الدراسات الاجتماعية للأطفال

Friday, March 1st, was Read Across America - A special day set aside to honor the birthday of our beloved author, Dr. Seuss - one during which schools, libraries and bookstores all around the country, hosted special events to encourage kids to read....

On Saturday, March 2nd, sixty-six mushers and their teams of between 12-16 dogs received a rousing send off from enthusiastic fans in Anchorage, Alaska, as they began the first-leg of the grueling world-renowned trail sled dog competition - The Iditarod!...

While 15th Century artist Leonardo da Vinci painted many masterpieces, including the 'Last Supper, which depicts the final meal Jesus shared with his apostles before his crucifixion, he is most famous for a small 77 cm x 53 cm painting that sits encased in bullet proof glass at the Louvre museum in Paris - The Mona Lisa! Now, it turns out that she may have some competition - A younger, happier version believed to have been painted by the Renaissance artist sometime between 1410-1455....

From a distance, El Anatsui's shimmering tapestries look like just any other beautiful work of art made from the best silks available. However, come closer and you will realize that they are not made from the finest materials but, from flattened bottle tops. Come even closer and you will be able to read the names of all the liquor bottles they came from!...

On Friday February 22nd, over one million people or about 20 percent of Norway's population settled down with their buckets of popcorn to watch a 12-hour special mini-series! The highlight? Eight exciting hours of a crackling fire!...

Getting any kind of role in a movie is a dream come true for an aspiring actor. However, what if in the very first audition he/she gets cast in the lead role, which leads to the nomination of Hollywood's prestigious Oscar award. That, is exactly what is happening with the lead star of Beasts of the Southern Wild - Nine-year-old, Quvenzhane Wallis....

On February 9th, 2013, Kansas City resident Sarah Darling was walking along the street when she encountered a homeless man by the name of Billy Ray Harris. Instinctively, she reached into her change purse and emptied out all the coins she had into his collection can. Little did either realize that this small act of generosity, would change their lives forever....

If you live in the USA, chances are you are enjoying a three-day weekend or better still, a week-long 'ski' break, thanks to President's Day, a holiday to honor all the brave men that have led our country and in some cases, even sacrificed their lives....

A nickel is a nickel is a nickel right? Wrong! Turns out that once in very rare blue moon, this five-cent coin may be worth millions! That apparently is the case with this special 1913 nickel, only five of which, were ever minted....

On February 5th, 2013, the fifth grade students at Japan's Higashihikari Elementary School welcomed a new student. However, unlike other newcomers, he was not shy and seemed to instantly recognize all 119 kids by their names. Impressed? You will be even more so, when you find out that Robovie is not human but a robot, masquerading as a fifth-grade student!...

Humans have been known to develop strong bonds with the most dangerous of animals - Kevin Richardson treats lions like kitty cats, Andre Hartman has a special bond with Great White Sharks and now there is 79-year old Werner Freund who has spent the last 40 years of his life, in the company of wolves....

If you think Olympic athletes that have four years to train in between events have it rough, then you haven't met the sportsmen and women that participate in the Kila Raipur Olympics. Not only do they compete every year, but also, do so in 'sporting events' that require very unusual skills and in some cases, almost inhuman strength. Also, even though the villagers don't spend millions of dollars on special venues, shows and firework extravaganzas, these games appear to be much more fun than the real deal!...

Today, over 1.3 billion people in China and millions of ethnic Chinese all over the world will celebrate the first day of the Chinese or Lunar New Year - the longest and most significant of all Chinese Festivals. Also known as the Spring Festival, it is a four thousand year-old tradition that began as a way to mark the end of the dreary winter season and beginning of spring....

Observed annually during the month of February, Black History Month is an important American tradition that dates all the way back to 1926. It was established by historian Carter G. Woodson to ensure that contributions made by African American men and women throughout history, would not be forgotten....

It's Groundhog day! That means that people living in the Northern Hemisphere all eagerly tuned in to see what the legendary weather predictor Punxsutawney Phil had to say about the length of this year's dreary winter season. And, he did not disappoint!...

From January 14th to February 23rd, 2013, an estimated 100 million Hindus are expected to converge to the northern Indian ciity Of Allahabad to attend the Maha Kumbh Mela. The festival that is often referred to as the largest gathering of mankind, also doubles up as a pilgrimage undertaken to absolve all worldly sins....

Though there have been many cases of sinkholes swallowing up garbage bins, trees or even a car or two, one large enough to devour entire buildings, has never been encountered before! That however changed when the ground suddenly gave away on January 29th, 2013 in central Guangzhou, the capital of China's Guangdong Province....

The vibrant borough of Manhattan in New York City is a big draw for young professionals who want to earn a decent living and enjoy its bustling night life and amazing restaurants. Its popularity is evidenced by the fact that it now boasts over 1.8 million households that have just one or two residents. While great, this has led to a severe shortage of affordable housing given that there are only about a million studio/one bedroom apartments available....

It was exactly two years ago in January 2011, that the people of Egypt finally garnered the courage to stand up against the injustice they had been enduring for 30 years, under the reigning government of President Hosni Mubarak. Within 18 days, the president succumbed to the wishes of his people by resigning and handing over interim power, to the country's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces....

Spain is host to some of the world's most fun and crazy festivals - Events like Pamplona's Running of the Bulls and Castrillo de Murcia's El Colacho or Baby Jumping. But, what the Spanish seem to enjoy the most, is pelting food at each other, the most famous example of which is of course, La Tomatina. However, they have a few others that you have probably never heard of and if you thought throwing tomatoes at people was odd, wait till you read what gets thrown during these two annual celebrations....

Minister, saint, hero, civil rights activist - These are the words often used to describe Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. - However, in light of President Barack Obama's second-term inauguration ceremony this morning, the word that seems to fit the bill perfectly, is visionary - The man who had the foresight to see that America could one day transform into a nation where everyone is equal, regardless of race, color or creed. So who was this amazing man that single handedly spearheaded America's civil rights movement?...

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Late last week, Lance Armstrong, the winner of seven consecutive titles (1999-2005) of the world's most grueling bike race - The Tour de France, finally confessed to something many people had suspected for years - The use of performance enhancing steroids during most of his storied career, to get an edge over his competitors....

Sweden has to be one of the coolest places for a kid to grow up in - First, they introduced the concept of schools with no grades or classrooms, then came Monstrum's amazing playgrounds and now, the coolest idea of all - 'Forcing' 13-year-olds to play Minecraft as part of the classroom curriculum....