June 1 – International Children's Day. Celebrated around the world (although not necessarily on June 1). Dates back to the World Conference for the Well being of Children in Geneva, Switzerland in 1925.
June 5 – World Environment Day. Commemorated each year on June 5. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, World Environment Day "is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action." This year's theme: Melting Ice—A Hot Topic? For informational material, photos, and more, go to http://www.unep.org
June 14 – U.S. Army Founded in 1774. Stars and Stripes Adopted. On this day in 1777, the Continental Congress adopted the Stars and Stripes as the official flag of the U.S. (Flag Day.)
Harriet Beecher Stowe. Anniversary of Birth. Born June 14, 1811; Died July 1, 1896. Stowe was an abolitionist and author, perhaps best known for her book Uncle Tom's Cabin which was published in 1851.
June 20 – Father’s Day. World Refugee Day. In 2000, the United Nations General Assembly designated this day as World Refugee Day "to recognize and celebrate the contribution of refugees throughout the world." For more information, go here.
June 28 – Constitution Day in Ukraine. Annual holiday to honor the country’s constitution, on the anniversary of signing and promulgation of the national law system and various significant amendments. To read the Constitution of Ukraine in English go to http://www.rada.gov.ua/const/conengl.htm.
July 4 – Independence Day. On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. Interesting fact: According to the Library of Congress, observing Independence Day only became commonplace after the War of 1812. Be sure to visit the National Archives: The Charters of Freedom as well as PBS Liberty. The following are links to lesson plans: EDSITEment: Declare the Causes: The Declaration of Independence. Grades: 3-5. read-write-think: Myth and Truth: Independence Day. Grades: 3-5. The Bill of Rights Institute: Heroism and the Declaration of Independence. PDF. Grades: 6-8. EDSITEment: The Constitutional Convention. Grades: 6-8. EDSITEment: The Constitutional Convention: What the Founding Fathers Said. Grades: 6-8. The New York Times: Creating "Quilts" Portraying American Independence. Grades: 6-12. EDSITEment: An Expression of the American Mind: Understanding the Declaration. Grades: 9-12.
July 11 – World Population Day. Sponsored by the United Nations, World Population Day is commemorated on July 11 each year. For more information, visit the United Nations Population Fund. Your students may be interested in viewing the Worldometer. (Have them note the population at the beginning of a lesson, then again at the end.) For a map showing the relative size of an area based on its population, visit WorldMapper. For a unit on population growth, go here. Appropriate for grades 9-12. PBS's Nova offers World in the Balance with accompanying activities. Recommended book: Can Earth Support Our Growing Population? by Kate Shuster and Population by Paul Mason.
July 16 – Congress Declares Washington D.C. New Capital. According to the Library of Congress: "On July 16, 1790, the Residence Act , which stipulated that the president select a site on the Potomac River as the permanent capital of the United States following a ten-year temporary residence in Philadelphia, was signed into law. In a proclamation issued on January 24, 1791, President George Washington announced the permanent location of the new capital, an area of land at the confluence of the Potomac and Eastern Branch (Anacostia) rivers that would eventually become the District of Columbia. Soon after, Washington commissioned French engineer Pierre-Charles L'Enfant to create a plan for the city."
July 20 – First Man on the Moon. On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong stepped from the lunar landing modual Eagle and onto the surface of the moon. Armstrong said, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Your K-3 students will enjoy reading The Moon over Star by Dianna Aston. For students in grades 4-6, we recommend Neil Armstrong: One Giant Leap for Mankind by Tara Dixon-Engel and Mike Jackson. For more information, visit the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Be sure to visit also Smithsonian's 40th Anniversary of Apollo 11.
July 21 – Ernest Hemingway. Anniversary of Birth. Born: July 21, 1899; Died: July 2, 1961. Hemingway was an American novelist and short story writer. He is known for such titles as: The Sun Also Rises, Farewell to Arms, For Whom the Bell Tolls, and The Old Man and the Sea (winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1953). In 1954, he won the Nobel Prize in Literature. His writing style (terse, with short, simple sentences) influenced a generation of writers. For more information, visit the Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park. For a brief biography and listing of his work, visit the Nobel Prize Web site.
|