“Many different Native American groups lived in North America. Different groups living in the same region shared the same culture because the land they lived on shaped their way of life. Click on an area of the map to learn about life in that region.” – Learn About Native Americans

Watch the live-stream of Stephen drawing the panoramic cityscape of New York here.
Visit Stephen’s website here.

Debate: Should a 13-Year-Old Girl Be Allowed to Sail Around the World Alone?

Photo: AP

“Laura Dekker, 13, lives in the Netherlands. She wants to be the youngest person to sail alone around the world. Her voyage would take place in a 26-foot boat. The trip could take up to two years. Laura would have to deal with bad weather and mechanical problems by herself. Her father is an expert sailor, and he says that Laura is too. He supports her wish to go on the voyage. But judges in the Netherlands have said not so fast. They think the trip might be too dangerous for a young person. They will make a final decision at the end of the month.” from TFK World Report: October 23, 2009 Vol. #15 Iss. #7

Click here to read two different opinions about this topic. What do you think?

Debate Organizer

Paragraph Organizer (Page 5)

Social Studies eBook

Interactive Lesson Summaries

U.S. History for Kids (Interactive Maps, eGlossary, eWord Game, Biographies, GeoNet, and more)

Image credit

National Geographic Kids

Native Americans Video

Picture Gallery – Native Americans

Lynne Reid Banks Official Website

Lynne Reid Banks Bibliography

Time for Kids – Past Issues

I like creating word clouds with wordle.net using TFK articles. Here’s one I made from this week’s cover story.

“The Seminole are a Native American people originally of Florida, who now reside primarily in that state and Oklahoma. The Seminole nation was formed in the 18th century. It was composed of Native Americans from Georgia, Mississippi, and Alabama, most significantly the Creek people, as well as African Americans who escaped to Florida from slavery in South Carolina and Georgia.” – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seminole

 Seminole Tribe Timeline

Everglades Seminole Indians - http://nativeamericans.mrdonn.org/southeast/seminole.html#who

Facts for Kids: Seminole Indians – www.bigorrin.org/seminole_kids.htm

Florida Kids – http://dhr.dos.state.fl.us/Kids/seminole_history.cfm

Social Studies eBook

Interactive Lesson Summaries

U.S. History for Kids (Interactive Maps, eGlossary, eWord Game, Biographies, GeoNet, and more)

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Chapter 2 Activities and Extra Credit (Word)

Chapter 2 Activities and Extra Credit (PDF)

Chapter 2 Mind Maps – coming soon…

Bering Land Bridge Video #1

Bering Land Bridge Video #2

Bering Land Bridge National Preserve (U.S. National Park Service)

Map of Bering Land Bridge National Preserve

Image Credit: encarta.msn.com

The world’s geographic information at your fingertips…and it’s free!

“Google Earth lets you fly anywhere on Earth to view satellite imagery, maps, terrain, 3D buildings, from galaxies in outer space to the canyons of the ocean. You can explore rich geographical content, save your toured places, and share with others.”

“Google Earth 5 features historical imagery from around the globe, ocean floor and surface data from marine experts, and simplified touring with audio and voice recording.”

The National Parks: America’s Best Idea (Additional Videos)

Coming to PBS September 27, 2009
Filmed over the course of more than six years at some of nature’s most spectacular locales — from Acadia to Yosemite, Yellowstone to the Grand Canyon, the Everglades of Florida to the Gates of the Arctic in Alaska — The National Parks: America’s Best Idea is nonetheless a story of people: people from every conceivable background — rich and poor; famous and unknown; soldiers and scientists; natives and newcomers; idealists, artists and entrepreneurs; people who were willing to devote themselves to saving some precious portion of the land they loved, and in doing so reminded their fellow citizens of the full meaning of democracy. It is a story full of struggle and conflict, high ideals and crass opportunism, stirring adventure and enduring inspiration – set against the most breathtaking backdrops imaginable.

The National Parks: America’s Best Idea is a six-episode series directed by Ken Burns and written and co-produced by Dayton Duncan. – http://www.pbs.org/nationalparks/

Here are some helpful research websites for kids:

http://www.worldalmanacforkids.com/

http://www.kidsclick.org/

http://www.kidskonnect.com/

http://www.factmonster.com/

Scholastic Research Tools

Have you found additional research websites for kids? If so, please post a comment and share your findings.

Can you?

 Could you pass the U.S. Citizenship test?

Click on some of the links below and test your knowledge of the United States of America.

MSN Encarta

Fact Monster

World Almanac for Kids

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

Click and drag the puzzle piece to the appropriate place on the map.

Learn the states of the United States and their capitals with this fun and educational map puzzle.

Use the free US map puzzle as a quiz to test your knowledge of the states and capitals.

Due date: September 29, 2009

Chapter 1 Outline (Lessons 1 and 2)

Chapter 1 Activities

Chapter 1 Extra Credit