A Secret Dream

 A Secret Dream

    For Annie, the most exciting day of the week was Friday because it was the day the stagecoach came to town. As soon as the stagecoach pulled up, the team of tired horses had to be unharnessed. It was Annie's job to take the horses to the stable, while her father harnessed up a fresh team.
    While all this was taking place, the stagecoach passengers got out and headed toward the hotel to wash up and eat a meal. The people were always covered with dust from the rugged trails on which they had been traveling. Although they were tired and dusty, Annie watched and always admired the women in their long, elegant dresses.
    Annie observed them closely and wondered who they were and where they were going. Often, she liked to create little stories in her mind about these women. Later on, she would write the stories down in her journal. "Perhaps that tall, beautiful woman was on her way to meet her handsome fiance," she thought. "Maybe that girl in the emerald green dress was heading for a fancy boarding school in the city."
    Annie hoped that someday, she, too, would travel in a stagecoach and visit interesting, faraway places. While she traveled, she would write about all the fascinating people she met along the way. Annie hadn't yet shared these thoughts with anyone, and for now, it was her secret dream.

What did Annie do as she observed the women that were traveling?

What was Annie's secret dream?

The Fisherman and the Fish

 The Fisherman and the Fish

    A fisherman sat still on the bank of a sparkling stream one bright afternoon. He had arisen before dawn that morning, eaten a healthy breakfast, packed a good lunch, and set out with his pole and other gear just as the sun was creeping up.

    The fisherman sat in the shade of a tree near the cool water. He already had eaten his lunch and taken a small nap. He might have felt completely content, except that he had not caught a single fish all morning and was starting to grow impatient. "Perhaps another spot downstream would be better," He said to himself.

    Suddenly the fisherman felt a tug on his line, and when he pulled the pole out of the water, he saw that he had caught a rather small fish. Removing the fish from the hook, the fisherman was startled to hear the creature speak.

    "Please let me go," the fish pleaded. "I am much too small for you to eat. If you throw me back into the river, I will soon grow to a size that will satisfy your hunger."

    The fisherman began to imagine a great fat fish heaped on a serving plate in the middle of his table. As the fisherman paused to think about this, the little fish thought that he had persuaded the fisherman to let him go.

    However, when the fisherman returned from his daydream, he looked at the fish and said, "But I have you now, and I may not catch you again." With that, he tossed the fish into his bucket, picked up his pole, and made his way toward home.

Hannah's Story

 Hannah's Story

    Hannah was discouraged. She had an assignment for class to write a story about how she had accomplished a goal, but she could not think of anything to write about no matter how hard she tried.
    "I'd better make a list of ideas," she told herself, jotting down some notes about the time she helped her father reorganize his carpentry tools in the woodshed. Then she started another page and made a chart and diagram showing what her aunt had taught her about growing tulips. But neither of these ideas inspired her.
    "Maybe it would be worthwhile just to try writing down every single word that pops into my head," she thought. She sat at her desk in suspense, waiting for some words to come, but nothing came to her. Suddenly the process of developing an idea seemed completely beyond her.
    Hannah's father gave her some good advice. "Why don't you postpone working on the assignment for a few minutes, take a short walk, and entirely clear your mind," he said.
    Hannah went out and walked around the block. "Writing this story is one goal I just cannot seem to accomplish," she mused. Then something clicked. The ideal topic had been hidden within her imagination the whole time, and she had finally found it. What you are reading is the story Hannah wrote, and I am Hannah.

What were some things that Hannah did to help think of a writing idea?

How did Hannah solve her writing problem?

Natural-Born Drummer

 Natural-Born Drummer

    Travis had a habit of drumming on surfaces with his fingers, with pencils, and even chopsticks. Several times a day, Travis's parents, teachers, and friends commented about his constant drumming.

    Therefore, Travis's parents were astonished that on the day before Travis was to try out for the school band, he was uncertain about which instrument he wanted to play. So Travis and his father went to a local music store to generate some ideas. Travis browsed the selection of rental instruments, picking up a flute and handling the keys, then examining a trombone. On impulse, he chose a saxophone and tried blowing into it. But the sound that emerged was a pitiful honk, like a wounded goose. Then Travis asked to try another instrument--the drums. He had never played drums before, but he'd certainly had plenty of drumming practice.

