Sitting Bull (1831 - 1890) Was Killed by US Troops

Sitting Bull was A Dakota Sioux Indian chief. Best Known for the Battle of the Little Bighorn victory, where US general George Armstrong Custer was defeated and killed on June 25, 1876.

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Lesson Plan Information
Title: The Battle of Little Bighorn: An Interpretation of an Historical Event
Objectives:
Understand the causes of the Battle of the Little Bighorn; and
suggest how to commemorate the events of June 25, 1876.
Grade Level: High School
Subject: American / Native American History
Handouts: Resource sheets, Native American perspective images
Time Needed: Two 50-minute class periods
Provided by: The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History (Author: Bruce Lesh)
Link: http://www.historynow.org/09_2006/lp2.html

World AIDS Day 2009 Lesson Plan

World AIDS Day, observed December 1 each year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. It is common to hold memorials to honor persons who have died from HIV/AIDS on this day. Government and health officials also observe the event, often with speeches or forums on the AIDS topics. Since 1995, the President of the United States has made an official proclamation on World AIDS Day. Governments of other nations have followed suit and issued similar announcements.

The theme of World AIDS Day 2009 is "Universal Access and Human Rights".

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Lesson Plan Information
Title: AIDS Today: Background, Activities and Critical Analysis
Objectives: To understand the following topics: AIDS and discrimination, AIDS epidemic, HIV infection, HIV prevention.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subject: HIV-AIDS, health policy
Materials: Access to the Internet, Word processing and printer.
Time Needed: Two 90-minute periods
Provided by: PBS, by By Deborah R. Schoeberlein, RAD Educational Programs
Link: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/teachers/lessonplans/health/aids/

 

Thanksgiving 2009 Lesson Plan

Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving Day, presently celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, has been an annual tradition in the United States since 1863. Thanksgiving was historically a religious observation to give thanks to God, but was established as a secular federal holiday in 1941.

The first Thanksgiving was celebrated, in 1621, to give thanks to God for helping the Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony (today Plymouth, Massachusetts) survive the brutal winter. The first Thanksgiving feast lasted three days providing enough food for 53 pilgrims and 90 Native Americans. The feast consisted of fowl, venison, fish, lobster, clams, berries, fruit, pumpkin, and squash. William Bradford's (Plymouth governor) note that, "besides waterfowl, there was great store of wild turkeys, of which they took many," probably gave rise to the American tradition of turkey at Thanksgiving.

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Lesson Plan Information
Title: What happend at the "First Thanksgiving"?
Objectives:To understand:
- the facts and myths that surround the First Thanksgiving in 1621 at Plimoth Colony.
- historical research methods
Concepts: Thanksgiving, colony, Pilgrims, Plimoth, Plymouth, Wampanoag
Grade Level: 3-5, 6-8
Subject: U.S. History / Holidays
Materials: Access to the Internet.
Handouts: "Investigating the First Thanksgiving" Quiz
Time Needed: Two 50-minute class periods
Provided by: EducationWorld.com, Submitted by Gary Hopkins
Link: http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/dailylp/dailylp/dailylp029.shtml

 

John F. Kennedy was Assassinated - November 22, 1963

Lesson Plan Information
Title: The life and times of president John F. Kennedy
Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will:
- Understand the values that Joseph and Rose Kennedy instilled in their children.
- Identify reasons why we remember JFK today.
- Consider the effects of family culture, environment and community on personality.
Grade Level: 6-12
Subject: US history 20th Century
Handouts: Map of John F. Kennedy National Historic Site in Brookline, Massachusetts; readings; photographs; health document.
Time Needed: Two 50-minute class periods
Provided by: U.S. National Park Service
Link: http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/33jfk/33jfk.htm

Abraham Lincoln Was Elected President of the United States - November 6, 1860

Abraham Lincoln successfully led his country through its greatest internal crisis, the American Civil War, preserving the Union and ending slavery.

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Lesson Plan Information
Title: Abraham Lincoln on Slavery and Race
Objectives: Students will:
- examine letters and speeches of Abraham Lincoln in order to understand Lincoln’s position on slavery.
- understand the connection between the historical context and Lincoln’s views.
- understand the influence of race on politics in the antebellum era.
Grade Level: High School, Grades 10-12
Subject: American History / Social Sciences
Materials: Access to the Internet.
Time Needed: Two 50-minute class periods
Provided by: History Now (Author: Roberta McCutcheon)
Link: http://www.historynow.org/12_2005/lp1.html

Halloween 2009 Lesson Plan

Halloween is an annual holiday celebrated on October 31. It has roots in the Celtic tradition and the Christian holy day of All Saints, but is today largely a secular celebration. Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, wearing costumes and attending costume parties, carving jack-o'-lanterns, ghost tours, bonfires, visiting haunted attractions, pranks, telling scary stories, and watching horror films.

