What are the four directions on a compass? north, east, south, west On what holiday in November do we give thanks for what we have? Thanksgiving Which came first: the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution? the Declaration of Independence, in 1776 (The Constitution was written in 1787.) When did American pioneer families set out to explore the west: in the 1840s or the 1940s? the 1840s Name the two main political parties in the United States? the Democratic Party and the Republican Party Which is the study of human beings and their ancestors: psychology or anthropology? anthropology Order from west to east: United Kingdom, Canada, Russia. Canada, United Kingdom, Russia
The new year begins in what month? January Is the United States a country or a continent? a country Is Madison the capital of Michigan, Minnesota or Wisconsin? Wisconsin If you are in South America and you want to go to the United States, in which direction will you travel? north (The United States is in North America.) During the American Civil War, the Union was opposed by 11 southern states that seceded from the nation and became known as what? the Confederacy If you fly from New York to Europe, what ocean do you cross? the Atlantic Ocean Which online encyclopedia can be edited by its users: Encyclopedia Britannica or Wikipedia? Wikipedia
Which season comes between fall and spring? winter What do you call a cell phone that includes software functions for the Internet and for e-mail? a smartphone Which state s two-letter postal abbreviation is the opposite of the word out? Indiana (IN) Today s current events are tomorrow s history. True or false? true We the people are the first three words of which document: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution or the Bill of Rights? the Constitution Which one already holds public office: the incumbent or the challenger? the incumbent Who s the second in command in state government? the lieutenant governor
Which is in the shape of the earth: a map or a globe? a globe Who was the third president of the United States: John Adams or Thomas Jefferson? Thomas Jefferson If I go two blocks south and then turn around and go back the way I came, in which direction will I travel? north What do Sandra Day O Connor, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan have in common? They ve all served as justices of the Supreme Court. Who was the first man to walk on the moon? Neil Armstrong, in 1969 Which country is NOT in Asia: Thailand, India, Poland, China? Poland The first 10 amendments to the Constitution are called the Bill of Rights. How many amendments are there in total: 25, 26 or 27? 27
You live in a neighborhood. What s another name for it: a community or a city? a community Where will you find fewer people living: in an urban area or a rural area? in a rural area Which of these states is NOT in New England: Maine, Massachusetts, Kansas, Connecticut? Kansas What right was given to women by the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920? the right to vote Is Australia north or south of Asia? south There s a North Dakota and a South Dakota. Name the two other U.S. states that have a north and a south. North Carolina and South Carolina If you want to express your opinion in a newspaper or magazine, would you write an editorial or a news story? an editorial
Where is our nation s capital located? in Washington, D.C. What direction is the opposite of west? east Is the government of the United States a monarchy or a democracy? a democracy The five Great Lakes are situated between the United States and Canada. Name three of them. Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario On which continent will you find Egypt, Libya and Kenya? Africa Athens is the capital city of which European country? Greece If two people of opposing political parties are having a debate and each sticks to the point of view of his or her own party, is their discussion partisan or impartial? partisan
Which is larger: a state or a country? a country Benjamin Franklin was president of the United States. True or false? false The U.S.A. has three branches of government. The executive branch is one of them. Name the other two. the legislative branch and the judicial branch Which time zone is farther west: the Mountain time zone or the Pacific time zone? the Pacific time zone If it s 5 p.m. in California, what time is it in New York? 2 p.m. (3 hours earlier.) Which one of these countries is not a group of islands: Indonesia, Philippines, Japan, Australia? Australia (It is a continent.) Is hacking into someone s computer or phone a legal or illegal way to get information for a news story? illegal
Who was the first president of the United States? George Washington Which was invented first: computers or e-mail? computers Which was invented first: personal computers or tablet computers? personal computers (or PCs) In what war did the United States fight itself? the Civil War Which four states in the U.S.A. start with the word new? New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New Mexico Which continent is at the South Pole? Antarctica Which is the capital city of China: Shanghai or Beijing? Beijing
Is California next to the Atlantic Ocean or the Pacific Ocean? the Pacific Ocean Which fun holiday comes on the last day of October? Halloween Name any three of the original thirteen colonies. Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia Which was invented first: e-mail or e-readers? e-mail What was the time period called in the United States in the 1930s when millions of people were out of work? The Great Depression For how many terms can a U.S. president be elected? two What country in North America is divided into provinces? Canada
Would you expect a carpenter to help build a house or a computer? a house The United States, Canada and Mexico share which continent: North America or South America? North America In what century are we living now? the 2lst century Is Africa north or south of Europe? south Grapefruits are an important crop to which state: Virginia, Florida, Iowa? Florida In which cultural period of European history was there a flourishing of art, literature, science, religion and politics: the Middle Ages or the Renaissance? the Renaissance Name the world s five oceans. Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Arctic Ocean, Southern (or Antarctic) Ocean
Which will arrive faster: a letter sent through the post office or a letter sent by e-mail? a letter sent by e-mail When Columbus set off for the New World, did most people think the world was round or flat? flat There are seven continents on earth. Name the four that begin with the letter a. Asia, Africa, Australia, Antarctica (The others are North America, South America, and Europe.) Which state is NOT in the West: Oregon, Colorado, Arizona, Georgia? Georgia Which was invented second: e-mail or text messages? text messages In which ancient civilization were the rulers called pharaohs: Greece or Egypt? Egypt If a jury reaches a unanimous verdict, do they all agree or disagree on the verdict? They all agree on the verdict.
