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November 2008
Educators, welcome to our collection of SIRS® Challenge Quests!
Students can view this month's quests, and last month's answers, inside your SIRS subscription(s) during the third
week of the new month.
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find the answers on their own. You may save this email for your personal use as an answer key.
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SIRS Discoverer®
Not only is the 2008 presidential race a great time to become politically involved, but it's an opportunity to learn some political words.
Here are a few terms you may have heard recently: A "convention" is a national meeting of a political party. A "pundit" is a political analyst.
And did you know that the word "ballot," the paper or card used to vote for a candidate, comes from the Italian word "balla," meaning ball?
Why does the word "ballot" have roots in the Italian word "balla," which means ball?
Answer Pathfinder
Subject Heading(s):
Elections; Words; Vocabulary (all by date)
Keyword(s):
ballot AND ball (by relevance); ballot AND balla (by relevance); ballot AND Italian (by date)
Topic Browse Path:
HISTORY & GOVERNMENT: Elections
Article(s) | Site(s):
"Election Words to Know," Yak's Corner, Jan. 17, 2008
Answer:
In the past, people voted with a ball! The ball had the name of the chosen candidate on it, and a vote was cast by dropping the ball into a box.
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SIRS Knowledge Source®
America entered World War II in 1941. The secret dissemination of troop movements and combat information was crucial to the war effort. In 1942, soldiers of Navajo Indian descent were trained as "code talkers," communicating battle information in their native language.
Between 1942 and 1945, approximately how many Navajo code talkers were trained to serve in the Marines?
A. More than 40
B. More than 250
C. More than 400
D. More than 600
Article(s) | Site(s):
"World War II Navajo Code Talkers Visit Pentagon, Meet with Pace,"
American Forces Information Service News Articles, Aug. 10, 2007
Answer:
C. More than 400
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SIRS Knowledge Source®.
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