The U.S. Congress Held Its First Session in Washington, D.C., 210 Years Ago

A few milestones:

First Continental Congress - September 5, 1774
Second Continental Congress - May 10, 1775
Articles of Confederation - March, 1781
Constitutional Convention - May 25 to September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia
U.S. Congress held its first session in Washington, D.C. - November 17, 1800

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Lesson Plan Information
Title: Congressional Committees and the Legislative Process
Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will:
- understand the legislative process of the United States Congress;
- examine the role that Congressional committees play in legislative process.
Concepts / Vocabulary: Standing Committee, Select Committee, Joint Committee, Conference Committee, written comment, hearing, markup, report.
Grade Level: 10-12
Subject: U.S. History - Civics and U.S. Government
Time Needed: Two to three class periods
Provided by: EDSITEment
Year: 2002
Link: http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=284

The tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamen is discovered by British archaeologist Howard Carter

Howard Carter (1874 – 1939) was an English archaeologist and Egyptologist, noted as a primary discoverer of the tomb of Tutankhamun. He was financially backed by Lord Carnarvon.

On 4 November 1922, Carter's water carrier found the steps leading to Tutankhamun's tomb, by far the best preserved and most intact pharaonic tomb ever found in the Valley of the Kings. Carter made the famous "tiny breach in the top left hand corner" of the doorway, and was able to peer in by the light of a candle and see that many of the gold and ebony treasures were still in place. He did not yet know at that point whether it was "a tomb or merely a cache", but he did see a promising sealed doorway between two sentinel statues.

On 16 February 1923, Carter opened the sealed doorway, and found that it did indeed lead to a burial chamber, and he got his first glimpse of the sarcophagus of Tutankhamun.

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Lesson Plan Information
Title: King Tut's Treasures
Objectives:
- explore how artifacts found in an ancient Egyptian tombs can be used to paint a picture of daily life in ancient Egypt;
- compare modern "artifacts" to those of ancient Egypt.
Grade Level: K-2
Subject: Geography, world history, anthropology
Materials: Globe or world map or Africa map, computers with Internet access, overhead projector
Handouts: Worksheet
Time Needed: Three to four hours
Provided by: National Geographic Society
Link: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/06/gk2/kingtut.html

 

Pablo Picasso, the Creator of Guernica, was born in 1881

Pablo Ruiz Picasso (1881 – 1973) was a Spanish painter, draftsman, and sculptor who lived most of his adult life in France. He is best known for co-founding the Cubist movement and for the wide variety of styles embodied in his work. Among his most famous works are the proto-Cubist Les Demoiselles d'Avignon (1907) and Guernica (1937), his portrayal of the German bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War.

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Lesson Plan Information
Title:Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse: Art and Life.
Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will:
- understand how the artwork of Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso evolved throughout their lives.
- compare and contrast the works of the two artists at different periods in their lives.
Concepts / Vocabulary: Abstract Expressionism, Cubism, Impressionist, medium, palette.
Grade Level: 10-12
Subject: Fine Arts
Materials: Masters of Colorvideo, computers with Internet access, color printer.
Time Needed: 2 class periods
Provided by: Discovery Education
Link: http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/da_mastersofcolor/

The Saturday Night Massacre, 1973

The Saturday Night Massacre was the term given by political commentators to U.S. President Richard Nixon's executive dismissal of independent special prosecutor Archibald Cox, and the resignations of Attorney General Elliot Richardson and Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus on October 20, 1973 during the Watergate scandal.

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Lesson Plan Information
Title: The Watergate Crisis
Objectives: Students will:
- discuss the events of the Watergate crisis;
- conduct an interview with a Watergate-era adult and present a summary of the interview.
Concepts / Vocabulary: Watergate, Deep Throat, resign, scandal
Grade Level: 8-12
Subject: Contemporary U.S. History
Materials: Computers with Internet access, print resources about Watergate, audio or video recorder.
Time Needed: Two 50-minute class periods
Provided by: Discovery Education (Author: Joy Brewster, curriculum writer, editor, and consultant)
Link: http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/watergate/

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2010 was awarded to Robert G. Edwards "for the development of in vitro fertilization".

Robert Geoffrey Edwards (born 1925) is a British biologist and pioneer in reproductive biology and medicine, and in-vitro fertilization (IVF) in particular. Along with surgeon Patrick Steptoe (1913 – 1988), Edwards successfully pioneered conception through IVF, which led to the birth of the first test-tube baby, Louise Brown, on 25 July 1978.

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Lesson Plan Information
Title: In Vitro Fertilization
Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will:
- understand the in vitro fertilization science
- understand the in vitro fertilization physiological, ethical, and legal implication.
Concepts / Vocabulary: egg, fertility drug, fertilization, hormone, implantation, menstrual cycle, ovary, ovulation, sperm, zygote.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subject: Life Sciences / Contemporary Studies
Materials: Science textbooks on the menstrual cycle, reproduction, infertility, and fertility treatments; computers with Internet access
Time Needed: Two 50-minute class periods
Provided by: Discovery Education (Author: Donna Clem, biology teacher, Aberdeen High School, Aberdeen, Maryland.)
Link: http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/invitro/

Alfred, Lord Tennyson, The great English poet of the Victorian Age, died 118 years ago

Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809 – 1892) was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom during much of Queen Victoria's reign and remains one of the most popular poets in the English language.

Best known for his short poems In the valley of Cauteretz, Break, Break, Break, The Charge of the Light Brigade, Tears, Idle Tears and Crossing the Bar.

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Lesson Plan Information
Title: The Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Objectives::
- Critical opinion about the poem
- The use of repetition and metaphor in the poem
- Themes: courage and honor; leaders and followers
Grade Level: 9-12
Subject: English Literature
Materials: The poem: The Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Time Needed: Two 50-minute class periods
Provided by: SchoolLink (Author: B. Wu, Murry Bergtraum HS, New York, NY)
Link: http://www.schoollink.org/csd/pages/engl/narrativ.html

Magna Carta Was Sealed by King John, on this day, in 1215

Magna Carta, is an English legal charter, originally issued in the year 1215 by King John of England. It was written in Latin and is known by its Latin name. The usual English translation of Magna Carta is Great Charter.

Magna Carta required King John of England to proclaim certain rights (pertaining to freemen), respect certain legal procedures, and accept that his will could be bound by the law. It explicitly protected certain rights of the King's subjects, whether free or fettered — and implicitly supported what became the writ of habeas corpus, allowing appeal against unlawful imprisonment.

Magna Carta was the first document forced onto an English King by a group of his subjects (the barons) in an attempt to limit his powers by law and protect their privileges.

Magna Carta was arguably the most significant early influence on the extensive historical process that led to the rule of constitutional law today in the English speaking world. Magna Carta influenced the development of the common law and many constitutional documents, including the United States Constitution.

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Lesson Plan Information
Title: Magna Carta: Cornerstone of the U.S. Constitution
Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will understand:
- why the rule of law is necessary in a free and democratic society.
- the relationship between Magna Carta and the evolution of constitutional government.
- how the Magna Carta was used to justify independence from Great Britain.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subject: U.S. History / Civics
Handouts: Worksheets, activities and background information.
Time Needed: Three class periods
Provided by: EDSITEment (Author: Christine L. Compston, Bellingham, WA)
Year: 2007
Link: http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=737