5th Grade Club Activities

USPS Celebrate the Century Look at the 1930's

1. Question 1:
   President Roosevelt was related to a man who had served as President of the United States before him. Who was that man, and how were the two men related?

   The Web site: http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/fr32.html
   You can find the answer to that question at the Franklin D. Roosevelt page on the White House Web site.

2. Question 2:
   How long did it take workers to complete construction of the Empire State Building?

   The Web site: http://www.esbnyc.com/index2.cfm
   You can find the answer to that question by going to the “Visitor Information”, then  "Facts" page of the official Empire State Building Web site.

3. Question 3:
   When Jesse Owens was born, he wasn't named "Jesse." What name did Jesse's father give to him at birth?

   The Web site: http://www.cmgww.com/sports/owens/owens.html
   You can find the answer to that question on the official Jesse Owens Web site. Read the "Jesse Owen's Story" on that site.

4. Question 4:
   The chief engineer wrote a poem at the completion of the bridge. Who was that famous bridge designer? Who was that famous bridge designer?

   The Web site: http://www.goldengate.org
   Go to “Research Library” and FAQ.

5. Question 5:
   Most of the places on the Monopoly® board game were named by the game's inventor for places in a real U.S. city. What city is that?

   The Web site: http://www.adena.com/adena/mo/mo02.htm
   You can find the answer to that question on The Authorized Story of Monopoly Web site.

6. Question 6:
   What was pictured on the cover of the very first issue of LIFE magazine, on November 23, 1936?

   The Web site: http://www.originallifemagazines.com/
   You can find the answer to that question by clicking on "Cover Collection" on the on the LIFE magazine home page. Just select November 1936 in the "Cover Collection" search engine and click Search for Covers.  Find the cover for November 23, 1936.

7. Question 7:
   The pop-up toaster was one of the household conveniences that became commonplace in kitchens across America in the 1930s. When was the first automatic pop-up toaster sold for home use?

   The Web site: http://www.toaster.org
   You can find the answer to that question on the Toaster Museum Web site. Just check out the years 1920-1940 in "The Cyber Toaster Museum."

8. Question 8:
   How much money were Siegel and Shuster paid for each page of their first Superman comic book?

   The Web site: http://www.geocities.com/athens/8580/super.html
   Read the story of the creators of Superman, including how much they were paid for the first issue.

9. Question 9:
   Unlike First Ladies before her, Eleanor Roosevelt spoke her opinions freely in lectures, radio broadcasts, and in a daily newspaper column. What was her newspaper column called?

   The Web site: http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/firstladies/ar32.html
   You can find the answer to that question on the Anna Eleanor Roosevelt Roosevelt page of the official White House Web site.