Happy Hanukkah! Hanukkah started yesterday, December 10th, so let’s celebrate with a list of picture books to read during this festive time!
Hanukkah Bear- A book about Hanukkah, delicious food, and a fun bear! Such a cute read.
Latke, The Lucky Dog– A mischievous dog that goes through the day of Hanukkah with his new family.
The Story of Hanukkah- This one gives a good background on where Hanukkah came from and why we celebrate it. A fun history book with beautiful illustrations!
How Do Dinosaurs Say Happy Chanukah?- A fun, familiar series of books with a Hanukkah version. This book gives the non-examples of how to act on Hanukkah for kids but then finishes by showing a great example of what to do, by taking turns and being respectful.
Meet the Latkes- I love that this book starts with some history behind the holiday before it begins. Such a fun book! This read aloud was one of my favorites I’ve watched so far, so check out this video by Mrs. Lemansky.
What are some of your favorite Hanukkah read alouds?
Welcome to our list of favorite Diwali books! This holiday was a favorite of mine to research because of the colors involved with Diwali, making the illustrations in every book so fun! Here are my top four:
I love how this book is simple and on a child’s level, while still incorporating the Diwali jargon and vocabulary. It is also very inclusive of multiple races, showing that Diwali can be enjoyed by many!
It’s almost time for Halloween! How are you celebrating in your town or school? Does it look different for you, or are things fairly similar?
I can’t let a holiday go by without sharing my favorite books for the season! It’s just not in me. Here are my favorite Halloween books.
The Legend of Spookley The Square Pumpkin. Maybe I love this book because my first-grade teacher (read about her here and how she gave me a love for books!) read this to our class on Halloween. But the message behind it is still great.
Piggie Pieby Margie Palatini
Room On The Broom by Julia Donaldson
It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown By Charles M. Schulz because how do you say no to a classic?!
Pete The Cat: Five Little Pumpkins by James Dean. I think there’s a special element of fun when a beloved, well-known book character celebrates the same holiday you do.
The Dead Family Diaz by P.J. Bracegirdle: it teaches about Day of the Dead from a unique perspective from the dead world side instead of the living world. It will also make you wonder if maybe the movie Coco stole some ideas and influence from this book….?
What are your favorite Halloween books to read to your class?
Martin Luther King Jr.: civil rights activist, nonviolence champion, Nobel Peace Prize awardee, assassinated martyr. Help students understand why the that holiday honors his life goes beyond having a day off school!
Veteran’s Day is observed on November 11 each year, the anniversary of the day World War I ended. Help your students to truly appreciate our veterans’ sacrifices by selecting one or more of the ideas listed here.
#1: Gallery Wall of Veteran Photos
Author’s Great-Uncle Milton Brown
On Veteran’s Day, ask your students to bring a photo of a veteran they know. It could be a parent, aunt, cousin, great-grandfather, or even a neighbor. Have students bring the following:
An 8×10 copy of their veteran’s photo
An index card with information that includes:
Veteran’s name
Student’s name & relationship to veteran
Term of service
Branch of service and rank
Country for which the veteran served
Any notable information about the service
Keep the photos posted in your halls for a few weeks–not only does this beautifully honor those who have served, but it also is perfect to renew the feelings of gratitude that we seek to magnify throughout the Thanksgiving season.
#2: Poppies & Poetry
Poppies are a classic, but not all your students may be aware of their significance. Choose a way to share “In Flanders Fields” with your students, whether you simply read the text and background, watch a video, or show a picture book. (Alternatively, share Cheryl Dyson’s poem for a piece suited for very young audiences). Then, ask students to find meaningful ways they can express their understanding and appreciation for this poem:
Have students write letters expressing gratitude to a soldier. Mail these to soldiers at your closest military base or visit websites like Operation Gratitude. Students could also share their pieces created in the above Poppies & Poetry activity.
This project was started by Congress in 2000, and is sponsored by AARP. The goal is to “collect, preserve, and make accessible the personal accounts of American war veterans so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war.” As a class, you could:
Register for the VHP RSS feed (and add to your class blog if you have one!)
Locate a veteran to interview (either a student’s family member or someone found in a local veterans service organization), then hold the interview in class if he or she can make it, or by phone.
While volunteer student interviewers must be 10th graders or older, younger students can participate in interviewing family members. Additionally, donations are welcome, so your class could alternatively hold a fundraiser for the project!
Earth Day in 2014 will be on April 22nd. Whether you’re looking for ideas for your class or to personally make the world a greener place, check out our 10 activities here…
#10: Share Acts of Green
When you do anything for Earth Day, share your “Act of Green” to the earthday.org website to help reach them reach their goal of 2 billion Acts of Green (currently just over 1 billion)!
#9: Watch some videos
We’ve listed some inspiring Earth Day videos below:
PBS NOVA video: Earth From Space (1 hr. 52 min.): Fascinating video if you have time for the whole thing or just part of it. Shows how ecosystems and climates are globally interconnected from satellite perspectives.
#4: Contact your local representative to take action
Various green legislation is currently being evaluated, such as Environmental Education. This is an especially great option if your class has been studying government this year!
#3: Learn about various donation programs
If your administration approves, perhaps your class may choose to have a fundraiser to contribute to! Even if a fundraiser isn’t an option, it’s still great for students to discuss and perhaps bring home ideas for action!
Adopt an Acre with the Nature Conservancy’s program to conserve coral reef, African grasslands, and more. Donations start at $50
The Canopy Project with Earth Day Network to plant 10 million trees. Donations start at $35.
Species Adoptions from WWF. Donations start at $50, and you will receive a plush animal, bag, and picture in return!
Columbus Day was declared a federal holiday in the United States in 1934 by President Roosevelt after lobbying from a Catholic fraternal association called Knights of Columbus. Since then, many have questioned the appropriateness of celebrating Columbus by bringing some of his lesser-known actions to light. Let’s lay it out and look at the myths and truths surrounding Christopher Columbus and his legacy:
