8-1 Blackbeard
Have you ever thought about becoming a pirate? P
Well Edward Teach did just that. P
His life before his terrible career as a pirate is mostly unknown. P
He was born around 1680 but is a relative mystery until he joined with the pirate Benjamin Hornigold in 1716, a dangerous pirate who worked out of the Caribbean. P
What did Teach learn from Hornigold? P
We can't say for sure, but he must have learned how to be an effective ship captain and a dangerous pirate. P
It wasn't very long after joining Hornigold that Teach got his own ship which he named Queen Anne's Revenge. P
He wasn't known by his real name for very long either. P
His frightening appearance and his thick black facial hair earned him the name Blackbeard. P
Blackbeard's reputation worked with his fearful appearance to give him an effective pirating career. P
Unlike most pirates, he was not unkind to his ship's crew. P
He was not violent or harmful, and he used fright rather than violence as a tactic to defeat the ships he pirated. P
He would even put lit fuses under his hat to frighten his victims. P
His pirating reign didn't last very long, though, as he was killed in a battle in November of 1718. P
His story inspired many pieces of literature since his short pirating career and early death. P
8-2 Simon Bolivar
Simon Bolivar is one of the most important historical figures in South America. P
His influence was great though his life was short. P
He was born in modern day Venezuela in 1783. P
His childhood was somewhat traumatic as his father died when he was only two years only and his mother died when he was nine years old. P
Because of this, he was educated first by private tutors and later at a military academy. P
At the military academy, he learned and loved battle strategy and weapons. P
He would use this knowledge later in his revolutionary activities. P
His great passion was to liberate or free South America from the Spanish government. P
Through many battles and strategies, he succeeded in liberating what are modern day Venezuela, Panama, Columbia, Ecuador and Grenada. P
Bolivar died in December of 1830 at only 47 years old. P
It was not politics that killed him; it was tuberculosis. P
Bolivar, on his death bed, asked that his writings and speeches be burned, but his followers disobeyed. P
Because they did, we have a great deal of information about Bolivar's life both political and private. P
Bolivar was so esteemed that the monetary system of Venezuela was renamed making the bolivar the primary unit of currency. P
8-3 A Modern American Leonardo Da Vinci
Very few people rise from the bottom of society to the top. P
One of the most remarkable "rags-to-riches" stories is the story of George Washington Carver. P
A black man, he was born as a slave in the old American South. P
Even after slavery ended, few schools would let him attend, because he was black. P
To get an education, he lived with several families in different towns until he found a school that allowed him to study. P
From a very young age, he promised himself that he would not let racism stop him. P
He planned to change the world. P
He studied agriculture and science in university. P
He became an expert in agricultural science. P
As a university professor and one of America's greatest agricultural pioneers. P
He wrote dozens of books on new crops and agricultural techniques. P
For example, one product he promoted was the humble peanut. P
It's now a very important crop all over the world. P
In a very real sense, he became "the father of modern American agriculture". P
Carver didn't work for fame or for money. P
He lived a modest life. P
He thought that it was nobler to work for the common good of all people, than to enrich himself at the expense of others. P
When he died in 1943, his friends and family wrote this on his tombstone: P
"He could have added fortune to fame, but caring for neither, P
he found happiness and honor in being helpful to the world." P
8-4 Across a Continent by Land
Alexander Mackenzie is perhaps one of the least well-known explorers in the world. P
His work paved the way for the expansion of the United States and Canada, but he is not celebrated in either country. P
He has passed into history almost unnoticed. P
Born in Scotland, Mackenzie had a wandering soul, even as a child. P
His urge to travel brought him to New York City, but war changed his plans. P
During the American Revolution, when the United States won its freedom, by fighting the British, P
Mackenzie left the new country for political reasons and moved to Canada. P
Canada was still under British control. P
In Montreal, he grew unhappy with the dull life of a merchant, and went to find his fortune in the uncharted West of North America. P
Mackenzie set out into Canada's wild North-West Territories. P
This land of rivers, lakes and mountains was unmapped. P
