The History of the English Language (Cont.)

After students finish reading about the history of English, direct their attention to the chart of language families at the bottom of the page. Ask students which of the Indo-European languages they personally speak. Ask which languages they know someone who speaks. Ask those who speak languages that are not Indo-European which languages they speak. The sheer number of languages is staggering. Language itself is a constant of the human mind: all people have it. However, just what language they speak varies widely.

Periodic Table of the Elements

This table represents one of the greatest achievements of science, capturing the basis of chemistry and reflecting the arrangements of protons and electrons in quantum physics. It shows the building block of the universe (hydrogen), reveals how it is fused into heavier elements in the nuclear furnaces of stars, and leads to the radioactive elements used in nuclear fission reactions.

Students interest in science can find much to meditate upon in this table.

Planet Profusion (Cont.)

The chart on this page contains many facts and figures about our sun, its planets, and their satellites. Simple comparisons of size (Jupiter has 318 Earth masses), time (Neptune's year is 164.8 Earth years), and temperature (the core of the sun is 27 million degrees) beggar the imagination. Encourage students to linger on these pages and imagine the vastness of our solar system—and how tiny it is in the scheme of things.

Social Studies

This page provides students a concise summary of the U.S. Constitution, including the preamble and the contents of each article. Have students read through this page for a quick overview. Then they should review the first ten amendments (the Bill of Rights) on the next page.

The Other Amendments

Have students read through Amendments 11 to 27, noting the earth-shaking ones (such as Amendment 13, abolishing slavery, and Amendment 19, giving women the right to vote).