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Lesson Plan Information
Title: The History of Halloween
Objectives: Students will learn about the origins of the Halloween holiday.
Concepts / Vocabulary: Relic, Secular
Grade Level: 6-9
Subject: Social Studies / Holidays
Materials: Plastic bowls, Halloween stuffed animals and figures, peeled grapes, a head of cabbage, a big carrot, Halloween candy, Halloween scary music and a stereo.
Handouts: History of Halloween flowchart, ghost story.
Time Needed: 45 minutes
Provided by: Educator's Reference Desk (Author: Tiffany Bender)
Year: 2002
Link: http://www.eduref.org/Virtual/Lessons/Social_Studies/Holidays/SSH0201.html

Jonathan Swift, The author of Gulliver's Travels, Died

Jonathan Swift (1667 – 1745) was a prominent Anglo-Irish satirist, best known for his famed novel Gulliver's Travels.
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Lesson Plan Information
Title: Gulliver's Travels
Objectives: Students will understand Jonathan Swift's, and other authors', attitude towards undesirable outcomes of advances in science.
Vocabulary: abstraction, bizarre, nepotism, perspective, satirist
Grade Level: 9-12
Subject: Literature
Materials: Poster or display board, markers, glue, paste, tape; biographical reference works about writers.
Time Needed: Two class periods
Provided by: Discovery Education, authors: Kirsten Rooks and Mary McLean
Link: http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/gulliver/#

Columbus Day 2009 Lesson Plan

Columbus Day is the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas, which occurred on October 12, 1492.

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Lesson Plan Information
Title: Columbus Day (Native American Perspective)
Objectives: Students will:
- recognize how Columbus' discoveries effected the Native Americans.
- write a story about Columbus' first step on American ground from the Native American point of view.
Grade Level: 4-5
Subject: Columbus Day / Native Americans
Materials: Christopher Columbus book, stamps, reader's theater, map of the world, water colors, paint brushes, glue
Handouts: Reader's theater
Time Needed: 1 week
Provided by: TeacherLINK @ Utah State University (Author: Jamie Huggard)
Link: http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/units/Byrnes-celebrations/columbus.html

German Unity Day 2009

The Day of German Unity is a national holiday in Germany, celebrated on 3 October, which commemorates the anniversary of German reunification in 1990. Each year, there is a Citizens' Festival (German: Bürgerfest) on that day in addition to the traditional celebrations at Berlin.

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Lesson Plan Information
Title: Has the Wall Truly Tumbled Down?
Objectives: Exploring the Destruction of the Berlin Wall and the Invisible Barriers that Remain
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subject: World History, Social Studies
Materials:
- Student journals
- Robert Frost poem "Mending Wall",
- Copies of "Haphazardly, Berlin Wall Fell a Decade Ago"
- Computers with access to the Internet.
Provided by: The New York Times Learning Network; Author: Alison Zimbalist.
Link: http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/1999/11/10/has-the-wall-truly-tumbled-down/

Mahatma Gandhi (1869 – 1948) Was Born

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (Mahatma Gandhi) was the pre-eminent political and spiritual leader of India during the Indian independence movement. He was the pioneer of satyagraha—resistance to tyranny through mass civil disobedience, firmly founded upon ahimsa or total non-violence—which led India to independence and has inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world.
Gandhi is commonly known around the world as Mahatma Gandhi (Sanskrit: 'Great Soul') and in India also as Bapu (Gujarati: 'Father'). He is officially honoured in India as the Father of the Nation; his birthday, 2 October, is commemorated there as Gandhi Jayanti, a national holiday, and worldwide as the International Day of Non-Violence.

