Sorry it takes so much for me to get back to the lessons. Grandma is dealing with problems of her own. The rest of August Calendar History begins with Day August 21.

August 21 Birthdays follow:

August 21 1904 William "Count" Basie,  American jazz bandleader, was born.

August 21, 1936 Wilt Chamberlain, professional basketball player, was born.

Events are as follows for August 21:

August 21, 1560 A Total Eclipse of the Sun was observed in Spain 

and Portugal. Witnesses believed it was the end of the world.

Book (1) reports in "Explaining an eclipse-Have your (children) investigate what happens during a solar eclipse, then make diagrams showing the position of the sun, moon, and earth. Afterward, ask the kids to imagine that they were living tin Spain or Portugal during the total eclipse of the sun in 1560. Have them write down their thoughts as if they were composing a diary entry for that day."

August 21, 1621 "One Widow and Eleven Maides" departed London

 for Jamestown, Va. They were to be sold to wife-seeking 

bachelors for 120 pounds of tobacco apiece.

August 21, 1831 Nat Turner led a slave insurrection in 

Southampton County, Va.

August 21, 1878 Dan Casey of the New York Giants 

struck out in the ninth inning, providing Ernest Thayer 

with the inspiration for his famous poem, "Casey at the Bat."

August 1888 William S. Burroughs received a patent for an 

Adding Machine.

August 21, 1959 Hawaii became the 50th state.

Book (1) writes "Hawaiian volcanoes-Have your students locate Hawaii on a map, then ask them to locate and find out about its significant volcanoes. Haleakala, on the island of Maui, is the largest dormant volcano in the world. Its crater is 7 miles long and 2 miles wide. Diamond Head, an extinct volcano, is located on the island of Oahu. Mauna Loa and Kilauea, on the island of Hawaii, are still active. Have students research the differences between active, dormant, and extinct volcanoes. Then use their information to make a class chart."

August 21, 1991 Two days after seizing Soviet president 

Mikail Gorbachev and declaring a 6-month state of emergency, 

the Leaders of the Soviet Coup Surrendered.

Book (1) says in "Beginning of th end of the USSR-The leaders of the Soviet coup surrendered in the face of widespread public resistance and the refusal of key army units to obey their orders. They'd failed to take into account the changes that several years of democratic reforms had brought to Soviet society. And they hadn't arrested the Russian president, Boris Yeltsin, who rallied the people of Moscow and convinced army units oppose the conspirators. Although Mikhail Gorbachev returned to office after the coup, his power had eroded. Within 6 months the Soviet Union no longer existed as a political entity, having been replaced by the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Challenge your (children) to research the republics in the CIS. What are their boundaries? What are their capitals? Who are their leaders? What ethnic groups do they embrace, and what are their populations?"

Next day is August 22 starting with the Birthdays:

August 22, 1862 Claude Debussy, French musician and composer, was born.

Book (1) points out in "Classroom concert-goers-Celebrate the music of Claude Debussy by inviting your (children) to become classroom concert-goers. Select 20 to 40 minutes' worth of Debussy recordings, then have the children relax and listen. If they wish, students can draw pictures, write poems or stories, or simply jot down thoughts inspired by this master's music."

August 22, 1920 Ray Bradbury, American science fiction writer, was born.

Book (1) has this to say here in "Fact and (science) fiction-In honor of Ray Bradbury's birthday, share with your (children) his classic short story "The Veldt." Then ask the kids to note how many of the inventions, technologies, and appliances described in this story written in the 1950s exist today. Discuss how Bradbury and other science fiction writers are able to correctly predict the invention and use of new technologies. Then have (the children) review recent newspapers to find current technological breakthroughs. Invite them to write their own science fiction stories incorporating these new technologies."

August 22, 1920 Denton Cooley, American surgeon who was a 

pioneer in the area of heart transplant operations, was born.

August 22, 1934 H. Norman Schwarzkopf, American general 

and commander of Operation Desert Storm, was born.

August 22, 1949 Diana Nyad, American marathon swimmer, was born.

Next are the Events of August 22:

August 22 1762 Ann Franklin, Benjamin Franklin's sister-in-law, 

became the First Female Editor of an American Newspaper, 

The Mercury of Newport, R.I.

August 22, 1851 The yacht America won the First America's Cup Race.

August 22, 1865 William Sheppard patented Liquid Soap.

Book (1) writes "Sampling soaps-To mark the anniversary of William Sheppard's patent for liquid soap, collect--...a variety of brands of liquid soap. ...have them compare and contrast the various soaps for quality of suds, texture, cleaning power, scent, color, and price. Review (their) ratings, then design a ..."Soap seal of Approval," (The children) can extend their study of liquid soap into the realm of video or audio advertising. Have the kids develop a commercial for their selected super soap. Record or videotape their presentations. (These could possibly be sent into a soap company but don't be surprised if they might steal your ideas from you.)"

August 22, 1881 Clara Barton established the First Chapter 

of the American Association of the Red Cross.

August 22, 1902 Theodore Roosevelt became the First President 

to Ride a Car.

August  22, 1991 In Moscow, a 14-Ton Statue of Felix

Dzerzhinsky, the founder of the Soviet KGB, was 

dismantled while a crowd of 10,000 cheered.

Now we move onto August 23 with the Birthdays:

August 23, 1905 Ernie Bushmiller, American cartoonist 

and creator of the comic strip "Nancy", was born.

Book (1( says in "Personalized comics- In honor of Ernie Bushmiller's birthday, share with your (children) several installments of the "Nancy" comic strip. Then give each child a 3-inch-wide strip of plain paper to fold into fourths. Invite the kids to create comic strips with themselves as the title character."

August 23, 1912 Gene Kelly, American actor and dancer, was born.

Next are the following Events for August 23rd:

August 23, 1775 King George III of England declared that

 the American Colonies were in Rebellion.

August 23, 1784 Settlers west of the Alleghenies established 

the Independent State of Franklin and attempted to win 

admission to the United States.

August 23, 1923 Billy Jones and Ernie Hare, the First Radio 

Comedians, went on the air for the first time.

Book (1) says in "Radio comedy-To mark the anniversary of the first time comedians were heard on the radio, have your (children) produce their own "radio" comedy shows. Working (together the) can gather joke and riddle books or create their own humorous stories and dialogue. Have the (children) take turns tape-recording their funny material in another room. Then play back their "shows" for a "radio audience" of (the family)."

August 23, 1955 John Hackett and Peter Moneypenny made the First London-New York Round-trip in the Same Day. They flew 6,920 miles in 14 hours and 22 minutes.

The story is mentioned in Book (1) under "Rapid round-trip-Challenge your (children) to use their calculators to figure out Hackett and Moneypenny's average speed on their record-setting round-trip flight."

August 23, 1956 The First Nonstop Transcontinental Helicopter 

Flight took place.

August 23, 1977 The First Human-powered Flight took place in

 Schafter, Calif., when Bryan Allen flew the 70-pound,

 pedal-powered  Gossamer Condor for 1 mile.

Next day is August 24 with the Birthdays as follows:

August 24, 1960 Cal Ripken, Jr., professional baseball player, was born.

August 24, 1965 Marlee Matlin, American actress, was born.

Next are the Events for August 24 as follows:

August 24, 79 (This is not a typing error.)Mt. Vesuvius Erupted, 

destroying the Toman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

August 24, 1814 British Soldiers invaded Washington and burned

 the Capitol and the White House.

August 24, 1869 Cornelius Swartout patented the Waffle Iron.

Book (1) says in "Wonders of waffles-How many of your (children) enjoy eating waffles for breakfast? Ask the children if the waffles they typically eat are freshly made--with a waffle iron--or frozen. What other breakfast foods do they enjoy? Make a chart of class breakfast favorites. Then challenge students to rate the nutritional values of these foods against the nutritional value of waffles. Have them use their information to create posters, which can be displayed in the (kitchen or somewhere)."

August 24, 1875 Matthew Webb began the First Successful Swim 

of the English Channel from Dover England. He reached Calais, 

France, 21 hours and 45 minutes later.

Book (1) makes an activity of it through "A swimmer's challenge-Since Matthew Webb first swam the English Channel in 1875, many others have repeated his feat. Have (the children) locate the English Channel on a map of Europe. Where is its narrowest point? (Between Dover, England, and Calais, France, the Channel is only about 20 miles wide.) Next, have (the children) do research to find out how many hours it has taken swimmers since Webb to cross the Channel. Plot the results on a graph."

