Friday, March 9, 2012

Presidential Trivia of the Week

Learn and Have Fun Sharing Presidential Trivia with the Young People in Your Life
 
Are YOU playing presidential
trivia?!
In honor of this year's presidential campaign, the NCBLA is posting three presidential trivia questions each week. Check out this week's questions and have fun sharing the questions and answers with the kids in your life!
 
This Week's Trivia Questions
  1. Which president met with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to improve relations and negotiate a treaty to eliminate a substantial number of nuclear missiles?
  2. Who was the first First Lady to sit in Cabinet meetings?
  3. Which president was honored for his pioneering work in the discovery and study of fossils by having a species of mastodon named for him?
Interested in helping young people discover even more about American history, presidents, and civic life? Check out a copy of Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out at your local library or bookstore. An incomparable collection of essays, personal accounts, historical fiction, poetry, and a stunning array of original art, Our White House offers a multifaceted look at America’s history through the prism of the White House. 
 
And for additional articles, resources, activities, and discussion questions, check out the NCBLA's coordinating educational website OurWhiteHouse.org!
 
Answers and Information for Learning MORE!
  1. Ronald Reagan. During his second term, Reagan met with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Not only did Reagan manage to improve relations, he also negotiated a treaty to eliminate almost 2,700 intermediate-range nuclear missiles. Reducing the number of nuclear weapons was a first for any president and a significant achievement. Learn more about Reagan and his presidential legacy in the Presidential Fact Files on OurWhiteHouse.org.
  2. Rosalynn Carter. Carter paved new roads for first ladies by not only campaigning extensively for and advising her husband, but also actively working to develop policy. She was the first first lady to sit in Cabinet meetings and also the first to represent the government in an official capacity while traveling abroad. Learn more about Rosalynn Carter and the other first ladies in the First Lady Fact Files on OurWhiteHouse.org.
  3. Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson was so fascinated by fossils that he studied bones dug up by William Clark on the floor of the East Room in the White House. In the article titled "Jefferson's Monstrous Bones" in Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out, author Barbara Kerley writes, "In 1822, four years after his death, scientists honored Jefferson for the pioneering work he'd done on Great Claw: they officially name the species Magalonyx jeffersonii." Be sure to check out a copy of Our White House at your local library or bookstore so you can read the entire article!