Until 1971, both February 12 and February 22 were observed as federal public holidays to honor the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln (February 12) and George Washington (February 22). In 1971 President Richard Nixon proclaimed one single federal public holiday, the Presidents' Day, to be observed on the 3rd Monday of February, honoring all past presidents of the United States of America.
Wondering how to explain and celebrate Leap Year Day? Check out "Leap Year".
2012 Arizona Matsuri commemorates the centennial of the gifting of cherry blossom trees from Japan to the U.S.
Flowering cherry trees have been symbols of Japan's friendship to the people of America for 100 years. In 1912, over 3,000 cherry trees were gifted from the city of Tokyo to the city of Washington, D.C. as a symbol of lasting friendship from the people of Japan. Since that time, Japanese organizations have made gifts of cherry trees to America to commemorate significant milestones in the relationship between Japan and the United States.
On January 1, 1863, in the middle of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Although it was limited in its scope, it is still a signature event in American history. As you return to school and prepare for Black History Month, there is no better time to introduce students to this important document and allow them to reflect on the impact that it had at the time and still has today. This link will provide you with an electronic version of the actual document as well as transcripts and other related materials. It is a great opportunity to bring primary source documents into your class.
If you are looking for lesson ideas to help you, consider "Freedom's First Steps" from the National Endowment for the Humanites.
This is a wonderful site to get teaching resources, find activities and projects, check out great materials, utilize several interactive maps (MapMaker Interactive, Water Planet MapMaker Kit, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, etc.), view various multimedia, and explore great educational programs for you and your students.
The National Geographic Bee website provides information on registering for the National Geographic Bee, and gives educators great ideas on how to integrate geography into their curriculum, which will encourage student involvement in learning geography across the curriculum. Follow various links on the site to see state and national winners, and spark interest in your students to participate in the annual competition. The deadline for registering for this year's National Geographic Bee is October 15th.
September 2011
Ten iconic images from September 11, 2011 - from the site of Poynter Institute.
First Day Covers and the 9/11 Anniversary
First Day Covers are envelopes containing commemorative stamps, appropriate postmarks and artwork depiting the topic. As our nation approaches the tenth anniversary of 9/11, how will you teach it? If you use the word “attack,” will students compare Pearl Harbor to 9/11? If you plan to teach by using the nation’s “response,” will students read and compare the December 8, 1941 speech by President Roosevelt to the September 11, 2001 speech by President Bush? Do both attacks deserve to be a “day of infamy”? Will you teach the anniversary using the concept of “hallowed ground” as described by President Lincoln in the Gettysburg Address?
As school gets going again, consider leading your students to compete in the National Geographic Bee. Information to get started is at this site.
News-Basics.com is designed for 7th-12th grade history and social studies teachers to use with their students. The site provides concise background information about the major news stories of our time, including what liberals and conservatives have to say about each topic. There are links to in-depth information and opinion pieces. The site also includes a section, "For Teachers," with suggested lesson plans and other ideas and resources.
Teaching About Islam and Ramadan in 2011! Ramadan in 2011 will start on Monday, the 1st of August and will continue for 30 days until Tuesday, the 30th of August. Islamic dates are based on a lunar calendar so vary from year to year. This About.com site gives a thumbnail, but fairly complete explanation about Ramadan and has the added benefit of access to information about other Islamic holidays.
Hiroshima Day is August 6th. It is observed in many parts of the world with special vigils and peace marches. It is held to commemorate the dropping of the first atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. Three days later a second bomb fell on the city of Nagasaki. For a pdf file with a reading, activities, and a lesson outline, visit this site!
May 2011
May is National Museum Month!
Do you want to stretch the walls of your classroom and plan a field trip to a museum or historic site? Try this technique on your next field trip and see great results. Teaching strategies and graphic organizers for visiting museums: http://teachinghistory.org/best-practices/teaching-in-action/24216
Cinco de Mayo! What's the real story behind this date?
