The last Kennedy brother is gone

Senator Edward (Ted) Kennedy, brother of John F. Kennedy, has passed away. A member of what was perhaps the most influential political family in American history, Ted Kennedy was the only Kennedy brother to survive beyond middle age. His most famous brother, commonly known as JFK, was shot during his presidency and another brother, Bobby, was shot while campaigning for that office. Ted Kennedy never reached the White House himself, but he did remain a very powerful U.S. Senator for many years. After surviving much personal tragedy, including a plane crash that almost killed him, he lost his life at age 77 from brain cancer.

Link to article.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-08-26-ted-kennedy-obit_N.htm

-How do you think the Kennedy family became so powerful and famous?

-Do you think Ted Kennedy was an American hero?

-Do you believe in the idea of a "Kennedy family curse?"

-Do you know how many Kennedy brothers there were and how each died?

Vacation planning project

Assignment: Plan a vacation to any destination in the world!

Due: end of class Thursday (Class will be held in library computer lab Thursday!)

Instructions are below.

Search the Internet and decide where you would like to go on vacation. Here are some sites you might like to visit in order to make a decision: http://www.travelocity.com/, http://www.expedia.com/, http://www.orbitz.com/, http://www.delta.com/, http://www.travelchannel.com/, http://www.europeanworldtravel.com/, http://www.windstarcruises.com/, http://www.away.com/, http://www.1000beforeyoudie.com/! Or, just surf the web until you find something that looks exciting!

Once you have chosen a place, record your travel itinerary (detailed plan) on your own paper. Be sure to include the following things:

(1) Name of city or cities you will visit. For each city you visit, include the country and continent where that city is located.

(2) time and length of trip (When are you going, and how long are you staying?)

(3) transportation (How are you getting there? Air, boat, train?)

Include departure and arrival times, price, etc.. You may want to go to http://www.expedia.com/ or http://www.travelocity.com/ to "book" your flight! (This is just pretend, so price does not matter!)

(4) accommodations (Where will you sleep?)

How many nights are you staying? Are you staying in a hotel, house, or cabin? How much does it cost? Again, http://www.expedia.com/ or http://www.travelocity.com/ may be helpful!

(5) attractions (What will you see?)

Are you going to see the Eiffel Tower in Paris or the Pyramids in Egypt? Will you visit the native Aboriginees in Australia or dine with the Queen of England? How much will these adventures cost?

(6) total cost of travel

Calculate the total cost of your trip!

Bon voyage!!! I can't wait to hear about your trip!

Hurricane tracking

This week, we will likely experience some wet weather as a result of Atlantic tropical storm activity. If you are like me, you think that tropical storms -- especially hurricanes -- are fascinating! I like to check the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) website frequently during tropical storm season (which we are in right now). If you go to the link below, you can monitor what is happening in the Atlantic Ocean at any given moment. Not only can you track storms that are on the verge of making landfall, but you can also learn about storms that are in the early stages of development.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

Travel the World!

This semester as we study world geography, I'd like for us to think of our studies as an exploration of the amazing world we live in! We will complete a "Plan a vacation" project, where you will be able to plan a trip to any place in the world you wish you could go.

Follow the link below for ideas about some countries you might want to explore. These nations are just a small sample of the possibilities our world offers! If you click on individual countries' names and click on the "sightseeing guide," you might get some ideas about where you would like to go.

http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/kids/hh/goplaces

Free at last!

Read this article.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=7781017

1. What profession do Laura Ling and Euna Lee share?
2. What happened to them while working on an assignment for their job?
3. Do North Korea and the United States get along well?
4. Why do you think the familes of Laura and Euna were so frightened?
5. Do you know how this story ends? If you watched the news recently, you would know. If you don't know, do an online search (Google or other) for their names.

Read more about life in North Korea and about the country's leader, Kim Jong Il. This semester, we will talk more about North Korea and many more countries around the world.