background preloader

The World Around Us

Facebook Twitter

The World Factbook. China facts - interesting fun facts about China. China profile world's fourth largest country (after Russia, Canada, and US); Mount Everest on the border with Nepal is the world's tallest peak China history For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. After World War II, the Communists under MAO Zedong established an autocratic socialist system that, while ensuring China's sovereignty, imposed strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of millions of people.

After 1978, MAO's successor DENG Xiaoping and other leaders focused on market-oriented economic development and by 2000 output had quadrupled. For much of the population, living standards have improved dramatically and the room for personal choice has expanded, yet political controls remain tight. Interesting China facts fun China facts for kids amazing China facts. Finland Education System Video - Bing. Marie's Pastiche: The Chinese Invented It: Silk - History and Legends. Thousands of years ago, the empress Lei Zu was drinking hot tea in a garden of mulberry bushes, when a cocoon fell into her bowl. When she tried to fish it out with her hands, she found it unraveled into an unending string. She was then inspired to weave the thread into fabric and raise silkworms for their cocoons.

Or so the legend goes. No one is certain of who discovered the process of making silk (known as sericulture), but the empress Lei Zu is known as the Goddess of Silkworms in China, and was worshiped for thousands of years. In fact, the old tradition of honoring her is still kept in certain parts of China.We do know that silk has been made for nearly 5000 years, and was a vigilantly kept secret in China for thousands of years. Red Butterfly: How a Princess Smuggled the Secret of Silk Out of China by Deborah Noyes. This story is told with poetic, repetitive text, and winsome illustrations. The Silk Princess (Picture Book) The Biography of Silk (How Did That Get Here?) Silk from Worm Spit | How Do They Do It | Discovery Science. Do Nothing for 2 Minutes. Math. Teaching with Google Earth. Created by Glenn A.

Richard, Mineral Physics Institute, Stony Brook University A Complete Guide to Using Google Earth in the Geoscience Classroom What is Google Earth? - provides Google Earth basics, including descriptions of the three versions of the program.Becoming Familiar with Google Earth - provides information about web resources and books for learning how to use Google Earth. Why Teach with Google Earth? - outlines potential uses for both students and teachers.How to Teach with Google Earth - points the way to several methods to get started.User Guide - contains clear, step-by-step instructions and screen shots for students and teachers, including a handy one-page guide: Google Earth Tip Sheet (Acrobat (PDF) 440kB Nov20 08). Classroom Activities: Ready-to-use Ready to get started teaching with Google Earth? Contribute a Teaching Activity More Google Earth Pedagogy from On the Cutting Edge. Games & Activities.