When students learn about and celebrate Veterans Day, they learn more than historical facts. Celebrating this holiday teaches patriotism and empathy while allowing children to honor and show gratitude to the men and women who fight for our freedoms and protect our nation. Teaching students about Veterans Day develops character in other ways by teaching the value of sacrifice, loyalty, and commitment to the greater good. These values will turn them into active community leaders…
November is Native American Heritage Month, which was recognized federally for the first time in the United States in 1990. Native American Heritage Month provides an opportunity to reckon with our past and to reflect on the treatment of Indigenous people throughout American history. During this month long event, it is important not just to celebrate the legacy that Indigenous history makers have left, but also to celebrate those who continue to shape our society, lead…
El Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a day of celebration, particularly for the people in Mexico and Central America and for many Mexican Americans in the United States. It is a day to honor and commemorate the lives of the dearly departed and to welcome the return of their spirits. The tradition of the Day of the Dead is rooted in Indigenous and Spanish Catholic ritual customs. Today, this celebration has…
Politics can be a difficult subject to discuss with children, but as they grow and begin to understand the fundamentals of civics and how people choose their local and national leaders, the subject is hard to avoid. Voting allows people to come together as a community to make a collective decision; it fosters democracy and allows for a fair process in electing local and national leaders. How do you talk to kids about voting and…
Most Americans have a basic understanding of why we celebrate Independence Day. July 4 is the day our country celebrates our independence as a nation. While the official date was designated as a holiday in 1948, the tradition of celebrating the signing of the declaration of independence goes back to the 18th century and the American Revolution. The first annual celebration of independence occurred on July 4, 1777, and has continued to be celebrated annually…
Juneteenth, which is short for June Nineteenth, marks the day that U.S. federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas. They went to ensure that all enslaved African Americans were freed. Black history is essential and integral to American history, and Juneteenth lessons are an opportunity to emphasize this in the classroom. Juneteenth is the oldest celebration of the legal end of slavery in the United States. On September 22, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation…
Since 1990, the U.S. government has designated the month of May as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, celebrating the heritage, achievements, and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in the United States. The month of May was chosen to mark the arrival of the first Japanese immigrant to the United States on May 7, 1843, as well as the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869.…
Today’s education system resembles much of what you’d see in the early 1900s: rote memorization, a teacher speaking to dozens of pupils who must remain silent unless called upon, curriculum at scale. Coronavirus-related distance learning pushed that same operation online, and because of the severity of the crisis, educators and parents understandably yearn for getting back to normal. But for educator Gholdy Muhammad, normal hasn’t served all students well, especially in literacy education, and no…
March is Women’s History Month, and International Women’s Day on March 8 is also a part of the celebration each year. For educators and students, the month provides a wonderful opportunity to explore and dig deeper into women’s contributions, struggles, and triumphs throughout history. Celebrate the accomplishments women have made during the course of history with the following Women’s History Month activities. 1. Research and personal interview. Invite students to produce a podcast featuring an…
When it comes to teaching elementary school during Black History Month, there’s a lot that teachers do right. Then again, there are a lot of things that go wrong — we’ve all seen the news reports over the years of schools advertising problematic Black History Month meals or inappropriate assignments handed out to students. So how do you strike just the right tone with activities that aren’t just appropriate, but also truly meaningful and reflective…
