Pi Pie
Pi Day is today (3.14)! Larry Shaw started Pi Day in 1988 when he was a physicist at the San Francisco Exploratorium. Today schools across the country will host Pi Day activities and then students might eat slices of pie. Pi is the relationship of a circle’s circumference divided by its diameter. An irrational number, pi has been calculated to 62.8 trillion decimal places. Several wonderful websites are devoted to Pi Day, but probably the best one is the Exploratorium site at: pi day.
Monarch Butterfly
Learn about Butterflies Day is today! About 17,500 species of butterflies exist in the world, and about 750 species can be found in the United States. Butterflies are the only type of insect that have scales covering their wings, and they are the only type of insect that can curl up their proboscis. Butterflies provide beauty, but they also pollinate many, many plant species. Younger children could read The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. Older children can learn more at: Butterflies.
Potato Chip Aisle in Grocery store
National Potato Chip Day is today! Potato chips were invented by Chef George Crum in Saratoga Springs, New York, in 1853. According to legend, Crum, a Native American chef at Moon’s Lake House, wanted to impress a client. He cut the potatoes into thin slices, fried them, and added salt. Today potato chips are about 35 percent of the snack food market and generate revenues of over sixteen billion dollars annually.
What could children do today other than eat a few potato chips? They could poll their friends as to their favorite type of potato chip. They could investigate why potato chips are not healthy and whether certain types are healthier than others. Finally they could learn about the different varieties of potatoes and potato chips.
Eli Whitney
Cotton gin was patented by Eli Whitney in 1794. It changed the way cotton was raised and processed in the southeastern United States. Prior to the gin, slaves had to hand separate the cotton fibers from cotton seeds and debris. The cotton gin processed the separation ten times faster. More cotton could therefore be planted, and unfortunately more slaves were needed. Children could glean many more details at: Cotton Gin Patent.
Frank Borman (born Gary, Indiana, 1928; died Billings, Montana, November 7, 2023) was an astronaut. He was the Command Pilot of Gemini 7. He and his crew set an endurance record in 1962 by spending fourteen days in space. He was Commander of Apollo 8, the first vehicle to circle the moon. Children could learn more at: Frank Borman.
Eugene Cernan (born Chicago, Illinois, 1934; died Houston, Texas, January 16, 2017) was a test pilot and astronaut. He participated in Gemini 9A and Apollo 10. He was commander of Apollo 17. He was the eleventh man on the moon and the last person to walk on the moon. Children can learn more at: Eugene Cernan.
Marguerite de Angeli (born Lampeer, Michigan, 1889; died Detroit, Michigan, June 16, 1987) was a children’s author. She received a 1945 Newbery Honor Award for Yonie Wondernose. Her book The Door in the Wall received the 1950 Newbery Medal. De Angeli received a 1956 Newbery Honor Award for The Black Fox of Lome. Children could visit a website at: Marguerite de Angeli.
Albert Einstein (born Ulm, Germany, 1879; died Princeton, New Jersey, April 18, 1955) revolutionized theories about the universe. Children could read Albert Einstein and Relativity for Kids: His Life and Ideas with 21 Activities and Thought Experiments by Jerome Pohlen.
Lucy B. Hobbs (born Constable, New York, 1833; died Lawrence, Kansas, October 3, 1910) became the first woman dentist when she graduated from the Ohio College of Dental Surgery in Cincinnati, Ohio, on February 21, 1866. She practiced dentistry for over 20 years. She then turned her attention to politics and women’s rights.
Casey Jones (born John Luther Jones near Cayce, Kentucky, 1864; died April 30, 1900 in a train wreck near Vaughn, Mississippi) is the subject of “the Ballad of Casey Jones.” Children can read the text of the ballad at: Casey Jones.
Hank Ketcham (born Seattle, Washington, 1920; died Pebble Beach, California, June 1, 2001) created Dennis the Menace. Dennis was created in the early 1950’s. Ketcham retired in 1995, and other people draw Dennis today. Children can learn more at: Hank Ketcham.