St. Patrick's Day is celebrated by reading Irish folk tales and using the Story Cube tool to create a graphic organizer and see what characteristics are unique to Irish tales.
Today is St. Patrick's Day.
Grades
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In 1564, William Shakespeare was born on this day.
1 - 12
Calendar Activity
| Author & Text
Based on grade level, students learn about rhyming structure, experiment with the Shakespearean Insult Kit, or study scenes from Othello and watch an adaptation of that scene from the movie O.
Grades
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Ezra Jack Keats was born on this day in 1916.
K - 12
Calendar Activity
| Author & Text
In celebration of Keats' birthday, students write stories that include some characters from Keats' books and practice using collage techniques with the Collage Machine.
Grades
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On this day in 1910, animal rights activist Joy Adamson was born.
K - 6
Calendar Activity
| Historical Figure & Event
A KWL chart is used to organize information about lions. Persuasive letters are written lobbying for programs and resources to protect these animals.
Grades
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Jane Yolen was born in 1939.
1 - 5
Calendar Activity
| Author & Text
Students read one of Jane Yolen's books, retell the story in the form of a puppet show, research animals in the book, and document their findings with the Animal Study interactive tool.
Grades
|
It's Winter in the Northern Hemisphere!
K - 6
Calendar Activity
| Holiday & School Celebration
Students brainstorm words or images that they associate with winter, select and read a picture book about winter, and compare the two using the interactive Venn Diagram.
Grades
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Dr. Christian Barnard performed the first human heart transplant.
K - 6
Calendar Activity
| Historical Figure & Event
Students talk about the causes of heart disease and the role that diet and exercise play. Then, students find healthy dessert recipes and vote on one dessert to make in class.
Grades
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April is National Poetry Month!
K - 12
Calendar Activity
| Holiday & School Celebration
Students are assigned to be "poets of the day" and are provided several models to create, illustrate, and present their different poems to the class.
Grades
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Noah Webster published his American Dictionary of the English Language in 1828.
2 - 12
Calendar Activity
| Historical Figure & Event
After dividing students into small groups, students play a variation of the game Balderdash to celebrate the publication of Webster's dictionary.
Grades
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Celebrate National Family Literacy Day!
K - 12
Calendar Activity
| Literacy-Related Event
Parents, grandparents, and other family members are invited to the classroom for a family-school reading day.
Grades
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Randolph Caldecott was born on March 22, 1846.
K - 12
Calendar Activity
| Literacy-Related Event
Students explore the history of the Caldecott Medal and create a classroom literary award modeled after the Caldecott.
Grades
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Celebrate Cynthia Rylant's birthday!
K - 8
Calendar Activity
| Author & Text
Students work in small groups or as a class to map the plot of a selected Cynthia Rylant story and create original literary works using the plot diagrams.
Grades
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May is Get Caught Reading Month!
K - 12
Calendar Activity
| Holiday & School Celebration
Students celebrate Get Caught Reading Month by doing a reading-related service project such as planning an intergenerational reading day or organizing a book drive.
Grades
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LeVar Burton, longtime host of Reading Rainbow, was born in 1957.
1 - 4
Calendar Activity
| Author & Text
After reading two complementary Reading Rainbow selections, students compare the selections using the Venn Diagram and write a comparison essay.
Grades
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Celebrate the 100th day of school!
K - 12
Calendar Activity
| Holiday & School Celebration
As a class, students work in small groups to create a "100th Day" book.
Grades
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Poet Nikki Giovanni was born in 1943.
1 - 12
Calendar Activity
| Author & Text
Using the poem "My First Memory (of Librarians)," students connect memory, their senses, and the language of poetry.
Grades
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Celebrate the National Day on Writing®!
K - 12
Calendar Activity
| Literacy-Related Event
Students examine the different ways that they write and think about the role writing plays in life.
Grades
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Oprah Winfrey launched her book club this week in 1996.
1 - 12
Calendar Activity
| Historical Figure & Event
Book clubs are created within the classroom or with a grade level or different classes.
Grades
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Get ready for National Bullying Prevention Month!
1 - 12
Calendar Activity
| Holiday & School Celebration
Students create a poster to enter into a poster contest that educates others about issues surrounding bullying.
Grades
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Today is Benjamin Franklin's birthday.
1 - 6
Calendar Activity
| Historical Figure & Event
Students discuss Benjamin Franklin's contributions to postal history, investigate the roles of the Postmaster General, and write letters to their classmates using the Letter Generator.