Last week, Hurricane Hermine roared up from the Gulf of Mexico to dump rain on Florida’s west coast and panhandle. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) noticed the first signs of a storm on August 13 off of the coast of West Africa. By August 30th, the NHC had issued storm warnings for the Gulf of Mexico. Governor Rick Scott declared states of emergency for 51 Florida counties, in advance of the hurricane’s landfall, to ensure federal response as soon as possible if there was severe damage.
Louisiana Flooding
Living near the mouth of the Mississippi River has challenges. The land is quite low in the delta, and flooding from heavy rains poses potential disaster. Baton Rouge, Louisiana, faced such a disaster with serious flooding this summer. The devastation is still affecting the region…
Rio Summer Olympic Games: Week One Highlights
The Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, are in full-swing after week one. Let’s take a look at the many highlights thus far…
News in Brief for July 18, 2016
During the first week of July, the shooting deaths of two African American men by the police —Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota—resulted in national outrage. Many took to the streets in protest. These incidents brought new focus to the state of race in America and revealed difficult social questions…
Happy Fourth of July, America!
A National Holiday Independence Day in the United States is celebrated on July 4th. It is is a national holiday. Banks are closed for business. The U.S. Post Office does not deliver the mail. Many people are off from work so they can honor American independence. This year, July 4th is on a Monday, making for a long weekend for …
Brexit: Great Britain Votes to Leave the EU
On Thursday, June 23rd, Great Britain held a historic vote to determine whether or not to stay in the European Union (EU). The count was close, but those who wanted to leave the EU won out. The process to actually leave may take quite a long time,,,
In Memorial: Muhammad Ali
At first, the man proclaimed himself “the Greatest!” but time would prove the rest of the world agreed, Muhammad Ali was indeed the greatest. Born on January 17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky…
Honoring Memorial Day
Using Maps101: Have students use maps101 resources to learn more about war, to better understand why Memorial Day is an important holiday so as to remember those who served in battle. If you have premium access, students can access the Field Trip Library. There they will find Field Trips about the Civil War, World War I, and World War II. …
Freshwater Supplies and the Great Lakes
A recent article in The Atlantic magazine brings attention to an increasing problem: who has access to the freshwater of the Great Lakes? Because the Great Lakes border both the United States and Canada, both countries are invested in access to the freshwater from the lakes. It is used for irrigation, as well as for drinking water. After seven years of debate and negotiation, …
Big Business in Each U.S. State
Big businesses are headquartered throughout the United States. This map shows which company is the largest money-making business with its headquarters in that state. State and local economies try to attract businesses to their area. Generally, the more successful the businesses in a state, the more money will enter the local economy. Also, there may be more jobs where a business is headquartered. To reap these …