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Lesson Plan Information
Title: The relationship between Martin Luther King's teachings on nonviolence and those of Mohandas K. Gandhi.
Objectives: Students will:
- examine the philosophy of nonviolence developed by Martin Luther King, Jr.,
- consider how this philosophy was translated into practice during the Civil Rights Movement,
- explore the relationship between King's teachings on nonviolence and those of Mohandas K. Gandhi.
Grade Level: 6-8
Subject: Philosophy, US history, world history, civil rights, human rights
Materials: Computers with access to the Internet.
Time Needed: Two 50-minute class periods
Provided by: EDSITEment / National Endowment for the Humanities
Year: 2002
Link: http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=326

Elie Wiesel (1928) Was Born

Eliezer "Elie" Wiesel is a writer, professor, political activist, Peace Nobel Laureate and Holocaust survivor. He is the author of 57 books, the best known of which is Night, a memoir that describes his experiences during the Holocaust and his imprisonment in several concentration camps.

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Lesson Plan Information
Title: Using Student-Centered Comprehension Strategies with Elie Wiesel’s Night
Objectives: Students will:
- read and discuss a memoir.
- use reciprocal teaching strategies.
- work collaboratively to explore and discuss readings.
- present and discuss information orally.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subject: Literature / Language
Materials: Class set of the memoir Night by Elie Wiesel.
Handouts:
- Reciprocal Teaching Guidelines,
- Discussion Question Guidelines for Night
- Reciprocal Teaching Notes
- Self-Reflection: Taking Part in a Group (PDF)
Time Needed: three 50-minute class periods or more
Provided by: ReadWriteThink
Link: http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=884

World Rabies Day 2009

World Rabies Day, observed on September 28th each year, is a global initiative to raise awareness about the continuing burden of rabies and how the disease can be prevented.
Despite being 100% preventable, one person dies from rabies every ten minutes. It is estimated that 52,560 people die worldwide from rabies each year. Children are particularly at risk, with almost half of all rabies deaths occurring in children under 15 years. The main source of human exposure to rabies, especially in children, is from dogs. Rabies can be transmitted from dogs not vaccinated against the disease. Unfortunately, vaccination is neglected in many parts of the world.

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Lesson Plan Information
Title: World Rabies Day 2009
Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will:
- the impact of rabies
- how to avoid contracting rabies
- how to avoid dog bites
- how rabies can be eliminated
Grade Level: K-4
Subject: Rabies prevention
Materials: Computers with access to the Internet.
Handouts: Make Rabies History! (PowerPoint pesentation)
Time Needed: Two 50-minute class periods
Provided by: Alliance for Rabies Control
Link: http://www.worldrabiesday.org_Lesson%_Plan.doc

William Faulkner (1897 – 1962) Was Born

William Faulkner was an American author, Nobel Prize-winner in Literature (1949), one of the most influential writers of the 20th century.
Most of Faulkner's works are set in his native state of Mississippi and he is considered one of the most important Southern writers along with Mark Twain, Robert Penn Warren, Flannery O'Connor, Truman Capote, Eudora Welty, and Tennessee Williams.
His most celebrated novels are: The Sound and the Fury (1929), As I Lay Dying (1930), Light in August (1932), and Absalom, Absalom! (1936).

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Lesson Plan Information
Title: A Vast and Enduring Monument: William Faulkner’s Literary lesson plan
Objectives: Students will:
describe the characteristics of William Faulkner’s writing,
explain William Faulkner’s significance in the literary world,
analyze a primary source,
analyze a William Faulkner short story.
Grade Level: 7-12
Subject: Mississippi Studies / Literature
Materials:Copies of William Faulkner’s short stories: A Rose for Emily, Two Soldiers, The Bear; access to the Internet.
Handouts: Sample Analysis Sheet (PDF Format)
Time Needed: Two 50-minute class periods
Provided by: Mississippi Historical Society (Author: Karla Smith, Biloxi, Mississippi)
Link: http://mshistory.k12.ms.us/articles/24/index.php?s=lesson-plans&id=25

The End of Lewis and Clark Daring Expedition - September 23, 1806

On September 23, 1986, the Lewis and Clark expedition (Corps of Discovery) arrived in St. Louis, Missouri, ending their journey after two years, four months, and ten days.
The expedition, originally intended to determine exactly what was obtained in the Louisiana Purchase, laid much of the groundwork for the Westward Expansion of the United States.

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Lesson Plan Information
Title: Analyzing the Lewis and Clark Journals
Objectives: Interpret Corps of Discovery journal entries as primary documents.
Grade Level: 6-12
Subject: US history
Materials:
A copy of Lewis and Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery
Internet access
A television and VCR or DVD player
Handouts: Journal entries (web); Student Activity Sheet (PDF file).
Time Needed: Three class periods
Provided by: PBS
Link: http://www.pbs.org/lewisandclark/class/l04.html

Sir William Golding (1911 - 1993) Was Born

Sir William Gerald Golding was a British novelist, poet and Nobel Prize for Literature laureate (1983), best known for his novel Lord of the Flies (1954).

