Kids News - Social Studies for Kids

Starting a bank from scratch a child's play? Absolutely, if you ask some enterprising youngsters in India, who have not only managed to establish one, but also, unlike many of the large International banks, run it successfully since 2001. What's even more impressive is that the young bankers and their 9,000 + clients are all homeless!...

Each year in late July or early August, we witness the Perseid Meteor showers, a spectacular 'shooting star display', as the Earth in its orbit around the sun, passes through the dusty remains of the comet Swift-Tuttle. This year, the best time to watch nature's annual firework show will be on late Saturday, August 11th or early Sunday when the skies are darkest....

If you are aspiring to get into the Guinness World Records for Olympics, but don't quite have Michael's swimming talent or Gabby's gymnastic prowess, here's some encouraging news - It's still possible. All you have to do, is attend more than 18 Olympic Summer Games which, is the record set by 90-year old Harry Nelson....

While destruction of rainforests is causing concern in many parts of the world, nowhere is it worse than in the Amazon. Often referred to as the 'lungs of the planet' the 1.2 billion acre rainforest produces about 20% of the earth's oxygen and is therefore, not just crucial for its own ecosystem, but also, for the survival of all living creatures, including humans! Fortunately, the deforestation there trends are slowly but surely, starting to reverse....

Olympics spoiler alert - Usain Bolt has been outrun! How do we know this before the world's fastest man has even run the finals of his signature 100-meter dash? Because, while Usain hopes to complete the distance in 9.4 seconds, Sarah has already done it in a blistering 5.95 seconds. However, in all fairness to the Jamaican sprinter, she does have a slight advantage, because Sarah is not a two-legged human, but a four-legged cheetah!...

Though 25% of the world's population may not have access to electricity, they all have access to a source of energy that is currently being wasted - Kinetic energy released by their bodies when they exert themselves. Now two Harvard alums have figured out how to capture this energy and convert it into electricity - The only equipment needed? A Soccket soccer ball and the desire to have some fun!...

When the discovery of an exciting archeological find is announced, the person at the forefront is usually the paleontologist leading the dig. However, the credit of unearthing one of the most complete pre-human skeletons can be being solely attributed to the sharp eyes of technician Justin Mukanka at South Africa's University of Witwatersrand....

On June 23rd 2012, thousands of tourists and locals lined up along Hong Kong's various harbors to celebrate Tueg Ng or Dragon Boat Festival. Though host to some of the country's biggest celebrations, has been organizing the events only since 1976, it is a significant Chinese holiday, one with a long history that dates back 2,000 years....

On Sunday June 25th, 2012, Ecuador's Galapagos Islands, best known for its giant tortoises had some sad news to report - its most famous bachelor, a tortoise nicknamed 'Lonesome George' was found dead by its keeper of 40 years. What makes the death even more poignant is the fact that he was the last known living member of the Pinta Island giant tortoise subspecies....