Twelve years ago, U.S. led air strikes drove Iraq’s armies out of Kuwait but left Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in power. Now we face another showdown with Hussein. The following sites, (some written expressly for students) explore the why’s and …[Continue]
France
On July 14, 1789, a huge crowd of Parisians captured the Bastille fortress, forcing King Louis XVI’s troops to withdraw. Bastille Day is a French national holiday (akin to our 4th of July) celebrating the birth of the French republic …[Continue]
British Monarchy
Following the death of her father King George VI on February 6, 1952, Princess Elizabeth acceded to the throne as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. This year, all of Britain is celebrating a rare milestone in British history: the Queen’s …[Continue]
Mexico
Mexico, our diverse neighbor to the south, is the third most populous country of the Western Hemisphere, ranking only behind the United States and Brazil. Although it is impossible to characterize an entire country with a selection of just five …[Continue]
Rainforests
Rainforests are defined and created by rainfall: more than eighty inches per year. Tropical rainforests are located near the equator, a majority of them in Latin America. Temperate rainforests are found in coastal areas, such as the 1,200 miles of …[Continue]
Australia
Australia, host of the upcoming summer Olympic games, is the only country that is both an island and a continent. It ranks as the sixth largest country (covering nearly three million square miles) and the smallest continent. I’ve never been …[Continue]
The Vietnam War
Beginning in 1957 and ending in 1975, the Vietnam War was America’s longest war and her first military failure on foreign soil. Even twenty-five years later, the Vietnam War era is a difficult and complicated subject, both emotionally and historically. …[Continue]
World Population
We entered the twentieth century with a population of less than two billion people and now, as we stand at the century’s exit, world population is just over six billion. Six billion. It’s hard to grasp what that means. I …[Continue]
China
Gung Hay Fat Choy! May you be blessed with prosperity in the New Year. The first day of the Chinese lunar year is the most important of all Chinese festivals. Chinese New Year is celebrated with a sumptuous family meal, …[Continue]
Travelogues
Can’t get away this summer? How about some arm chair travel, Internet style? These families, archeologists, sailors and adventurers are traveling the world, sharing their diaries with us (and several million other strangers) every few days on the Net. Internet …[Continue]