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Lesson Plan Information
Title: Lord of the Flies
Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will understand:

What happens to a group of boys stranded on an island with no adult supervision.

What happens to civilized people when the structures of civilization disappear.
Grade Level: 6-8
Subject: Literature
Materials: The novel Lord of the Flies.
Time Needed: Two class periods.
Provided by: Discovery Education (Credit: Summer Productions, Inc.)
Link: http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/flies/

Samuel Johnson (1709 - 1784) Was Born

Best renowned for his A Dictionary of the English Language, published in 1755, which is regarded as among the most influential dictionaries in the history of the English language.

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Lesson Plan Information
Title: Dictionary Skills
Objectives: Word location in a dictionary by using guide words.
Grade Level: 3-5, 6-8
Subject: Language Arts
Materials: Spelling list, dictionary.
Handouts: Dictionary Skills Worksheet - Guide Words.
Time Needed: Two 50-minute class periods
Provided by: A to Z Teacher Stuff, L.L.C (By Upsadaisy)
Link: http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/pages/4266.shtml

Marvin Minsky (1927 - ) Was Born

Marvin Lee Minsky is a prominent American cognitive scientist in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), co-founder of MIT's AI laboratory, and author of several texts on AI and philosophy.

Minsky's patents include the first head-mounted graphical display (1963) and the confocal microscope (1957), a predecessor to today's widely used confocal laser scanning microscope. He developed, with Seymour Papert, the first Logo "turtle". Minsky also built, in 1951, the first randomly wired neural network learning machine, SNARC.

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Lesson Plan Information
Title: Learning About How Artificial Intelligence Affects Our World
Objectives: Students will:

Define the term "artificial intelligence" and list devices that utilize artificial intelligence.

Learn about how advances in artificial intelligence affect our lives.

Brainstorm about an artificial intelligence device that could improve the life of students.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subject: Language Arts, Technology
Materials: The article "Artificial Intelligence Hasn't Peaked (Yet)"
Time Needed: 45 minutes
Provided by: The New York Times (Author: Rachel McClain, The New York Times Learning Network)
Link: http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20001228thursday.html

Robert Fitzroy (1805 - 1865) Was Born

Vice-Admiral Robert FitzRoy was the captain of HMS Beagle with during Charles Darwin's famous voyage, and as a pioneering meteorologist who made accurate weather forecasting a reality. He was an able surveyor and hydrographer and served as Governor of New Zealand from 1843 to 1845.

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Lesson Plan Information
Title: Tornado WebQuest
Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will understand the follwing regarding tornadoes: Tornado terminology, Fujita scale, myths and mysteries, safety, webquest.
Grade Level: 5-8
Subject: Science / Meteorology
Materials: Computer with an Internet connection
Time Needed: One 50-minute class period
Provided by: The Educator's Reference Desk (Author: Louise Jaskoski)
Link: http://www.eduref.org/cgi-bin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/Lessons/Science/Meteorology/MET0058.html

Independence Day - 4th of July - 2009

In the United States, Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, picnics, concerts, baseball games, political speeches and ceremonies, and various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States. Independence Day is the national day of the United States.

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Lesson Plan Information
Title: The American Flag
Objectives: Students will be able to name the number of stars, red stripes, white stripes, and name what each represents.
Grade Level: K-2
Subject: Social Studies / Arts
Materials: Construction paper, glue, real American flag, index cards
Time Needed: Two 50-minute class periods
Provided by: HotChalk (Author: Rebecca Croft)
Link: http://www.lessonplanspage.com/SSArtTheAmericanFlagAndItsSymbolsK2.htm

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646 - 1716) Was Born

Leibniz was a German philosopher and mathematician who wrote primarily in Latin and French.
He invented infinitesimal calculus independently of Newton, and his notation is the one in general use since then. He also invented the binary system, foundation of virtually all modern computer architectures.
He was, along with René Descartes and Baruch Spinoza, one of the three greatest 17th-century rationalists philosophers. Leibniz also made major contributions to physics and technology, and anticipated notions that surfaced much later in biology, medicine, geology, probability theory, psychology, linguistics, and information science.

