Activities and Resources

Activity

What's New in the Old U.S.S.R.?

Pick one of the 15 countries that made up the Soviet Union and learn how life there has changed since it gained independence. In classes, each student or pairs of students can choose a country and then report on its changes and culture to the rest of the class. Here's one good place to start. Others can be found in the resources section below.

• Learn more about the history of the Soviet Union, its collapse, and what has happened in its former member states since then. The site includes the views of people who live there now.
• Learn more about Russian culture.
• Study the Cold War between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. and play the Cold War Challenge.
• Read about the space race between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. between the launch of Sputnik and the U.S. moon landing. Here's a time line to help.

Mom Says 'Don't Spank'

• In almost all of the nation’s largest school districts, teachers are banned from paddling their students. Only six of the 100 largest U.S. school districts still allow corporal punishment. Is your district on the list? If it isn’t, find out what your school’s rules are. Your state might not allow corporal punishment in school at all. Find out!