    The next morning at school, Travis appeared at the doorway of Mr. Blees's classroom for the tryout. Mr. Blees called on Travis and pointed to a drum set in the corner of the room. He listened carefully as Travis experimented with different beats and rhythms on the drums. When Travis had finished, Mr. Blees smiled. "You're a natural-born drummer," he said, "and you've got a spot in the school band."

A Fresh Perspective

 A Fresh Perspective

    The students in Ms. Jensen's English class filed into the room and sauntered to their usual seats. Ms. Jensen observed them from her desk in the back corner of the room, and an idea formed. This week's literature contained characters that were experiencing changes, and she thought it was time for an experiment.
    The students typically wrote in their journals for five minutes about a topic written on the board at the front of the room. Today, Ms. Jensen quickly jotted notes of her own while the students wrote, and when the five minutes were up, she walked to the front of the room to address her students.
    With a smile Ms. Jensen began, "Today, we are going to experiment with change. I would like you to gather your things, because it's time to move to a new seat!"
    The students began murmuring to each other and a few looked doubtful. Ms. Jensen directed the students to move to the front of the room and assigned new seats to everyone. Class proceeded as usual, and after a while Ms. Jensen requested that the students open their journals for a second time. Some grumbled about this new direction, but everyone soon complied.
    "Now. I would like you to describe the differences in this room when viewed from a different seat," Ms. Jensen explained.
    From the way the students' pens moved rapidly over the surfaces of their papers, Ms. Jensen could tell that her experiment had been a success.

How did Ms. Jensen change her students' view of the classroom?

Why did Ms. Jensen think her idea was a success?

Live from the X Games

 Live from the X Games

    This is Brad Willis, coming at you live from the scene of this year's Summer X Games. Right now, we're at Huntington Beach, where the finals of a new surfing competition known as "the Game" are being held.

    The game differs from regular surfing competitions because it involves two teams of eight surfers competing in four quarters. Each quarter is broken into two 20-minute heats. Four surfers from one team go first in a heat, followed by four from the second team. The remaining surfers then repeat the cycle, and the top two wave scores are added for a team score.

    Later this afternoon, we'll take you to Woodward West for the qualifying trials of the downhill BMX, the bicycle motocross event that promises to be wild and woolly. You won't want to miss our live coverage.

    Mike Metzger has turned in a fine performance in the Freestyle Moto X. His backflips have wowed the crowds. Metzger joins 300 of the world's best extreme action sports daredevils for this year's games. In a minute, we'll show you some footage of the Brazilian skateboarders. They've put on quite a show at these games.

Tom Sawyer's Fence ADAPTED FROM A STORY BY MARK TWAIN

 Tom Sawyer's Fence
ADAPTED FROM A STORY BY MARK TWAIN

Tom looked at the fence and all gladness left him. Whitewashing it would take his whole day. He sighed and brushed paint along the first board. Soon, Ben stopped to tease. "I'm going fishing, but you'd rather work." Tom burned like fire, but he didn't show it. Instead, he said, "What do you call work?" Ben couldn't believe what he heard! Tom's Brush swept back and forth and Ben grew very interested. He said, "Say, Tom, let me whitewash a little." Tom kept working and told him no. Ben pleaded, "Let me try! I'll give you this apple." Tom made his face look sad, but excitement filled his heart. Slowly, he handed over the brush. So Ben sweated in the sun and Tom munched his apple in the shade. Other boys stopped by and when Ben tired, Tom traded the next chance to Billy for a kite--and so on. By afternoon, Tom had ten marbles, a bit of chalk, a piece of blue grass, a doorknob, and a couple of tadpoles. If he hadn't run out of whitewash, he'd have charged every boy in the village for a chance to paint his fence!

Beethoven

Beethoven

    Few musicians are as beloved and cherished as Beethoven. A classical composer from Germany, Beethoven began making music after his father recognized in him a rare talent. Unfortunately for Beethoven, his father was unkind and cruel in his ways. He sought to create in Beethoven a musical talent that would rival the great Mozart's.
    Beethoven learned at a young age to work hard or else he would be beaten by his father. His diligence proved successful as he continued to advance his musical career at a young age. When he was twenty-two years old, Beethoven began working with Joseph Haydn. Mozart was no longer alive, leaving Haydn the most talented composer at the time. Beethoven improved greatly under Haydn's guidance.
    Beethoven would eventually become the world's greatest composer. He created intricate, beautiful works of art that stunned his audiences. It was to his great devastation he realized he was going deaf. This impediment did not stop Beethoven from composing or performing. Incredibly, it was later in his life when he was completely deaf that he wrote his most popular piece.
    Beethoven has yet to be surpassed as the world's finest composer. He remains rooted in the hearts of his fans as the greatest talent of all time. Each generation discovers him anew, allowing his memory and his work to live on.

