Discover the courageous stories of elite Black athletes who battled prejudice and exclusion to become heroes and champions in their sport. Some have used their platform to bring attention to global, social, economic, and health issues. Others brought glory and fame to their countries. Read about such heroes in sports as boxer Muhammad Ali, tennis great Serena Williams, sprinter Usain Bolt, gymnast Simone Biles, and many more.
This informative book describes the dangers and instability of living in a conflict zone, especially for children. Simple things like education and having enough food, medicine, and safe water to drink are no longer guaranteed. Examples of contemporary conflicts show how children's lives are affected, and help explain why the United Nations felt the need to create the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Free downloadable Teacher's Notes.
This interesting book describes the impact conflicts have had on children's lives throughout history. Some served in the military, from the early warrior state of Sparta to religious crusades and revolutionary battlefields. In the last century, while some children were sent to live in safe zones, others were sent to concentration camps. At home, children mainly helped the war effort by raising money, tending gardens, and helping the wounded. Free downloadable Teacher's Notes.
According to UNICEF, an agency dedicated to helping children, 13.7 million children around the world are refugees, and an additional 22.8 million children are displaced within their own countries. This book explains how the lives of children forced by conflicts to leave all that they once knew will never be the same. Examples of contemporary conflicts show the difficulties often faced by child refugees, such as violence, dangerous journeys, and uncertain futures. Free downloadable Teacher's Notes.
Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world, made up of more than 17,000 islands, with lush rain forests, mountainous interiors, mangrove forests, rich coral reefs, and sandy beaches. Read all about the country's land and resources, the environmental challenges it faces, and the impact of colonization by Europeans, as well as daily life and culture for people across Indonesia. Free downloadable Teacher's Notes.
This book shines a light on the disturbing practice of recruiting children into conflicts. Around 250,000 child soldiers are participating in conflicts around the world today. Many are physically abducted or threatened into joining by armed groups or forces who desensitize them to violence. If they survive, the only way they can be reintegrated into their communities is through physical and emotional rehabilitation. Free downloadable Teacher's Notes.
Cuba, an archipelago in the Caribbean Sea, is a top tourist destination due to its subtropical climate and beautiful coastline. Read all about the country's land and resources, its complicated political history, and the impact of colonization by Europeans, as well as daily life and culture today for people across Cuba. Free downloadable Teacher's Notes.
Misinformation and disinformation both describe misleading or false information--one is spread unintentionally and the other is shared on purpose. Censorship involves suppressing certain information. All three significantly impact how people interpret issues and events. This important title examines the different ways of, and reasons for, controlling information, and how to build information literacy. Free downloadable Teacher's Notes.
Nationalism is the support for a nation or group, deeply rooted in history and culture. It is about belonging--political and ethnic. It can create positive feelings of a shared identity and even spark change, or when taken too far, divide society and result in hate and violence. Emphasizing multiple viewpoints and examples, this thoughtful title examines the impact of nationalism around the world. Free downloadable Teacher's Notes.
The world came to a halt in 2020 due to the COVID-19 virus. This timely book looks at how governments jumped into action, adapting their strategies as the pandemic evolved and changed. It also explores historical pandemic responses, the problems and challenges related to carrying out pandemic strategies, and how we can learn from the COVID-19 pandemic to prepare for the future. Free downloadable Teacher's Notes.
We know that countries enter into alliances and make treaties and agreements--but why are these important and how do they affect our lives? From the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to the Paris Agreement, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), and free trade agreements (FTAs), this comprehensive book explores the reasons for and impacts of alliances and treaties. Free downloadable Teacher's Notes.
This book looks at the impact of environmental activists, from John Muir to Rachel Carson, and the events that had wide-ranging impact, such as the Santa Barbara oil spill, the Standing Rock Sioux protest, and the campaigns by Indigenous communities around the world. Today, Earth activism is widespread and powerful, and often led by young voices, such as Swedish school student Greta Thunberg and new groups such as Extinction Rebellion. Links to further information help readers find out more about current campaigns and become activists themselves.