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Lesson Plan Information
Title: The Cylinder Problem
Objectives: Write the volumes of the cylinders as a function of radius and, using derivatives, find the cylinder with the greatest volume, given a fixed perimeter.
Concepts: Cylinder, dimension, area, circumference, height, lateral surface area, volume.
Grade Level: 11-12
Subject: Mathematics / Calculus
Materials: 8 1/2" by 11" sheets of paper, tape, ruler, graph paper, fill material.
Time Needed: Two 50-minute class periods
Provided by: The Math Forum
Link: http://mathforum.org/brap/wrap2/calclesson.html

Sir Paul McCartney Was Born

Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) gained worldwide fame as a member of The Beatles, alongside John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. McCartney and Lennon formed one of the most influential and successful songwriting partnerships and wrote some of the most popular music in rock and roll history.

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Lesson Plan Information
Title: Hey, Hey, It's the Beatles!
Objectives: Students will learn about the Beatles, and the contributions their music made to the the pop music that came afterward.
Grade Level: High School / College
Subject: Culture / Music
Materials: Access to the Internet; print materials about the Beatles; Beatles' CDs.
Time Needed: Two to five class periods
Provided by: National First Ladies' Library (Author: Averil McClelland, Kent State University)
Link: http://www.firstladies.org/curriculum/curriculum.aspx?Curriculum=1712

Knud Rasmussen (1879–1933) Was Born

Knud Rasmussen was a Greenlandic polar explorer and anthropologist. He has been called the "father of Eskimology" and was the first to cross the Northwest Passage via dog sled. He remains well known in Greenland, Denmark and among Canadian Inuit.

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Lesson Plan Information
Title: Knud Rasmussen – “The Old and the New”
Objectives: Students will read “The Old and the New” from Knud Rasmussen’s Report of the Fifth Thule Expedition 1921-24 and will identify and debate the changes in Inuit life that came with the establishment of trading posts.
Concepts: Trading posts in the Arctic.
Grade Level: Middle School
Subject: Inuit Culture
Materials: Copies of “The Old and the New”
Time Needed: Two 50-minute class periods
Provided by: SILA – An Educational Website About Inuit Culture
Year: 2005
Link: http://www.sila.nu/pub/lessons/SILA_K.Rasmussen_Lesson1.pdf

World Environment Day 2009

World Environment Day (WED) was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972. WED is hosted every year by a different city and commemorated with an international exposition through the week of June 5. WED agenda is to stimulate awareness of the environment and enhance political attention and public action.

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Lesson Plan Information
Title: Global Warming
Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will:

Understand the greenhouse effect and global warming impacts

Analyze global warming diagrams

Complete a Venn Diagram that compares various points of view on global warming
Grade Level: 9-12
Subject: Environmental issues
Materials: Access to the Internet
Handouts: Global Warming Venn Diagram (PDF file); Global Warming Project Ideas (PDF file).
Time Needed: Five 50-minute class periods
Provided by: PBS (Author: Lisa Prososki)
Year: 2008
Link: http://www.pbs.org/now/classroom/global-warming-lesson-plan.pdf

World No Tobacco Day 2009

World No Tobacco Day is observed around the world every year on May 31. The member states of the World Health Organization created World No Tobacco Day in 1987. It draws global attention to the widespread prevalence of tobacco use and to its negative health effects. The day aims to reduce the 5.4 million yearly deaths from tobacco related health problems. From 1988 the WHO has presented one or more World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) Awards to organizations or individuals who have made exceptional contributions to reducing tobacco consumption. On May 31st, 2008 the WHO called for a complete ban on tobacco advertising; the organization said studies establish a relationship between exposure to cigarette advertisement and starting smoking.

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Lesson Plan Information
Title: Smoking: Pressures and Responsibilities
Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will understand:

dangers of smoking

factors that influence decision making

advertising strategies that tobacco companies use

personal responsibilities regarding smoking
Grade Level: 9-12
Subject: Human Body
Materials: Newspapers or magazines containing tobacco advertisements, access to the Internet.
Time Needed: Two 50-minute class periods
Provided by: Discovery Education (Author: Betsy Gallun)
Link: http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/smoking/

Memorial Day 2009

Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May (May 25 in 2009). Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. men and women who died while in the military service. First enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War, it was expanded after World War I to include American casualties of any war or military action.

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Lesson Plan Information
Title: Mapping Your State's Role In the Vietnam War
Objectives: Students will:

create a map that illustrates your state impact of the Vietnam War.

recognize the reasons we celebrate Memorial Day.
Concepts: Vietnam War, Memorial Day, soldiers, war, state, geography, Veteran's Day
Grade Level: K-12
Subject: Civics, history, geography
Materials: Internet access, a large map of your state.
Time Needed: Two 50-minute class periods
Provided by: Education World, Submitted By Gary Hopkins
Link: http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/03/lp313-02.shtml

Edward Jenner (1749 – 1823) Was Born

Edward Jenner was an English scientist who is widely credited as the pioneer of smallpox vaccine, and is sometimes referred to as the 'Father of Immunology'.