Cinco de Mayo—or the fifth of May—commemorates the Mexican army's 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867). A relatively minor holiday in Mexico, in the United States Cinco de Mayo has evolved into a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with large Mexican-American populations. Cinco de Mayo traditions include parades, mariachi music performances and street festivals in cities and towns across Mexico and the United States. For more information, visit the History Channel.
April 2011
NEA Jazz in the Schools
The National Endowment for the Arts and Jazz at Lincoln Center have created these new materials to introduce you to the captivating sounds and stories of jazz and to build important connections for your students between the music and our nation’s history.
Jazz is one of America’s great indigenous art forms, born from generations of African Americans who synthesized different musical traditions into an entirely new sound. Jazz speaks profoundly of the American experience because of its democratic nature, both in its practice, through the collaborative and improvisational qualities of performance, and its important social role as an early meeting place for people of different races.
April is also National Poetry Month. It’s not only language arts classes that should enjoy this celebration. Social Studies is a great subject in which to incorporate poetry. Learning about poetry allows students to better enhance their reading and writing skills. At the same, poetry often offers personal insight into a historical event or a cultural activity that you may be covering in your class. A major goal of National Poetry Month is to bring attention to the great legacy of poets in the United States. The Academy of American Poets website features a variety of resources and ideas of teachers. Make sure to check out their “Poem on the Range-Mapping Places through Iconic Poems” project. Click on the Arizona link on the National Poetry Map to find poems from our state’s poets.
March is National Women's History Month! Our shared history unites families, communities, and nations. Although women’s history is intertwined with the history shared with men, several factors - social, religious, economic, and biological - have worked to create a unique sphere of women's history.
The stories of women’s achievements are integral to the fabric of our history. Learning about women’s tenacity, courage, and creativity throughout the centuries is a tremendous source of strength. Until relatively recently, this sphere of women's history was overlooked and undervalued. Women’s achievements were often distorted, disdained, and denied. But, knowing women’s stories provides essential role models for everyone. And role models are genuinely needed to face the extraordinary changes and unrelenting challenges of the 21st century.
Celebrate Black History Month!
Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by black Americans and atime for recognizing the central role of African Americans in U.S.history. The event grew out of “Negro History Week,” the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. Other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom, also devote a month to celebrating black history.
Celebrate the Arizona Centennial with a new lesson (or two) -
To celebrate the Arizona Centennial, the Arizona Geographic Alliance has created a list of lessons for Teaching Arizona History with a Geographical Perspective and posted this list of over 50 K-12 lessons on their website. An excerpt of It’s Where??? A Look at the Location of our First Arizona Territorial Capital and Why it was Located There! By Patty Sepp is available here for download as a pdf. Click to download. To see the entire lesson, including maps, student worksheets and assessments go to the Arizona Geographic Alliance website, http://alliance.la.asu.edu/azga/ (or Google Arizona Geographic Alliance), select the Legacy Project button on the right hand side of the page and click it to open the list with links to the lessons. This list is in alphabetical order by the name of the lesson and shows suggested grade levels and the Arizona State Geography Concepts covered by the lesson as well as other standards content the lesson meets. Just click on the links to get the lessons. Happy 100th birthday Arizona!
By the way, do you happen to know when Arizona will celebrate its 100th Birthday as a state? Find out here - CLICK!
Primary Source Documents
This National Archives has created a new web site to help educators teach with primary source documents. The site, called DocsTeach, not only lets teachers explore thousands of documents in a variety of media from the National Archives holdings, but it also includes online tools to help teachers combine these materials and create engaging history activities that students can access over the internet. http://docsteach.org
November 2010
Mexican Americans Who Made a Difference Meet a group of Texan lawyers, mothers, advocates, and others — including the murderer and victim whose fatal clash led to a landmark court case, Hernandez v. Texasand the acknowledgement of Mexican Americans’ equality before the law. These individuals’ leadership in revealing injustices and seeking to right them is a legacy handed down from the civil rights era of the Fifties and Sixties to today. Visit American Experience for more information.