August 24, 1887 The United States established a Scientific 

Observation Post in Greenland.

August 24, 1932 Amelia Earhart became the First Woman 

to make a Nonstop Flight Across the United States, from 

Los Angeles to Newark, N.J. The trip took 19 hours and 5 minutes.

Book (1) writes in "Coast-to-coast questions-Have your (children) use their math and geography skills to determine the mileage from Los Angeles to Newark, N.J. At approximately what speed was Amelia Earhart traveling? Recently, it took about 5 hours and 45 minutes to make a transcontinental flight. Can your (children) calculate the approximate speed at which modern jets travel?"

August 24, 1959 Hiran Fong was sworn in as the First

 Chinese-American in the Senate.

August 24, 1959 Daniel Inouye was sworn in as the

 First Japanese-American Member of the House

 of Representatives.

August 24, 1987 West Germany opened its First 

Wind-Energy Park. Its 30 windmills generate up to 

2 million kilowatt hours of electricity a year.

August 24, 1992 Hurricane Andrew tore through 

densely populated areas of southern Florida, 

becoming the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history.

(As some of the stories given in these August days are about some of the disasters of our world Grandma wants you to know there is also a section in Book (57) Grandma has not given you yet and she hopes to here soon.)(Grandma also want to note here that in Book (1) are given a picture or two with the activities but you can draw your own or paste pictures from magazines, newspapers, etc.--They are what the children in Mexico from our family enjoyed tracing from.)

Now we will cover August 25 through the Birthdays first:

August 25, 1836 Bret Harte, American author, was born.

August 25, 1918 Leonard Bernstein, American composer 

and conductor, was born.

August 25, 1927 Althea Gibson, tennis star who became 

the first African-American to win a major U.S. title, was born.

Next we will cover the Events for August 25:

August 25, 1718 The City of New Orleans was founded 

by Jean Baptiste la Moyne.

August 25, 1825 Uruguay declared its independence from Brazil.

August 25, 1829 The government of Mexico rejected President 

Andrew Jackson's Bid to Buy the Mexican State of Texas.

August 25, 1916 The National Park Service was established 

within the Department of the Interior.

Book (1) writes in "Future parks-Have your (children) brainstorm for ways parks of the future may be different from today's parks. List the kids" ideas .... Have (them) develop a plan for a futuristic park. (They) might create maps, three-dimensional models, dioramas, murals, or advertisements for their park. Display their work... ."

August 25, 1921 The United States Signed a Peace Treaty 

With Germany, officially ending World War I hostilities 

between the two nations.

Then Book (1) challenges your talents in "The changing face of Europe-Have your(children) compare and contrast maps of pre- and post-World War I Europe.  What differences do they notice?

Next,show the kids post-World War II and contemporary maps of Europe. Can anyone give an overview of the political conditions that gave rise to all the changes?"

August 25, 1944 Allied Forces Liberated Paris, ending the 

Nazis' 4-year occupation of the French capital during World War II.

August 25, 1989 U.S. government officials announced a $65 million 

aid package to help the government of Colombia fight the drug trade.

August 25 is also called Kiss-And-Make-Up Day and UFO Day

Book (1) writes this activity called "Flying saucer fun-On UFO Day, get your (childrens') imaginations soaring. Welcome them in the morning with some "outer space" music--perhaps the theme from 2001:A Space Odyssey. Next, have them each write a letter inviting an alien to visit your (home). How might they "mail" these letters? Afterward, read aloud a science fiction story. Finally, ...give each ...a paper bag filled with ordinary objects and discarded items--screws, twist ties, paper cups, bottle tops, plastic sandwich bags, old keys, erasers, aluminum foil, and so on. Then challenge each ... to create a UFO from the materials. Let the kids suspend their UFOs from (your home) ceiling."

The Next day is August 26 with 5 birthdays as follows:

August 26, 1740 Joseph Michel Montgolfier, French balloonist, was born.

August 26, 1838 John Wilkes Booth, American actor who 

assassinated Abraham Lincoln, was born.

August 26, 1873 Lee De Forest, American inventor who 

made important contributions to the development of radio 

and television, was born.

August 26, 1906 Albert Sabin, Russian-American microbiologist 

who developed an oral polio vaccine, was born.

August 26, 1935 Geraldine Ferraro, American politician who, 

as the Democratic candidate for vice president in 1984, 

became the first woman to run on a major party's national ticket, 

was born. 

Now we will move into The Events of August 26 along with the activities:

August 26, 1498 Michelangelo was commissioned to create the Pieta.

August 26, 1873 The First U. S. Public School Kindergarten was established.

Book (1) has an activity to go along with this event called "Kindergarten then and now-Celebate the opening of the first U.S. kindergarten by having older students visit (a family with kindergarten children in their homes or even a kindergarten class. Before the visit, have each (child) write a story about a favorite kindergarten memory. Then have the kids buddy up with kindergartners and share their stories. Afterward, they can help their "little buddies" write and illustrate stories about their favorite kindergarten activities. Post all the stories in the hallway under a banner titled "The Best of Kindergarten."

August 26, 1920 The Nineteenth Amendment went into effect, giving 

women the right to vote.

Book (1) brings out "Voting rights-Ask your (children) to speculate on what the word suffragist means.

Then have them check a dictionary. Can they name famous American suffragists, such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and Lucy Stone?"

Therefore, August 26th is also called Women's Equality Day.

August 26, 1939 The Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn 

Dodgers played in the First Televised Major League Baseball Game.

Book (1) says in "Out of their league?-Have your (children) name sports besides baseball that are regularly broadcast on television. List these sports on the chalkboard. Are women's sports equally represented? Why or why not? Invite your (children) to write letters to network and cable television officials stating their opinions about the media's coverage of women's sports."

August 26, 1974 Russian cosmonaut Lev Demin became the 

First Grandfather in Space, aboard Soyuz 15.

Now for August 27 with the following Birthdays:

August 27, 1908 Lyndon Baines Johnson, 36th president 

of the United States, was born.

August 27, 1910 Mother Teresa, Albanian-born humanitarian, 

missionary, and Nobel Peace Prize winner, was born.

August 27, 1919 Graham Oakley, children's author, was born.

Now we will cover the Events of August 27:

August 27, 1665 The First Theatrical Performance in the 

American Colonies took place at Accomac, Va. A piece 

called Ye Bear and Ye Cubb was performed.

Book (1) brings out an activity for this performance called "Classroom performances-To celebrate the first theatrical performance in the colonies, have (them) perform a dramatic reading, skit, play, or puppet show."

August 27, 1789 The French National Assembly adopted 

the Declaration of the Rights of Man.

August 27, 1859 The First Successful Oil Well in the 

United States was drilled near Titusville, Pa.

Book (1) has this to say in "Oil drilling and spilling-Since the first U.S. oil well was drilled, Americans have experienced the benefits--and hazards--of using oil. One major hazard is an oil spill, which can occur when oil is being transported. In 1989, for example, the tanker Exxon Valdez spilled 240,000 barrels of oil in Alaska's Prince William Sound. To help students understand the difficulties of cleaning up an oil spill, have them conduct this simple experiment. Give (the children) a shallow pan filled with water and some eyedroppers, straws, paper towels, cotton balls, and spoons. Add about 14 cup of vegetable oil to the pans. Ask the (children) to clean up the "spill" with the materials they were given, and discuss the results. Then have the (children) research the kinds of techniques used to clean up real-life oil spills."

August 27, 1883 Krakatoa, a volcanic island in the Indonesian 

Sunda Strait, exploded, creating a 120-Foot-High Tidal Wave.

Book (1) explains in "Killer wave-The Krakatoa explosion produced what may have been the loudest noise in earth's history and left a 600-foot-deep hole under Sunda Strait where the island had once been. It also created a 120-foot-high tidal wave that killed 36,000 people. Use an almanac and a map of the United States to determine which cities might be covered with water if a 120-foot tidal wave struck the eastern or western coasts. How many people live in those cities? Then have your (children) examine topography maps to get a rough estimate of how much land would be lost if the water level rose 120 feet. Using this information, have the kids create a new U.S. map showing the post-tidal-wave coastline."

