The Bill of Rights (Cornerstones of Freedom: Third Series)


Book Description

Provides an account of the events that led to the creation of the Bill of Rights, explaining what the Bill of Rights is, and examining the impact of this document on the formation and development of the United States.




Forms of Government (Cornerstones of Freedom: Third Series)


Book Description

Read about the variety of governments that lead different countries and learn how they have shaped our world today.




The Great Depression


Book Description

What cause the Great Depression? How did the Lewis and Clark Expedition change our contry forever? With fascinating history and stunning images, Cornerstones of Freedom offers you an intriguing and in-depth look at the ideas, people, and events that have shaped our nation.




For Which We Stand: How Our Government Works and Why It Matters


Book Description

Discover everything you ever wanted to know about how the government really works with this accessible, highly designed and illustrated handbook from Marjory Stoneman Douglas AP government teacher Jeff Foster. Now more than ever, it's so important for everyone to understand our government: where it came from, how it works, and how we can bring about change. And, after all, in the words of author and government teacher Jeff Foster, "If you don't participate, you can't complain."This book is a comprehensive and entertaining guide that answers questions like: What is the Constitution? What are the branches of the government? What is the Electoral College? What are the political parties? What are the different responsibilities of the city, state, and federal governments?Plus, discover the complete backstory on some of our government's most important moments, like why we wrote the Declaration of Independence, and how people since then have worked with—and protested against—the government to improve the lives of all Americans.Each spread features a mix of black-and-white and full-color art, including infographics, charts, maps, political caricatures, and other engaging visual elements that will be fun and easy for kids to understand.Includes a foreword from Yolanda Renee King, an activist and the granddaughter of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King, plus lots of amazing back matter about how kids can participate and get involved.




Fault Lines in the Constitution


Book Description

Many of the political issues we struggle with today have their roots in the US Constitution. Husband-and-wife team Cynthia and Sanford Levinson take readers back to the creation of this historic document and discuss how contemporary problems were first introduced—then they offer possible solutions. Think Electoral College, gerrymandering, even the Senate. Many of us take these features in our system for granted. But they came about through haggling in an overheated room in 1787, and we’re still experiencing the ramifications. Each chapter in this timely and thoughtful exploration of the Constitution’s creation begins with a story—all but one of them true—that connects directly back to a section of the document that forms the basis of our society and government. From the award-winning team, Cynthia Levinson, children’s book author, and Sanford Levinson, constitutional law scholar, Fault Lines in the Constitution will encourage exploration and discussion from young and old readers alike.




A Kids' Guide to America's Bill of Rights


Book Description

Which 462 words are so important that they've changed American history more than once? The Bill of Rights: the first ten amendments to the Constitution, the crucial document that spells out how the United States is to be governed. Find out what the Bill of Rights is and how it affects your daily life in this fascinating look at the history, significance, and mysteries of these laws that protect the individual freedoms of everyone -- even young people. Why did early American founders (like James Madison, Congressman from Virginia) argue that individuals needed a Bill of Rights to protect them from government? Why is freedom of speech so thrilling and so controversial? What is religious intolerance, and when can it be fatal? What does it really mean to take the Fifth? And how does the Bill of Rights affect the rights of kids? Packed with anecdotes and sidebars, case studies, and humorous illustrations, innovative author Kathleen Krull's introduction to the Bill of Rights brings a little understood topic vividly to life.




Kent State


Book Description

From two-time National Book Award finalist Deborah Wiles, a masterpiece exploration of one of the darkest moments in our history, when American troops killed four American students protesting the Vietnam War. May 4, 1970. Kent State University. As protestors roil the campus, National Guardsmen are called in. In the chaos of what happens next, shots are fired and four students are killed. To this day, there is still argument of what happened and why. Told in multiple voices from a number of vantage points -- protestor, Guardsman, townie, student -- Deborah Wiles's Kent State gives a moving, terrifying, galvanizing picture of what happened that weekend in Ohio . . . an event that, even 50 years later, still resonates deeply.




No Talking


Book Description

In No Talking, Andrew Clements portrays a battle of wills between some spunky kids and a creative teacher with the perfect pitch for elementary school life that made Frindle an instant classic. It’s boys vs. girls when the noisiest, most talkative, and most competitive fifth graders in history challenge one another to see who can go longer without talking. Teachers and school administrators are in an uproar, until an innovative teacher sees how the kids’ experiment can provide a terrific and unique lesson in communication.




Unraveling Freedom


Book Description

In 1915, the United States experienced the 9/11 of its time. A German torpedo sank the Lusitania killing nearly 2,000 innocent passengers. The ensuing hysteria helped draw the United States into World War I—the bitter, brutal conflict that became known as the Great War and the War to End All Wars. But as U.S. troops fought to make the world safe for democracy abroad, our own government eroded freedoms at home, especially for German-Americans. Free speech was no longer an operating principle of American democracy. Award-winning author Ann Bausum asks, just where do Americans draw the line of justice in times of war? Drawing thought-provoking parallels with President Wilson’s government and other wartime administrations, from FDR to George W. Bush, Bausum’s analysis has plenty of history lessons for the world today. Her exhaustive research turns up astonishing first-person stories and rare images, and the full-color design is fresh and stunning. The result is a gripping book that is well-positioned for the run-up to the World War I centennial. National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources. Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.




Causes of the Revolution


Book Description

Discover what caused the American Revolution in this stimulating nonfiction book. With its easy-to-read text and vivid images, readers are sure to be engaged as they learn about problems colonists faced, including the Stamp Act, the Townshend Act, and Intolerable Acts. The fascinating facts and intriguing sidebars further explore the reasoning behind such documents as the First Continental Congress, Declaration of Rights and Grievances, Thomas Paine's Common Sense, and the Declaration of Independence. To aid in better understanding of the content and vocabulary, a useful table of contents and glossary are provided.