This elder statesman of the American Revolution was born in 1706. He was the oldest signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Franklin was also a scientist, diplomat, author, printer, publisher, philosopher, philanthropist, and inventor.  One of the things Franklin invented was a musical instrument called the “armonica.†Franklin’s inspiration for the […]
In a famous line from Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream†speech, he says “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.† To illustrate Dr. King’s message, […]
Read “If You Find a Rock” by Peggy Christian. Go on rock-finding expedition with your little one today, then bring your treasures inside and wash them off. Now you are ready to use your finds for any number of crafts. Transform a large rock into a paperweight with paint; glue small rocks onto a piece […]
In 1888, Marvin Stone patented the spiral winding process to manufacture the first paper drinking straws. Stone was already a manufacturer of paper cigarette holders. His idea was to make paper drinking straws. Before his straws, beverage drinkers were using the natural rye grass straws. Stone made his prototype straw by winding strips of paper […]
 1. Raising a Reader: Read aloud to your children every day. Effective storybook reading is an interactive process. If we wait until after reading to discuss the story, we are missing out on valuable literacy opportunities. When you precede the reading by inviting predictions and personal connections, you are creating context for the reading.  Taking […]
Today, November 3rd, is the birthday of John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich. He was either an inveterate gambler or a very hard worker; either way, he did not want to step away from his desk or the card table to take the time to eat. So he supposedly commanded his manservant to bring […]
Johnny Appleseed Day honors one of America’s great legends. Johnny Appleseed was a real person. John Chapman was among the American settlers who were captivated by the movement west across the continent. As Johnny Appleseed travelled west, he planted apple trees along the way, and sold trees to settlers. With every apple tree that was […]
 Skyscraper Day is a day to appreciate and admire the world’s tallest skyscrapers.   Skyscrapers are truly engineering and architectural marvels. In many crowded cities, space is in short supply, and real estate prices are ever increasing. Building “up” becomes more and more logical. As technical capabilities in construction improved, skyscrapers have become […]