We Shall Remain (American Experience) This groundbreaking mini-series establishes Native history as an essential part of American history. Five 90-minute documentaries spanning 300 years tell the story of pivotal moments in U.S. history from the Native-American perspective. Benjamin Bratt narrates. Link to teacher's guide.
Newly re-designed: OurCourts is now iCivics It has an expanded mission to include more than just the judicial branch and it is a whole new redesigned site with more games and lots of other features. Visit at iCivics.
Social Studies for Kids
This site covers current events and Social Studies subjects; students can access activities, articles, games, and projects across the strands; does not require membership. http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/
August 2010
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson is the most researched, written about, referenced, and quoted of our Founding Fathers. And yet he continues to perplex and surprise us—his contradictions and complexities are explored anew by each generation of scholars and students. JEFFERSON is an insightful 2-hour presentation which examines his many identities and asks viewers to answer for themselves: who was the real Thomas Jefferson, and what is his most lasting legacy in our world today? Leading Jefferson scholars and Monticello curators offer insights into key turning points in his life, providing a fresh take on his life before, during and after his Presidency. In addition to a thorough look at his political philosophies and actions, teachers and students will learn about Jefferson’s family life including his relationship with Sally Hemings, and the role of slavery at Monticello. This program also addresses Jefferson’s financial difficulties, his architectural vision, and his varied interests and innovations. This is an excellent program for course units and lectures on many aspects of Jefferson’s life and era.
Curriculum Links: JEFFERSON would be useful for American politics, history, and government courses. It would be an excellent contribution to course units and lectures on the American Revolution, the founding of the republic, and Jefferson’s Presidency. It is recommended for high school and college students. More from History.com: Find out more about Thomas Jefferson through videos, articles and more.Click here for an official biography of our third president.
"To Kill A Mockingbird" Turns '50' - PBS NewsHour Extra
Hailed as one of the most important books of the 20th century, "To Kill a Mockingbird" won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1961, was turned into an Oscar-winning movie and has sold more than 30 million copies. Now, on its 50th anniversary, fans are holding bookreadings, birthday parties and mock trials. Visit PBS NewsHour Extra for teacher resources andstudent information.
July 2010
Turmoil and Triumph: The George Shultz Years Premieres on PBS Mondays, July 12th, 19th, and 26th
This 3-part series documents the life of former Secretary of State George Shultz, providing a rare close-up look at this remarkable man who served his country at the highest level during an unforgettable time. It offers a never-before-seen look at the inner workings of the Reagan White House, capturing the intrigue and infighting as advisors vie for the ear of the President over historic issues such as Iran/Contra and the Star Wars Strategic Defense Initiative. Through the vivid memories of George Shultz, other cabinet members, journalists and historians, the gripping tensions of these times come to life. http://www.turmoilandtriumph.org/
Social Studies Worksheets and Games
Free site to play games across the curriculum on-line and check for accuracy, take on-line quizzes and down load worksheets and research for projects; lots of pictures and videos to view. http://www.softschools.com/social_studies/
Social Studies for Kids
This site covers current events and Social Studies subjects; students can access activities, articles, games, and projects across the strands; does not require membership. http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/
June 2010
GeoMath and GeoLiteracy with ELL Adaptations (Arizona Geographic Alliance)
Free workshop for teachers of grades K-8
ASU, Tempe, Memorial Union 2nd Floor
June 17 (8:30 am - 3:30 pm)
(Phone) 480-965-5961 Fax 480-965-8313
Hiroshima Calling Presents: Prayers for Peace
June 5 @ the Arizona Historical Society Museum
1300 N College Ave, Tempe 85281 <http://www.ArizonaHistoricalSociety.org>
Wool Festival
June 5-6 @ Pioneer Museum (10:00 am - 4:00 pm)
2340 N. Ft.Valley Rd, Flagstaff
(Phone) 923-774-6272
May 2010
From President Obama's Proclamation:
As we begin the second decade of the twenty-first century, the law is changing dramatically as it seeks to shape and adapt to new conditions. Economic markets are becoming global, transactions require cultural adaptation and understanding, populations are more mobile, and communication technologies such as the Internet bridge distances and time zones to form new communities around the world. In such a world, all of us must renew our commitment to the enduring principles of law, become knowledgeable about other legal systems, recognize the need to adapt our practices, and acquire new cultural understandings. In a global era, matters such as human rights, criminal justice, intellectual property, business transactions, dispute resolution, human migration, and environmental regulation become not just international issues—between nations—but shared concerns. Law Day 2010 provides us with an opportunity to understand and appreciate the emerging challenges and enduring traditions of law in the 21st century.
