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England's Celebrity: Getting the Royal Treatment!By KRISTEN STERNBERG | NIE Educational Consultant The recent death of England's Queen Mother was reported in newspapers and other media in virtually every corner of the world. Take a moment to read the article The News-Journal published. Deaths of royalty, heads of state and other important political figures are typically reported in newspapers. The Queen Mother's death, however, attracted an overwhelming amount of positive media attention that showed what a beloved figure she was. She was remembered with respect, fondness and admiration for her hard work and unselfish deeds in her lifetime, and especially while England was experiencing hardship during the Second World War. Check out a column that recently appeared in The News-Journal to learn more about some of the Queen Mother's memorable deeds and actions. Not all royalty have been as well loved. Over the course of history, monarchs have sometimes misused their power. Some spent excessively, causing economic havoc and opening doors to poverty and disease among the "commoners." Some were cruel to their "subjects." In some monarchies, a ruler has little or no power but is a figurehead, or symbol, for its subjects. Other monarchies, called absolute, give a king or queen total power, so many things can happen. A dictatorship is a different type of system, where power lies in the hands of one person. In a dictatorship, individual rights are not guaranteed and elections, if they exist, do not offer a choice. Sometimes, the government does not always follow the rule of law. Force, or the threat of force, may be used to keep the peace or to limit expression. Dictators sometimes declare themselves "royal" but are not generally recognized by others as being of royal lineage (ancestry). Some dictators were (or are) known to be corrupt, while others are thought of as benevolent (literally, "well-wishing"), charitable and kind. A representative democracy is a political system where government is given power by the consent of the people. Power is exercised by elected officials. Both the government and the people are under rule of law. Our U.S. political system fits this description, although it has been strongly influenced by nations such as England. The Declaration of Independence, however, stipulates loyalty to no king or queen. Few (if any) political systems are entirely free from corruption, and there are many who are working to find ways to improve government, economics and society in general. The founders of the United States carefully studied political systems from the past as well as the present and developed a system they felt would be an improvement over all others. Many people who live by the practices of the United States see its democracy as a relatively effective and fair form of government. Although it is not perfect, it is considered to have developed beyond the need for a royal figure. Nonetheless, like many students, you may find magic, romance or excitement in reading stories and, perhaps, daydreaming about princes and princesses, or maybe you're a history buff who enjoys making sense of the past. Whether past or present, there is no denying that many of us look toward English royalty with much interest. The births, deaths, marriages, achievements (and scandals!) of royalty seem to capture our imagination. Why do you think this might be so? Try these interesting activities using The Daytona Beach News-Journal1. To many, the Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth and other British royals are symbols of England. What kinds of symbols might represent the United States? Search The News-Journal for words, phrases, photos and other illustrations that you feel portray some aspect of our nation. Use your clippings to create a poster of American symbols. As you think of other symbols that you feel should be included, add your own drawings or newspaper clippings to the poster as desired. (Sunshine State Standards: LA.A.1.2.2, SS.B.1.2.2) 2. Imagine that a member of the royal family of a foreign nation is coming to visit the area, and that you have been chosen to show this important visitor the best your community has to offer. Use The News-Journal to find 10 or more local sites or events that are historically, culturally, environmentally or otherwise significant. Make a list of your findings and rank the items in order of their importance to you. Try to visit or attend, perhaps with a friend or member of your family, some item(s) from your list. (Sunshine State Standards: LA.A.1.2.2) 3. Skim The News-Journal's International pages often to identify and read about presidents, monarchs and other world leaders. Design a chart showing what you are learning about various nations, types of leadership, heads of state, etc. Organize your findings into a two-minute presentation for your classmates or family. Add interest to your delivery with props or visuals as appropriate. (Sunshine State Standards: LA.A.2.2.2, LA.A.2.2.5, LA.B.1.2.1, LA.B.2.2.3, LA.B.2.2.6, LA.C.3.2.3, LA.C.3.2.6) 4. Although the U.S. system of democracy does not include monarchs, the legacy of rulers and royalty is still with us in more than a few ways. One way that legacy survives is in our speech—for example, in phrases like "fit for a king" and "queen for a day." Many pets' names (and, sometimes, kids' nicknames, among other things) also reflect the influence of monarchs. Poll your friends about what they call their pets. You may find such names as Princess, Queenie, King or Rex. (Did you know that Rex is a Latin word meaning "king?") Then, turn to the Classified Ads in The News-Journal for listing of pets in need of good homes. Imagine that you could choose one of the pets. What would you name it, and why? What kind of pet did you choose? Draw a picture of your ideal pet; then surround it with items clipped from The News-Journal that your pet would need for its survival, comfort and pleasure or entertainment. (Sunshine State Standards: LA.C.3.2.2, LA.C.3.2.5) 5. Imagine you have won a contest called "Queen (King) for a Day." As a "pretend" prizewinner, you may spend up to $250,000 (that's a quarter of a million dollars) for a vacation home! Search The News-Journal for an article, picture, description or floor plan of your dream home, or for ideas as you draw your own vacation "palace." (Sunshine State Standards: SS.D.1.2.1) A copy of Florida's Sunshine State Standards can be found at intech2000.miamisci.org/. Check out these links to learn moreHere's a great on-line or downloadable presentation about the four basic types of government. Which do you think is works best? www.mcps.k12.md.us/curriculum/socialstd/NSL/PPT2/sld001.htm Take a look at the official site of the British royal family for interesting information. www.royal.gov.uk/ Why were castles made? What was life like on the inside? What weapons did people use to defend their castles? You'll find answers to these and other interesting questions at this unique site created by a precocious eight-year-old! www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/n/x/nxd10/castle/castles.htm National Geographic Magazine's "Ghosts in the Castle" web site features an interactive tour of a castle where you meet "ghosts" who will entertain you with history and facts about themselves and castles. You can also play a neat game called "Rescue at the Castle." www.nationalgeographic.com/castles/enter.html Take a look at this "Castles on the Web" site for links to great books, online myths and legends and a special section about weapons and armor. You might also enjoy taking an online tour of some important castles around the world. www.castlesontheweb.com/ Many kids (and adults, too) enjoy stories about the Middle Ages. Legends of King Arthur and his knights, along with Merlin the magician, can be enchanting! Here is a site with a castle you can print and then assemble. Fill your castle—from the Towers of Terror to the Drawbridge of Doom—with soldiers and other cutout characters, including Merlin himself. www.rain.org/~philfear/castle.html The Newspaper Association of America's web site contains links to many newspapers in the U.S. and around the world, which may contain additional news stories about this topic. To access the newspapers at the site, select a state. Click on the "Internationals" button to view choices from other countries. The Daytona Beach News-Journal NIE Program, published April 22, 2002 |
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