Ford Assembly Line
Henry Ford pushed the button to start the first assembly-line production in 1914. Idea: Ford’s first assembly line made cars. Children could form an assembly line to make ice cream sundaes. One person could be in charge of dishes. Another could add one kind of ice cream. Another could add a different kind of ice cream. A fourth student could top the ice cream with chocolate. Another could spritz on some whipped cream. Still another could add a cherry. Then everyone could eat!
Franklin Roosevelt
Franklin Roosevelt in 1943 became the first President to fly in an airplane. He flew from Miami, Florida, to Morocco to meet with Winston Churchill. He left Miami on January 11 and flew to the Caribbean, then along the coast of South America, and then across the Atlantic Ocean. The return trip took several days because he spent time with military troops.
Saturn and its Rings
Huygens Probe landed on Saturn’s moon Titan in 2005. The successful landing indicated Titan’s surface is covered with a powdery substance. Scientists are still analyzing the data the probe sent back to earth. The Cassini-Huygens mission was a joint venture of the European Space Agency, the Italian Space Agency, and NASA. The mission left earth on October 15, 1997. The Cassini portion continued to send back data about Saturn and remained active until September 15, 2017 when its energy was depleted and it dove into Saturn’s atmosphere, returning data until it was no more. Children can review data and more at: Cassini-Huygens.
National Bagel Day is today! Bagels are not easy to make. They must be made, boiled, and then baked. Idea: Children could decide on their favorite types of bagel and their favorite type of topping.
Rosetta Stone
British Museum opened in 1759. The original museum was based on the 37,000-piece collection of Sir Hans Sloane, a scientist and physician. The museum grew quickly as Great Britain entered its colonial period. Today the museum’s collection exceeds eight million objects, and over six million visitors enter its doors each year. Some of its acquisitions, for example the Rosetta Stone, have caused controversy. Children can visit the museum website at: British Museum.
Democratic Party used the donkey as its emblem for the first time in 1870. Harper’s Weekly printed an article which included Thomas Nast’s caricature of a donkey. Children can see the cartoon and learn more at: Donkey.
Swan Lake, Tchaikovsky’s ballet, opened in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in 1895. Idea: Children could listen to a portion of the music and perhaps transfer what they hear to art. Children could read Swan Lake, written by Mark Helprin and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg.
Boston Molasses Disaster
Boston Molasses Disaster occurred in 1919. No, this is not a hoax; this was a terrible disaster. On this day in 1919 a huge tank holding about 2,300,000 gallons of molasses ruptured, sending a tsunami of molasses into the streets of the North End part of Boston. Moving at 35 miles per hour, the molasses wave leveled buildings, trapped people, and even hurled a truck into Boston Harbor. About 21 people died, and 150 more were injured. Children could read The Great Molasses Flood by Deborah Kops. They could also watch a very interesting video at: Boston Molasses Disaster.
Super Bowl I was played in 1967. The Green Bay Packers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs. Idea: Sports fans could compile statistics on the various Super Bowl Games. Which team holds the most championships? Which person played in the most games?
Wikipedia was started by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger in 2001. It is supported by a non-profit group, Wikimedia. Today the online encyclopedia has 18 billion articles in 287 languages. Over 70,000 volunteers work to make the articles accurate and current. Children can check out Wikijunior at: Wikijunior.