Rocky Mountain National Park was established in 1915. The 265,000-acre park, located in Colorado, straddles part of the Continental Divide. About one-third of the park supports an alpine tundra ecosystem. Visitors can hike over 300 miles of trails, and scientists come here to study bighorn sheep. To view some excellent multimedia presentations and to tap some webcams, children could visit: http://www.nps.gov/romo/index.htm.
Hattie Caraway became the first woman to be elected a United States Senator in 1932. She represented the state of Arkansas. Her husband was one of the state’s senators when he died. As was custom then, she completed his term. She surprised the powers to be when she decided to run for the office and won! She served in the Senate until 1945. Children could calculate the number of male and female senators by visiting: Women Senators. They could find out if the number of female senators has risen in recent years.
Cape Hatteras National Seashore was established in 1953. Located along the Outer Banks of North Carolina, the national seashore is 70 miles long. Once called the “Graveyard of the Atlantic,” the park hosts many species of birds. Sea turtles also nest along the shore. Children can learn more at: https://www.nps.gov/caha/index.htm.
Haiti experienced a 7.0 earthquake in 2010. Three million people were affected, and many buildings were partially or totally destroyed. Haiti today is still trying to rebuild.