Kids News - Social Studies for Kids

A team of scientists from the Paleontological Institute at the University of Kansas recently unearthed what is believed to be the largest spider fossil ever found. Discovered near the Daohugou village in Northeastern China, the perfectly preserved specimen named Nephila jurassica is a close relative of the modern day Golden Silk Orb Weaver....

While preserving or mummifying the dead is normally associated with the ancient Egyptians, it seems to have been a ritual followed by many other cultures too. Earlier this month, Chinese workers digging to expand a road near the city of Taizhou, in China's Jiangsu Province, stumbled upon an exciting discovery - three wooden tombs, which when opened not only revealed treasures from the past, but also, an amazingly well-preserved mummy - complete with face, hair and even eyelashes....

Happy St. Patrick's Day! It's that fun day of year when you can pinch your friends (not wearing green) without getting in trouble, run around the school yard in search of four-leaf clovers for luck and, seek out leprechauns who will hopefully lead you to that elusive pot of gold. So who was St. Patrick and how did all these fun traditions begin on the day of his death anniversary? Read on....

September 18th, 2011, marks the 20th anniversary of the discovery of Otzi the Iceman. The 5,300-year old naturally mummified human has mesmerized both experts and amateurs, since he was discovered intact with clothing and equipment, by two hikers on a mountain range bordering, Austria and Italy....

While the science of prosthetics or artificial limbs is thought of as a fairly recent branch of medicine, Jacky Finch and her team at the University of Manchester beg to differ - They believe that the first artificial limbs can be traced all the way back to the Egyptian era, around 700 B.C....

It took the people of Egypt thirty years to garner enough courage to stand up to their leader- But once they did, there was no stopping them. Just 18 days after it all began, the historic revolution is over. On the evening of February 11th, President Hosni Mubarak succumbed to the wishes of his people, by resigning and handing over interim power, to the country's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces....

After years of suffering in oblivion, it suddenly seems like the people of North Africa are finally taking charge of their own destiny with radical, history-making changes. For most countries, it involves trying to get rid of the dictators who have ruled over them for decades. However, for the continent's largest country, Sudan, the issues were much more deep-rooted - Ones that could only be resolved by spiltting the country in two. On February 7th, over 99% of the people of Southern Sudan, voted to secede from the North, giving birth to a new Nation....

Today, February 3rd, marks the first day of the Chinese or Lunar New Year, one of the most important traditional festivals for people of Chinese descent. While all festivals entail some days of celebration, this one lasts for a whopping fifteen days!...

If you have been paying even the slightest attention to the news over the last few weeks, you have probably noticed the large demonstrations and unrest in North Africa. While it may all look scary and overwhelming, what you are witnessing is a public cry for democracy and freedom - similar to what our ancestors fought for, many years ago....