Firstborn children often have an advantage over their younger siblings. They get more attention from their parents because they are alone for the first months or years of their lives. But are they more successful? A new research study finds that firstborn sons are more likely to become CEOs. The research on birth order is interesting since some things can influence a person’s behavior, but a person’s fate is not determined solely by birth order. Listen to hear more about what this research study found and then debate: Does birth order matter?
Story Length: 3:00
Socrative users can import these questions using the following code: SOC-1234
February 12, 2018
4:24
Many children, teens, and adults spend a lot of time looking at screens. Whether it’s an addiction or merely troubling behavior, too much screen time can interfere with other activities, create changes in your mood, and cause other problems. A former executive from Google was so concerned about the public health risks of too much screen time, he started a company that tries to inform people about how addictive technology can be. Listen to learn how companies are responding to the growing concerns about too much technology.
Read MoreDecember 4, 2017
4:23
One in five North Texas children live in poverty and more than a quarter million are hungry. A recent report by Children’s Health, a hospital network in Dallas, found that children living in poverty are seven times more likely to be in poor or fair health. High costs can deter some parents from getting health care. There are other obstacles to success for these children in low-income families. Listen to hear more about the struggles and possible solutions for children living in poverty.
Read MoreOctober 23, 2015
2:40
How much stress we experience growing up can affect our health later in life. This was discovered during a study which assessed the emotional health, diet and habits of hundreds of people from childhood through adulthood. They analyzed the relationship between stress and disease and found people who had persistent stress were at the highest risk for disease. But surprisingly, people who had periods of high stress when they were between the ages of 7 and 16 showed a high risk for chronic illness, even if they were not stressed as adults. Listen to this story and start a debate in your class about whether stress is helpful or harmful to students.
Read MoreAugust 20, 2014
4:16
Which has a bigger impact on brain development, time in the classroom or time on the playground? New scientific evidence shows that structured free play has a significant and positive effect on children's brain development and social interactions. Scientists who study the effect of play on rats have found that 1,200 genes are activated when rats engage in play and one-third of these genes are significantly altered. Listen to this public story to learn how recess and play could impact academic performance.
Read More