It seemed dangerous, populated by bears, cougars, friendly Indians and hostile Indian tribes. P
The most amazing thing is that he traveled by canoe, on rough rivers, and also by walking overland. P
This was long before the days of roads and airplanes. P
While he traveled, he made very accurate maps. P
He helped to open the continent for further exploration. P
It took more than a year, but he managed the impossible. P
He traveled from Montreal in the east to the Pacific Coast by land. P
He crossed the Rocky Mountains and the Prairies. P
He took nothing back with him but maps and drawings and the good wishes of the Indian tribes he met. P
He carved a single message on a rock, overlooking the distant waters of the Pacific. P
His message to the future said, "Alex MacKenzie / from Canada / by land / 22d July 1793". P
8-5 Of Kings and Countries
In history, most societies were ruled by a king or a royal family. P
These rulers had armies of loyal men and bureaucrats who managed their governments for them. P
This form of government is called a Monarchy, and the ruler is called a Monarch. P
A major change happened thousands of years ago in a small part of the world. P
One tiny city changed its government. P
The people threw out their king, and replaced him with an "Assembly". P
This consisted of ordinary citizens. P
It was the world's first Democracy, and the city was the Greek city of Athens. P
Athenian democracy was not truly free. It did not last very long. P
But Athens created a basic model of freedom and success that many societies would one day follow. P
In 1776, the idea of democracy was given new life in a new land. P
After the American Revolution, in the newly born United States of America, the Founding Fathers debated what form of government they should create. P
Should it be a new American kingdom, like England? P
Should it be a collection of small, independent kingdoms? P
Instead, inspired by ancient Athens, the United States became a Democracy. P
Many countries were inspired by the American Revolution. P
Today, most people around the world consider Democracy the ideal form of government. P
Today, there are still many "kingdoms". P
The United Kingdom still has a Royal Family. P
Thailand also has a king. P
But both are democracies. P
These rulers act as cultural symbol for the people, but have no real power. P
The same is true in Holland, Denmark, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and even in the tiny country of Nepal. P
People look to their royal families for social guidance and cultural connections. P
But they look to themselves for government. P
Despite its humble beginnings, the idea of democracy has spread around the world. P
8-6 A New Order: Coffee Time!
Once upon a time, people had few choices when they wanted to meet in public. P
They could meet in restaurants. P
But in restaurants, patrons were required to buy food. P
It could be very expensive. P
Then, in the 1970's, in France, America and Japan, a new trend emerged that changed the way we eat and drink and socialize. P
When Cafes became popular, they filled an obvious need. P
Men, women, students, teachers and people from all walks of life can meet in coffee shops. P
Around small tables, at any hour of the day or night, friends have a place to meet and chat. P
It was a social revolution. Coffee shops changed everything. P
Whether it was dating, work meetings, casual Sunday afternoons reading a book or a place to go after work, coffee shops made socializing easy and convenient. P
Creating millions of new coffee shops also had an unintended side effect. P
Once coffee shops began sprouting up like weeds, almost overnight coffee became the world's most popular beverage. P
Some countries started to produce so much coffee that whole economies are dependent on it. P
These countries include Colombia, which produces some of the best coffee on Earth, and Madacascar, which has unique varieties people love to drink. P
Today, you can get a great cup of coffee no matter where you are in the world, thanks to giant multinational companies like Starbucks. P
The human need to socialize has sent the simple coffee bean to every street corner in the world! P
8-7 Hybrid Vision
Humans are very clever. P
We are very good at creating tools and devices to make our lives easier and to control our environment. P
One of the most important inventions in the history of the world is the car. P
Cars give people an almost unlimited ability to travel, at any time of day or night. P
But the technology is based on 19th century ideas. P
The engines are large, bulky and use internal combustion. P
This is a very inefficient process. P
It provides cars with a lot of power, but it also produces pollution and relies on oil, a precious commodity. P
Unfortunately, the alternative technology also has problems. P
Electrical engines are limited. P
