April Fools' Day

"The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year." ~ Mark Twain

April Fools' Day, sometimes called All Fools' Day, is one of the most light hearted days of the year. Its origins are uncertain. Some see it as a celebration related to the turn of the seasons, while others believe it stems from the adoption of a new calendar. April Fools' Day is observed throughout the Western world. Practices include sending someone on a "fool's errand," looking for things that don't exist, playing pranks, and trying to get people to believe ridiculous things. Taken from http://www.infoplease.com/spot/aprilfools1.html .

Teachers can help the children learn to appreciate the different beliefs as to why April Fools' Day is celebrated, to write a mythical story on how they believe April Fools' Day began, to comprehend the difference between a hurtful joke and a good natured prank, and to learn about other cultures and how they celebrate April Fools' Day on April 1.

Check out some more resources on April Fools' Day at: http://webtech.kennesaw.edu/jcheek3/april.htm Resources
http://wilstar.com/holidays/aprilfool.htm History
http://www.snopes.com/holidays/aprilfools/origins.asp Origins
http://www.internet-at-work.com/hos_mcgrane/holidays/2_brian.html Facts http://www.fi.edu/qa99/spotlight4/ April Fools' Day http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/units/Byrnes-celebrations/april.html Unit
http://holidays.mrdonn.org/aprilfools.html All Over the World
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/themes/aprilfool.shtml Activities http://www.vickiblackwell.com/aprilfools.html Resources http://www.geocities.com/mrsjacksonsclass/aprilfools.htm Resources
http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/dailylp/dailylp/dailylp071.shtml Backwards Day Lesson

Harry Houdini's Birthday March 24

Mar. 24: HARRY HOUDINI'S BIRTHDAY

Harry Houdini (March 24, 1874 Budapest – October 31, 1926, born Ehrich Weiss) was a Hungarian-American magician and escapologiest, stunt performer, actor and film producer, as well as a skeptic and investigator of spiritualists. Harry Houdini forever changed the world of magic and escapes, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest escapologists in history.

For more info on Houdini, see the complete article at Wikipedia or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Houdini#Birth_and_name .

The American Experience: Houdini

Wikipedia

Ed Helper

Houdini Tribute

Houdini Bio

Houdini Bio and Tricks

First Day of Spring March 20, 2009

First Day of Spring March 20, 2009

Plant some seeds of learning!

The Vernal Equinox is one of the four great seasonal changes on the earth that happens every year. Day and night are equal, and the changing weather can lift the spirits of everyone. In spring, the axis of the Earth is tilted toward the Sun and the length of daylight increases for the relevant hemisphere. The hemisphere begins to warm up causing new plant growth to spring forth and to give the season its name. Spring is seen as a time of growth and renewal of new life for plants and animals. Spring is the end of winter and the culmination of lengthening days. The Christian season of birth and renewal has Easter at this time. Don't miss this opportunity to have some fun and educate at the same time.

Spring is just around the corner and soon all manner of wonderful little surprises will be peeking up at you as you venture out for a walk or trip. Little shoots of pale green grasses, crocus, daffodil plants, flowers of thrift and phlox, and many other plants are getting ready to emerge from their winter sleep. What an exciting seasonal change this is! Enjoy it and have fun learning.

BE A SCIENTIST: You can lay out two or three circles in different areas of the yard and record in your Journal the changes that are occurring in each circle. Be sure to take notes on the same day for all of the spots. Maybe your observations will help your family decide on the best site for a vegetable or flower garden, play area, or pet area! Teachers can teach the signs of spring and have students observe nature in the world and see what happens in spring and what people and animals do. They can use language to bring meaning to what they observe, feel, think, hear, taste and smell. You can use real-life situations to acquire concepts and information that will lead to the attainment of life skills. Plant some seeds of learning!

Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_(season)

See Spring theme at: http://www.geocities.com/mrsjacksonsclass/spring.htm

Earth Day in April-Book List

We all know reading is important for a successful future, and we also know kids want to have FUN. TeachersAndFamilies developed TogetheRead’s monthly themes to give you ideas to have fun together as you build stronger readers.

April's theme will be TRASH, just in time for an Earth Day look at all that we throw away. You can register to receive the preview book lists for upcoming themes and share them with your school or public librarian so the books will be available in time for April.

See the Reading List for the "Garbage Goes Green" Theme for all grade levels at http://www2.teachersandfamilies.com:80/open/tr/tr-libs4.cfm?theme=32 .

Teachers know that effective readers THINK about certain things before, during, and after reading. We’ve interwoven these “reading strategies” into the TogetheRead questions and activities, so you will be building good reading skills as you talk and have fun together! You don’t have to worry about whether you are “doing it right.” Just read, talk, and enjoy!

You can find this story and more info at TogetheRead online at www.teachersandfamilies.com/open/tr1.cfm or TeachersAndFamilies.com .

For more reading ideas and Earth Day Theme Resources, go to http://geocities.com/mrsjacksonsclass/earthday.htm .

Albert Einstein's Birthday March 14th

Albert Einstein is named Time Magazine's Man of the Century! Read about Einstein's astounding theory of relativity and his discovery of the quantum, his thoughtful philosophy, and his rise above a turbulent life including marriages and exile. This Einstein exhibit contains many pictures, cartoons, voice clips, and essays on Einstein's work on special relativity, Brownian motion, and more.

