Ground Hog Day
January 31, 2010
Who is Emmett Till?
January 14, 2010
I was perusing Hatchet « Stuff From Room 311 and I started reading one of their blogs about Emmett Till. Do any of you know anything about this young man? I thought it to be important to do some research about him. Below are some web sites that you will find information on.
Martin luther King, Jr.
January 5, 2010
On January 15 we celebrate Martin Luther King’s birthday.
I Have a Dream…
Martin Luther King was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. We celebrate his birthday on the third Monday in January. Martin Luther King was a Baptist minister who used peaceful methods to counteract the inequalities of laws and society.
New Year Resolutions…
January 1, 2010
Class X03 Celebrates Kwanzaa
December 14, 2009
Kwanzaa is a non-religious African American holiday which celebrates family, community, and culture. It is celebrated for seven days: December 26 – January 1.
Celebrate the Holidays the Italian Way…
December 1, 2009
Class X03 is celebrating the holidays Italian style.
Christmas season in Italy is traditionally celebrated December 24-January 6, or Christmas Eve through Epiphany. This follows the pagan season of celebrations that started with Saturnalia, a winter solstice festival, and ended with the Roman New Year, the Calends. However there are lots of Christmas things to see during December prior to Christmas, many starting on December 8, the Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception.
La Befana
Italy’s traditional celebration includes the tale of a white-haired witch known as La Befana who arrives on her broomstick during the night of January 5 and fills the stockings with toys and sweets for the good children and lumps of coal for the bad ones.
According to the legend, the night before the Wise Men arrived at the manger they stopped at the shack of an old woman to ask directions. They invited her to come along but she replied that she was too busy. Then a shepherd asked her to join him but again she refused.
Later that night, she saw a great light in the sky and decided to join the Wise Men and the shepherd bearing gifts that had belonged to her child who had died. She got lost and never found the manger.
Now La Befana flies around on her broomstick each year on the 11th night, bringing gifts to children in hopes that she might find the Baby Jesus. Children hang their stockings on the evening of January 5 awaiting the visit of La Befana.
La Befana Festivals
The town of Urbania, in Le Marche region, holds a 4-day festival for La Befana from January 2-6. Children can meet La Befana in La Casa della Befana. This is one of the biggest celebrations for La Befana in Italy.
The Befana races are held in Venice on January 6. Men dressed as La Befana race in boats on the Grand Canal.
Penny Harvest Countdown…
November 28, 2009
Gobble, Gobble
November 18, 2009
Harvest Those Pennies…
November 18, 2009
Main Entry: 1har·vest
Function: noun
Pronunciation: ‘här-v&st
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English hervest, from Old English hærfest; akin to Latin carpere to pluck, gather, Greek karpos fruit
1 : the season for gathering in agricultural crops
2 : the act or process of gathering in a crop
History of New York…
November 17, 2009Some great webquests… for all to explore… 4th grade Social Studies….
Everything you ever wanted to know about turkeys… and then some..
November 15, 2009
Veteran’s Day
November 3, 2009
Now more than ever we should pay homage to this day. Rememberance of all those who give their lives so we can live in our great country.
Armistice Day Becomes Veterans Day
World War I officially ended on June 28, 1919, with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. The actual fighting between the Allies and Germany, however, had ended seven months earlier with the armistice, which went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918. Armistice Day, as November 11 became known, officially became a holiday in the United States in 1926, and a national holiday 12 years later. On June 1, 1954, the name was changed to Veterans Day to honor all U.S. veterans.
In 1968, new legislation changed the national commemoration of Veterans Day to the fourth Monday in October. It soon became apparent, however, that November 11 was a date of historic significance to many Americans. Therefore, in 1978 Congress returned the observance to its traditional date.
Tomb of the Unknowns
Official, national ceremonies for Veterans Day center around the Tomb of the Unknowns.
To honor these men, symbolic of all Americans who gave their lives in all wars, an Army honor guard, the 3d U.S. Infantry (The Old Guard), keeps day and night vigil.
At 11 a.m. on November 11, a combined color guard representing all military services executes “Present Arms” at the tomb. The nation’s tribute to its war dead is symbolized by the laying of a presidential wreath and the playing of “Taps.”
Unknown Soldier Identified
On Memorial Day (which honors U.S. service people who died in action) in 1958, two more unidentified American war dead, one from World War II and the other from the Korean War, were buried next the unknown soldier of World War I.
A law was passed in 1973 providing interment of an unknown American from the Vietnam War, but because of the improved technology to identify the dead, it was not until 1984 that an unidentified soldier was buried in the tomb.
In 1998, however, the Vietnam soldier was identified through DNA tests as Michael Blassie, a 24-year-old Air Force pilot who was shot down in May of 1972 near the Cambodian border. His body was disinterred and reburied by his family in St. Louis, Missouri.
Day of the Dead
November 3, 2009
Halloween Safety Tips~~~
October 19, 2009
Red Cross Halloween Safety Tips for Kids and Adults
With witches, goblins, and super-heroes descending on neighborhoods across America, the American Red Cross offers parents some safety tips to help prepare their children for a safe and enjoyable trick-or-treat holiday. Halloween should be filled with surprise and enjoyment, and following some common sense practices can keep events safer and more fun.
- Walk, slither, and sneak on sidewalks, not in the street.
- Look both ways before crossing the street to check for cars, trucks, and low-flying brooms.
- Cross the street only at corners.
- Don’t hide or cross the street between parked cars.
- Wear light-colored or reflective-type clothing so you are more visible. (And remember to put reflective tape on bikes, skateboards, and brooms, too!)
- Plan your route and share it with your family. If possible, have an adult go with you.
- Carry a flashlight to light your way.
- Keep away from open fires and candles. (Costumes can be extremely flamable.)
- Visit homes that have the porch light on.
- Accept your treats at the door and never go into a stranger’s house.
- Use face paint rather than masks or things that will cover your eyes.
- Be cautious of animals and strangers.
- Have a grown-up inspect your treats before eating. And don’t eat candy if the package is already opened. Small, hard pieces of candy are a choking hazard for young children.
