Appleseeds articles from September 2004

Appleseeds archives from September 2004

Let your voice be heard.
September 1, 2004... One of the privileges we have as citizens of the United States is the right to vote. Many people have worked hard to win that right for us. (You can read about some of these struggles on pages 6-12.) Our country is a democracy. That means...

What does it take ...?(choosing a leader)
September 1, 2004... Choosing someone for a position of leadership is important work. We need to think about what the position requires the person to do. Different jobs may require different types of skills or abilities. If we need a treasurer for our afterschool...

The changing face of American voters.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... 1787 The Constitution of the United States creates the federal (national) government. The Constitution leaves all decisions about voting to the individual states. Most states decide to allow only white, property-owning men over the age of...

The petticoat vote.(Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the suffragette movement)
September 1, 2004... "A thousand kisses." That's how Elizabeth Cady Stanton ended letters to her children. And seven children meant a lot of kisses! Like other young mothers in the 1800s, Elizabeth cooked, cleaned, and sewed for her family. And through it all, she...

A long, hard march.(Selma-Montgomery Rights March, 1965)
September 1, 2004... "Every American citizen must have an equal right to vote." President Lyndon B. Johnson, March 15, 1965 Today, every time an African American citizen votes in an election, Joanne Bland and Lynda Lowery have a reason to smile. In a large...

Know your rights.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... The League of Women Voters is an organization of people who want voters to be smart about elections. They want every American voter to be informed about the issues and the candidates and to actively take part in government. And they want voters...

All the way to the White House: follow the campaign trail to the White House ...
September 1, 2004... "I'm Running for President!" Long before an election, many people say they will run for president of the United States. Of course, each of these candidates wants to win, but only one person can be president. Candidates know that to win,...

Let's have a party.(political partys explained)
September 1, 2004... Do you love to go to parties with balloons, presents, and good things to eat? Around election time, when you hear the word party, you might think that politicians must be having a lot of fun. Actually, the kind of party you're hearing about has...

If elected, I promise ...(Your Turn)
September 1, 2004... How do voters know what presidential candidates will do if they are elected? How do they know where the candidates stand on the issues? By looking at their platforms, of course. But what's a platform? Usually, a platform is a small stage. A...

Kids Voting USA.
September 1, 2004... More than 15 years ago, three friends went fishing together in Costa Rica, a country in Central America. When they came back from their trip, they had more than fish. They also brought information they hoped would change elections in the United...

Off to the polls.(voting places )
September 1, 2004... At election time, people vote at voting places called "polls." The laws say that polls must be easy places for citizens to get to. A school, fire station, town hall--sometimes even a neighbor's house or garage--can be used as a polling place....

The idea man.(Thomas Edison )
September 1, 2004... American inventor Thomas Edison had a lot of incredible ideas. You might know him as the man who invented the light bulb. You might not know that he invented more than 1,000 other things. His first "official" invention was an electrical...

Do the math.(By the Numbers)
September 1, 2004... Read "All the Way to the White House" (pages 14-17) to learn how the Electoral College works. Then study the map above. It shows how many electoral votes each state has. See how good you are at Electoral College math. Based on the...

The next nominee ... me! A question-and-answer election game.(Fun Stuff)
September 1, 2004... Would you like to run for president? Well, first you must be nominated to run. And before that can happen, voters will want to be sure you know your facts. Play this game with a friend to find out who is best prepared to run for office. To...

Throw in the pebble.(history of voting practices )
September 1, 2004... What do pebbles, mussel shells, olive leaves, and beans have in common? You might be surprised to learn that they were all used as voting tokens in ancient Greece. Citizens voted by dropping their token into an urn (a large ceramic vase)....

Let's vote!(Puzzle Power)
September 1, 2004... Welcome to PuzzlePower! You're looking at the first of many fantastic puzzles coming up in each new issue of AppleSeeds. So put on your puzzling-hats, grab a pencil, and dig into PuzzlePwer! Have you learned any new words in this issue...

Think about it!
September 1, 2004... [check] If you were allowed to vote, would you take the time to learn about the important issues? [check] Would you learn about where each candidate stands on these issues? [check] Then, would you make the effort to go to the polls and...

Mystery photo.
September 1, 2004... What sort of party is this? Find out in this issue of AppleSeeds.