August 27, 1904 The First Automobile Driver Jailed for Speeding 

was given a 5-day sentence in Newport County, R.I.

August 27, 1984 President Ronald Reagan announced that a 

schoolteacher would be the First Citizen Astronaut.

August 27, 1989 Pictures received from the U.S. space probe 

Voyager 2 showed signs of Volcanoes on Triton, a moon of Neptune.

Next is August 28 beginning with the three Birthdays:

August 28, 1904 Roger Duvoisin, children's illustrator, was born.

Book (1) gives an explanation in the following activity called "Wise-guy stories-Caldecott medalist Roger Duvoisin introduced children to Petunia the silly goose in 1950. Many of his Petunia stories tackle important philosophical questions. Ask your (children) to discuss how they can tell if someone is smart, then read aloud Petunia. Petunia thought that carrying a book would make her wise. Invite your (children) to create stories in which the main character finds or wears something that makes others think he or she is wise."

August 28, 1926 Phyllis Krasilovsky, children's author, was born.

August 28, 1958 Scott Hamilton, American figure skater, was born.

Next are the Events for August 28 as follows:

August 28, 1609 English navigator Henry Hudson discovered the Delaware Bay.

August 28, 1830 The First American-Built Locomotive, the Tom Thumb, 

lost a race with a horse-drawn stagecoach.

August 28, 1922 The First Radio Commercial was aired.

August 28, 1957 Senator Strom Thurmond of South Carolina 

set a Filibuster Record by talking for 24 hours and 18 minutes.

Book (1) has an activity to go with this event called "Delaying tactic-Have your (children) look up the meaning of the word filibuster. Why is this technique used? Do your (children) think filibusters should be permitted in the Senate? Why or why not?"

August 28, 1963 Martin Luther King, Jr., spoke to 200,000 

people at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Book (1) gives this activity called "Dreams day-Tell your (children) that Martin Luther King, Jr., helped organize the 1963 March on Washington--the largest civil rights demonstration in U.S. history. During this demonstration, King gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. Share a film of King giving this speech, or have (the children) take turns reading the text of it aloud. Discuss which of King's dreams have come true. What dreams do the children have for America, their (community), their families, or themselves? Have them each write their dreams on strips of paper, then post the strips under these categories on a (poster)."

This why August 28 is given the title of "I Have a Dream" Day.

August 28, 1968 British scientists using sonar detected several 

Huge Objects moving through the Water of Loch Ness in Scotland.

August 28, 1989 Disney Productions purchased the Muppets for $100 million.

There is only three more days left of August 29 to carry out beginning with the following Birthdays:

August 29, 1632 John Locke, English philospher, was born.

Book (1) gives this activity called "Natural rights-tell your (children) that John Locke had a profound influence on Thomas Jefferson's writing of the Declaration of Independence. Locke identified three rights of man similar to those Jefferson included in the Declaration: life, liberty, and property. Ask your (children) to track how these rights are being maintained today. For 1 week, have them review newspapers, magazines, and radio and television broadcasts for actions by local, state, and federal governments that affect these rights. Do the kids feel government is doing its job? What government actions might be taken to further protect these rights?"

August 29, 1811 Henry Bergh, founder of the American Society 

for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), was born.

Book (1) covers this in the activity called "Animal rights-Celebrate ASPCA founder Henry Bergh's birthday by having a class discussion about humane treatment of animals. Children who own pets can provide dos and don'ts of pet care. For example, don't keep a large dog confined in a small area (bathroom, laundry room) for long periods; do take the dog for frequent walks. With older children, you can broaden the discussion to include farm and wild animals also."

August 29, 1915 Ingrid Bergman, Swedish actress, was born.

August 29, 1920 Charlie Parker, American jazz saxophonist 

considered a founder of the bebop style, was born.

August 29, 1958 Michael Jackson, American singer, was born.

Book (1) says in "Sensational singer-On singer Michael Jackson's birthday, play some of his hits or screen a couple of his music videos. Explain that in addition to music, Jackson's interests include promoting worldwide peace and intergroup harmony. Then invite your (children) to design birthday cards reflecting the pop star's personality or areas of special concern."

Next are the Events for August 29:

August 29, 1835 The city of Melbourne, Australia, was founded.

August 29, 1884 H. J. Webb completed a 898-Mile Tricycle Ride 

across Scotland.

August 29, 1929 The Airship Graf Zeppelin completed a 

circumnavigation of the globe in record time: 21 days,

 7 hours, 26 minutes.

August 29, 1966 The Beatles Gave Their Last Live 

Performance, at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.

August 29, 1971 Hank Aaron became the First National 

League Baseball Player to Drive in 100 runs in each of 11 Seasons.

August 29, 1982 British explorers Sir Ranulph Fiennes and 

Charles Burton successfully completed the First Aerial 

Circumnavigation of the Globe by way of the North and South Poles. 

Now for August 30th with the following Birthdays:

August 30, 1797 Mary Shelley, English author whose 

best-known work is Frankenstein, was born.

August 30, 1901 Roy Wilkins, American civil rights leader, was born.

August 30, 1909 Virginia Lee Burton, children's author, was born.

August 30, 1918 Ted Williams, American baseball player, was born.

Book (1) says in "Ted Williams math-Boston Red Sox star Ted Williams was one of the greatest hitters in baseball history, Among his many other batting feats, Williams was the last man to hit over .400 in a season, posting a .406 batting average in 1941. Explain to your (children) that batting averages are computed by dividing a player's total number of hits by his total number of at bats, and carrying the division to three decimal places. Thus Williams's .406 batting average means that he got hits 40.6% of the times he was up. Projected over the course of 1,000 at bats, he'd have gotten 406 hits. Now pase this math problem for your (children) to do as quickly as possible in their heads: With his batting average of .406, how many hits would Williams have gotten if he'd have gotten if he'd had 600 at bats? ... Then discuss the kids' strategies. Did (they solve the problem by taking half of 406 (203, or the number of hits Williams would have gotten in 500 at bats), and adding 40.6 (the number he'd have gotten in 100 at bats?"

August 30, 1938 Donald Crews, children's author and illustrator, was born.

Book (1) has an activity in "Inspirations for writing-Donald Crews drew on childhood experiences as inspiration for his book Freight Train. During summer vacations, Crews used to take the train from his home in New Jersey to his grandparents' farm in Florida. His grandparents" porch was only 150 yards from the railroad tracks. Crews liked to sit on the porch and watch the freight trains roll by, counting their cars to pass the time. Share the book Freight Train with your students. Then invite the class to make a freight train to record the books they read for 1 month. Post a construction-paper train engine on a poster board. Then give each child several construction-paper freight cars. Have your students write the titles of books they finish reading on the freight cars, then attach the cars to the train engine."          

Now for the Events of August 30 as follows:

August 30, 1682 William Penn sailed from England to America to take over a tract of land--Pennsylvania--granted to him by the king.

August 30, 1780 General Benedict Arnold secretly promised 

to surrender the American fort at West point, N.Y., to the British. 

August 30, 1830 The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad abandoned

 the horse-powered locomotive for trains powered by steam. 

August 30, 1970 Abraham Zapruder, who filmed the assassination of 

President John F. Kennedy, died.

August 30, 1983 Lt. Col. Guion S. Bluford, Jr., became the 

First African-American Astronaut in Space.

August 30, 1984 The space shuttle Discovery blasted 

off on its maiden voyage. 

Last is August 31 with its Birthdays:

August 31, 1786 Michel Eugene Chevreul, French 

chemist who invented margarine, was born. 

August 31, 1870 Maria Montessori, Italian educator, was born.

Book (1) has an activity for this in "Nontraditional schools-Teacher Maria Montessori was unhappy with the way young children were educated, so she started her own school. Ask your (children) to research the backgrounds of Montessori and others who had to create their own schools or programs to meet specific needs--for example, Booker T. Washington, Howard Gardner, Lucy Calkins, Nancie Atwell, Sylvia Townsend-Warner, and Christopher Whittle. (The children) also can scan newspapers and magazines for information about contemporary school experiments, including for-profit schools, business-run schools, and magnet schools. Encourage the kids to clip pertinent articles and share their information with the (family).

August 31, 1945 Itzhak Perlman, Israeli violinist, was born.

August 31, 1945 Van Morrison, Irish singer and songwriter, was born.