Aliens in the Water

 Aliens in the Water

    The aliens took care with their appearance trying to morph their features into human ones. They could not afford to get caught. The human race did not know about their existence and it was essential that they never did. They boarded their spaceship and set the coordinates to Earth. It was a big day. They were finally going to visit the earthlings they had been watching for so long. They had to be careful not to get caught. The ship passed sailed into Earth's atmosphere and hovered above the large body of water. The aliens could not suppress their excitement. They turned on the invisibility shield to hide the ship and dove into the water. All of the humans in the water welcomed them. They fit right in. Their fins and scales looked just like everyone else's. The aliens spent the day learning how the humans swam, the food they ate and how they played with one another. When it was time to leave they saw strange creatures in a floating ship above the water. The aliens watched as these creatures captured their human friends and hauled them into the boat. The aliens did not want to be captured and they left Earth deciding never to return.

Earthworms

 Earthworms

    The earthworm is more than fish bait and bird food. They are nature's workman. Earthworms improve soil for humans, plants, and animals. The tunnels they create help air and water reach deeper parts of the soil. More air and more water make for healthier soil.

    Did you know the diet of an earthworm is the dirt itself? These worms eat the soil they live in. This food source is great for the worm but not for plants. The waste released by the worm is then used to feed the plants because it has a lot of nutrients. 

    If you were to look really closely at the earthworm's body it looks like they are joined together with rings. They are actually put together with about 150 different segments. This helps the worm to move as each segment has muscles and bristles. The bristles are what give the worm control when moving through the soil. The different segments to the earthworm are also why they can survive and regrow parts of their body back if something pulls it apart.

    Earthworms have no lungs to help them breathe. Instead, they breathe through their skin. Their skin cannot dry out or they will not survive.

Silly Dreams

Silly Dreams

Every night I go to sleep I never stay in bed.
I go to faraway places, but only in my head.
Just the other day I had tea with the queen.
She was not very kind and really rather mean.

I can go to space, I will dance with the moon.
If I'm feeling hungry I eat him with a spoon.
The stars are tasty too with sugar and cream.
I eat until I burst it is only a dream.

I will ride a lion with a pink nose and purple tail.
I will race against a blue whale.
The jungle has lions, tigers and bears.
They all wear dresses and have feathers for hair.

Sometimes I fly and sometimes I soar.
The grass is my sky and the cloud's my floor.
I am graceful like the birds, I am faster than a rocket.
When I need to rest I sleep in a cloud pocket.

Today when I dream I will think about clowns.
They know how to chase away frowns.
I will play cards with fish. Sleep the middle of the sea.
I will share a piece of cake with a bumble bee.

The Farmer and the Donkey

 The Farmer and the Donkey

    Long ago, a farmer had a beautiful vegetable garden. One morning, a donkey wandered in and began eating the farmer's delicious vegetables. The farmer tried to chase the donkey away, but it just continued eating! So the farmer asked his largest pig to chase the donkey, away. The pig chased after the donkey, squealing loudly, but the donkey kicked the pig in the air and continued eating.
    Next, the farmer asked his horse to chase the donkey away. The horse to chase the donkey away. The horse galloped after the donkey, neighing loudly. However, the donkey kicked the horse in the air and continued eating.
    Meanwhile, an ant had been observing the drama. "I can make the donkey leave," it told the farmer. The farmer did not believe that a tiny ant could do it. However, he was desperate and willing to try anything.
    So the ant crawled along the donkey's leg and started biting! The donkey shrieked. Yet the ant continued biting until the donkey ran away. The delighted farmer said to the ant, "I have learned a valuable lesson. Sometimes the tiniest animal is the most powerful!"

What was the farmer's problem?

How did the ant help the farmer?

