|
This Month in History, April
2006 |
|
|
|
March
2006 - History-based activities in this issue: |
|
April
4 - Who is Maya Angelou? |
Only
$12.95 today
Over 60 Pages of
Information
for an Incredibly Low Price!
CLICK HERE TO
PURCHASE
Haven't
subscribed
to one of our
e-Newsletters yet?
Insert your email below
and choose one or more FREE subscriptions to The Old
Schoolhouse Magazine's e-Newsletters.
Please
note:
We respect your privacy.
TOS will only use your email
for its e-Newsletters. We do not sell, loan or share
them in any way. |
|
Maya Angelou was born on
this day in 1928. She rose from meager
beginnings to become an internationally respected
poet, author, and entertainer. Her writings encourage
perseverance, self-acceptance,and hope. Learn
more ...
|
|
 Just
for Fun ...
Learn more about Maya Angelou at the link under her picture
on the right, then click and print our Maya Angelou “Notable
Women” crossword
puzzle.
Answer
Key |
April
7 - Austrailia's Island State
|
Virtual
tour of Tasmania
Australia's smallest state has beautiful landscapes
and unique creatures. Learn more about Tasmania.
Aussie
animals coloring pages
Younger kids will enjoy these great click-and-print
coloring pages of Australian wildlife. Animal
coloring pages
Marsupial fact book
Australia is known for a unique type of mammal
called a marsupial. Click on the link below for a simple
explanation of what a marsupial is, plus links to see
pictures of some marsupials found in Tasmania. Use the
pictures and information to make a Marsupials Fact
Book. Expand the book by searching for more information
and pictures of marsupials on the Internet.
Marsupials
of Tasmania
|
French explorer Nicholas Baudin
mapped much of Tasmania. He traveled in the
Oceania area between 1800 and 1803. Baudin also explored
much of the coastline of Australia and the island of
Timor. Learn
more ... |
April
10 - First American to Circle the Globe |
|
In 1790, Robert Gray became the first
American-born explorer to circle the globe. He
returned to Boston on April 10 after a 3-year
journey in his ship called the Columbia. Learn
more ...
|
|
What
route would you take?
The idea of traveling around the globe by ship makes a
great geography lesson plan. Today canals such as the Panama
Canal make the trip shorter. Using a world map or a globe,
challenge kids to determine their own route of travel around
the world. Have them include 10 or 12 countries in which
they would choose to stop and stay for a while. To expand
the project, have them learn about the culture of one or
several of these countries.
Foreign
food
With the Internet, access to foreign food recipes is
easy. Choose one of the "layover" countries
from the previous activity and find a simple food item
that could be fixed for a meal or snack.
Creative
writing
A trip around the world is a great story starter. If
you have a budding author at your house or one who just
needs a little prodding, encourage him to write a "journey
around the world" adventure story! |
April
11 - Apollo 13 Departs to the Moon
|
To
the moon!
If you have a budding astronaut in your midst, let him
loose on this PBS site. This companion site to the two-hour
NOVA special features information on the moon itself, online
puzzles, and audio interviews with notable astronauts from
NASA history.
To
the Moon
Gravity
experiment
Did you know that you actually shrink a little from morning
to evening? This simple experiment from Family Fun Magazine's
site teaches kids about gravity. Gravity
Experiment
Spacecrafts
This page by DLTK kids features several spacecrafts
for younger children, including preschool age. Spacecrafts
|
Apollo 13 departed for the moon on
this day in 1970. Two days later an
oxygen tank exploded and the mission of the
three astronauts turned to one of survival
rather than moon exploration. Learn
more ...
|
|
|
April
12 - Vancouver Explored the Northwest
|
English explorer George Vancouver
traveled along the northwestern coast of North America
in 1792. While in the area, he named Puget Sound
for his lieutenant, Peter Puget. Vancouver Island and
the city of Vancouver are named after him. Learn
more ...
|
|
Northwestern
maze
Kids will love exploring the American Northwest on paper
with this maze. It also doubles as a "label me" map,
encouraging a little research of the area.
Northwestern Maze Map
Virtual
tour of British Columbia
Take a virtual tour of the beautiful area explored by George
Vancouver. BC
virtual tour
Rain,
rain, and more rain
The coastal area of the northwestern US and the province of British
Columbia in Canada receive a lot of rain. How much does it rain
where you live each year? Students can type in any city in the
world for climate and rainfall totals, or learn how to make a
rain gauge by visiting the sites below.
World
climate ......... Rain
gauge project |
April
13 - The First Battle of the Amercian Civil War
|
Map
of North and South!
Print out this map of the US during the Civil War. Fill in the
names of the states, both Union and Confederate. Civil
War Map
Interactive
PBS site
Based on the PBS film The Civil War, this interactive
site lets students explore the people and events comprising America's
darkest time. PBS
The Civil War |
Soldiers at Fort Sumter in South
Carolina surrendered on this day in 1861, ending
the first battle of the Civil War. A few
months earlier, South Carolina had seceded from the
Union.Learn
more ... |
|
April
19 - The Battles of Lexington and Concord
|
On this day in 1775, 700 British
troops marched into Lexington, Massachusetts, to
find 77 colonial minutemen armed and ready for battle. After
a few tense moments, a shot was fired, beginning
the American Revolution. Learn
more ...
|
|
Liberty!
The American Revolution
PBS has a fantastic site featuring historical information, images,
and games about the American Revolution.
PBS Liberty!
Johnny
Tremain
Disney's Johnny Tremain is one of my favorite portrayals
of the American Revolutionary era. It may be a little hard to
find to rent, but it's worth the look. Or it's available at Amazon.
Johnny
Tremain |
April
25 - Who Was Ella Fitzgerald ?
|
Just for Fun ...
Learn more about Ella Fitzgerald at the link under her picture
on the right, then click and print our Ella Fitzgerald “Notable
Women” crossword
puzzle
Answer
Key
Listen
online
Listen to Ella Fitzgerald's jazz
music online! |
Ella Fitzgerald was born on this day in
1917. Known as the "First Lady of
Jazz," she is considered one of the greatest
jazz singers in history. She won 14 Grammy Awards,
including a Lifetime Achievement Award. Ella was
known for her generous donations to charities and
humanitarian aid. Learn
more ... |
|
This
Month in History e-newsletter is brought to you by The Learning
Calendar, creators of the award-winning history-based activity
and trivia calendar. You can learn more about The Learning Calendar
by visiting their site: www.thelearningcalendar.com |
|