August 31, 1955 Edwin Moses, American track star, was born.

Now the Events for August 31 are as follows:

August 31, 1881 The First Men's Tennis Singles

 Championships were held in Newport, R.I. 

August 31, 1886 The First Recorded Major Earthquake in 

U.S. history rocked Charleston, S.C. 

August 31, 1954 Hurricane Carol hit New England, 

New York, and New Jersey, causing $500 million in damage.

August 31, 1964 The Bureau of the Census announced that 

California had surpassed New York as the most populous 

U.S. state.

Book (1) makes these comments and activity "California, her they come-Renowned for its pleasant weather, miles of beaches, job opportunities, and laid-back life-style, California became a magnet for Americans from other parts of the country. Have your (children) compare the population of their state with that of California, the nation's largest. Also challenge the kids to find countries that have fewer citizens than California. (Do lots of study about California and the inhabitants there. For my argument with one of my brother-in-laws is that some people in Washington D.C. do not understand how the lack of illegal immigrants will affect the fruit industry and how many young citizen Americans will not be willing to do the work they do for us. Right now there are some real strong problems in California because of the economy and the step down on illegal immigrants. Have the children make a report about the problems California is facing.) (Also find out how that may all be affecting the Census now.)                                                                                                                                                           August 31, 1980 Poland's Solidarity trade union was founded

at the port city of Gdansk.

August 31, 1982 The First Giant Squid Captured Alive was 

taken near Bergen, Norway.

  Book (1) brings the story out in "Searching for squid-Ask your (children) to speculate about the size of a typical giant squid. Write their guesses (down), then challenge them to research the correct answer. If possible, buy some squid at a local fish market and let the children examine it. Have them note the squid's sucking discs. What are these used for? (They help the squid trap and hold prey.)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  This the last activity for the summer lessons and for August Calendar History to placed on the time line. Grandma has a few additions she may be adding occasionally. She wishes you the best of luck on your journey through the Home Education Program of Grandma's Place of Natural Learning Center. Have a good year home schooling and take care.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

I read more of the blogs posted in, thanks for the added information. I found out many comments were placed in spam because they were articles to sell. Grandma is going to check them out she may be able to use some things if people want to cooperate with her. I am sorry! Grandma cannot wait until she gets to tell you more on real estate and decorating. Some very simple messages. I really did like the one on the sofa fitting. Grandma has a hard time deciding to move her sofa forward closer to the fireplace, giving space behind where a table is usually put. My decorating is not fancy and many times I make due. I have learned many little tricks on a small budget and some very nice things to do. However, I must save everything till I can finish this goal first. Keep blogging, it makes my heart very strong.

Our next calendar day from Book (1) is August 11 with the following Birthdays:

August 11, 1778 Friedrich Ludwig Jahn, German teacher

who invented gymnastics, was born.

Book (1) has an activity for this it is called "Early phys ed-Tell your (children) that Friedrich Ludwig Jahn wrote books about the importance of physical education and developed rudimentary versions of today's gymnastics equipment. Are there any gymnasts in your (home)? Ask your (children) to list the kinds of physical activities they do. (My doctors say swimming is one of the best-especially for me, Grandma,  with Osteoarthritis in the knees and bending as well as walking has become a real problem.)"

August 11, 1865 Gifford Pinchot, American politician,

author, and conservationist, was born.

August 11, 1908 Don Freeman, children's author and creator of Corduroy,

was born.

Book (1) says in "Corduroy corner-To celebrate Don Freeman's birthday, gather copies of his works for a special book corner. Titles might include Corduroy, A Pocket for Corduroy, and Dandelion. You might also invite the children to bring (out their favorite stuffed bear-or other animal-- and tell why it means so much to them. (Grandma used to believe it would be fun to have the children make a little zoo or corner for all the different animals in our world.)"

August 11, 1921 Alex Haley, American author who wrote

Roots and coauthored The Autobiography of Malcolm X, was born.

August 11, 1941 Steven Kroll, children's author, was born.

August 11, 1944 Joanna Cole, children's author, was born.

August 11, 1953 Hulk Hogan, American wrestler, was born.

Now we will cover the Events for August 11:

August 11, 1841 Former slave Frederick Douglass spoke at his

first antislavery conference.

Book (1) tells us in "Civil War dialogue-During the Civil War, Frederick Douglass tried to rally blacks to fight against the South and helped organize two black regiments for this purpose. Douglass also met with President Lincoln several times to discuss the problems of slavery. Ask your (children) to work ...to conduct some background research about the life of Frederick Douglass, President Lincoln's stance on slavery, and conditions in the United States during the Civil War. Have the (children) speculate about some of the things Douglass and Lincoln might have spoken about. Then have (them use (their) research to create a dialogue that might have occurred between the two. (Have the children role play out the conversation between the two men.)"

August 11, 1877 The First Satellite of the Planet Mars was

discovered by Asaph Hall, director of the U.S. Naval Observatory.

August 11, 1972 The Last U.S. Combat Troops left Vietnam.

August 11, 1984 Carl Lewis Won His Forth Gold Medal at the

Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

The Perseids Meteor Shower also Peaks on August 11.

Our Next day is August 12 with the Birthdays as follows:

August 12, 1774 Robert Southey, English poet who popularized

the fairy tale The Three Bears, was born.

Book (1) has an activity for Southey's birthday called "Telling different tales-In honor of Robert Southey's birthday, collect several different editions of The Three Bears. Read one edition aloud, then ...(have the children) read the other editions of this fairy tale, noting the similarities and differences among them. (The children) can then vote for the edition they think has the best illustrations, the best vocabulary, the best character delineation, or any other categories they decide on." (Considering we are falling into a lot about Bears with Theodore's Bear included, Grandma has decided when you get to the Fall lessons of the Settlers it would be a good time to gather all the different bears together out there and make  lessons including this one with that of Kings and Queens, Renaissance, forests, fairy tales, other animals and animals of the forest, Halloween, Day of the Dead, or Harvest stories (one such being is The Wizard of OZ), along the line of the Fall time, etc. Then tying it into Canada, Antarctica, Alaska and the winter season along with the explorers, the United States Revolution, etc. It almost becomes a year round study with everything and ends in February, March, or April when we move into the later 1900's. 

As you recall if you do Grandma blogged sometime back which you can find on her block search about Theodore Roosevelt not wanting to shoot a baby bear. Grandma looked it up tonight on the computer and one web said he was hunting with the Governor of Missouri in Missouri and the people in the party had tied up a bear for Theodore to shoot since he was known so well for his hunting skills and he thought it was inhumane and would not shoot the bear, which seems good to me. The papers wrote it up and someone developed the first "Teddy Bear"  naming it after Theodore Roosevelt.

A last little note here, is that this kind of teaching is called web learning where a teacher starts with a subject as Bears in an oval on a piece of paper and forms other bubbles or ovals around that it connects to and then those bubbles are connected together. It all goes into a unit. Grandma has a Bear Unit in Book (57) she just remembers that she will give to you later in another blog. This is just the way Grandma's mind Naturally works. Grandma would so much like to have a school here to share her materials as the books with. Grandma saves all kinds of recycled  items to do things with. She just has not figured out a way to get people here.Her family does not understand at all.) 

August 12, 1781 Robert Mills, American architect and 

designer of the Washington Monument, was born.

August 12, 1859 Katherine Lee Bates, American author 

who wrote the words to "America the Beautiful", was born.

August 12, 1880 Christy Mathewson, baseball star who

 became one of the first five players inducted into the 

Hall of Fame, was born.

August 12, 1955 Ann Martin, children's author and 

creator of the Baby-sitters Club series, was born.

Book (1) says in "Book ideas-Tell your (children) that Ann Martin, author of the Baby-sitters Club books, draws on her own childhood experiences in many of her books. Martin says she remembers what it felt like being a kid, and she tries to put those feelings into her books. Ask your (children) to recall a happy, sad, frightening, confusing, or thought-provoking experience they've had during the previous year, and to write a paragraph about it. Send these paragraphs to the author as suggestions for future Baby-sitters Club books."