In 1980, the World Health Organization declared smallpox an eradicated disease. This was the result of coordinated public health efforts by many people, but vaccination was an essential component.

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Lesson Plan Information
Title: Common Vaccinations
Objectives: Understand how different types of vaccines work
Concepts: Antibody, antigen, bacteria, immunization, vaccine, virus
Grade Level: 6-8
Subject: Human Body
Materials: Access to the Internet, poster boards, markers, colored pencils
Lesson Plan Support: Bacteria, Viruses & Allergies Video
Time Needed: Two class periods
Provided by: Discovery Education (Author: Joy Brewster)
Link: http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/vaccinations/

Mother's Day 2009

The modern Mother's Day holiday was created by Anna Jarvis and it's now celebrated on various days in many places around the world. It complements Father's Day, the celebration honoring fathers.

This holiday is relatively modern, being created at the start of the 20th century, and should not be confused with the early pagan and Christian traditions honoring mothers, or with the 16th century celebration of Mothering Sunday, which is also known as Mother's Day in the UK.

In most countries the Mother's Day celebration is a recent holiday derived from the Mothering Sunday holiday in the UK.

It is celebrated in Australia, Malaysia, India, Canada, and United States each year on the second Sunday of May.

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Lesson Plan Information
Title: The Best Gift, for Shoe-er!
Objectives: Students turn an old shoe into a memorable planter gift for Mother's Day.
Concepts: Mother's Day, mother, family, present, holiday
Grade Level: PreK-5
Subject: Visual Arts
Materials: An old shoe for each student, gold paint, paintbrushes, potting soil, flower seeds.
Time Needed: Two 50-minute class periods
Provided by: Education World, submitted by Gary Hopkins
Link: http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/02/lp263-03.shtml

Sigmund Freud (1856 - 1939) Was Born

Sigismund Schlomo Freud was an Austrian psychiatrist who founded the psychoanalytic school of psychology. Freud is best known for his theories of the unconscious mind and the defense mechanism of repression and for creating the clinical practice of psychoanalysis for curing psychopathology through dialogue between a patient and a psychoanalyst. Freud is also renowned for his redefinition of sexual desire as the primary motivational energy of human life, as well as his therapeutic techniques, including the use of free association, his theory of transference in the therapeutic relationship, and the interpretation of dreams as sources of insight into unconscious desires. Many of Freud's ideas have fallen out of favor or have been modified by Neo-Freudians, although at the close of the 20th century, advances in the field of neurology began to show evidence for many of his theories.

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Lesson Plan Information
Title: The Interpretation of Dreams
Objectives: Students will understand Freud's arguments that:
1. our dreams contain clues to our hopes, fears, and fantasies.
2. developments in our childhood affect the way we act and the kinds of dreams we have.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subject: Human Body
Materials: Excerpts from The Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud.
Time Needed: One class period
Provided by: Discovery Education (Credit: Lara Maupin, Thomas Jefferson High School, Alexandria, Virginia.)
Link: http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/dreams/

Karl Marx (1818 - 1883) Was Born

Karl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, political economist, historian, political theorist, sociologist, humanist and revolutionary credited as the founder of communism. Best known as the author of Das Kapital and The Communist Manifesto.

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Lesson Plan Information
Title: Karl Marx Isn't the Only One Who Can Write a Manifesto!
Objectives: The purpose of this lesson is to give students an opportunity to think about current problems in school, community or worldwide by writing a manifesto addressing the problem.
Concepts: Manifesto
Grade Level: Middle School
Subject: Civic Ideals and Practices
Materials: Access to the Internet, current newspapers.
Time Needed: One week
Provided by: The National First Ladies' Library (Author: Averil McClelland, Kent State University)
Link: http://www.firstladies.org/curriculum/curriculum.aspx?Curriculum=1402

Earth Day 2009

Earth Day, celebrated April 22, is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment. It was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in in 1970 and is celebrated in many countries every year. This date is Spring in the Northern Hemisphere and Autumn in the Southern Hemisphere.

