Social Studies
February 12, 2014 - February 18, 2014

Find the latest educational resources from Iowa Public Television.

U.S. Olympic Hopefuls Take Their Marks as Sochi Spotlight Shifts to Competition

Grades: 7-12

The Winter Olympics have officially opened in Sochi, Russia, and organizers hope to shift the focus away from controversies over human rights and corruption to the celebration of athletic competition. This resource includes a video from PBS NewsHour with warm up and discussion questions.

Women and Children Evacuated from War-torn Syrian City

Grades: 7-12

Hundreds of civilians seeking to flee the besieged Syrian city of Homs were evacuated on Sunday. In total, more than 600 were evacuated from Homs, but Al-Jazeera, citing the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said five were killed by mortar shells and two from gunfire. The evacuation was part of a three-day ceasefire that began Friday between the government of President Bashar al-Assad and armed rebels.

First Ladies' Service
Grade Range: K-13+

First Ladies in the United States do community service and public outreach for many worthy causes. First Ladies in recent years have taken up campaigns ranging from literacy to children's health to the drug epidemic. In this media gallery, we see the First Ladies at various events advocating for children, animals, health, and women's rights, both at home and abroad.

A Black Writer in the South
Grade Range: 9-12

In this video, Alice Walker shares stories from her childhood that highlight the strong female figures in her family, particularly her mother who stood her ground

against a white landowner and insisted on an education for her children. These experiences inform her viewers on what it means to be a Southern black writer.

Curious George: Build a Wall

Grade Range: PreK-1

In the video Keep Out Cows, Curious George tries to build a wall to keep the cows from munching on a flowerbed. He uses newspapers attached to a clothesline, but will they be strong enough to keep Leslie Cow and her friends away? Students explore various building materials as they plan, construct, and then test out their own walls.

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