U.S. Holidays Lesson Plans

Students will design an original idea for a new monument to be placed in Washington D.C., create a video that teaches about a selected American holiday and watch a video to learn about the history of Memorial Day and Labor Day.

View the video History of Memorial Day from the History Channel.

Discussion Guide

Lesson Plan 1- Building New Monuments

Objective:  Students will design a new monument honoring a person or event of their choice, to be placed in Washington D.C.

Lesson Plan 2- Welcome to the U.S.

Objective:  Students will work in groups to create a video designed to teach viewers about an American holiday

Lesson Plan 3- History of Labor Day

Objective:  Students will view a video about the history of Labor Day and respond in writing to a selection of prompts

21^st Century Core Content
History
Government and Civics

21^st Century Themes
Civic Literacy

21^st Century Skills
Think Creatively
Work Creatively With Others
Communicate Clearly
Collaborate with Others
Work Independently
Be Self-directed Learners
Interact Effectively with Others
Work Effectively in Diverse Teams
Produce Results
Guide and Lead Others
Be Responsible to Others

Additional Resources:
U.S. Memorial Day.org
USA Federal Holidays.com
American Holidays by USA.Gov
American Family Traditions.com
American History by History.com

Additional Resources from U.S. History InContext:
9/11 Tenth Anniversary
Women in the Military
Immigrants and Immigration
North and South Korean Conflict
Afghan War

Brain Teaser – Christmas

This week’s brainteaser is about things connected with Christmas. Need help? Use Credo Reference Online, a great reference resource from your Library!

1. The three gifts that the Wise Men brought to the infant Jesus were traditionally gold, frankincense, and what else?

2. What is the date of the first day of the Twelve Days of Christmas?

3. When drilling for oil or gas, what is a Christmas tree?

4. What phrase is used for a late-night church service on Christmas Eve?

5. In Charles Dickens’s novel “A Christmas Carol”, what was the name of Tiny Tim’s father?

6. A yule log is a large log which used to be put on the hearth as the foundation for the fire – on which day?

7. In which book by Louisa May Alcott did someone say “Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents”?

8. What is the English title of the Christmas carol which is “Adeste Fideles” in Latin?

9. In the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” (“On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me…”), what total of gifts was given over the whole twelve days: 78, 280, or 364?

10. According to Clement C. Moore’s “The Night Before Christmas”, Father Christmas had eight reindeer. Can you name six of them?

How did you do?

0 – 1 Mmmm, not exactly brilliant.
2 – 5 A reasonable stab.
6 – 8 A good showing. But there’s still room for improvement!
9 – 10 You really know your stuff. Well done!

Questions set by Tony Augarde (www.augardebooks.co.uk)

Sweet Reads for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Selections from Our eMedia Catalog

         

History of Halloween in the United States

Image via Wikipedia

Did you know that Halloween in the United States dates back to 1840′s? The arrival in the country of large numbers of Irish immigrants, following the disastrous potato famine in Ireland, helped establish the feast in America. Their celebrations of All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days still preserved many of the ancient rites of Samhain. For example, the carving of pumpkins comes from the Irish legend of Jack, a man so evil that when he died he was rejected by both heaven and hell and was condemned to roam the countryside with nothing but a glowing turnip for a head.

Read more about Halloween in U.S. History in Context.

Monthly Events, Holidays & Rememberances

 
• Everybody Plays the Fool… Sometime on April 1
  Source: Library of Congress (LOC)
  “‘The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year.’ So said Mark Twain about the most lighthearted of holidays. What is the origin of April Fools’ Day?” (LOC) Read about the origin of April Fools’ Day and learn about other April Fools’ material at the Library of Congress. 

• Pesach: Passover
  Source: Tracey R. Rich
  This site offers a “discussion of the Jewish holiday of Passover, including an outline of the seder and a recipe for charoset.” (TRACEY R. RICH) Learn the meaning and traditions of Passover on this site. 

• April 22: Earth Day
  Source: Library of Congress (LOC)
  “Earth Day was first observed in Spring of 1970. An estimated 20 million people nationwide attended festivities out of which came the largest grassroots environmental movement in U.S. history, and the impetus for national legislation like the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts. By the twentieth anniversary of that event, April 22, 1990, more than 200 million people in 141 countries participated in Earth Day celebrations.” (LOC) Learn about the history of Earth Day. 

• Easter Day
  Source: British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
  “Easter is the most important festival in the Christian calendar. It is the commemoration of Jesus’s death and his rising from the dead, also known as the resurrection.” (BBC) Visitors to this site can learn more about this Christian holiday. 

• Arbor Day
  Source: The National Arbor Day Foundation
  “Arbor Day is a nationally-celebrated observance that encourages tree planting and care. Founded by J. Sterling Morton in 1872, it’s celebrated on the last Friday in April.” (NATIONAL ARBOR DAY FOUNDATION) Learn about the celebration of Arbor Day.