National Women’s History Month’s roots go back to March 8, 1857, when women from New York City factories staged a protest over working conditions. International Women’s Day was first observed in 1909, but it wasn’t until 1981 that Congress established National Women’s History Week to be commemorated the second week of March. In 1987, Congress expanded the week to a month. Every year since, Congress has passed a resolution for Women’s History Month, and the President has issued a proclamation.
Read about Daisy Bates, civil rights activist from ACSS member Donna Schell.
February 2010
Black History Month
To commemorate and celebrate the contributions to our nation made by people of African descent, American historian Carter G. Woodson established Black History Week. The first celebration occurred on Feb. 12, 1926. For many years, the second week of February was set aside for this celebration to coincide with the birthdays of abolitionist/editor Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. In 1976, as part of the nation’s bicentennial, the week was expanded into Black History Month. Each year, U.S. presidents proclaim February as National African-American History Month.
May 1 is Law Day! A Legacy of Liberty – Celebrating Lincoln's Bicentennial
2009 marks the bicentennial of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, regarded by many as our nation’s greatest and most eloquent president. Lincoln, who devoted much of his adult life to the practice of law, was the quintessential American lawyer-president. His background in the law informed both his actions and his oratory. For Law Day 2009, orgnaizations and schools are encouraged to commemorate Lincoln by exploring this rich and resonant theme – A Legacy of Liberty. Free classroom materials as well as a planning guide are available from the ABA Law Day site.
April 2009
Thinkin' Like Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln's yearlong Bicentennial Commemoration was launched in February. Thinkin' Like Lincoln: Velvet & Steel is a unique teaching tool that has been endorsed by the White House Historical Association. The first in a series, Thinkin' Like Lincoln: Velvet & Steel combines character education and lifetime lessons, rooted in Lincoln's language and legacy, along with compelling U.S. History. Its history lesson includes a newly discovered, authenticated letter from a Civil War soldier written to his school-age daughter. This sturdy, 4-sided booklet is a hands-on tool, appropriate for elementary- and middle-school students, reaching and teaching children with multiple learning styles.
March 2009
Foundation for Teaching Economics
The Foundation for Teaching Economics offers free workshops, programs, and online courses for teachers around the country. Low-cost graduate credit is available for their online courses as well as several programs through institutions such as University of Colorado – Colorado Springs or Florida Gulf Coast University. No-cost resources, activities, and lesson plans for their programs are available online for all teachers.
History.com Black History Month Resources
http://www.history.com/minisites/blackhistory
An interactive timeline of American Black History, as well as videos covering - The Origins of Slavery: The impacts of slavery were brutal and lasting; The Harlem Renaissance - The Harlem Renaissance was a period of immense artistic creativity; March on Washington - A quarter million people joined together for the March on Washington.
January 2009
U.S. Senate Inauguration Website
On January 20, 2009, the newly elected President of the United States will take the constitutional oath of office marking the 56th formal Presidential Inaugural ceremony since 1789. In all, U.S. Presidents have been sworn into office 68 times—usually in public, sometimes in private following the death or resignation of a President, or because Inauguration Day fell on a Sunday. While the U.S. Senate oversaw the first 28 Inaugurations of both the President and Vice President, since 1901, all Inaugural ceremonies at the U.S. Capitol have been organized by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC). Visit the JCCIC website for all that you want to know about the inauguration.