The Dog and the Oyster

 The Dog and the Oyster

    Of all the fables about dogs, this surely is an unusual one. It concerns Old Ruff, a large gray hound who lived with his master near the sea and who, like most dogs, loved to eat. Ruff was always on a search for food. He snuffled around the neighbors' garbage cans, looking for meat scraps and bones. he sometimes sat on Mrs. Freethy's back porch and barked until Mrs. Freethy opened the door and gave him a bite of cheese or his very favorite treat, a raw egg.

    Each afternoon, Ruff would wander down to the wharf to take part in the lively activity on the docks. On this particular day, Ruff spotted the familiar face of a fisherman named Bill.

    Bill sat on the dock, cracking open the shells of fresh oysters and pouring the oysters into a large glass jar. Wagging his tail, Ruff approached Bill. Bill greeted Ruff, and when he saw that the dog was looking at the oyster, he offered it to Ruff. Thinking that the oyster was a raw egg, Ruff quickly slurped it down.

    The first thing Ruff noticed was that the oyster didn't quite taste like an egg, and he noticed that his stomach had begun to hurt. The pain grew so bad that Ruff walked miserably home and crawled under the front porch until he began to feel better.

    In the midst of his suffering, Ruff thought, "It's clear that the egg I ate was not an egg." He groaned for a bit and then thought, "I got exactly what I deserved for not being more careful." He let out another groan and fell gratefully asleep.

A View from Above

 A View from Above

    While walking along the sidewalk in a large city, one is able to see the fronts of the buildings, sides of cars passing by, and fellow pedestrians. But, what if a different view of the city is desired? What if one wishes to view the city from a new perspective or obtain a "bird's-eye view"?

    An unusual opportunity to see a city from high above the street is found in Willis Tower in Chicago. The skyscraper, formerly known as the Sears Tower, stands at 1,450 feet and was once the tallest building in the world. The building has 110 floors and contains an observation deck on the 103rd floor.

    The observation deck provides the unique experience of being able to look down upon the city of Chicago from a height of 1,353 feet. Glass boxes extend out from the observation deck and allow visitors to feel as though they are stepping out into the sky. The glass floor provides the opportunity to look down and see the city from a Bird's perspective.

    On clear days, the approximate visibility is 40-50 miles. Visitors can see the states of Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Notable Chicago landmarks, such as Navy Pier, Wrigley Field, and other skyscrapers, can be viewed from the observation deck. One has an unparalleled view of Lake Michigan, which is one of the largest freshwater lakes on Earth. This world-famous skyscraper allows visitors to view Chicago in an exceptional way.

 

The History of Comics

 The History of Comics

    Who is your favorite superhero--Spiderman? Wonder Woman? These heroes have been around for a long time. Comics appeared even earlier. In ancient times, people made funny drawings of animals on paper made from plants.

    Comic strips first appeared during the 1800s and remain much the same style today. These comics are drawn in connected boxes. The boxes tell a story or show a series of events. Some comic strips are printed in newspapers. The stories that they tell often continue from day to day. Some people read the comics before they read the front page.

    The first comic books appeared during the 1930s. It seemed that everyone wanted to read comic books. They loved reading about the adventures of the Man of Steel and Batman. During the 1940s, the nation was at war and some comic book characters, such as Captain America, reflected the times. Others, such as Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, made people laugh during this grim time in history.

    After the war people became less interested in comic books, so new superheroes had to be created. The new superheroes, such as the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, and Spiderman, talked and acted more like real people. As time went on, these characters had to compete with TV.

    Comics have held a place in history. They take people away from their daily lives into another world. In this world, the hero always wins, and failure only comes to the bad guys.

The Garden

 The Garden

    Nancy decided one day that she wanted to grow a garden. She lived in an apartment, though, so she was not quite sure how she might do this. Nancy stood at her bedroom window and looked longingly out into the courtyard that was formed by two L-shaped buildings of the apartment complex. Then suddenly she had an idea.
    Nancy went to the superintendent of her building and asked if the patch of dirt in the center of the courtyard was being used for any purpose. Mr. Hernandez informed Nancy that in the decade since he had begun managing the buildings, nothing had ever been done to that area.
    With Mr. Hernandez's assistance, Nancy got permission from the landlord to start a garden. The landlord told her that as long as she took care of whatever she planted, she was free to plant anything she liked.
    Nancy arranged a family meeting that night. She gave each of her sisters an assignment. One sister went to the library and borrowed books on growing flowers and vegetables. Another sister e-mailed their grandmother on the Internet, asking her how to grow tomatoes. The third sister accompanied Nancy to a store where they purchased seeds for flowers and vegetables.
    A few months later, Nancy and her family were eating tomatoes from the courtyard garden. And a vase of fresh asters looked gorgeous in the center of the table.

