Anna’s Hummingbird in Big Bend
Great Backyard Bird Count occurs between February 16 and February 19! Children can spend as little as fifteen minutes in the backyard, identifying, counting, and photographing birds. They can submit their findings to add to the world’s knowledge of birds. Children can visit Great Backyard Bird Count. There they can find a printable bird checklist, data regarding past bird counts, and free apps to identify birds. What a fun, free, and engaging activity!
National Cabbage Day is today! A vegetable grown in even ancient times, the cabbage is a nutritious, versatile vegetable. The largest cabbage grown weighed 138 pounds 4 ounces! The world’s biggest producers of cabbage are China, India, Russia, South Korea, and Ukraine. In the United States, the biggest producers are California, New York, Florida, and Wisconsin. Idea: Children could research the health benefits of cabbage.
Flag of Kosovo
Kosovo celebrates Independence Day. In 2008 it broke away from Serbia. According to the CIA World Factbook, Kosovo is slightly larger than Delaware. Almost two million people live in this landlocked country. Pristina is the capital and largest city, and the country is rich in minerals and lignite. Children could learn more at: Kosovo.
White House
Alice Roosevelt, daughter of Theodore Roosevelt, was married in the White House in 1906. She married Nicholas Longworth. The public was captivated by her and the wedding, and tickets for the wedding were difficult to come by. Eight other “First Daughters” have been married in the White House. Children could view a list of all weddings held at the White House at: White House Weddings.
Vanguard 2 was launched in 1959. The 21.5 pound satellite became the first weather station in space. While it no longer sends data, it still circles the earth. Scientists gather data about it regarding gravity and atmospheric drag. Children could learn more about it at: Vanguard 2.
NEAR-Shoemaker
NEAR-Shoemaker was launched in 1996. Almost five years later, on February 12, 2001, it became the first spacecraft to land on a meteor. NEAR-Shoemaker landed on near-earth asteroid Eros and sent back data until February 28, 2001. The extreme cold on the asteroid probably prevented the return of more data. Older children can learn more at: http://science.nasa.gov/missions/near/.