Overview of Einstein's Life

He was born on March 14, 1879 in Ulm Germany to his parents Hermann and Pauline.
Einstein had problems with school which led him to be kicked out.
In 1900, Einstein graduated and went unemployed for eight months having off and on jobs as a high school teacher.
June 30, 1905 Einstein published his breakthrough paper "Special Relativity."
In 1908, Einstein became a lecturer at the University of Bern.
In 1909, he became a professor of physics at the University of Zurich.
Also in 1909, Einstein is recognized as the leading scientific thinker.
In 1911, he became a professor at the Karl-Ferdinand University.
In 1912 Einstein began working on what would be his second big breakthrough.
Then in 1915, he published "General Relativity."
In 1922, Einstein received the most prestigious science award: The Nobel Prize in Physics for the work he had done on the Photoelectric Effect. It was not for relativity!
On August 2, 1939, Albert Einstein wrote FDR a letter explaining the possible destructive power of a atomic bomb. FDR took it seriously, and, in turn, started the Manhattan Project.
In 1940, Einstein became citizen of the United States.
Einstein spent the later years of his life searching for a theory called the "Grand Unified Theory." He never found it, and still to this day it remains a mystery.
Einstein died April 18, 1955

Taken from:
http://www.aip.org/history/einstein/ Albert Einstein-Image and Impact

http://www.geocities.com/researchtriangle/campus/6791/ Einstein World

Children Learn What They Live

Children Learn What They Live

by Dorothy Law Nolie

If a child lives with criticism,

He learns to condemn.

If a child lives with hostility,

He learns to fight.

If a child lives with ridicule,

He learns to be shy.

If a child lives with tolerance,

He learns to be patient.

If a child lives with encouragement,

He learns confidence.

If a child lives with praise,

He learns to appreciate.

If a child lives with fairness,

He learns justice.

If a child lives with security,

He learns faith.

If a child lives with approval,

He learns to like himself.

If a child lives with acceptance and friendship,

He learns to find love in the world.

For More Quotes, Poems, and Inspirations, go to

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjacksonsclass/

101 Ways to Praise A Child

101 Ways To Praise A Child (author unknown)

Wow. Way to go. You're special. Outstanding. Excellent. Great. Good. Neat. Well done. Remarkable . I knew you could do it. I'm proud of you. Super Star. Nice work. Looking good. You're on top of it. You'recatching on. Now you've got it. How smart. Good job. That's incredible. Hot dog. Remarkable job. You're Beautiful. You're a winner. You make me happy. Hip, Hip, Hooray. You're important. Magnificent. Beautiful. Fantastic. You're on target. You're on your way. How nice. You're Spectacular. You're Darling. Super. Super Job. Beautiful work. Good for you. Nothing can stop you now. Dynamite. You're fantastic. Awesome. You're precious. Fantastic job. You've discovered the secret. Bingo. Great discovery. You're a real trooper. Marvelous. Terrific. You're growing up. Outstanding performance. You tried hard. You figured it out . What a good listener. You're a treasure . You mean a lot to me. You're a good friend . That's correct. A big hug. What an imagination. You learned it right. You're incredible. Now you're flying. Bravo. Beautiful. I like you. I respect you. You're sensational. Phenomenal. A+job. Hooray for you. You're unique. You care. Creative job. You belong. You brighten my day. Super work. That's the best. You made my day. I love you! Beautiful sharing. You mean the world to me. You're important. You've got a friend. You're a joy. You make me laugh . You're A - Okay! My buddy. I trust you. You are perfect. You're wonderful. A big kiss. Exceptional performance . P.S. Remember, a smile is worth 1000 Words!

For more resources, tips, and ideas for teachers and parents, go to http://geocities.com/mrsjacksonsclass/ .

March St. Patrick's Day

Marching On

Beware the Ides of March! Also coming up soon is St Patrick's Day. If you teach Julius Caesar or the Romans, be sure to use search to find resources on Romans or Caesar. Dates that matter features March 15 and 17 and you will focus on Caesar and St. Patrick. Why not share this history-in-context inquiry activity with your students, grades 5 and up? Or if you simply want to infuse your curriculum with the luck of the Irish, try our St Patrick's page.

May daylight saving pay off with interest, providing the light of learning to you and your students this week. Spring forward into new knowledge!

By Candace Hackett ShivelyDirector of K-12 Initiativeshttp://www.teachersfirst.com/update.cfm

For More St. Patrick's Day Resources, Check: http://www.geocities.com/mrsjacksonsclass/stpatricksday.htm

http://www.myfreeclipart.com/ Free Holidays Clipart and More

Seasonal Theme Pages for Teachers

PLEASE VISIT MY SEASONAL HOLIDAY THEME PAGES FOR TEACHERS:
DR. SEUSS' BIRTHDAY AND READ ACROSS AMERICA DAY THEME UNIT RESOURCES
APRIL FOOL'S DAY THEME, RESOURCES, & ACTIVITIES
APRIL THEMES, UNIT, MONTH, AND RESOURCES
EASTER THEME UNITS & RESOURCES
ST. PATRICK'S DAY THEME UNITS & RESOURCES
TEXAS THEME UNIT & MORE RESOURCES
WOMEN'S HISTORY THEME UNITS, & RESOURCES
SPRING THEMES, UNITS, & RESOURCES
MARCH THEMES, UNITS, & RESOURCES
MARDI GRAS THEMES, UNITS, & RESOURCES
HEART AND HUMAN BODIES-THEMES, UNITS, & RESOURCES
TEKS-TAKS-TEXAS TESTING-BENCHMARKS
BUTTERFLIES
http://geocities.com/mrsjacksonsclass/ THEMES AND RESOURCES K-12