What is this passage mostly about?

How would you describe Nancy?

The Foolish Fox

 The Foolish Fox

    Long ago a fox was out for a walk and came to a fence. Behind the fence were some plump, ripe grapes.
    "Those grapes look so good," said the fox. "They shall be my dinner." But the grapes were on the other side of the fence. The fox was not thin enough to crawl underneath it.
    "I will go home and wait until I grow thin," thought the fox.
    The fox ate nothing for three days. Then he was thin enough to crawl under the fence, but he was also very hungry. He went back to the fence, crawled under, and gobbled up all the grapes that he wanted. But he ate so many that he grew too fat to crawl under the fence to go home.
    "Now I must grow thin again," thought the fox. "I must not eat anything."
    The fox hid under the grape vines for three days. He ate nothing, and after three days he could easily squeeze back under the fence.
    "Never again will I be so foolish," thought the fox sadly as he made his way home.

Why couldn't the fox crawl under the fence the first time?

What lesson did the fox learn?

Does Color Make a Difference?

 Does Color Make a Difference?

    Mr. Garza and his fifth-grade students were exploring the importance of color in nature and in other places. "The color red can give you energy," Mr. Garza explained. "Blue can be soothing." He asked the students to describe how the gray color of the classroom walls made them feel. They said that the color was boring and dull.

    "Could we paint the classroom a different color?" one of the students asked. The other students nodded eagerly in agreement. Mr. Garza replied that they would have to ask the principal for permission. He assigned the students the task of meeting with the principal to persuade her to allow them to repaint the classroom.

    The students were excited when the principal granted permission. They discussed various colors for the classroom walls and finally decided on a soft yellow. The parents' club donated the paint, rollers, brushes, and other equipment.

    Painting day was on Saturday. The students, along with several parents, gathered together. First, they removed everything from the classroom walls. Next, they moved all the furniture to the middle of the room. Then Mr. Garza explained how to proceed with the painting. He urged them to use caution and not to spill or waste the paint.

    When the work was done, the students were pleased with their accomplishment. The new color brightened the classroom. The principal brought members of the school board to see the classroom. Before long, every classroom in the school had a fresh coat of paint.

Butterflies and the Bee

 Butterflies and the Bee

    Soon after Mark placed third in last year's spelling bee, he began the process of preparing for this year's competition. He developed his own individual style of practicing. Each day he found ten unfamiliar words, wrote each word on a card, and memorized the spelling.

    The morning of the contest, Mark felt confident until he took his seat onstage. Suddenly, it seemed that butterflies were flitting around his stomach. His mouth was dry, his legs wobbled, and his mind was an alphabet soup. The combination of feelings was very unpleasant.

    Mark's teacher tapped him on the shoulder and motioned for him to follow her offstage. "Here are some last-minute tips," his teacher said. "First, take slow, deep breaths to relax your body. Second, imagine yourself succeeding, and third have fun. The fate of the world doesn't depend on the outcome."

    Mark thanked her and returned to his seat. He began breathing slowly and felt himself relax. He recalled his months of practice and felt his confidence return. Finally, he looked around the auditorium and smiled. "It's only a spelling bee," he told himself with relief.

The Rosetta Stone

 The Rosetta Stone

    Many ancient civilizations used languages that are lost to us in the modern era. Without a method to translate the writings or drawings left behind, scholars can only guess at their meanings. For many years, the hieroglyphics of ancient Egypt were one such mystery, but this changed with the discovery of the Rosetta Stone.
    In 1799, a French officer of Napoleon's engineering corps discovered a dark gray granite-like rock with a pinkish tone and a pink streak at the top. The stone was quite large, measuring 11 inches thick, 3 feet 9 inches high, and 2 feet 4 1/2 inches wide. Sections of the right side and top of the stone were missing.
    The Rosetta Stone contains a decree by Egyptian priests marking the crowning of a king. The decree is carved on the stone three times. The first time, the decree is carved in ancient hieroglyphics. The second carving of the decree is written in demotic, which was a language commonly spoken in Egypt at that time, and the third is written in Greek.
    Using the three carvings and knowledge of demotic and Greek, scholars were able to interpret the hieroglyphics. It was believed that the hieroglyphics were drawings of the objects that they represented, for example, that a drawing of a man represented a man. Through studying the hieroglyphics, it was discovered that some hieroglyphics represented sounds.

