Kids News - Social Studies for Kids

Canada's WestJet Airlines is famous for its annual "Christmas Miracle" videos. In the past, the heartwarming footage has shown the airline's employees surprising a few, unsuspecting families with extravagant gifts, ranging from iPods to vacations to diamond rings. While the 2020 "Christmas Miracle" did not involve any fancy presents, it is equally uplifting and much more far-reaching....

Educators not only inspire kids to dream big and help them to achieve their goals but they also act as counselors, problem-solvers, and sometimes even social workers. Yet, these incredible human beings are often overlooked. To "reawaken the world's appreciation and importance of teachers," in 2014, the Varkey Foundation partnered with UNESCO to establish the Global Teacher Prize. The annual award, which comes with a $1 million grant, recognizes "one exceptional educator who has made an outstanding contribution to their profession."...

For most Americans, Christmas celebrations entail decorating homes with lights and wreaths, putting up Christmas trees, finding meaningful gifts for loved ones, and, of course, binge-watching holiday classics like Elf and Home Alone. However, not everyone observes the holiday in the same way. Here are some unique and wonderful Christmas traditions from around the world....

Over the years, researchers have found ample evidence proving that the horned Triceratops and the Tyrannosaurus Rex (T. rex), which roamed western North America in the late Cretaceous period — some 69 million years ago — were mortal enemies. However, finding perfectly-preserved fossils of the prey and predator locked in combat was something they only dreamed of until the 2006 discovery of the "Dueling Dinosaurs" at a private Montana farm by commercial fossil hunters Clayton Phipps and his team....

Most teenagers are still trying to find their passion and purpose in life. However, not Gitanjali Rao. The 15-year-old sophomore at STEM School Highlands Ranch in Douglas County, Colorado, has been coming up with innovative solutions to worldwide problems since she was ten. It is, therefore, not surprising that the youngster was selected from 5,000 equally impressive nominees — ages 8 to 16 — for TIME Magazine’s first-ever "Kid of the Year."...

While Black Friday and Cyber Monday are all about finding the best deals on holiday gifts for yourself and family members, Giving Tuesday serves a more altruistic purpose. Observed annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, it encourages people to help those in need by making financial donations or doing good in their local community. The “Global Day of Giving” was started in 2012 by New York City nonprofit 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation....

Thanksgiving, which is observed annually on the fourth Thursday of November, is one of the most anticipated American holidays. The celebrations usually center around a delicious feast enjoyed with extended family members and friends. While the COVID-19 pandemic will put a damper on large in-person gatherings, the holiday can still be enjoyed with those living within the same household or part of the same social bubble. Here are some fun Thanksgiving tidbits to get the party started....

Starting Thursday, November 12, 2020, over a billion people worldwide will begin celebrating Diwali, the Festival of Lights. Also known as Deepavali, the ancient tradition, which dates back over 2,500 years, is observed by Indians of many faiths, including Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, and Sikhs. While the commemoration lasts five days, the most important day — the celebration's namesake — falls on the third day. This year, Diwali will be celebrated on Saturday, November 14, 2020....

For non-believers, this year's second — and final — Friday the 13th is just the start of a weekend. However, for the estimated twenty million people in the US, and scores more worldwide, that suffer from "friggatriskaidekaphobia," or "paraskevidekatriaphobia," November 13, 2020, will be fraught with bad luck. Though some of the fear can be blamed on the Friday the 13th movie franchise, the day's bad reputation began long before the film’s hockey-masked villain, Jason Voorhees, made an appearance....