Women make up about half the world's population, but women worldwide have had to fight for equal rights - to be able to vote, do the same jobs as men for the same rate of pay, own property, and have the same opportunities in education. This book looks at the campaigns fought throughout history, including suffrage movements around the world, strikes for equal pay, and International Women's Day. The struggle by activists continues today to end child marriage and safeguard women in the military. Links to further information help readers find out more about current campaigns and become activists themselves.
People often associate civil rights with the campaign in the late 1950s and 1960s to achieve social and political equality and freedom for black Americans in the United States. Civil rights campaigners have also fought to gain rights for Chicanos and Indigenous peoples. Worldwide, the struggle for civil rights has included Catholics in Northern Ireland, Aboriginal peoples in Australia, and black South Africans. Describing reform movements in history, this book also brings campaigns for civil rights up to date with rights for women, LGBTQ+ people, and people with disabilities. Links to further information help readers find out more about current campaigns and become activists themselves.
The right to be paid for work, to have time off, and to work in a safe environment might seem to us as guaranteed, but throughout history people worldwide have had to campaign and fight for these rights. This book looks at actions such as the matchgirls' strike in 1888 and the campaigns for an end to child labor and for equal pay for women. The struggle by activists continues today with workers being affected by an increasingly global economy, climate change, and changing working patterns. Links to further information help readers find out more about current campaigns and become activists themselves.
This book focuses on the slave trade that took more than 12 million captured Africans to the Americas to be owned and worked in cruel and inhuman conditions. Stories of resistance and rebellion by enslaved peoples include the Haitian rebellion and the Amistad Revolt. Key activists featured include Cyrille Bissette and Sojourner Truth. The forms of slavery that exist today are examined along with the campaigns and activists protesting them. Links to further information help readers find out more about current campaigns and become activists themselves.
Huge numbers of people in developing countries and up to one quarter of populations in developed countries live below the poverty line. Poverty is linked to migration, warfare, low-skilled work, and women's and children's rights. This book looks at some of the key anti-poverty campaigns and activists, from Josephine Butler to campaigners today tackling period poverty and setting up microbanks. Links to further information help readers find out more about current campaigns and become activists themselves.
From its roots in ancient Greece to its revitalization in the Age of Enlightenment and beyond, democracy as a form of government has changed over time. Find out what threats democracy faces today, and how it is a process that requires constant upkeep and renewal.
Democratic governments and processes are based on shared ideals for the common good of all citizens. Find out what these democratic values are and how to take part in democracy in your own country and community.
What is the difference between a representative democracy and an autocracy or dictatorship? Are all democracies equal? Why are some people attracted to authoritarian governments? This fascinating book explains why democracy can be a fragile form of government, requiring constant effort and attention from its citizens. Students are encouraged to investigate the ways their own governments respond to the needs and wants of its people.
Young people all over the world are doing it. Whether through anti-racism protests, taking part in model governments, or joining global climate strikes, youth are strengthening democracy by exercising one of the fundamental democratic rights: participation. This thoughtful book uses real life examples to show how citizens can exercise their rights and make their communities and countries more democratic, just, and fair--even when they are not yet old enough to vote.
The flu is so common that people don't often see it as a deadly and debilitating disease. Despite the advances made by science, each year 5 million people worldwide get the flu, and thousands die from complications. This fascinating book sheds light on what the flu is, and the role of medical technology in diagnosing it and developing treatments such as drugs and vaccines.
Like many viruses, smallpox is highly contagious. It's also dreadful, deadly, and thanks to microscopes and modern technology--now officially eradicated. This fascinating book explains how a concerted effort to produce a vaccine and distribute it around the world helped eliminate the deadly scourge by 1980.
Polio plagued humans for thousands of years with no cure and few effective treatments. This informative book describes how there was no real understanding of what it was until scientists were able to do research on the disease using microscopes. It was not until 1961 that a vaccine was developed. Since then, polio has been eradicated in most of the world.
Malaria is an ancient disease caused by a parasite passed through the bites of infected mosquitoes. It is only now--through extensive scientific research--that malaria can be prevented, treated, and cured. This fascinating book examines the difficulties malaria still presents and how science is working on a "zero malaria plan" that will one day eradicate the disease entirely.
