Junior Scholastic back issues from January 2006:
Liberia's "Iron Lady".(Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf )(Brief Article)
Jan 09, 2006 ... A 67-year-old grandmother has made history in Africa. W-hen Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is sworn in on January 16 in Liberia, she will become Africa's first elected female President. Johnson-Sirleaf is a Harvard-educated economist and former Finance Minister of Liberia. She defeated ...
After-school mayor.(Michael Sessions)(Brief Article)
Jan 09, 2006 ... Some high school seniors run track after school. Michael Sessions runs a town of 8,200 people. In November, Sessions became the youngest-ever mayor of Hillsdale, Michigan--and he wasn't even on the ballot. When he turned 18 in September and became eligible to run, Sessions ...
A talk with Ben Franklin: on his 300th birthday, Ben Franklin tours the National Constitution Center with Scholastic.(Interview)
Jan 09, 2006; ... Ben Franklin is famous for many things. The most well-known may be his experiments with electricity. Many people say that he "discovered" or even "invented" electricity. That's not what Franklin says! "I didn't invent electricity," he told me recently. "I investigated it." ...
The Chronicles of Narnia.(Brief Article)
Jan 09, 2006 ... Long before Harry Potter and his friends began to work their magic, another group of British children took readers on a journey to a mythical land called Narnia. That adventure was recently brought to life in a blockbuster film: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the ...
Kids and sports: how teens can find a balance between sports, school, and growing up.
Jan 09, 2006; ... * OBJECTIVE Students should understand * Many teens are devoting themselves intensely to a single sport. * A healthy teenage lifestyle should balance physical activity with important short- and long-term goals, and family and friends. * WORD TO ...
Turning to torture? How should the United States treat prisoners in the war on terror?
Jan 09, 2006; ... * OBJECTIVE Students should understand * The country has been engaged in a debate. about how the U.S. should treat prisoners ill the war on terror. * BACKGROUND The USA PATRIOT Act was originally passed in October 2001. The Senate approved it ...
The Supreme Court and you: does it really matter who becomes a Supreme Court Justice?
Jan 09, 2006; ... * OBJECTIVE Students should understand * that Supreme Court rulings can affect everyday life. * what factors Supreme Court Justices consider in making their decisions. * BACKGROUND Note: For the Supreme Court's decisions in the cases ...
Atlas.(United States demography)
Jan 09, 2006 ... * OBJECTIVE Students should understand * how to interpret and evaluate statistical data. * how to use maps, graphs, and charts to compare and contrast information. * BACKGROUND Most statistical information about the people of the ...
Regions of the United States: making sense of geographic categories.
Jan 09, 2006 ... Did you ever notice how newspaper articles about events in the U.S. often cite a region rather than a specific city or state? For instance, accounts about Hurricane Katrina often describe its effects on "the Gulf states." Similarly, reports about tornadoes typically refer to "the Midwest." ...
The State of the Union: how well do you know your nation? Our map, chart, and graphs give you a picture of the United States.
Jan 09, 2006 ... On these pages we present information about American life visually, through the use of a map, chart, and graphs. The map shows what percentage of each state's population was born in another country. Next we look at which race or ethnicity people identify themselves as and what percentage ...
U.S. in focus: part one.(Illustration)
Jan 09, 2006 ... The United States is a place of awesome and even intimidating size. How can you keep track of it all? Part One of the U.S. in Focus will give you a handle on some of the most basic facts about the 50 states. Who is Governor of Hew Mexico? What is the capital of Georgia? What do those ...
U.S. in focus: part two.(Illustration)
Jan 09, 2006 ... The portrait of a nation is made up of many individual pieces. Part Two of the U.S. in Focus is one way of looking at the country. It offers a mass of data that highlight different facets of life in each of the 50 states. How many jobs have been created in a given state in the past five ...
Political cartoon.(Brief Article)
Jan 09, 2006 ... This cartoon comments on reports of the torture of prisoners held by the United States in the war on terror (see pp. 6-7). The cartoonist expresses his opinion through the use of metaphors (words or images that represent something else). Study the cartoon, then answer the questions on a ...
News IQ.(NEWS SKILLS)
Jan 09, 2006 ... 1. Who will soon be sworn in as Africa's first elected female President? A. Elizabeth Dole; B. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf; C. Lucy Pevensie; D. Holly Sirotta 2. She was elected by the people of which country? A. Algeria; B. Botswana; C. Liberia; D. Nigeria 3. How old is ...
In and out of context.(Brief Article)
Jan 09, 2006 ... Often, when you run into an unfamiliar word, the rest of the sentence or paragraph gives you clues to what the word means. Sometimes, even familiar words need to be in context for you to know which of various meanings the author intends. Below are 10 words that appear in the ...
Sorting things out.(powers of Supreme Court Justices)(Brief Article)
Jan 09, 2006 ... In order to make a ruling in a case, Supreme Court Justices have to sort through many facts and arguments, comparing that information to what is written in U.S. law and the Constitution. As they decide how to treat each case that comes before them, they are confronted with many difficult ...
The three branches of government.(legislative, executive, and judicial)(Brief Article)
Jan 09, 2006 ... The United States Constitution calls for three branches of government: legislative, executive, and judicial, The Constitution's Framers envisioned a country in which no single person or institution would hold too much power over people's lives, For all of its flaws, this system of "checks ...
Dear Teacher.(United States Constitution)(Brief Article)
Jan 09, 2006; ... Dear Teacher: After years of British rule, our Founding Fathers were eager to create a government in which no one person would be granted too much authority. Although the Framers of the Constitution recognized the need for a strong central government, they had the foresight to ...
A balance of power.(United States Constitution)
Jan 09, 2006 ... The writers of the U.S. Constitution didn't want to put too much power into the hands of one person. So they created three branches of government--the legislative (Congress), executive (President), and judicial (Supreme Court). The Constitution gives each branch powers that limit the ...
The legislative branch: congress.
Jan 09, 2006 ... Congress writes, debates, and passes bills that are then sent to the President for approval. The Constitution grants Congress all legislative powers in the federal government. Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution lists a wide range of congressional powers, including: ...
The executive branch.(article II of the United States Constitution )
Jan 09, 2006 ... Article II of the U.S. Constitution deals with the executive branch. It spells out the requirements for who can be President, as well as the responsibilities of the office. Below are brief summaries of key parts of Article II's four sections. Read them, then answer the following ...
The president's many hats.(United States President)
Jan 09, 2006 ... The U.S. President has the most powerful job in the world. It is like playing seven roles at once. Some of the President's powers, or roles, are listed in the U.S. Constitution. Other powers are implied (suggested) by U.S. laws, court decisions, or actions of earlier Presidents. ...
The judicial branch the supreme court, then and now.
Jan 09, 2006 ... The Supreme Court was established in 1789. For more on that important institution, read the article on this page. But you will have to help the writer complete it. There are 10 blank lines in the story, followed by a word or phrase in brackets. For each, find a synonym (word ...
In search of justice.
Jan 09, 2006 ... Americans accept the authority of the Supreme Court--even if they don't always agree with it. Here is a summary of four major decisions. Read each case, then choose a number to indicate your rating of the Court's decision. Write your rating and the reason for it on the lines provided. ...
Iraqis choose ballots, not bombs.(elections )(Brief Article)
Jan 23, 2006 ... The final weeks of 2005 were ones of hope and uncertainty in Iraq. On December 15, Iraqis chose their first permanent government. About 70 percent of eligible voters participated in the historic vote. Mobbed polling places were largely free of violence. Said current Prime ...
Spying on Americans.(NATIONAL SECURITY)(George W. Bush's national security program)(Brief Article)
Jan 23, 2006 ... Suppose that you are e-mailing or calling a friend in another country. Could the United States government read your e-mail or listen to your phone call without first getting a warrant (formal approval) from a court? Yes, according to a recent New York Times article. The Times ...
Designer Dog or mutt?(new dog breeds)(Brief Article)
Jan 23, 2006 ... What do you get when you cross a Labrador retriever and a poodle? A Labradoodle! How about a pug and a beagle? A puggle, of course. They are just two of the mixed breeds known as "designer dogs." People are paying $1,000 or more ...
Should there be a minimum age for an athlete to turn pro?(DEBATE)
Jan 23, 2006 ... The latest contract between the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the players' union included a new minimum age for athletes being drafted into professional basketball. It was 18; now it is 19. Minimum-age requirements vary widely across professional sports leagues ....
Celebrity Governor: star power helped Arnold Schwarzenegger become Governor of California. But is that enough to lead the nation's most populous state?(NEWS SPECIAL)
Jan 23, 2006; ... For several days last month, people everywhere waited to hear from Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor of California. Stanley Tookie Williams was then a prisoner on California's death row and scheduled for execution. The former gang leader, who had been convicted of four murders, said that he ...