Is New York an eastern state or a western state? an eastern state Which state became the 50 th state in the United States: Hawaii or Alaska? Hawaii (Alaska was the 49 th.) Where will you find penguins: at the North Pole or South Pole? at the South Pole On a map, is a capital city indicated by a dot or a star? a star The head of the Department of Homeland Security is a member of the president s cabinet. True or false? true In how many centuries has America had presidents? four (the 18 th, 19 th, 20 th and 21 st centuries.) More than 1,500 people lost their lives in the Atlantic Ocean in April 1912. What was this disaster? the sinking of the Titanic
If you get milk from a grocery store, are you buying it or selling it? buying it Who makes our country s laws: the president or Congress? Congress What do we call a period of ten years? a decade Which two U.S. states are not connected to all the others? Alaska and Hawaii Which is the northernmost state on the east coast? Maine Who planned the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks against the U.S.? Osama bin Laden Which country is not in Central America: Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Mexico? Mexico
What large country is to the north of the United States? Canada Is the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., or Washington State? Washington, D.C. On which continent will you find France, England, Italy and Spain? Europe Lincoln is the capital of which state? Nebraska Which state doesn t share a border with Canada: Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota? South Dakota Is the U.S. Census, which counts the population and gathers other information about residents, taken every 5 years, 10 years or 15 years? every 10 years The Space Race, a competition between the United States and the Soviet Union in space exploration, was a result of the Cold War between them. True or false? true
How many states are in the United States? 50 What state would you visit to see the Statue of Liberty? New York Order these states from west to east: New York, Indiana, California California, Indiana, New York On what continent will you find Mount Everest, the tallest mountain on earth? Asia GPS is a navigational system that uses satellite signals to help you find your way wherever you are. What does GPS stand for? Global Positioning System You are working on a presentation for your social studies class. Which software will you use: PowerPoint or Encryption 101? PowerPoint Which World War spanned from 1939 to 1945: World War I or World War II? World War II
Which language is spoken in Mexico: Spanish or French? Spanish What holiday do we celebrate on the fourth of July? Independence Day, which is America s birthday What is the highest court in America called? the Supreme Court The United States Congress has two parts. What are they called? the Senate and the House of Representatives What is the largest ocean in the world? the Pacific Ocean What imaginary line divides the earth into the eastern and western hemispheres? the prime meridian The Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World to survive to the present day. True or false? true
Which computer can you carry with you: a desktop or a laptop? a laptop Which elected leader is considered the boss of a city: the mayor or the governor? the mayor Who was the first female pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean? Amelia Earhart Which African American woman worked to end slavery: Rosa Parks or Sojourner Truth? Sojourner Truth You can sign up to receive e-mail updates from the president. True or false? true The invention of which electronic device has some people worried that physical books may become obsolete? e-readers Kabul, Islamabad and Kandahar City can all be found in which Asian country? Afghanistan
What does U.S.A. stand for? United States of America Which people were native Americans: American Indians or the Pilgrims? American Indians Is San Francisco a city in Texas, Arizona or California? California In a cyber marketplace, where are goods bought and sold? online The Amazon, the world s largest tropical rainforest, is found on which continent? South America Name the 42nd, 43rd and 44th presidents of the United States. William (Bill) Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama If you fly from California to Asia, which ocean will you cross? the Pacific Ocean