"Presidential Inauguration: History, Tradition, and the Constitution" from the Bill of Rights Institute will help your students learn more about Inauguration Day from constitutional, historical, and current perspectives. The lesson will be offered for FREE for two days only on January 13 and 14. If you already use Being an American, Second Edition your unique password will gain you access to this lesson anytime.
February 2008
Celebrate Black history Month!
Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. Note that this was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation - which had become official January 1, 1863. This website discusses the history of Juneteenth and the celebration’s significance to Society today.
Commemorate February 14 (the day Arizona was granted statehood) with a website that delivers Arizona’s heritage and cultural experiences with the click of a mouse. Arizona has hundreds of stories to tell. The Arizona Humanities Council wants you to experience them all. Explore ancient civilizations and contemporary cultures. Treat yourself to some of the best stargazing in the country. Re-live the Old West and walk in the footsteps of Spanish missionaries.
January 2008
Kids Voting Arizona Presidential Preference Election Tuesday February 5th, 2008. All social studies teachers are invited to participate in the upcoming 2008 Kids Voting Arizona Presidential Preference Election on Feb. 5th and the General Election November 4th. It’s easy to get your school signed up, and you’ll receive free curriculum and materials that will help your school teach its student citizens about this year’s exciting Presidential Election. To make sure you get your materials in time for the Feb 5th election, we recommend having your students vote online for the Presidential Preference election, but Kids Voting Arizona will provide the opportunity to choose between paper ballots and online polling for the November 4th General Election. Get started today!
May 2007
May 1 is Law Day
Law Day is a national day set aside to celebrate the rule of law. Law Day
underscores how law and the legal process have contributed to
the freedoms that all Americans share. In 1957 America Bar Association (ABA) President Charles S.
Rhyne, a Washington, D.C., attorney, envisioned a special day for
celebrating our legal system. A year later, President Dwight D. Eisenhower establishes Law Day
as a day of national dedication to the principles of government
under law. In 1961, May 1 is designated by joint resolution of Congress as
the official date for celebrating Law Day. Although May 1 is the official date, celebrations often take place either before or after that date. Some bar associations celebrate Law Week. Law Day also provides an opportunity to recognize
the role of courts in this democracy and the importance of
jury service to maintaining the integrity of the courts. The Law Day 2007 Theme is Liberty Under Law: Empowering Youth, Assuring Democracy.
The future of our nation is in the hands of our young people. We
all can and should play a role in assuring America’s future by addressing the needs of youth and focusing on the issues affecting
them today. All youth need to understand their rights and
responsibilities under the law to become effective participants in
our nation’s civic life. The Law Day 2007 theme prompts us to listen
to the voices of young people and consider how the law can
better serve their needs and interests. It also encourages us to
assure that our youth are equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively make their voices heard within our
democracy.
April 2007
ArizonaHeritageTraveler.com - Check out this amazing new resource provided by the Arizona Humanities Council and the Arizona Office of
Tourism.
Arizona Statehood Day - Feb 14, 2007 The Arizona Secretary of State maintains a comprehensive website for kids about Arizona Statehood and Arizona facts. DO you know who is turning 100 in 2012? Arizona will celebrate its 100th birthday as a state on Feb 14, 2012. Visit the official state website of the Arizona Centennial.
September - November 2007
Vote-Smart.org The election approaches! Visit Vote-Smart.org to look up candidates in your district. By plugging in your zip code, Vote-Smart.org is able to connect you with the candidates on your ballot and provides extra information on some candidates including:
candidate biographies
an evaluation of past voting records by special interest groups across the political spectrum (conservatives, liberals, environmentalists, etc)
many candidates submit answers to the Vote-Smart.org candidate survey on several important issues
May 2006
May 1 is the American Bar Association's Law Day.In 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower proclaimed May 1st Law Day to strengthen our nation’s great heritage of liberty, justice, and equality under the law. Each year since, the American Bar Association, with help from local courts, bar associations and legal charities, has promoted events across the nation to celebrate Law Day. The 2006 theme of Separate Branches, Balanced Powers celebrates our government’s doctrine of separation of powers supported by the concept of checks and balances. Check out the ABA Division for Public Education Law Day website for a wealth of classroom materials and links.
