Tin can processing of food was patented by Ezra Daggett and Thomas Kensett in 1825. Tin cans preserve food for long periods of time. Children can learn more about different ways of preserving food at: Food Preservation.
Jan 192025
celebrateandlearn
Jan 192025
New Horizons
New Horizons was launched in 2006 to fly by Pluto and its moons. The unmanned spacecraft flew closest to Pluto on July 14, 2015. The craft then studied Pluto’s five moons: Charon, Nix, Hydra, Styx, and Kerberos. After its work around Pluto was done, it was given a new mission, to study objects in the Kuiper Belt. It conducted a flyby of (486958) 2014 MU69 on January 1, 2019. After it has passed through the Kuiper Belt, it will study interstellar space. Children could learn a great deal more at: New Horizons.
Jan 192025
Paul Cezanne (born Aix-en-Provence, France, 1839; died Aix-en-Provence, France, October 22, 1906) has been declared the “father of modern painting.” He did not become famous until after his death. He tended to convey the emotion of the object painted rather than its physical appearance. Children could visit a website at: http://www.paul-cezanne.org/.
Alice Eastwood (born Toronto, Canada, 1859; died San Francisco, California, October 30, 1953) was a botanist. She studied botany in Europe and in the United States. In 1890 she took a job at the herbarium of the California Academy of Sciences. From 1894 to 1943 (when she retired) she was head of the department of botany. She collected and traded specimens of numerous plants from the western United States. Children could learn more at: Alice Eastwood.
Lisa Campbell Ernst (born Bartlesville, Oklahoma, 1956) has written or illustrated at least 30 books for children. Her works include Sylvia Jean, Drama Queen and The Gingerbread Girl.
Pat Mora (born El Paso, Texas, 1942) writes books for children, young adults, and adults. She pays particular attention to the Latino community, the importance of literacy, and the value of multilingualism. She created El dia de los ninos/ el dia de los libros, a day to share books with children and improve literacy. The American Library Association cohosts this yearly event on April 30th. She has written about 39 books, many published in both English and Spanish. Her books include A Birthday Basket for Tia and The Night the Moon Fell. Children can visit her website: Pat Mora.
Edgar Allan Poe (born Boston, Massachusetts, 1809; died Baltimore, Maryland, October 7, 1849) was a poet and a writer. His most famous works include the poem The Raven and the tale The Gold Bug. Idea: Older children enjoy a choral reading of The Raven. Many of his works can be found at: Project Gutenberg. Children can learn more about Poe at: Edgar Allan Poe.
James Watt (born Greenock, Scotland, 1736; died Heathfield, England, August 19, 1819) was an inventor and a civil engineer. While he did not invent the steam engine, he did make it more practical. The electrical unit, the watt, is named in honor of him. Idea: Children could look at different types of light bulbs and find the wattage. They could then discover the relationships between watts and brightness.
Jan 202025
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King Day is a national holiday. The holiday is the third Monday in January. Martin Luther King, Junior’s birthday is January 15, 1929. He was assassinated in 1968. A holiday in his honor was first proposed in 1968. It became law in 1983 when President Ronald Reagan signed the document. It was first observed January 20, 1986. Some states fought the idea, and it was first observed in all 50 states in 2000. Lately people have proposed that the day become a day of service and not just a holiday. Some organizations paint/repair community buildings. Others improve parks and highways. Others work with charity groups. Children could learn more about the Martin Luther King Day of Service at: http://mlkday.gov/.
Jan 202025
Penguins Migrate
Penguin Awareness Day is today! Penguins are flightless birds that spend half their time on land and half their time in oceans. Scientists believe about 17 to 20 species of penguins exist today. Only the Galapagos penguin lives north of the equator. Penguins consume fish, krill, and other sea organisms as they travel through the water. Interesting fact: a group of penguins on land is a waddle; a group of penguins in water is a raft. Idea: Children could read Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Florence Atwater and Richard Atwater. They could also find out why most penguins are white and black.
Jan 202025
First basketball game was played in 1892. James Naismith was working at the School for Christian Workers, now Springfield College, in Springfield, Massachusetts. He was told to develop a new game to keep athletes fit in the winter months. Using a soccer ball and two peach bushel baskets, he created the game of Basket Ball. Idea: Children could organize a basketball mini-tournament. Children can read more about the original rules of the game at: Basketball Rules. Children could also read John Coy’s Hoop Genius: How a Desperate Teacher and a Rowdy Gym Class Invented Basketball.
Jan 202025
Dwight Eisenhower
Dwight Eisenhower in 1953 became the first president to be inaugurated on January 20. All previous presidents had been sworn in on March 4. The Twentieth Amendment changed the date of inauguration from March 4 to January 20.
Jan 202025
Kamala Harris became the first woman Vice President of the United States in 2021. She is also the first African American and the first Asian American person elected Vice President.
Jan 202025
Tedd Arnold (born Elmira, New York, 1949) has written and/or illustrated over 100 books for children. His book Rat Life received the 2008 Edgar Award for Best Young Adult Novel. He is well-known for his Fly Guy series.
Buzz Aldrin (born Edwin Aldrin in Montclair, New Jersey, 1930) is an astronaut and the second person to walk on the moon. On July 20, 1969, he followed Neil Armstrong and walked on the moon’s surface. Older children can visit his website at: Buzz Aldrin.
Richard Henry Lee (born Virginia, 1732; died Virginia, June 19, 1794) signed Declaration of Independence. Born into a very wealthy family, he received some of his education in England. His family was steeped in politics, and Lee was elected to the House of Burgesses in 1758. He was one of the first leaders to advocate independence. On June 7, 1776, he spoke to the Continental Congress and proposed, “that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States.” That speech started the process of independence. During the Revolutionary War, he was president of Congress, making him the leader of the new country. After the Revolutionary War, he was one of Virginia’s senators. He resigned from the Senate in 1792 due to illness and an accident. Children can learn more at: Richard Henry Lee.
Jan 212025
Squirrel Appreciation Day is today! The day was created in 2001 by Christy Hargrove, a wildlife rehabilitation specialist living in Asheville, North Carolina. Belonging to the rodent family, squirrels live in just about every habitat. While predominantly herbivores, squirrels can eat insects and even small mammals. Squirrels actually plant trees because they bury seeds and nuts for future meals and then forget about them. The seeds and nuts then sprout to become trees.