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Lesson Plan Information
Title: Junk Mail Overload
Objectives: Students record the amount of junk snail mail received at their homes and explore ways to solve the junk mail problem.
Themes: trash, recycling, landfill, conservation, junk mail.
Grade Level: 3-12
Subject: Environmental Sciences
Materials: paper, pencils, postage scale or another scale that weighs small units
Provided by: Education World, submitted by Gary Hopkins
Link: http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/02/lp260-02.shtml

James Dewey Watson (1928 - ) Was Born

James Watson is an American molecular biologist, best known as one of the co-discoverers of the structure of DNA - the double helix. For this Watson, Francis Crick, and Maurice Wilkins were awarded the 1962 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

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Lesson Plan Information
Title: Making DNA Jewelry Models
Objectives: This hands-on activity helps students construct a model of DNA to learn DNA structure to better understand protein synthesis. Impaired students can make a model using larger beads.
Grade Level: 4-12
Subject: Biology / Biochemistry
Materials: Seed beads, jewelry wire, key rings, earring wires, clasps, fishing line.
Time Needed: Two class periods
Provided by: Access Excellence @ the National Health Museum (Author: Catherine Ross, Berkley High School)
Link: http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/AEC/AEF/1995/ross_jewelry.php

Vincent Willem van Gogh (1853 – 1890) Was Born

Vincent van Gogh was a Dutch Post-Impressionist artist. Some of his paintings are now among the world's best known, most popular and expensive works of art.

- Wikipedia

Lesson Plan Information
Title: Sunflower Measuring and Counting
Objectives: Students will:
Learn and tell about sunflowers
improve measuring and counting skills
Work in groups
Grade Level: 1-2
Subject: Arts / Math
Materials: Posters or prints of Van Gogh's Sunflowers, real sunflowers and seeds, glue, crayons, rulers, construction paper; access to the Internet.
Handouts: Vincent Van Gogh Sunflowers (Internet).
Time Needed: 1 hour
Provided by: Vincent Van Gogh Gallery
Link: http://www.vangoghgallery.com/lesson_plans/

World Day for Water 2009

In 1993 the United Nations General Assembly declared March 22 as World Water Day. Its main goals, among others, are to promote the cause of clean drinking water and sustainable aquatic habitats and to ensure safe water and decent sanitation for civilians in conflict zones.

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Lesson Plan Information
Title: "Water is Life" Global Water Awareness Mini-Unit
Objectives: Students will calculate the percentage of fresh water available for human use and understand why water is a limited resource and that fresh water is limited and must be conserved and protected.
Grade Level: Elementary School (Grades 3-5)
Subject: Geography /Science/ Math
Materials: 2 colors of construction paper, markers, world map, 1000-mL beaker, 100-mL graduated cylinders, small dish, salt, freezer or an ice bucket, eyedroppers or glass stirring rod, small metal bucket, and copies of Water Availability Table.
Handouts: Worksheets and activities
Provided by: WaterPartners International
Link: http://www.water.org/FileUploads/WPElemCurric2_0.pdf

St. Patrick's Day 2009

Saint Patrick's Day, colloquially St. Paddy's Day or Paddy's Day, is an annual feast day which celebrates Saint Patrick (circa AD 385–461), one of the patron saints of Ireland, and is generally celebrated on March 17. Celebrations are generally themed around all things Irish and, by association, the colour green. Both Christians and non-Christians celebrate the secular version of the holiday by wearing green, eating Irish food and/or green foods, imbibing Irish drink (such as Irish stout, Irish Whiskey or Irish Cream) and attending parades.

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Lesson Plan Information
Title: Why is St. Patrick's Day celebrated all over the world?
Objectives: To gain knowledge about why St. Patrick's Day is celebrated all over the world and to distinguish between fact and fiction.
Grade Level: 2
Subject: Social Studies
Materials: Create a story strictly about the facts of Saint Patrick and create a worksheet to allow discussion about fact or fiction.
Time Needed: Two 50-minute class periods
Provided by: LessonPlansPage.com (Author: Lisa MacBean)
Link: http://www.lessonplanspage.com/SSOStPatricksDayHistory2.htm

Gustav Robert Kirchhoff (1824 - 1887) Was Born

Gustav Kirchhoff was a German physicist who contributed to the fundamental understanding of electrical circuits, spectroscopy, and the emission of black-body radiation by heated objects. He coined the term "black body" radiation in 1862, and two sets of independent concepts in both circuit theory and thermal emission are named "Kirchhoff's laws" after him.