What is the Rosetta Stone?

How was the Rosetta Stone used to discover the meaning of the hieroglyphics?

Snakes Alive

Snakes Alive

    The Fourth Annual Reptile Expo is coming! This year's expo will be in August at the Belton Coliseum. Please note the new location. The change is because of the destruction of the old expo center by a tornado last spring. We think you'll like the new setting. The expo hall is huge. There's room for more than 200 booths.

    Special features at this year's show will include "Viper Van's Wildlife Show." This is the wildest, funniest educational program ever. "Viper Van" actually is animal handler Van Mitchell. Mitchell travels the country teaching grown-ups and children about wildlife. At this year's expo, he'll share his knowledge of snakes, alligators, and turtles. You won't want to miss this entertaining program.

    Among the speakers at the expo will be reptile expert Dr. Robyn Trent. Dr. Trent will discuss the newest medicines for reptiles. Dr. Hector Vargas will give a talk about the proper feeding of reptiles. Also, top breeders will give a variety of workshops during the four-day expo.

    Check the Internet for the website about the expo. You also can see photographs of last year's five "Best Reptile" finalists on the website. These include the python that won overall Best of Show last year. The winning photos in the Reptile Photo Contest also are posted on the website.

    Expo planners estimate that the crowd at this year's show will be even larger than last year. More than 6,000 people attended the third annual expo. So make your conference and hotel reservations early. You can register on the Internet. Registration forms also are available at your local pet store.

Centuries of Whaling

 Centuries of Whaling

    When Vikings roamed the Atlantic Ocean long ago, one of the greatest prizes they sought was whales. Way back in the 1100s, the struggle between whale and sailor was a fairly even one, but over time, whaling methods grew more and more advanced. By the mid-1800s, whaling had become a big business.
    Norwegian whalers. the modern descendants of the Vikings, were among the leaders in whaling technology. In 1863, a Norwegian sea captain created a new type of whaling ship. The 82-foot-long boat was sleek and swift, fast enough to catch up with even the fastest swimming whale. It also had bomb harpoons. These harpoons were tipped with bombs that would explode inside the whale. They caused death much sooner than ordinary harpoons. Suddenly, the seas were even more dangerous than ever for whales.
    By the late 1800s, many whale species were endangered. The numbers of both the right whale and the bowhead whale dropped sharply. Because these whales were slower than the new boats, they were easy to kill. Sadly, millions of whales were slaughtered before a ban on whaling was agreed upon in 1982. Since then, whaling has been prohibited and successfully stopped. But almost all kinds of whales still suffer because of the extensive whaling in the past.

What is the passage mostly about?

What finally stopped widespread whaling?

The 25-Cent History Lesson

 The 25-Cent History Lesson

    David decided to collect quarters when he read about how the backs of the quarters were changing. He found that many of the coins were already available. All he had to do was reach into his pocket. On the back of the new Ohio quarter was an outline of the state. On one side of the outline was an early airplane An astronaut was on the other side. The coin said, "Birthplace of Aviation Pioneers," and David wondered which pioneers this referred to.

    He used a library computer to search for information about the Ohio quarter. He learned that the coin honored Orville Wright, one of the inventors of the airplane. It also honored astronauts John Glenn and Neil Armstrong, two men who walked on the moon. David wanted to know more about the roles these men played in history. He read library books about their lives.

    The next quarter cam from David's dad. It was a New Jersey quarter. The image on the coin was based on a well-known painting. It inspired David to learn about the history of New Jersey.

    The more quarters David collected, the more frequently he visited the library. "How's the coin collecting coming along?" the librarian asked David one day.

    "Great!" he answered. "I still don't know much about coins, but I'm learning a lot about history."

A Special Friendship

 A Special Friendship

    Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott were two women with different backgrounds but a shared drive to fight for all people. Elizabeth Cady Stanton was born in 1815 and received a formal education, which was unusual for a woman at that time. After graduation, she was sorely disappointed to encounter social barriers which prevented her from working in the same positions as her male classmates. She began to fight for women's rights and for the end of slavery.
    Lucretia Mott was born in 1793 and became a Quaker minister in 1821. Mott was well known for her speeches and work as an abolitionist. She helped to organize a convention of American women who were against slavery in 1837.
    The two women met in London in 1840 at the World Anti-Slavery Convention where Stanton with her husband and Mott was sent as a delegate. Both women were disappointed to learn that the male delegates decided that women could not attend the convention. At this time, they decided to work together to fight for the rights of women. This was the beginning of a friendship that would help change the lives of women in the United States forever. In 1848, Stanton and Mott organized the first women's rights convention.

Who were Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott?

How did the World Ant-Slavery Convention affect the women's rights movement?

Navajo Sand Paintings

 Navajo Sand Paintings

    Navajo people are known for creating detailed paintings made of sand. They believe the paintings can be used to wish people good luck and to heal people who are ill.

    Traditional sand paintings are created and destroyed in one day. These sand paintings are made by Navajo medicine men. They choose from designs that have been passed down through the ages and are shared only with those who use them.

        Creating a sand painting is a special occasion. The sand painter makes the painting in a ceremony that begins early in the morning. To make the painting, the medicine man trickles sand through his fingers onto a board on the floor. Sometimes the sand is mixed with other materials, such as cornmeal or charcoal, to give it color. If the painter makes a mistake, he erases it with plain sand.

    A sand painting may be anywhere from a 2-foot to a 20-foot square. More than one person makes larger sand paintings. The paintings often have yellow, blue, white, and black colors. Red, which stands for sunlight, sometimes is added.

    Sand paintings show pictures of figures from Navajo legends. These often are objects from nature, such as lightning, plants, and animals. The objects often have human features. Navajo people value the paintings because the symbols connect them with the past.

    In the 1940s, Navajo artists began making permanent sand paintings. They sprinkled the sand onto boards covered with glue. Most of these paintings now are sold and used to decorate homes.

Harriet Beecher Stowe Takes a Stand

 Harriet Beecher Stowe Takes a Stand

    In 1852, Harriet Beecher Stowe was a young woman living in a little town in Maine. She had been concerned for a long time about slavery. She believed it was immoral, and she couldn't understand why everyone else did not agree with her. Over the years, she had gone to many lectures about the need to give enslaved people their freedom. She had read many newspaper articles saying the same thing. But the lectures and articles always annoyed her. They were dry and hard to read, using complex legal arguments.
    "Why couldn't someone write a good, readable story?" she asked herself. "Why couldn't a writer show, in dramatic fashion, how terrible slavery is? Why couldn't a clever author show exactly what was going on?" She finally decided to do it herself. She vowed that her story would catch the attention of everybody in the country.
    Finally, she finished her book, Uncle Tom's Cabin. It not only told about the struggles of enslaved people but it showed them in vivid detail. The book caused quite a disturbance throughout the country. People who had been against slavery without taking action suddenly became active and voiced their objections to it.
    The Civil War broke out a few years after the book was published. During the war, President Abraham Lincoln met Harriet Beecher Stowe. He looked at Stowe and smiled. "So you are the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war," Lincoln said with a wide grin.

What caused Harriet Beecher Stowe to write Uncle Tom's Cabin?

What effect did Uncle Tom's Cabin have on the country?

Making a Gift for Mom

 Making a Gift for Mom

    Tammy decided to make her mother a birthday gift. Her goal was to use recycled materials, and she had magazines and milk cartons to work with. She picked up a milk carton and studied it closely. "I could use this to make a vase," she thought. "I could cut off the top and paint it yellow to match our kitchen." She decided that the project would require about an hour to complete.

    She began looking through a magazine. "What could I create using these colorful ads?" she wondered. Suddenly, she had a great idea. First, she would look at the details on each page and tear out ads with red and purple colors, separating the pages by color. Then she would cut triangles from them to use for beads. She would roll the triangles tightly around a pencil, slip them off, and glue them closed. Finally, she would string the beads to make a brightly colored bracelet. Tammy thought her mother would like it better than the vase. However, she was concerned because she knew the bracelet would take more time than the vase to finish.

    Looking at her watch, Tammy said, "Fortunately, I have enough time." However, she wasted no time gathering all the materials that she needed and starting on the work for her mother's special gift.