Secondary – August 26

The “father of modern chemistry,” Antoine-Laurent de Lavoisier, was born on this date in 1743. He revolutionized natural sciences by driving the disciplines away from qualitative data and towards quantitative data. Explain why stories or numbers are more important to you when making a decision.

Primary – August 26

“We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do.” -Mother Teresa, who was born on this date in 1910. Describe a time when someone else’s smile made a big difference to you.

Secondary – August 25

“Vice may triumph for a time, crime may flaunt its victories in the face of honest toilers, but in the end the law will follow the wrong-doer to a bitter fate, and dishonor and punishment will be the portion of those who sin.” -Allan Pinkerton, born this date in 1819. Explain whether this is an appropriate perspective for a detective and spy to carry to his/her work.

Primary – August 25

On this date in 1609, Galileo Galilei first exhibited a telescope in the Italian city of Venice. Describe something that’s very far away that you would like to see close-up.

Secondary – August 24

Poet, translator, essayist, and short story writer Jorge Luis Borges was born on this date in 1899. He was also director of the National Library of Buenos Aires when he lost his vision. Think about your ideal job and the most important of the five human senses to that work. If you were to lose that sense, how could you compensate and continue to excel at it?

Primary – August 24

The first example of a book printed with a machine that made it possible to reproduce the same book over and over was completed by Johannes Gutenberg on this date in 1456. Describe how you would reproduce your favorite book without a machine.

Secondary – August 23

On this date in 1814, US Presidential wife Dolley Madison saved a portrait of George Washington from the White House before it was looted and burned by British troops. If you were going to save one object from your house from destruction, what would you choose and why?

Primary – August 23

Poet Edgar Lee Masters, who wrote the Spoon River Anthology about the kinds of towns in which he grew up, was born on this date in 1869. Write a 6-line poem about your town.