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Wonders of the World – June 2001 |
The world we live in is full of phenomenal sights, whether they are manmade or natural. The list of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World was originally compiled by Philo of Byzantium around the second century BC. Since then, other lists have been compiled, including the Seven Wonders of the Medieval World, the Modern World, and the Natural World.
Help your students to discover these "wonders" and explore the amazing facts about them. The June calendar asks a question a day about the different Wonders of the World. Use the calendar with the Wonders of the World lesson, an on-line scavenger hunt.
Education Facts – May
2001
Teacher Appreciation Week is a time for honoring teachers and recognizing the contributions they make to our lives. As early as 1944 an Arkansas teacher named Mattye Whyte Woodridge began writing letters to politicians and education leaders explaining the need for a day to honor teachers. And in 1953 Eleanor Roosevelt – one of the many to whom she wrote – persuaded the 81st Congress to proclaim a National Teacher Day, which is always the Tuesday of the first full week of May. Use the May calendar to share a fact each day about your special profession – who knows, you may even learn a few things about the history of education!
National Poetry Month – April 2001
In 1996, the Academy of American Poets began National Poetry Month in order to "highlight the extraordinary legacy and ongoing achievement of American poets" and "make poetry a more important part of the school curriculum." Share the techniques that poets use to explore their vision of the world. Using the April calendar, ask your students if they can identify each literary term. The answer sheet includes examples. To extend the activity, have your students write examples of their own for each technique.
Women's History Month – March 2001
National Women's History Month began as a single week and as a local event. In 1978, Sonoma County, CA, sponsored a Women's History Week to promote the teaching of women's history – at that time a neglected subject in elementary and high school curricula. The week of March 8 was selected to include International Women's Day. In 1981 Congress passed a resolution making the week a national celebration, and in 1987 expanded it to the full month of March. Take some time to celebrate women's accomplishments and to discuss gender inequality – our March calendar will help you test your students' knowledge of women's history.
Black History Month – February 2001
Black History Month was created back in 1926 when Carter Woodson founded Negro History Week to increase awareness of the many contributions made by African Americans. Woodson chose February because most slaves did not hear of the 13th Constitutional Amendment until February 1866. As your students play the "Who am I?" game in the February calendar, don't hesitate to explore the biographies of other influential African Americans. For example:
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Ask students to make up their own "Who am I?" game on the computer. They can use their math skills by assigning a value to each answer (e.g., the day of the month equals the value of the answer) and then adding up the number of points after each person takes a turn. |
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Students can make their own board games using old cardboard or manila file folders as the playing area. Stamps and markers can be used to design the game path. |
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Have students re-create the computer game using an actual calendar. First, ask them to write the answers for each day at the bottom of the square. Then, they can print or type the clues on a piece of paper that will fit inside the squares for each weekday of the month. After the clues are written on the square pieces of paper, glue the top edge of the squares onto the top part of the days of the calendar. In this way, the "Who am I?" clues flip up to reveal the name of the person to whom the clues correspond. |
Presidential
Quotes – January 2001
George W. Bush is sworn into office as the 43rd U.S. President on January
20, 2001. As you share the January
calendar with your students, think about how past presidents have expressed
signs of the times. Ask which quotes are as valid today as when the presidents
made them. Bolster comprehension with the Matching
Mania! activity, where students match presidential quotes and sayings with
similar meanings. Use the following discussion starters to generate interest
in U.S. history, prior leaders, and the election:
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How have circumstances changed since the quotes were made? For example, in 1787, Jefferson said, "A little rebellion, now and then, is a good thing." How is his message the same as or different from those of modern-day American presidents? |
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Ask your students to reflect on the meanings of the quotes. For instance, in 1973, Ford said, "I am a Ford, not a Lincoln." How can this quote be interpreted METAphorically? How were Ford's policies similar to or different from Lincoln's? |
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Ask students to speculate on the meaning behind a quote. For example, use President Wilson's quote, "There is no indispensable man," made in 1916, the year before the U.S. entered WWI. What circumstances might have prompted President Wilson to make this statement? What might he have meant? |
Poor Richard's Almanac – December 2000
Poor Richard's Almanac was first published by Benjamin
Franklin on December 28, 1735. Over two-and-a-half centuries later,
some of Mr. Franklin's sayings seem, well, a little strange! As you share
the December calendar with your students,
see if they can figure out how Mr. Franklin might have expressed each
saying if he lived today. You might also use the following activities
as starting points for discussion and exploration:
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Have students make up their own quotable quotes based upon lessons they've learned. For example, what have they learned about taking things from siblings, not telling the whole story, or being kind to others? Ask students to make up proverbs based upon these lessons. |
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What other famous proverbs can students recite? When one student comes up with a proverb, have the other students comment on what the meaning might be. |
Pilgrim Facts – November 2000
As you call your students' attention to the Pilgrim facts
included in the November calendar,
use the following activities as starting places for discussion and exploration:
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Create a replica of the Mayflower with your class. |
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Have students write journal entries of what it would be like if they were Pilgrim children in the New World. |
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Have students research what kind of geographical conditions the Pilgrims needed to make a good colony. |
Some of these facts come from the Fact Cards that can be used with the Pilgrim Study Unit. Also check out the Thanksgiving Seasonal Feature.
Bizarre
Superstitions – October 2000
As you call your students' attention to the superstitions
included in the October calendar,
use the following activities as starting places for discussion and exploration:
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Have students share superstitions they know of that aren't listed in the calendar. |
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Ask each student to name a superstition that is particularly interesting, funny, or weird, and explain why. Have each student take a guess at how a particular superstition came to be. |
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Invite students to share their ideas and opinions about superstitions. Are they just silly sayings? Or do they have some meaning or purpose? |
Bizarre Manners – September 2000
As you call your students' attention to the bizarre manners of bygone days included in the September calendar, use the following activities as starting places for discussion and exploration:
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Ask students to share stories about table manners at their house. What are some common table manners your students share? |
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Ask your students to imagine that future archaeologists are trying to learn more about American civilization at the turn of the 21st century. What would your students like them to know about our culture? Writing prompts: Start a class brainstorming session to jog your students' memories about table manners in their household with phrases such as "when a child burps s/he must ..." or "everyone must be seated in front of the television before the pizza box is opened." |
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Ask students to create a modern-day guide to good manners (i.e., children must say "please" before they ask for any item on the table). |