(Grandma noticed one day how her mother wrote little notepad book she keeps all the time. When she fills one up she gets another. It is a good way to keep record of phone calls made, things that happened that day, bills to pay, and remember things. It keeps it all in one little record. A lot of people do it on a calendar. Grandma's days sometimes have just been so busy having to handle things, run in the car, and various other items in which I may not have recorded as well as reaching the true feelings about them. I did find one notebook I had business cards and other things I kept record of. I am getting ready to do a story or autobiography with my pictures-the sons have stated they have no interest in such things but maybe some of the grandchildren, or great-grandchildren will appreciate it. Grandma is learning to reach into her feeling bag of expression a little better. Maybe it will all come together soon enough. The use of your Family books, Yearbooks, and Newspapers keeps some record for you also.)

Grandma is moving on into the Events of August 12:

August 12, 1658 The First Police Force in America was 

established in New Amsterdam, now New York City.

Book (1) talks about it in "Community protectors-To mark the establishment of the first American police force, have a (family) discussion about how police, firefighters, and paramedics help protect us. Then write a ...thank-you letter to local units of each of these groups." (This is a good lesson to tie to the beginnings of the year on our safety learning and also the happening of 9-11, which is absolutely a puzzle.)

August 12, 1676 Metacomet (Philip), chief of the Wampanoag 

Indians, was killed, effectively ending King Philip's War, a bitter 

conflict between New England settlers and the Wampanoag tribe.

August 12, 1851 Isaac Singer began production of his Sewing Machine.

August 12, 1877 Thomas Edison invented the Phonograph.

August 12, 1936 Marjorie Gestring, age 13, became the 

Youngest Person to Win an Olympic Gold Medal in 

springboard diving.

Next is August 13th with the following birthdays:

August 13, 1818 Lucy Stone, American women's rights leader, was born.

August 13, 1860 Annie Oakley, American markswoman, was born.

Book (1) writes "Sharpest shooter-As a young girl, Annie Oakley showed a tremendous talent for marksmanship, beating a national rifle champion in a shooting match. She could hit a coin thrown into the air or the thin edge of a playing card at 30 paces. Her skill earned her the nickname "Little Sure Shot." Have your (children) think about their special talents. What nicknames might they give themselves? Have them use these nicknames as the basis of a self-portrait."

August 13, 1895 Bert Lanr, American actor who played the

 Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of OZ, was born.

Book (1) writes "Of cowards and courage-Your (children) are probably familiar with Bert Lahr's portrayal of the Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz.Ask the children to discuss what it means to be a coward. Why is it strange to see a lion act cowardly? Can they think of ways to help someone feel less afraid?Have the kids each write a paragraph telling what they do to feel less afraid in difficult situations."

August 13, 1899 Alfred Hitchcock, English filmmaker, was born.

August 13, 1927 Fidel Castro, premier of Cuba, was born.

Now we move onto the Events:

August 13, 1521 Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortez 

captured the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, the site of 

present-day Mexico City.

August 13, 1870 Before starting down the Colorado River

 into the Grand Canyon, explorer John Wesley Powell wrote,

 "We are now ready to start on our way down the Great Unknown...."

August 13, 1889 William Gray patented the Pay Telephone.

August 13, 1961 East Germany Closed the Border Between

 East and West Berlin.

August 13, 1969 President Richard Nixon bestowed the

 Medal of Freedom on Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, 

Edwin Aldrin, and Michael Collins after their historic landing on the moon.

August 13 is also International Left-Handers Day in which Book (1) writes "Looking at lefties-On International Left-Handers Day, survey your (children) to see how many of them are southpaws. Have these (children) share the benefits and drawbacks of being left-handed with (you). Then encourage (those children) who are right-handed to use their left hands to perform some everyday tasks--sharpening their pencils, writing, turning a light switch off and on, opening a jar, and so on. Have lefties try these tasks with their right hands." 

August 14th begins with the following birthdays:

August 14, 1777 Hans Christian Oersted, danish chemist 

and physicist who discovered the principle of electromagnetism, was born.

Book(1) writes "Magnetic attraction-Danish physicist and chemist Hans Christian Oersted discovered that an electrical current produces a magnetic field. On his birthday, demonstrate this principle to your (children). You'll need the following materials: a 2-foot-long piece of insulated wire with the ends stripped; a 2-inch nail; a D cell battery; and some metal paper clips. Spread the paper clips on a table. Ask your (children) to test whether the battery, the nail, or the wire by themselves will attract the paper clips. (They won't.) Next, coil the wire tightly around the nail, leaving 2 inches of wire free at each end. Then press the stripped ends of the wire against the top and bottom of the battery. Now have your (children) test whether the paper clips will be attracted. (They will.) Tell your students that they've just created an electromagnet."

August 14, 1918 Alice Provensen, children's author, was born.

August 14, 1959 Earvin "Magic" Johnson, American basketball

 player, was born.

Next will be given the Events for August 14:

August 14, 1511 Michelangelo's Paintings On the Sistine 

Chapel Ceiling were first exhibited.

August 14, 1784 The First Russian Colony in Alaska was 

founded at Three Saints Bay on Kodiak Island.

August 14, 1894 Angry at being fired, Jerry Murphy, the 

city jailer at Leavenworth, Kan., unlocked the prison 

doors and Released all the Prisoners.

August 14, 1919 A U.S Aeromarine flying boat dropped a 

bag of mail on the deck of the liner Adriatic. 

This was the First Airmail Delivery at Sea.

August 14, 1935 President Franklin Roosevelt signed the 

Social Security Act, creating the nation's first system of 

retirement income.

August 14, 1945 Japan Surrendered, ending World War II.

August 14, 1976 To raise money for the Monticello, N.Y., 

Community General Hospital, two teams began a 

Marathon Softball Game.

An activity given in Book (1) is called "Can you spell "fund-raiser"?-The softball marathon played in Monticello, N.Y., in 1976 lasted from 10:00 a.m. on Aug. 14 to 4 p.m. the following day. The 365-inning game, which ended in a score of 492-467, raised $4,000 for a local hospital. Why not organize a fund-raiser for your (church or something in your community.) Your (children) can solicit pledges for a marathon spelling test. Sponsors can donate a penny per word. Have the children decide how to use the money--.... Include words from all of your (children's) textbooks on the test. Start in the morning and continue until lunch (if feasible). ... . The (children) could earn one penny for each correctly spelled word."

August 14, 1985 Japan launched Spacecraft-Planet A on a 

Mission to Halley's Comet.

Our next day to dip into is August 15 starting with the Birthdays:

August 15, 1769 Napoleon Bonaparte, emperor of the French, was born.

August 15, 1915 Turkle Brinton, children's author, was born.

August 15, 1922 Leonard Baskin, children's illustrator, was born.

The Events for this day are as follows:

August 15, 1057 Macbeth, the king of Scotland, was murdered 

by Malcolm III, the son of King Duncan.

August 15, 1914 The SS Ancon became the First Ship to Travel 

Through the Panama Canal.

August 15, 1943 Sergeant Edward Dzuba received the Legion of 

Merit for his Recipes for Using Leftovers.

Book (1) says in "Lots of leftovers-Challenge your (children) to come up with zany uses for common leftovers. For instance, leftover mashed potatoes could be used to patch roads, Leftover pudding might make great finger paint. Compile (the children's) suggestions in a ...book titled "Fresh Uses for Leftovers."

August 15, 1947 Great Britain granted independence to India.

August 15, 1948 The Republic of Korea was proclaimed.

August 15, 1963 A total of 2,600 books were selected as 

the nucleus for an official White House Library.

Book (1) says in "Personal library plans-If your (children) could select 10 books for their own libraries, which titles would they pick? Have them each make a list, then group the books into genres. What's the most popular genre among your (children)? Combine (their) lists and post as a reading reference for the kids. Have (them) design bookplates for books that are added to the (your) library."

August 15, 1969 The Woodstock Music and Arts Fair opened in 

upstate New York.

August 15, 1970 Pat Palinkas of the Orlando Panthers became the 

First Woman to Play in a Professional Football Game.

August 15, 1985 South African President P.W. Botha publicly 

rejected Western pleas to abolish apartheid.

August 15 is also National Relaxation Day so Book (1) says in "Just relax-Ask your (children) to describe what they like to do for relaxation. Their responses might include sedentary activities, such as reading or watching television, as well as more active pursuits, such as playing a sport or taking a walk. Afterward, discuss why it isn't always necessary to "take it easy" in order to relax."

