Hear how graphic novels place the events of 9/11 in historical context, how war stories put a human face on the costs of military conflict, and how YA novels imagine roles that teens can play in working for a better world.
The Post 9/11 Landscape
Grades
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Today is St. Patrick's Day.
1 - 12
Calendar Activity
| Holiday & School Celebration
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.
Grades
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Actor Sidney Poitier was born in 1924.
3 - 12
Calendar Activity
| Historical Figure & Event
Students do a journal entry about barriers that have been broken,such as age, race, and gender, that might impede them in the future, and how they can break through those barriers.
Grades
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Jackie Robinson was born on this day in 1919.
7 - 12
Calendar Activity
| Historical Figure & Event
Students read messages sent to the White House from Jackie Robinson and discuss his role as an athlete and a civil rights activist, as well as the role of athletes in society.
Grades
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Annie Moore becomes the first immigrant to enter Ellis Island in 1892.
3 - 12
Calendar Activity
| Historical Figure & Event
Students explore online resources about Ellis Island, interview an immigrant in the area, and publish their stories.
Grades
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Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus.
5 - 12
Calendar Activity
| Historical Figure & Event
Students make believe that the year is 1955 and they just heard about Parks' arrest. Students write newspaper editorials with their points of view on segregation.
Grades
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The Spanish town of Guernica was bombed on this date in 1937.
3 - 12
Calendar Activity
| Historical Figure & Event
After showing students Picasso's Guernica, they are provided with background information, share their impressions, and write about Picasso's purpose in creating the painting.
Grades
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In 1939, Marian Anderson was denied permission to sing at Constitution Hall.
7 - 12
Calendar Activity
| Historical Figure & Event
Students view Eleanor Roosevelt's resignation letter to the DAR in response to Andersen being denied permission to sing. Students write a letter to a newspaper editor about social injustice.
Grades
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Faith Ringgold was born on October 8, 1930.
5 - 12
Calendar Activity
| Author & Text
Students use Ringgold's books as a springboard for a discussion of race, gender, and civil rights, and then write and illustrate original picture books on these topics.
Grades
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Author Alice Walker was born on February 9, 1944.
9 - 12
Calendar Activity
| Author & Text
After students read the novel The Color Purple, dialect is discussed and students write a short piece of fiction or poetry using the dialect of their peer group.
Grades
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Pedro Albizu Campos leads the Puerto Rican Independence movement.
6 - 12
Calendar Activity
| Historical Figure & Event
After learning about the story of Pedro Albizu Campos and his commitment to Puerto Rican independence, students research and share their learning about another nationalist figure from around the world.
Grades
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Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is in May!
9 - 12
Calendar Activity
| Holiday & School Celebration
Students consider the portrayal of Asians in popular culture by exploring images from classic and contemporary films and comparing them to historical and cultural reference materials.
Grades
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Celebrate El Día de Los Niños/El Día de Los Libros (Children's Day/Book Day)!
3 - 8
Calendar Activity
| Holiday & School Celebration
Using the Book Cover Creator, students write and share their own multilingual stories.
Grades
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Today is D.E.A.R. Day!
K - 12
Calendar Activity
| Holiday & School Celebration
April 12 is known as D.E.A.R Day! D.E.A.R. stands for "Drop Everything and Read," a national month-long celebration of reading designed to remind folks of all ages to make reading a priority activity in their lives.
Grades
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Poet Paul Laurence Dunbar was born today in 1872.
8 - 12
Calendar Activity
| Author & Text
Students read one of Dunbar's most famous poems and explore how critical excerpts shape their understanding.
Grades
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James Baldwin was born today in 1924.
9 - 12
Calendar Activity
| Author & Text
Students read and respond to an essay by Baldwin, commenting on the contemporary resonance of his ideas.
Grades
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Frederick Douglass began publication of The North Star today in 1847.
9 - 12
Calendar Activity
| Historical Figure & Event
Students read and discuss an editorial written by Frederick Douglass and then write the opening editorial for a contemporary publication devoted to a social cause important to them.
Grades
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Author Matt de la Peña was born today.
8 - 12
Calendar Activity
| Author & Text
Students use an essay by de la Peña as a model for writing their own literacy autobiography.
Grades
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César Chávez was born on this day in 1927.
7 - 12
Calendar Activity
| Historical Figure & Event
Students work in small groups to research a civil rights leader and do a creative writing piece, followed by a short story, with their group.
Grades
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November is National American Indian Heritage Month.
3 - 12
Calendar Activity
| Holiday & School Celebration
Students explore Native American heritage through the study of pourquoi tales, write their own original pourquoi tales, and use the ReadWriteThink Printing Press to publish them.