Poverty in America: the struggles of working poor and what teens are doing to help.(USA)
Jan 23, 2006; ... Janet Rader faces tough choices. With barely enough money to cover her bills and the rent on the small apartment she shares with her sister, she sometimes can't afford to buy food. Other times she goes without the prescription drugs she takes for high blood pressure. For Rader ...
What time is it? Time zones in the United States.(GEOSKILLS)
Jan 23, 2006 ... Suppose you wanted to take a train trip across the Midwest in the mid-1800s. It wouldn't have been easy to follow the schedule, because each city and town had its own official time, based on when the sun was directly overhead. When it was noon in Cleveland, Ohio, for instance, it might be ...
The XXL of countries.(Russia map)(Brief Article)
Jan 23, 2006; ... Russia is so massive that it stretches across 11 time zones and two continents (Europe and Asia). In fact, when the Russian television show Good Morning Russia airs in Moscow at 9 a.m., it is already 6 p.m., or dinnertime, on the Kamchatka Peninsula! Even though Russia is nearly ...
Yes to physical education.(Letter to the Editor)
Jan 23, 2006; ... Phys ed should be required (see JS 9/5/05). It is not healthy to be overweight. To run ...
Still a devil of a problem.(Letter to the Editor)
Jan 23, 2006; ... I feel badly about the disease that is endangering Tasmanian devils (see JS 9/5/05). Has any progress been made in finding a cure? Andrea G., Canton, Michigan Editor's note: There is still no known cure for the facial ...
More oil won't help.(Letter to the Editor)
Jan 23, 2006; ... You write that energy companies are being encouraged to create more nuclear plants and oil refineries (see JS 9/19/05). If we ...
Understanding globalization.(Letter to the Editor)
Jan 23, 2006; ... Before reading your article, I didn't know anything about globalization, although it has been affecting my family for a while (see JS, 10/31/05). My uncle has been laid off from his job twice. I saw the hardships that he and his family ...
Idiom's delight.(SOME FUN)(Brief Article)
Jan 23, 2006 ... An idiom is a figure of speech that means something different from what it says literally. Body parts are often used in idioms. Go out on a limb (there's one, for example!), and complete each phrase below with a body part. Then, on the second line provided, explain what the idiom means. ...
Wild west words.(SOME FUN)
Jan 23, 2006 ... How many words related to the article on pp. 18-20 can you find in the grid below? Search in all directions, forward and backward. Your teacher has the solution. buffalo cattle Civil War cowboy Deadwood Dick farm ...
News IQ.(WHAT DO YOU KNOW?)
Jan 23, 2006 ... Fill in the letter of the correct answer for each question. 1. For whom or what did Iraqis vote in December? A a new constitution B a new President C a permanent government D a temporary government 2. Which group won a ...
Political cartoon.(WHAT DO YOU KNOW?)(Brief Article)
Jan 23, 2006 ... Sarcasm is witty language used to convey insult or scorn. This cartoon uses sarcasm to poke fun at California voters (see "Celebrity Governor," pp, 6-7), Do you think it is fair? Study the cartoon, then answer the questions. 1. The three people shown are taking part in what ...
True or false.(WHAT DO YOU KNOW?)
Jan 23, 2006 ... Write a T for each statement that is true. Write an F for each that is false. All five relate to the play on pp. 14-17. --1. At one time, Julius Caesar served as the Governor of Spain. --2. A triumvirate is a battle involving three generals. --3. Until ...
Word wise.(WHAT DO YOU KNOW?)
Jan 23, 2006 ... These words appeared in the article on pp. 10-12: canteen, citizen, deport, immigrant, nationalist. Write each in the space after the phrase that best defines it. 1. force an unwanted person of foreign birth to leave a country: 2. person who has left his or her ...
Poverty in America.(TEACHER'S EDITION)
Jan 23, 2006; ... Dear Teacher, In this issue, we examine the growing problem of poverty in the U.S. and why more and more working families are struggling to make ends meet. We hope that students will be inspired by Emma Weinstein (see cover). She is one of thousands of teens across the country ...
Quick quiz.
Jan 23, 2006 ... NEWS SPECIAL: CELEBRITY GOVERNOR, PAGES 8-7 * Decide whether each sentence is true, false, or an opinion. Write your answer on the blank line provided. --1. Arnold Schwarzenegger was a champion bodybuilder before becoming a movie star. --2. Before running ...
Comparing child poverty rates.(SKILLS MASTER)
Jan 23, 2006 ... According to a recent United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) study, 21.9 percent of the children in the United States live below the poverty line. (The current U.S. poverty line, for a family of four, is an income of $8.70 an hour.) How does the U.S. rate of child poverty ...