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100 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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What is the supreme law of the land?
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• the Constitution
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What does the Constitution do?
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• sets up the government
• defines the government • protects basic rights of Americans |
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The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words?
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• We the People
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What is an amendment?
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• a change (to the Constitution)
• an addition (to the Constitution) |
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What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?
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• the Bill of Rights
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What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?
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• speech
• religion • assembly • press • petition the government |
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How many amendments does the Constitution have?
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• twenty-seven (27)
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What did the Declaration of Independence do?
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• announced our independence (from Great Britain)
• declared our independence (from Great Britain) • said that the United States is free (from Great Britain) |
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What are two rights in the Declaration of Independence?
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• life
• liberty • pursuit of happiness |
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What is freedom of religion?
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• You can practice any religion, or not practice a religion
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What is the economic system in the United States?
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• capitalist economy
• market economy |
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What is the “rule of law”?
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• Everyone must follow the law.
• Leaders must obey the law. • Government must obey the law. • No one is above the law. |
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Name one branch or part of the government.
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• Congress
• legislative • President • executive • the courts • judicial |
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What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?
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• checks and balances
• separation of powers |
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Who is in charge of the executive branch?
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• the President
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Who makes federal laws?
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• Congress
• Senate and House (of Representatives) • (U.S. or national) legislature |
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What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress?
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• the Senate and House (of Representatives)
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How many U.S. Senators are there?
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• one hundred (100)
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We elect a U.S. Senator for how many years?
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• six (6)
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Who is one of your state’s U.S. Senators now?
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• Harry Reid (D -NV)
• Dean Heller (R - NV) |
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The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
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• four hundred thirty-five (435)
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We elect a U.S. Representative for how many years?
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• two (2)
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Name your U.S. Representative
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• Steven Horsford (D)
• Joe Heck (R) • Dina Titus (D) • Mark Amodei (R) |
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Who does a U.S. Senator represent?
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• all people of the state
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Why do some states have more Representatives than other states?
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• (because of) the state’s population
• (because) they have more people • (because) some states have more people |
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We elect a President for how many years?
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• four (4)
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In what month do we vote for President?
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• November
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What is the name of the President of the United States now?
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• Barack Obama
• Obama |
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What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now?
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• Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
• Joe Biden • Biden |
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If the President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
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• the Vice President
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If both the President and the Vice President can no longer serve, who becomes President?
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• the Speaker of the House
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Who is the Commander in Chief of the military?
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• the President
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Who signs bills to become laws?
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• the President
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Who vetoes bills?
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• the President
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What does the President’s Cabinet do?
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• advises the President
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What are two Cabinet-level positions?
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• Secretary of Agriculture
• Secretary of Commerce • Secretary of Defense • Secretary of Education • Secretary of Energy • Secretary of Health and Human Services • Secretary of Homeland Security • Secretary of Housing and Urban Development • Secretary of the Interior • Secretary of Labor • Secretary of State • Secretary of Transportation • Secretary of the Treasury • Secretary of Veterans Affairs • Attorney General • Vice President |
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What does the judicial branch do?
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• reviews laws
• explains laws • resolves disputes (disagreements) • decides if a law goes against the Constitution |
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What is the highest court in the United States?
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• the Supreme Court
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How many justices are on the Supreme Court?
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• nine (9)
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Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now?
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• John Roberts (John G. Roberts, Jr.)
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Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the federal government. What is one power of the federal government?
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• to print money
• to declare war • to create an army • to make treaties |
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Under our Constitution, some powers belong to the states. What is one power of the states?
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• provide schooling and education
• provide protection (police) • provide safety (fire departments) • give a driver’s license • approve zoning and land use |
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Who is the Governor of your state now?
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• Brian Sandoval
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What is the capital of your state?
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• Carson City
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What are the two major political parties in the United States?
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• Democratic and Republican
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What is the political party of the President now?
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• Democratic (Party)
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What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now?
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• (John) Boehner
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There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe one of them.
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• Citizens eighteen (18) and older (can vote).
• You don’t have to pay (a poll tax) to vote. • Any citizen can vote. (Women and men can vote.) • A male citizen of any race (can vote). |
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What is one responsibility that is only for United States citizens?
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• serve on a jury
• vote in a federal election |
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Name one right only for United States citizens.
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• vote in a federal election
• run for federal office |
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What are two rights of everyone living in the United States?
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• freedom of expression
• freedom of speech • freedom of assembly • freedom to petition the government • freedom of worship • the right to bear arms |
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What do we show loyalty to when we say the Pledge of Allegiance?
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• the United States
• the flag |
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What is one promise you make when you become a United States citizen?
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• give up loyalty to other countries
• defend the Constitution and laws of the United States • obey the laws of the United States • serve in the U.S. military (if needed) • serve (do important work for) the nation (if needed) • be loyal to the United States |
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How old do citizens have to be to vote for President?
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• eighteen (18) and older
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What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy?
