In the 1840s, the mid-western state of Nebraska was a territory on a wide prairie. When pioneers settled there, they found few trees for building houses or to burn for fuel. There was no shade from the sun or wind, and crops did not grow well in the dry earth. J. Sterling Morton was one […]

On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans across the United States celebrated the first Earth Day. The goal of this event was to emphasize the critical importance of the environmentand to make legislators and the American public aware of the growing destruction of the earth’s natural re­sources. The founder of Earth Day, Senator Gaylord Nelson, […]

arbor: n. tree environment: n. the air, soil, and living things around us territory: n. a large area of land; a district or region prairie: n. flat, grassy region of land pioneer(s): n. a person who settles in new territory advocate(d): v. to support; to argue strongly for an idea barren: adj. not capable of […]

emphasize: v. to give special significance; to stress legislator(s): n. people who make laws movement: n. large-scale group activities toward the achievement of a goal preservation: n. protection from harm or destruction amend(ed): v. to change, as a law or regulation pollution: n. the harmful contamination or destruction of the environment with man-made waste and […]

Birthdays are celebrated in a variety of ways in the United States. A birthday is considered a special day for the birthday person, so the person will often get special treat­ment from friends and family. Children are usually very ex­cited about their birthdays. At avery early age, children know when their birthdays are and how […]