The next day is August 16 with the following Birthdays:

August 16, 1845 Gabriel Lippman, French physicist and 

inventor of color photography, was born.

August 16, 1917 Matt Christopher, children's author, was born

Book (1) writes "Favorite games-Most of Matt Christopher's books for children are on sports topics. When Christopher was growing up, his favorite sport was baseball. Despite a lack of equipment, he and his friends played the game in his backyard, which was cement. The boys used broken broom handles and tennis balls instead of bats and baseballs. They used flat rocks to mark the bases. Ask your (children) if they've ever improvised in order to play a favorite game. Then have them interview their parents about favorite games they played as children. Have the kids share their information with the class."

Next are the Events for August 16:

August 16, 1858 Queen Victoria of England and President 

James Buchanan of the United States exchanged greetings 

by means of the New Transatlantic Cable.

August 16, 1861 The federal government Prohibited Trade 

between the States of the Union and the Confederacy.

August 16, 1916 The United States and Canada signed 

a Treaty to Protect Migratory Birds.

Book (1) says in "Birds of a feather-Tell Your (children) that the Arctic tern is the champion migratory bird. This bird travels from one pole to the other, making a round-trip flight of over 20,000 miles. Divide the class into teams, and have each team learn about the migratory pattern of a different bird, such as ducks, geese, and swallows. Compare the number of miles traveled by each species on a class chart."

August 16, 1920 Baseball player Roy Chapman was hit 

in the Head by a Pitched Ball and died the following day.

 He was the only professional ballplayer to die in that manner.

Book (1) points out for Safety Lessens "Sports safety-Do your (children) think sports are safer today than in 1920, when Roy Chapman was fatally injured in a baseball game? List several sports--baseball, football, hockey, soccer--on... . For each sport, have (the children) identify the equipment and rules that help protect players from injury. (There has been some specials on TV concerning the injuries children are getting from playing ball games and if they helmets should be redone.) Have any of your (children) ever been injured playing sports? Ask them to share their experiences. Then ask (them) to suggest a type of equipment, rule change, or other strategy that might have prevented the injury. Afterward, invite a team coach or physical education instructor to discuss sports safety with your (children)."

August 16, 1977 Rock-and roll idol Elvis Presley Died.

The next day of study is August 17 with the following Birthdays:

August 17, 1786 Davy Crockett, American frontiersman, 

soldier, and politician, was born.

Book (1) writes about it in "American folk hero-Frontiersman, scout, soldier, and politician, Davy Crockett was among the more colorful figures of his day. Have your (children) conduct background research about Crockett's life, then prepare a time line showing his varied adventures. What important events in U.S history occurred during Crockett's lifetime? Have students list these events on the time line. (You could either make a raccoon hat or a log cabin or both on a poster or cut them out to paste little papers on. Else list them on a study paper or note cards if space is limited. You can even add them in with your other line papers to hang up.)"

August 17, 1926 Myra Cohn Livingston, children's poet, was born.

Book (1) writes about it in "Enlightening poetry-Read aloud to your (children) from Myra Cohn Livingston's Light and Shadow. Ask the kids to list the places Livingston finds light--a toll bridge, the waves, a sign in a store window. Where does she discover shadows? (In the forest, leaning against a door, across stone walls.) Have (the children) work...to list other places or where they'd find light and shadow. Have them write their own poems about light and shadow on sheets of white construction paper, then mount the sheets on black construction paper. Display their work... ." (Grandma has always felt there should be lessons about shadows, and it can also be tied to studies and experiments about the sun and the moon. Grandma has a game the children can play in which they hide behind a sheet curtain with a light shone on it in a dark room and do different things with their hands and selves for others to guess what or who they are. Another thing they do with children is to shine a light on a dark wall with the shape of their faces showing on a piece of paper taped on it to show their profiles to be drawn out and placed on background paper. You may see if you can do anything in this direction."

August 17,  1943 Robert DeNiro, American actor, was born.

Now for the Events of that day, August 17:

August 17, 1788 The town of Cincinnati (originally named 

Losantville) was founded.

Book (1) gives this activity of "City mapping-Have your (children) find Cincinnati on a map of Ohio. In what part of the state is it located? Which geographic features might have influenced the city's location?"

August 17, 1807 Robert Fulton's steamboat, the Clermont, 

made its first run up the Hudson River from New York to Albany.

August 17, 1877 American astronomer Asaph Hall sighted 

the second satellite of the planet Mars, naming it Phobos.

August 17, 1896 George Carmack Discovered Gold in 

Klondike Creek in the Yukon Territory of Canada. 

August 17, 1933 New York Yankee Lou Gehrig Broke the

 Record for Most Consecutive Baseball Games Played

 when he appeared in his 1,308th straight game. Gehrig

 eventually stretched his record to 2,130 games.

Book (1) presents "Record setters-How many times in a row can your (children) do something? Have the kids each keep track of the number of consecutive days they complete their homework. Who's the record setter in your (home)?

August 17, 1978 Three American balloonists completed the First Successful Transatlantic Balloon Flight, landing their craft, the Double Eagle, near Paris. They also set an endurance record of 138 hours, 6 minutes in the air.

The next day to use from Book (1) is August 18 with the following Birthdays:

August 18, 1587 Virginia Dare, the first English child born 

in America, was born.

August 18, 1774 Meriwether Lewis, American explorer and 

coleader of the Lewis and Clark expedition, was born.

August 18, 1934 Roberto Clemente, Puerto Rican baseball player, was born.

Book (1) says in "One of baseball's best-In honor of Roberto Clemente's birthday, invite your (children) to bring in their baseball cards. Does anyone have a Roberto Clemente card? If so, have that child share Clemente's statistics with (you). If not, encourage (the children) to use a sports almanac to find out about Clemente's career accomplishments. Then let the kids make a postersized Roberto Clemente baseball card."

August 18, 1937 Robert Redford, American actor, was born. 

August 18, 1944 Paula Danziger, children's author, was born.

August 18, 1954 Patrick Swayze, American actor, was born.

That is it for the birthdays now we will look at the Events for August 18:

August 18, 1856 Gail Borden patented the First Successful 

Milk-Condensing Process.

August 18, 1873 John Lucas, Charles Begole, and A.H.

 Johnson became the First Climbers to Reach the Top of 

Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the contiguous United States.

Book (1) writes in "Mountains of information-To commemorate the first successful climb of California's highest peak, divide the rest of the states among your (children). Have the kids find out the highest points in their states, their elevations, and if applicaable, when they were first scaled and by whom, then write this information on slips of paper. Make sure the children sign their names on the slips they do. Collect the slips and hold a ..."mountain bee" by reading aloud the information and having the kids guess which sate the high point is in. Afterward, have your (children) record their facts on mountain-shaped sheets of construction paper scaled according to height. Arrange their work on (a wall or poster board) to resemble a mountain range, then label the display "Mountains of Information." (If you do not have a big enough basement or somekind of a wall or have a bulletin board because a poster board I do not feel will be big enough; Grandma feels you could collect them together to form a book or put in a folder (for a book would be the nicest))."

August 18, 1902 Major League Baseball's First Unassisted 

Triple Play was made by Henry O'Hagen.

August 18, 1914 President Woodrow Wilson issued his 

"Proclamation of Neutrality," aimed at keeping the 

United States out of World War I.

August 18, 1919 The Anti-Cigarette League of America was organized.

Book (1) writes "Thumbs down for cigarettes-To mark the anniversary of the founding of the Anti-Cigarette League,have each (child) choose one of the many good reasons not to smoke, think of an appropriate slogan, and create a poster."

August 18, Gerald Ford was Nominated for President on 

the first ballot at the Republican National Convention in 

Kansas City, Mo.

Next day is August 19 with the following Birthdays in the beginning:

August 19, 1646 John Flamsteed, English astronomer, was born.

Book (1) writes about him in "Star man-John Flamsteed, who served as England's first Astronomer Royal, cataloged about 3,000 stars. Challenge (your children) to list as many stars as they can think of --along with the constellations the stars are in, if the (children) know--in 5 minutes. Award one point for each correct star and one point for each correct constellation. ...(Award them with their hard work.)"

August 19, 1871 Orville Wright, American aviation pioneer

 and (coinventer) of the airplane, was born.

August 19, 1902 Ogden Nash, American poet known for

 his humorous verse, was born.

