Ibex Dunes in Death Valley NPS Photo
Death Valley, California, noted a record-breaking temperature of 134 degrees Fahrenheit in 1913. The record still holds. Children can learn more about Death Valley National Park at: http://www.nps.gov/deva/index.htm. They can learn about the Park’s weather extremes at: Death Valley Weather Extremes.
Waco Mammoth National Monument
Waco Mammoth National Monument was established in 2015 near Waco, Texas. The museum and site preserves the fossils of 24 Columbian mammoths and other mammals. The nursery of mother and young Columbian mammoths was probably caught in a flash flood about 67,000 years ago. The site was discovered in 1978 by two men looking for arrowheads. Children can learn more, including the differences between Columbian mammoths and woolly mammoths, at: http://www.nps.gov/waco/index.htm.
Mary O’Hara Alsop (born Cape May Point, New Jersey, 1885; died Chevy Chase, Maryland, October 14, 1980) was a screenwriter, composer, and author. She wrote My Friend Flicka and Wyoming Summer.
Judie Angell (born New York, New York, 1937) writes books for children. Her works include Dear Lola and Don’t Rent My Room!
Mildred Wirt Benson (born Ladora, Iowa, 1905; died Toledo, Ohio, May 28, 2002) wrote many children’s books under a variety of pen names. As Carolyn Keene, she wrote 23 of the 30 Nancy Drew mysteries for the Stratemeyer Syndicate. Under her own name, she wrote the Penny Parker series. Children could visit a website devoted to her at: Mildred Wirt Benson.
Mary McLeod Bethune
Mary McLeod Bethune (born Mayesville, South Carolina, 1875; died Daytona Beach, Florida, May 18, 1955) was born to a family of former slaves. She devoted her life to the improvement of conditions for African Americans. She served as an advisor to Franklin Roosevelt on minority rights. Children could learn more at: Mary McLeod Bethune.
Edmund Clerihew Bentley (born London, England, 1875; died London, England, March 30, 1956) created the clerihew. It is a poem composed of two rhymed couplets of different lengths. Children can read some of his clerihews at: Clerihews. Then they can write some of their own clerihews.
Dianne Ochiltree (born Warren, Ohio, 1953) writes books for children. Her works include Molly, by Golly, and It’s a Firefly Night. Children can visit her website: Dianne Ochiltree.
Martin Provensen (born Chicago, Illinois, 1916; died Staatsburg, New York, March 27, 1987) and his wife, Alice Provensen, wrote and illustrated children’s books. They earned a 1982 Caldecott Honor Award for A Visit to William Blake’s Inn: Poems for Innocent and Experienced Travelers. They also received the 1984 Caldecott Medal for The Glorious Flight: Across the Channel with Louis Bleriot, July 25, 1909.
Candice Ransom (born Washington, DC, 1952) has written at least 150 books for children and young adults. Her works include Rebel McKenzie and Tooth Fairy’s Night. Children could visit her website at: Candice Ransom.
Whistler’s Mother
James Abbott McNeill Whistler (born Lowell, Massachusetts, 1834; died London, England, July 17, 1903) was an artist. One of his best-known works is Arrangement in Grey and Black: Portrait of the Painter’s Mother. The work is commonly called Whistler’s Mother. Children can visit a website at: Whistler.
United Nations Flag
World Population Day is today. Created by the United Nations in 1989, the day draws attention to the world’s population and the stresses the large population brings to the planet. Today more than eight billion people live on earth. Children can learn more at: World Population Day.
Flag of Mongolia
Mongolia celebrates Revolution Day. The people revolted against a feudal monarch in 1921. Mongolia is a bit smaller than Alaska, and the terrain is mostly desert. Natural resources include oil, copper, and coal. Over three million people live in this landlocked country. Ulaanbaatar is the capital.
James Smith, signer of the Declaration of Independence, died in 1806. He represented Pennsylvania. His exact date of birth is unknown, but he was born in Ireland around 1719. A fire in 1803 destroyed many documents by and about Smith, so little is known about him. Children could learn more at: James Smith.
Skylab
Skylab in 1979 reentered the earth’s atmosphere and broke apart. The pieces fell into the Indian Ocean and onto parts of Australia. Skylab, the first United States space station, had been launched May 14, 1973. Three manned crews, Skylab 2, Skylab 3, and Skylab 4, conducted experiments there between May 1973 and February 1974. Children could learn more at: Skylab.
John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams (born Braintree, Massachusetts, 1767; died Washington, DC, February 23, 1848) was the sixth president (1825-1829) of the United States. The first son of a president to become a president, he was a child during the Revolutionary War. He spoke at least seven languages. He was a senator before he beat Andrew Jackson for the presidency. After he was president, he served for 17 years as a congressperson from Massachusetts. Children can visit a website at: John Quincy Adams. Idea: Students could investigate the languages he spoke. They could learn a bit more about each of the languages.
Pierce Butler (born Ireland, 1744; died Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, February 15, 1822) represented South Carolina at the Constitutional Convention. In his early life he joined the British military at age eleven. He fought in the French and Indian War and decided to remain in America. A wealthy plantation owner, he served as a U.S. senator from South Carolina from 1789 to 1796 and from 1803 to 1804. Children can learn more at: Pierce Butler.
Lester Laminack (born Flint, Michigan, 1956) writes books for children and adults. His children’s books include Three Hens and a Peacock and Jake’s 100th Day of School. Children can learn more at: Lester Laminack.
Patricia Polacco (born Lansing, Michigan, 1944) has written and illustrated at least 60 books for children. One of her wonderful books is The Keeping Quilt. Children could visit her website, filled with fun activities, at: Patricia Polacco.
James Stevenson (born New York, New York, 1929; died Cos Cob, Connecticut, February 17, 2017) wrote and/or illustrated over 100 books for children and young adults. His works include the Mud Flat series and I Meant to Tell You. He illustrated books by other authors, including Judy Blume and Jack Prelutsky.
E. B. White (born Elwynn Brooks White in Mount Vernon, New York, 1899; died North Brooklyn, Maine, October 1, 1985) wrote for many audiences. He wrote, among other works, Charlotte’s Web (a 1953 Newbery Honor Book), Stuart Little, and The Trumpet of the Swan. Since 2005 the American Booksellers for Children (ABC) have awarded the E. B. White Read-Aloud Award. Children could learn more about White and the E. B. White Read-Aloud Award from Children’s Book Award Handbook by Diana F. Marks.
Flag of Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe celebrate Independence Day. They gained their freedom from Portugal in 1975. The area of this cluster of islands is about five times area of Washington, DC. Located off the coast of western Africa, this country experiences a tropical climate. Natural resources include fish and hydropower. Almost 200,000 people live there. The capital is Sao Tome.
Flag of Kiribati
Kiribati celebrates Independence Day. Formerly called the Gilbert Islands, this country became free of British rule in 1979. The 33 atolls, located in the Pacific Ocean, form a small country with an area about three times the size of Washington, DC. Over 100,000 people live on 21 inhabited atolls. Tarawa is the capital.