They require a lot of electricity, and battery technology cannot store enough energy to operate a normal car. P
One engineer has changed modern car engineering. P
Born in 1919, American Viktor Wouk was a tinkerer and an engineer. P
He combined two technologies. P
He built an electric-motor car, converting a standard American-built Skylark Buick in the 1970's. P
But he did not try to power it with batteries. P
Instead, he took a step forward into the future. P
He combined an electrical motor and a gas-powered combustion generator. P
The gas-powered generator created the electricity. P
This electricity powered the motors. The result was astonishing. P
His car used ten percent of the gas that a normal car used, but had the same amount of power. P
Now, every car company is creating cars with hybrid engines modeled on these novel ideas. P
Sometimes, all it takes is a new perspective to change the world. P
It's called, "thinking outside of the box." P
8-8 To Catch a Cheat
It happens more than you think. P
In every school around the world, a small but dangerous crime is committed by normal people every day. P
Some people do not even know that it is an offence. P
It is the crime of plagiarism! P
When we create work for school, we are supposed to create it fresh. P
It is supposed to be drawn from our minds. P
It should represent our own original thoughts. P
Unfortunately, as with all things in life, it is often easier to cheat. P
When students copy someone else's work, there is a special name for this crime. P
It's called Plagiarism. And it isn't restricted to school. P
Some doctors plagiarize other doctors when they write medical articles. P
Scientists have been known to cheat, too. P
And at work, it is common for some people to take someone else's work and claim that they did it themselves. P
Plagiarism is the easy way out. P
Ultimately, it hurts everyone involved. P
Students never learn what they need to learn. P
Co-workers are cheated out of their hard work. P
Scientists and doctors have their reputations destroyed or lose patients. P
If cheating scientists are never discovered, their work is no longer valuable. P
The progress of science can be set back. P
Plagiarism is a problem that damages society in many ways. P
Unfortunately, it can be very hard to prevent. P
8-9 Amazonian Dreams
The Amazon Rainforest of South America is one of nature's miracles. P
From Peru to Colombia and Venezuela, but mostly in Brazil, a vast forest stretches from the Andes mountains to the Atlantic Ocean. P
All of the water of the entire continent drains into this floodplain. P
Thousands of rivers meander their way into the ocean. P
These many rivers merge together into the Amazon River. P
This river is so big, with so much volume, the water that flows into the Atlantic is fresh water - not salt water - for fifty kilometers. P
This region is famous because the Amazon has rainforests. P
These misty jungle have more biodiversity than anywhere in the world. P
There are more types of plants, trees, animals and insects than anywhere else. P
The trees are very dense. P
Each level of the tree canopy has different animals. P
New species are discovered every day. P
The Amazon Jungle is a treasure storehouse of life. P
Today, it is threatened with economic development and logging. P
Farmers cut the forest down for cattle grazing to feed the hungry people of the world, P
and sell the trees to make paper and wood products. P
If we let the forest be cut down, our children and their children will be deprived of the magic of this biological heritage. P
8-10 Wearing your Conscience
The clothing that people wear comes from factories all over the world. P
We all want the best possible clothing that money can buy. P
And we want to pay as little as possible for it. P
Clothing manufacturing is a very competitive industry. P
This drives a very aggressive economic process. P
In many countries, workers are forced to work in terrible conditions. P
They work long hours, they work for very little money, and they suffer from stress and abuse. P
This punishing work is terrible, because the goal of the manufacturers is to keep the price as low as possible. P
These factories are called "sweatshops", an old term for a workplace with poor conditions. P
To fulfill the dreams of customers, to help them look stylish, and to make customers look better, many poor employees are forced to endure terrible conditions. P
They work long hours. They are not allowed to eat. They have to obey harsh rules. P
Sometimes, the people who make the clothing can't afford to buy the clothing they make. P
It is difficult to know which clothing was made in sweatshops and which was made under better conditions. P
It's up to consumers to know better. P
When consumers wear clothing, they should think about the people who made them. P
It changes the way we view fashion. P