Book (1) writes in "Animal poetry-Celebrate Ogden Nash's birthday by reading aloud his portraits of animals--for example, "The Sea Gull" or "the Turtle." Then have your (children) develop comic-strip versions of the poems or follow Nash's rhyme schemes to develop their own humorous animal poems."

August 19, 1931 Willie Shoemaker, American jockey, was born.

August 19, 1938 Vicki Cobb, children's author, was born.

August 19, Bill Clinton, 42nd president of the United States, was born.

Now for August 19th Events:

August 19, 1692 Six residents of Salem, Mass., were executed 

after being Accused of Practicing Witchcraft.

August 19, 1775 A Horde of Earwigs infested houses and 

gardens in Stroud, England. Residents fled to the surrounding 

countryside.

Book (1) writies "Insect invasion-Show your (children) illustrations or photographs of earwigs. These insects have short, borny forewings, a pair of forceps at the end of the abdomen, and biting mouthparts. Then ask the kids to work ...to develop a horror play titled "Invasion of the Earwigs" or a mock front page for a Stroud newspaper story on the insect invasion."

August 19, 1812 The U.S. frigate Constitution won the nickname 

"Old Ironsides" by defeating the British frigate Guerriere in a War 

of 1812 battle.

August 19, 1971 The Nature Conservancy and the U.S. Forest 

Service announced plans to save the 50 to 60 California 

Condors left in the wild.

August 19, 1991 A group of Communist hardliners led by the 

vice president, defense minister, interior minister, and head 

of the KGB attempted a Coup in the Soviet Union, detaining 

President Mikhail Gorbachev in his dacha in the Crimea and 

dispatching tanks to secure the streets of Moscow.

August 19 is also known as National Aviation Day.

Now for the beginning of August 20th with the Birthdays:

August 20, 1785 Oliver Hazard Perry, U.S. naval officer 

and hero of the War of 1812, was born.

August 20, 1946 Connie Chung, American TV reporter 

and anchor, was born.

Now for the Events of August 20th:

August 20, 1741 Alaska was Discovered by the Danish 

explorer Vitus Bering.

Book (1) writes "Close continents-Vitus Bering was commissioned by Russia to find out whether Asia and North America were connected. When he sailed through the Bering Straight on his first voyage, dense fog obscured his view, and Bering didn't realize how close he was to the North American continent. On his second voyage, in 1741, he spotted Alaska. Have your students locate the Bering Strait on a map and use the map scale to determine the distance separating Asia and North America at the closest point."

August 20, 1857 After being harpooned by the crew of the 

whaling ship Ann Alexander, a Whale Attacked and 

destroyed the vessel.

Book (1) writes about these "Whaling woes-Tell your (children) that during the period the Ann Alexander sailed, whales were hunted primarily for their blubber (a thick layer of fat beneath the skin), which was used to make oil. The oil was used as lamp fuel before the invention of kerosene. List several whale species ... .--for example, blue, finback, right, humpback, and sperm. Have (the children) each investigate the status of one of these species. (All the whales listed above are endangered.) Ask (the children) to draw and color a picture of (different) whales, then attach a paragraph describing (their) size, ... feeding habits, and where (they) can be found."

August 20, 1912 The Plant Quarantine Act went into effect, 

placing restrictions on the entry of plants into the United States.

August 20, 1934 The Comic Strip"Li'l Abner" first appeared.

August 20, 1940 Winston Churchill paid Tribute to the 

Royal Air Force by saying, "Never in the field of Human 

conflict was so much owed by so many to so few."

August 20, 1968 James McAdam, Jr., snagged the 

Largest Sea Bass on Record--563 pounds.

Book (1) says in "A large mass of bass-Can your (children) imagine how huge a 563-pound fish is? To help them visualize this big bass, ask each child how much he or she weighs. Add the weights together until the total reaches (around) 563 pounds. How many children is that?"

August 20, 1977 The unmanned spacecraft Voyager 2 

was launched. Its destinations were Jupiter, Saturn, 

Uranus, and Neptune.

August 20, 1985 The original Xerox Copy Machine was donated to the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History.

Book (1) writes "Museum-quality pieces?-Ask your (children) whether they think the first Xerox copy machine deserves a place in the Smithsonian. Why or why not? What kinds of items do they think will be in the Smithsonian 100 years from now? Make a ... list."

(Grandma will finish the rest of August Calendar History very soon.)

Good morning folks! August 1st is a full day of Calendar History starting with the birthdays:

August 1, 1770 William Clark, American explorer and

coleader of the Lewis and Clark expedition, was born.

August 1, 1779 Francis Scott Key, author of

"The Star-Spangled Banner", was born.

August 1, 1818 Maria Mitchell, American astronomer who became

the first woman elected to the American Academy of Arts and 

Sciences, was born.

August 1, 1819 Herman Melville, American author whose works

include Moby Dick, was born.

August 1, 1944 Gail Gibbons, children's author, was born.

Book (1) writes in "At the zoo( by the way, this ties in with June's lessons on the zoo)-Tell your (children) that Gail Gibbons was 4 years old when she created her first picture book. It was four pages long. Since then, Gibbons has written and illustrated more than 50 books. Many of her nonfiction books--including Clocks and How They Go, New Road, Sunken Treasure, and Zoo--have won awards. Before reading Gibbon's book Zoo to younger (children), help them list the kinds of responsibilities they think a zookeeper might have--for example, feeding animals, cleaning their cages, sweeping walkways, and answering visitors' questions. Have the children compare the list of responsibilities they come up with and those mentioned in the book."

Now we fall into the Events of August 1st:

August 1, 1774 British scientist Joseph Priestley successfully

Isolated Oxygen from Air.

August 1, 1790 The First U.S Census was taken.

It showed a population of 3,929,214.

August 1, 1834 An Emancipation Bill outlawed slavery in the British empire.

August 1, 1873 Inventor Andrew Hallidie successfully tested the

Railroad Cable Car he'd designed for San Francisco.

August 1, 1876 Colorado became the 38th state.

August 1, 1907 The U.S Army established the Aeronautical

Division of the Army Signal Corps, forerunner of the U.S Air Force.

August 1, 1914 Germany declared war on Russia, and

the First Fighting of World War I began.

August 1, 1946 The Atomic Energy Commission was

established to promote peaceful uses of atomic energy.

August 1, 1981 MTV(Music Television) premiered.

Book (1) says in "Music videos for young children-In honor of MYV's premiere, invite your students to create "music videos" for younger children. Different groups of (children) can perform old favorites--such as "Old MacDonald Had a Farm," "Animal Fair," "If you're Happy and You Know it," and "The Hokey Pokey"--while you operate the video camera. Encourage the children to create appropriate background scenery for their performances."

Next we move onto August 2nd with the following birthdays:

August 2, 1754 Pierre L'Enfant, American soldier and architect

who created the city plan for Washington, D.C., was born.

August 2, 1900 Holling Holling, children's author, was born.

August 2, 1946 James Howe, children's author, was born.

Book (1) writes in "Childhood dreams-When he was growing up, James Howe, the author of Bunnicula and Howliday Inn, often wondered about his future--where he might live, what he might do, and who his friends might be. He dreamed of many possibilities, but he never imagined he'd become a children's book author. Ask your (children) what they dream about. Then have them write dated letters to themselves about their dreams, seal the letters in envelopes, and give them to you. At the end of the school year, return the letters and ask the students to note how their dreams have changed, if at all. Encourage the kids to hold on to these letters for periodic "dream checking" and updating as they get older."

Next are the events for August 2nd:

August 2, 1776 Fifty members of the Continental Congress

signed the Declaration of Independence.  

August 2, 1858 The First on-the-Street Mailboxes were

installed in Boston and New York.

Book (1) has comments and an activity called "Red-letter days-Tell your (children) that before on-the-street mailboxes were introduced, people had to go to the post office to mail their letters. (People at some time might have even had to go to the post office to pick up their mail. In San Luis Rio Colorado people even prefer to get someone who has a green card pick-up their mail on the United States side of that border city from their mailboxes because they do not trust everything sent directly to their homes in Mexico. Those mailboxes that are in United States are also shared with two other people. It really is very scarey. Many people use others means of protection like Western Union, etc. to help them.

