National STEM/STEAM Day Is Today!

 Events
Nov 082026
 
Rachel Carson

Rachel Carson Would Be Proud!

National STEM/STEAM Day is today! STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Add Art and you have STEAM. This year’s theme is Food for Thought. The Census Bureau has some great statistics: STEM/STEAM. Ideas combining STEM/STEAM and our environment:

  • Children could sketch a space craft that could vacuum up space debris our space programs have created.
  • Children could upcycle an empty glass jar into something useful and attractive.
  • Children could figure out how much trash each person in America creates each day and then figure out how to reduce that amount.
  • Children could research the life of Rachel Carson, Marie Curie, Ada Lovelace, or another STEM/STEAM role model and share their findings.

Happy Birthday, Montana!

 Events
Nov 082026
 
Thumbnail for version as of 06:39, 6 November 2009

Montana Flag

Montana became the forty-first state of the United States in 1889. Its name comes from the Spanish word montana, meaning mountainous. Its nicknames are the Treasure State and Big Sky Country. Copper mining, lumbering, and tourism are major sources of income. The state’s southeastern section has reserves of low-sulphur coal. Montana ranks fourth in area and forty-fourth in population. Children could learn more about Montana by visiting: Montana.

Dr. Wilhelm Roentgen Discovered X-rays in 1895

 Events
Nov 082026
 

X-rays were discovered by Dr. Wilhelm Roentgen in 1895. He was conducting experiments in other fields when he recognized the importance of the rays he called X-rays. He then began to systematically study and document the newly discovered X-rays. He received the first Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901. Children can view a video about X-rays at: X-Ray Video.

Birthdays

 Birthdays
Nov 082026
 
Dickinson

John Dickinson

John Dickinson (born Talbot Count, Maryland, 1732; died Wilmington, Delaware, February 14, 1808) was a Revolutionary War hero. He was known as the Penman of the Revolution because of the various papers he wrote, including his twelve Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania. He fought at the Battle of Brandywine in Pennsylvania. After the Revolutionary War, he was governor of both Delaware and Pennsylvania, and for two months he was the governor of the two states at the same time! He helped draft the Articles of Confederation, but he knew that the country needed a strong central government. He attended the Constitutional Convention and approved the new government framework. Children could learn more at: John Dickinson.

Edmund Halley (born London, England, 1656; died Greenwich, England, January 14, 1742) was an astronomer and mathematician. Halley’s Comet is named in his honor. He first saw it in 1682. After conducting some research, he realized the comet returned approximately every 76 years. It has been sighted 28 times. The first recorded sighting was in 240 BC. Older children can learn more about Halley’s Comet at: Halley’s Comet.

Margaret Mitchell (born Atlanta, Georgia, 1900; died after being struck by a car in Atlanta, Georgia, August 16, 1949) was a writer. Her most famous book, Gone with the Wind, has sold over 30 million copies and has been translated into 30 languages. It received the 1937 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

Bram Stoker (born Dublin, Ireland, 1847; died London, England, April 20, 1912) was a writer. He wrote at least twelve books and many short stories. However, he is most famous for his book Dracula. You can read Dracula and other Bram Stoker works at: Project Gutenberg.

Kingdom of Cambodia Celebrates Independence Day

 Events
Nov 092026
 

Thumbnail for version as of 05:05, 30 October 2011Kingdom of Cambodia celebrates Independence Day. This Asian country broke from French rule in 1953. Cambodia is slightly smaller than the state of Oklahoma. Over 14 million people live in this relatively flat land covered with forests. Exports include rubber, silk, clothing, and shoes. The capital is Phnom Penh. Angkor Wat is one of Cambodia’s major archaeological sites. The Cambodian flag features a drawing of Angkor Wat. Children can see photos of Angkor Wat at the UNESCO site: Angkor Wat.

Theodore Roosevelt Traveled through the Panama Canal in 1906

 Events
Nov 092026
 
Theodore Roosevelt and Others Inspecting Panama Canal

Theodore Roosevelt and Others Inspecting Panama Canal

Theodore Roosevelt traveled through the Panama Canal in 1906. Roosevelt felt that the Panama Canal had to be accomplished for both military and economic reasons. This trip also marked the first time an American President traveled to another country while in office. Children can research timelines and photos at: Panama Canal.

Kristallnacht Transpired in Germany in 1938

 Events
Nov 092026
 

Kristallnacht transpired in Germany in 1938. Mobs of Germans demolished thousands of homes and businesses owned by Jews. Books and Torahs were burned. More than 30,000 Jews were arrested, and almost one hundred people died. Kristallnacht, “Crystal Night,” was given its name from the sound of window glass breaking. Older children could read Kristallnacht: The Nazi Terror That Began the Holocaust (The Holocaust through Primary Sources) by James M. Deem.

Birthdays

 Birthdays
Nov 092026
 
Banneker

Banneker’s Almanac

Benjamin Banneker (born near Baltimore, Maryland, 1731; died Baltimore, Maryland, October 9, 1806) was an African American known for his accomplishments in astronomy, surveying and mathematics. During the years 1791 until 1796, Banneker recorded information regarding weather, astronomy, and the tides. He compiled this information into an almanac. Other prominent Americans, including Benjamin Rush, added their own essays. The works were published, and Thomas Jefferson received a copy of the first almanac. Children can learn more at: Benjamin Banneker.

Pat Cummings (born Chicago, Illinois, 1950) is a writer and an illustrator. One of her books is Angel Baby. Her illustrations in Just Us Women, by Jeannette Caines, earned her a 1983 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award. Her illustrations in My Mama Needs Me, by Mildred Pitts Walter, earned Cummings the 1984 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Medal. Her book C.L.O.U.D.S. received a 1987 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award.  Children could visit her website at: Pat Cummings.

Lois Ehlert (born Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, 1934; died Milwaukee, Wisconsin, May 25, 2021) wrote and/or illustrated at least 38 children’s books. Her Color Zoo was a Caldecott Honor Book in 1989. She also illustrated the classic Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. Children could watch a video filled with excerpts of her books at: Lois Ehlert.

Florence Sabin (born Central City, Colorado, 1871; died Denver, Colorado, October 3, 1953) was a pioneer for women in medicine. She was the first woman to earn a full professorship at a medical college, and she was the first woman to be elected to the National Academy of Sciences. She was prominent in the study of tuberculosis. She also advocated for better health rights. Older children could read a biography about her at: Florence Sabin.

Kay Thompson (born St. Louis, Missouri, 1908; died New York, New York, July 2, 1998) was an actor and an author. She wrote the Eloise series.

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