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Lesson Plan Information
Title: Kirchhoff’s Current and Voltage Laws
Objectives:
By the end of this lesson, students will understand:
Ohm’s Law and definitions of current, voltage, resistance
Series circuit, parallel circuit (bulb demonstration)
Kirchhoff’s current and voltage laws
Grade Level: 9-10
Subject: Electronics / Physics
Materials: breadboard, 3 100Ω resistors, Voltmeter, 9V battery, bulbs
Handouts: Powerpoint presentation, worksheet
Time Needed: 1 hour
Provided by: University of British Columbia
Link: http://outreach.phas.ubc.ca/phys420/p420_04/mitsuko/lessonPlanElectronics.htm

International Women's Day 2009

International Woman's Day (IWD) is marked on March 8 every year. It is a major day of global celebration for the economic, political and social achievements of women.
Started as a political event, the holiday blended in the culture of many countries (primarily Russia and the countries of former Soviet bloc). In some celebrations, the day lost its political flavour, and became simply an occasion for men to express their love to the women around them in a way somewhat similar to Mother's Day and St Valentine's Day mixed together. In others, however, the political and human rights theme as designated by the United Nations runs strong, and political and social awareness of the struggles of women worldwide are brought out and examined in a hopeful manner.

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Lesson Plan Information
Title: International Women's Day
Objectives: To discuss and create a collage about the important roles that women play in the students' lives.
Grade Level: 4-6
Subject: Arts
Materials: Blank placemats, old magazines, glue, scissors, crayons, pens, paper
Handouts: Blank placemats
Provided by: CHARACTER COUNTS!
Link: http://charactercounts.org/lesson-plans/character-education-lesson.php?id=87

Alexander Graham Bell (1847 - 1922) Was Born

Alexander Graham Bell was an eminent scientist, inventor and innovator who is credited with inventing the first practical telephone.

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Lesson Plan Information
Title: How the Ear Works
Objectives:
1. Students will learn the history of Alexander Graham Bell and relate their newfound knowledge to their own lives and
2. develop an understanding of the basic principles of sound and how it travels.
Grade Level: 3
Subject: Science / Science Biographies
Materials: Class set of Sound Know-It-All tests (Appendix A), pencil for each student
Handouts: 8 worksheets
Time Needed: Six lessons approximately 45 minutes each and one Culminating Activity approximately 60 minutes
Provided by: The Academy, Denver, CO (Authors: Sara Laughlin and Telena Haneline)
Link: http://coreknowledge.org/CK/resrcs/lessons/06_3_Ear.pdf

Yitzhak Rabin (1922 - 1995) Was Born

Yitzhak Rabin was an Israeli politician and general. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Israel, serving two terms in office, 1974–1977 and 1992 until his assassination in 1995. In 1994, Rabin won the Nobel Peace Prize together with Shimon Peres and Yasser Arafat. He was assassinated by a right-wing Israeli radical, who was opposed to Rabin's signing of the Oslo Accords with the Palestinians.

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Lesson Plan Information
Title: Compare John Lennon's vision of peace to Yitzhak Rabin's.
Objectives: Students will Analyze the song "Imagine", compare Lennon's vision of peace to Rabin's and write and discuss about their own vision of peace.
Concepts: peace, unity, utopia, tolerance
Grade Level: 6-12
Subject: English / ESL
Materials: Internet access, Lennon's "Imagine" album
Time Needed: Two 50-minute class periods
Provided by: Amalnet (Israel)
Link: http://www.amalnet.k12.il/meida/english/rabin/engi0091.htm

Johnny Cash (1932 - 2003) Was Born

Johnny Cash was a Grammy Award-winning American singer-songwriter and one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. Primarily a country music artist, his songs and sound spanned many other genres including rockabilly and rock and roll (especially early in his career), as well as blues, folk and gospel.

- Wikipedia

Lesson Plan Information
Title: Personal Narratives Inspired by Johnny Cash
Objectives:
Students will:
1. Watch a concert performance and analyze song lyrics.
2. Draft a personal narrative that relates a childhood experience.
3. Finalize a personal narrative and share it with the class.
Grade Level: 6-12
Subject: English / Language Arts
Materials: Online video clip, computers with access to the Internet.
Handouts: Song Analysis (PDF file), A graphic organizer like Story Map 2 (PDF file).
Time Needed: Two 50-minute class periods
Provided by: PBS (Author: Cari Ladd, M.Ed)
Year: 2008
Link: http://www.pbs.org/pov/johnnycash/lesson_plan.php