunters has instead become a haven for terrorists and al Qaeda. A key jihadist leader and longtime member of al Qaeda has taken control of a secretive training facility set up by U.S. special operations forces on the Libyan coastline to help hunt down Islamic militants, according to local media reports, Jihadist web forums, and U.S. officials. In the summer of 2012, American Green Berets began refurbishing a Libyan military base 27 kilometers west of Tripoli in order to hone the skills of Libya’s first Western-trained special operations counter-terrorism fighters. Less than two years later, that training camp is now being used by groups with direct links to al Qaeda to foment chaos in post-Qaddafi Libya. In other words, Tantoush is now the chief of a training camp the U.S. and Libyan governments had hoped would train Libyan special operations forces to catch militants like Tantoush. This is particularly true for Libya. In March, Gen.
See How Highlighter Works Welcome to Highlighter. This is a PDF document. You can highlight it. Your Doc We support the following document types: • PDF• EPUB• Microsoft Word• Microsoft PowerPoint• Microsoft Excel How does it work? We uploaded this document to our HTML5 Reader and now anyone can highlight or add comments to it on the web or from their mobile devices. You can keep them private or share them with colleagues or classes that you are teaching. You don’t have to share documents with everyone. SCENE IVerona. [Enter SAMPSON and GREGORY, of the house of CAPULET, armed with swords and bucklers] SAMPSON Gregory, o’ my word, we’ll not carry coals. GREGORY No, for then we should be colliers. SAMPSON I mean, an we be in choler, we’ll draw. GREGORY Ay, while you live, draw your neck out o’ the collar. SAMPSON I strike quickly, being moved. GREGORY But thou art not quickly moved to strike. SAMPSON A dog of the house of Montague moves me. Literary Classics Data and Charts Imagine using Highlighter in your classroom...
Two-Thirds of Kids Now Reading Digitally, New Study Shows When it comes to digital reading, kids are way ahead of adults. According to a new study from children’s entertainment research and consulting group PlayCollective and Digital Book World, 67% of U.S. children aged two-to-thirteen are now reading ebooks. That’s up from 54%, the number recorded in a similar study from last year. “In the last year, based on this research, the kids e-reading and reached and passed a tipping point,” said Paul Levine, co-CEO of PlayCollective. Some 92% of the kids who do read ebooks read them at least once a week, with many of them reading ebooks every day. The study is based on a survey of nearly 900 parents with children conducted online in October 2013. The full study, including data on how parents buy ebooks for their children, how much they spend, and more is available here. “Now the data is clearly showing that there is really a market there,” said Levine. Many of the results of the study were presented at Launch Kids at Digital Book World in New York.
Teach Copyright Basics with a Cool Interactive Tool The Background: I was completing a digital storytelling activity with a group of fifth grade students yesterday. The Problem: When I answered a question about whether or not images from the Internet could be utilized in the project (for the 17th time), one of the students nonchalantly yelled out, “But who’s gonna know?” The Response: Well, instead of getting physical, screaming at the top of my lungs and/or throwing my laser pointer, I hopped on my digital citizenship and honesty soap box—again—and attempted to explain the reasons behind my answer (including “Do you really want the copyright Police banging on your door? Ha, ha!). The Outcome: After witnessing 24 blank stares gazing back at me during my very calm and professional rant, I realized it was time to search for yet another resource to teach students about the topic of copyright and fair use. The Screenshot: That’s what is shown below. Classroom Connection: Image attribution: Central Washington University Piracy Information.