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• vote
• join a political party • help with a campaign • join a civic group • join a community group • give an elected official your opinion on an issue • call Senators and Representatives • publicly support or oppose an issue or policy • run for office • write to a newspaper |
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When is the last day you can send in federal income tax forms?
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• April 15
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When must all men register for the Selective Service?
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• at age eighteen (18)
• between eighteen (18) and twenty-six (26) |
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What is one reason colonists came to America?
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• freedom
• political liberty • religious freedom • economic opportunity • practice their religion • escape persecution |
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Who lived in America before the Europeans arrived?
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• American Indians
• Native Americans |
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What group of people was taken to America and sold as slaves?
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• Africans
• people from Africa |
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Why did the colonists fight the British?
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• because of high taxes (taxatiowithout representation)
• because the British army stayed in their houses (boarding, quartering) • because they didn’t have self-government |
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Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
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• (Thomas) Jefferson
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When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?
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• July 4, 1776
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There were 13 original states. Name three
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• New Hampshire
• Massachusetts • Rhode Island • Connecticut • New York • New Jersey • Pennsylvania • Delaware • Maryland • Virginia • North Carolina • South Carolina • Georgia |
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What happened at the Constitutional Convention?
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• The Constitution was written.
• The Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution. |
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When was the Constitution written?
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• 1787
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The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers
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• (James) Madison
• (Alexander) Hamilton • (John) Jay • Publius |
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What is one thing Benjamin Franklin is famous for?
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• U.S. diplomat
• oldest member of the Constitutional Convention • first Postmaster General of the United States • writer of “Poor Richard’s Almanac” • started the first free libraries |
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Who is the “Father of Our Country”?
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• (George) Washington
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Who was the first President?
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• (George) Washington
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What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?
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• the Louisiana Territory
• Louisiana |
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Name one war fought by the United States in the 1800s
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• War of 1812
• Mexican-American War • Civil War • Spanish-American War |
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Name the U.S. war between the North and the South.
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• the Civil War
• the War between the States |
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Name one problem that led to the Civil War
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• slavery
• economic reasons • states’ rights |
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What was one important thing that Abraham Lincoln did?
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• freed the slaves (Emancipation Proclamation)
• saved (or preserved) the Union • led the United States during the Civil War |
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What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?
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• freed the slaves
• freed slaves in the Confederacy • freed slaves in the Confederate states • freed slaves in most Southern states |
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What did Susan B. Anthony do?
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• fought for women’s rights
• fought for civil rights |
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Name one war fought by the United States in the 1900s
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• World War I
• World War II • Korean War • Vietnam War • (Persian) Gulf War |
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Who was President during World War I?
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• (Woodrow) Wilson
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Who was President during the Great Depression and World War II?
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• (Franklin) Roosevelt
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Who did the United States fight in World War II?
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• Japan, Germany, and Italy
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Before he was President, Eisenhower was a general. What war was he in?
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• World War II
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During the Cold War, what was the main concern of the United States?
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• Communism
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What movement tried to end racial discrimination?
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• civil rights (movement)
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What did Martin Luther King, Jr. do?
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• fought for civil rights
• worked for equality for all Americans |
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What major event happened on September 11, 2001, in the United States?
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• Terrorists attacked the United States.
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Name one American Indian tribe in the United States.
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• Cherokee
• Navajo • Sioux • Chippewa • Choctaw • Pueblo • Apache • Iroquois • Creek • Blackfeet • Seminole • Cheyenne • Arawak • Shawnee • Mohegan • Huron • Oneida • Lakota • Crow • Teton • Hopi • Inuit |
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Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States.
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• Missouri (River)
• Mississippi (River) |
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What ocean is on the West Coast of the United States?
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• Pacific (Ocean)
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What ocean is on the East Coast of the United States?
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• Atlantic (Ocean)
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Name one U.S. territory.
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• Puerto Rico
• U.S. Virgin Islands • American Samoa • Northern Mariana Islands • Guam |
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Name one state that borders Canada.
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• Maine
• New Hampshire • Vermont • New York • Pennsylvania • Ohio • Michigan • Minnesota • North Dakota • Montana • Idaho • Washington • Alaska |
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Name one state that borders Mexico.
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• California
• Arizona • New Mexico • Texas |
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What is the capital of the United States?
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• Washington, D.C.
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Where is the Statue of Liberty?
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• New York (Harbor)
• Liberty Island • [Also acceptable are New Jersey, near New York City, and on the Hudson (River).] |
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Why does the flag have 13 stripes?
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• because there were 13 original colonies
• because the stripes represent the original colonies |
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Why does the flag have 50 stars?
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• because there is one star for each state
• because each star represents a state • because there are 50 states |
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What is the name of the national anthem?
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• The Star-Spangled Banner
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When do we celebrate Independence Day?
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• July 4
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Name two national U.S. holidays.
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• New Year’s Day
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day • Presidents’ Day • Memorial Day • Independence Day • Labor Day • Columbus Day • Veterans Day • Thanksgiving • Christmas |
