Rosh Hashanah, New Year in the Jewish calendar, begins today at sundown and concludes at sundown on September 13. The days are spent in worship and with family. Yom Kippur begins on September 20 at sundown and concludes on September 21 at sundown. Children could learn more by reading Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, by Howard Greenfield.
Patriot Day and National Day of Prayer and Remembrance is today. The United States was attacked by Al Qaeda terrorists on this day in 2001. The terrorists commandeered four passenger planes. They crashed two planes into the World Trade Center in New York City and one plane into the Pentagon. The fourth airplane, destined for Washington, DC, crashed into western Pennsylvania. It appears the passengers tried to regain control of the aircraft. More than 3,000 people died in the attacks. The country responded by attacking possible Al Qaeda cells and other terrorist groups. Security within the country became more stringent. An excellent source of information for children is Dennis Brindell Fradin’s September 11, 2001, published by Marshall Cavendish.
Ben Franklin
Benjamin Franklin stated in 1773, “There never was a good war or a bad peace.” Idea: Children could comment on his statement.
Annapolis Convention was held from September 11 through September 14, 1786, in Annapolis, Maryland. The formal name of the meeting was The Meeting of Commissioners to Remedy Defects of the Federal Government. Delegates from New York, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia met to discuss economic interests. They concluded the meeting by calling for another meeting of all the states. This new group ended up being the Constitutional Convention. Older children can read some of the convention documentation at: Annapolis Convention.
USS Shenandoah
ZR-1 (the largest functioning dirigible) flew over the Woolworth Tower (New York’s tallest building at the time) in 1923. The USS Shenandoah, the first of four dirigibles, could travel about 70 miles per hour. Its maiden voyage was on September 4, 1923. It crashed during a storm in Ohio on September 3, 1925.
Matthew Cordell (born Greenville, South Carolina, 1975) writes and illustrates books for children. He wrote and illustrated Wolf in the Snow and earned the 2018 Caldecott Medal. Two of his other works are Bear Island and Trouble Gum.
William Sydney Porter (born Greensboro, North Carolina, 1862; died New York, New York, June 5, 1910) wrote short stories under the pseudonym O. Henry. Two of his most famous stories are “The Gift of the Magi” and “The Ransom of Red Chief.” Children can read some of his works at: Project Gutenberg.
Lois Ruby (born San Francisco, California, 1942) has written at least twenty books for children and young adults. Her works include Steal Away Home and Eddie Whatever. Young adults can learn more about her at: Lois Ruby.
Alfred Slote (born Brooklyn, New York, 1926) has written over 30 books for children. His works include Finding Buck McHenry and My Robot Buddy. Children can visit his website at: Alfred Slote.
Caves of Lascaux
Lascaux was discovered in 1940. Located in southwestern France, the Lascaux cave was found by a young man named Marcel Ravidat. The series of caves contain about 6,000 paintings, which can be organized into three groups: animals, humans, and abstract creations. The cave was opened to tourists in 1948, but light, changes in air temperature, and carbon dioxide exhaled by humans took a toll on the works of art. The real cave was closed in 1963, and a simulation of the cave was opened nearby. Mold in the real cave continues to be a problem. Children can visit the official (and amazing) website at: Caves of Lascaux.
Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands National Park was created in 1964. Located in southeastern Utah, the Park encompasses over 300,000 acres. The Green River combines with the Colorado River in the park, creating large canyons. Petroglyphs can be found in several locations. Children can visit the park’s website at: Canyonlands.
Luna 2, a Soviet unmanned spacecraft, was launched in 1959. On September 14, 1959, it became the first spacecraft to land on the moon. It discovered that the moon had no magnetic field.
Crew of STS-47
Fiftieth Space Shuttle Mission was launched in 1992. The crew spent seven days in space. The flight provided several firsts: Mae Jemison became the first African American woman in space; Mamoru Mohri was the first Japanese scientist to go into space; Mark Lee and N. Jan Davis were the first married couple to fly in a spacecraft. Children could view a timeline of the Space Shuttle missions at: Space Shuttle Missions.