Ask Your Child. . .

Here are some questions you can ask your child about things that we talked about in school today:

Why is Election Day on Tuesday?
In 1845, the U.S. government made the law saying when each Election Day would be.  Election Day was set on a Tuesday to give voters enough time to get to the polls.  At the time, people had to walk or ride horses on rocky dirt roads to get to where they voted.  Some people needed more than one day to get to the nearest polling place. Most people would not leave their towns on a Sunday because they went to church.  People could leave on a Monday.  So the government chose Tuesday for Election Day.  That gave people plenty of time to travel to vote.

Why is Election Day in November?
At the time the Election Day law was made, most Americans were farmers.  Election Day was put in November because farmers were not as busy then as they were the rest of the year.  Farmers planted crops in spring and summer.  Most gathered their crops in September or October.

Who can vote and who can run for president?
You must register to vote.
You must be a U.S. citizen and at least 18 years old.

To run for president a person must be born in the United States and at least 35 years old. 

What is the story The Little House about?  Why did we read it today?
We are starting our social studies unit on rural, urban and suburban.  This book illustrates the differences from rural, urban and suburban.

What is the top number in a fraction called?
Numerator

What is the bottom number in a fraction called?
Denominator

Is 1/2 of something always the same amount?
No.  It depends on the size of the whole.  1/2 of something big is not the same amount as 1/2 of something that is small.