April 2006
Constitutional Rights Foundation presents a free online
curriculum: CURRENT ISSUES OF IMMIGRATION, 2006. In response to the current high interest in immigration issues, CRF has created lessons and made them available free of charge to teachers across the nation. The lessons are carefully balanced to present all sides of controversial issues. These six lessons are designed to put the current controversies about illegal immigration into historical and political context. They consist of readings, guided discussion questions, and interactive learning activities. In addition, the materials include resources for conducting structured discussions with students.
February
is Black History Month, so let's celebrate! The SBC family
of companies has a long commitment to improving education. The Knowledge
Network Explorer (KNE) is the official
web site of the SBC family of education programs and has been on the Internet
since 1995. Their mission is to help schools and libraries acquire
and effectively use Internet and Videoconferencing technology. There are
lessons and activities on this site that teachers can easily incorporate
into your classroom. On this web site, you will find a collection of six
web sites that were created as models to suggest ways to integrate the
World Wide Web and videoconferencing into classroom learning. African-American
History was chosen as a topic because of its importance, popularity, and
the wealth of Internet resources available on the topic. Rather than merely
send learners to a web site, this site has arranged separate formats designed
to support different kinds of learning. Make sure you check out the home page to see what other
ideas and topics are available for exploration.
January 2006
The Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco is a major
community-based, non-profit organization established in 1965 to foster the
understanding and appreciation of Chinese and Chinese American art, history,
and culture in the
United
States
. It has a great website with lots of information
for the upcoming Chinese New Year.
BeyondTheFire.net
Beyond the Fire introduces real-life stories of 15 teenagers, now living in the U.S., who have survived war in seven war zones. The interactive site is designed to provide teens with an experience that is unique and educational. Teens tell their stories through audio and animated movies. Their transcripts are also available. In addition to hearing remarkable stories of survival and resilience, users will also be given timelines describing a brief history of each conflict and key facts about each country. Users will also receive a "passport" and travelog that asks thought-provoking questions that can be used in classroom and/or with other users of the site. Lesson plans for secondary classrooms and multiple resources are also available.
November 2005
Patriotism.org
This website is from the Miami-Dade County Public Schools. This webpage celebrates our National Holidays by giving a background of the holiday and presenting lesson plans for teachers about each. According to the website it “will feature information to enhance our knowledge of the people and the events surrounding our patriotic holidays. These dates are so significant in our history that our elected officials have proclaimed that the entire nation stop, think and observe their occurrence. A generic lesson plan will be provided for each holiday with suggestions for classroom activities for the Secondary level. Enjoy the celebration!!!” I think it is a fitting website for November with Veteran’s Day and Thanksgiving coming up.
October 2005
Publicagenda.org Public Agenda bills itself as a non-partisan research and civic engagement organization helping Americans explore and understand critical issues.
For the Social Studies teacher, Public Agenda is simply a gold
mine especially before elections, be they national, statewide,
or local. This organization has collected every scrap of information you could imagine on the major issues facing us in the 21 st century, from Abortion to Terrorism, with stops along the way at the budget, the environment, health care, immigration, race, and much more. For each issue, there is
Fact File (facts and trends, graphed and disaggregated, on every aspect of the issue)
Discussion Guides (three perspectives on that issue with pros and cons on each)
Sources and Resources (links all over the web, especially to recent newspaper or journal articles on the issue)
Bills and Proposals (exhaustive!)
Polling Information on how Americans feel about the issue (complete with caveats and interesting angles).
The website could provide intensive presentations by the members of a government class, or term paper research, or jigsaw activities – the sky is the limit on lesson planning from these materials. Educators owe themselves a surf through Public Agenda's
website. Once you've seen it, you'll never be without it
again as a teacher, or as a citizen of the United States.