Another reason on-the-street mailboxes may have been nice because many houses may have been quite a walk from the road for the mailman to deliver from therefore these boxes made it easier for him.)

Older (children) might like to investigate other postal innovations., such as postage stamps, the pony express, and airmail. Younger (children) will enjoy having a classroom mailbox, which you can make by cutting a slot in the top of a large cardboard box. The kids can "mail" letters to you or to (other people in the family). And you can send letters to your (children). Each week, appoint a "letter carrier" to empty the box and deliver the letters.(This is the beginning of responsibilities and volunteering.)

August 2, 1909 The First Lincoln Penny was issued.

August 2, 1923 President Warren G. Harding died in office.

August 2, 1943 Navy lieutenant John F. Kennedy Rescued

Members of His Crew after their boat, PT-109, was sheared

in half by a Japanese destroyer.

August 2, 1977 Congress approved a bill to establish a

Federal Department of Energy.

August 2, 1978 The Movie Star Wars Surpassed Jaws as

the all-time leader in box-office receipts.

August 2, 1983 The U.S House of Representatives voted to

designate the third Monday in January a Federal Holiday

in Honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.

August 2, 1990 Iraq invaded its neighbor to the south, Kuwait.

The next day from Book(1) is August 3rd starts with the following birthdays:

August 3, 1887 Rupert Brooke, English poet, was born.

August 3, 1905 Maggie Kuhn, founder of the Gray Panthers, was born.

August 3, 1926 Mary Calhoun, children's author, was born.

Now for the Events:

August 3, 1492 Christopher Columbus Set Sail from Palos,

Spain, on the expedition that resulted in his discovery of America.

August 3, 1610 British navigator Henry Hudson entered the

body of water now known as Hudson Bay.

Book (1) writes about it in "Hudson's discoveries-Tell your (children) that between 1607 and 1611, Henry Hudson made four voyages to the New World in search of a passage to China around North America. During these voyages, Hudson discovered not only Hudson Bay but also the Hudson River and Hudson Strait. Pass out copies of a map showing the northeastern section of North America. Have students' locate the bodies of water discovered by Hudson on their maps, then color them." (Remember to include this in the lessons on explorers in the first part of the years lessons.

August 3, 1780 Benedict Arnold was put in charge of the

fortifications at West Point, N.Y., during the Revolutionary War.

August 3, 1852 Harvard defeated Yale in the First Intercollegiate

Rowing Race, on Lake Winnepesaukee, N.H.

August 3, 1882 Congress passed a Law to Restrict Immigration

imposing a 50¢ tax on all new arrivals.

(This could be used with the lessons on Ellis Island, where immigrants had to go through to be accepted into the United States.)

August 3, 1923 Calvin Coolidge became the 30th president

of the United States after the death of Warren G. Harding.

Book (1) writes in "The way to the White House-Calvin Coolidge, like such other vice presidents as Lyndon Johnson, Harry Truman, and Theodore Roosevelt, assumed the presidency after the death of the chief executive. Challenge your (children) to name the only vice president to take over for a president who was still alive. (Gerald Ford, who became president when Richard Nixon resigned.) Then ask the class to predict who would become president if the president and the vice president were unable to serve. Have the kids check their predictions by researching the line of succession. Afterward, have them illustrate their findings with a flowchart."

August 3, 1984 Mary Lou Retton became the First American

Woman to Win the Olympic Gold Medal in the All-Around

Gymnastics Competition.

August 3 is also of National Smile Week(first Monday in August through the following Sunday)

as Book (1) writes in "When you're smiling-To celebrate National Smile Week, hold a contest to see who can get the most people to smile. All during the week, have (children) nod and smile at people they meet (everywhere, which will teach what a difference it makes and why most towns like that are tourist stations or considered very happy towns, for it reflects). Encourage them to each keep scorecards noting the number of people who return their smiles. At week's end, give each child a certificate with smiley-face stickers."

Next is August 4th starting with the birthdays:

August 4, 1861 Jesse Reno, American engineer who invented

the escalator, was born.

August 4, 1912 Raoul Wallenberg, Swedish diplomat

who is credited with saving at least 100,000 Hungarian

Jews from deportation to Nazi concentration camps, was born.

August 4, 1958 Mary Decker-Slaney, American track star, was born.

August 4, 1962 Roger Clemens, American baseball star, was born.

Now for the Events:

August 4, 1790 The U.S. Coast Guard was established.

Book (1) writes in"Coast Guard crosswords-Tell your (children) that the U.S. Coast Guard began with a fleet of just 10 ships, called cutters. Now the Coast Guard uses cutters, small boats, airplanes, helicopters, lighthouses, and radio beacons to carry out its many responsibilities, which include preventing smuggling; locating and rescuing victims of accidents at sea; inspecting equipment and enforcing safety rules on merchant ships; icebreaking; monitoring compliance with environmental regulations; conducting oceanographic research; and aiding navigation. Have (the children) do a little reading about the Coast Guard and incorporate key terms they learn in a crossword puzzle. Then have (them) match wits by exchanging their crosswords.(Grandma feels this fits in with the safety learning of the children quite well.)"

August 4, 1875 Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen died.

As an activity in honor of Hans, Book (1) says in "Finger-puppet fairy tales-In memory of Hans Christian Andersen, get your (children) to read his famous fairy tales. Then have the children work ...to create finger-puppet characters and act out the stories. After some practice, your (children) might perform their finger-puppet plays for younger children."

August 4, 1916 The United States bought the Western Virgin

Islands from Denmark.

August 4, 1922 The nation's 13 million telephones were silent for a moment

in tribute to Alexander Graham Bell on the occasion of his funeral.

August 4, 1944 The Nazis captured Anne Frank and seven others

who were hiding with her in a house in Amsterdam.

August 4 is also National Clown Week (the first full week in August) and Book (1) says in "Be a clown-During Clown Week, invite your (children) to brainstrom for words besides funny to describe clowns--for example, playful, jolly, clever, lively, amusing. Next have the kids come up with a list of words to describe how clowns make them feel. Their suggestions might include cheerful, merry, lucky, delighted, and thrilled. Write the words (down on a chart or something). Then have (the children) use the word lists to write poems about clowns. They can recite their works during "Be a Clown Day"--when (they) can ...(dress) as clowns."

Next is August 5th starting with the Birthdays:

August 5, 1850 Guy De Maupassant, French short-story writer, was born.

August 5, 1902 Robert Bright, children's author, was born.

August 5, 1930 Neil Armstrong, U.S. astronaut and the first

person to set foot on the moon, was born.

August 5, 1962 Patrick Ewing, American basketball player, was born.

Next are the Events for the day:

August 5, 1833 Chicago was incorporated as a village-with

43 houses and 200 people.

August 5, 1861 The U.S. Government Levied an Income Tax for the first time.

August 5, 1884 The cornerstone was laid for the Statue of Liberty.

Book (1) says in "Monumental tasks-Ask your (children) to explain what a monument is .Perhaps they'll suggest that a monument is a lasting symbol of a significant person, event, or ideal. Next, tell them that the Statue of Liberty, a gift to the United States from the government of Franco, symbolized friendship between the two nations as well as liberty under a democracy. Have your students name other local, national, or international monuments. What do these monuments honor or recognize?If your (children) were to have monuments symbolizing them, what would these monuments look like? Encourage each child to draw and color--or even build--a personal monument."

August 5, 1914 The First Electric Traffic Lights were installed in Cleveland.

August 5, 1924 The comic strip "Little Orphan Annie" first appeared.

August 5, 1957 "American Bandstand" Premiered on network television.

August 5, 1963 The United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union

signed a Treaty Banning Nuclear Tests in the atmosphere, in space,

and under water.

August 5, 1989 The observation deck of New York City's World

Trade Center received its 20 Millionth Visitor.

August 5 is also Halfway Point of Summer (45 or 46 days after the solstice) and National Greeting Card Day along with National Mustard Day. Book (1) has three following activities to carry out these events:

"Going halfway-Challenge your (children) to find other "halfway" points today. For instance, what's the halfway point of the school day, a story they're reading, lunchtime, or their (trip) somewhere?"

"Original greeting cards-Have your (children) brainstorm for all the occasions for which there are greeting cards. List these ideas .... Next, ...ask (the children) to think of occasions in people's lives for wihcih there aren't any greeting cards. Finally, have each (child) select one of these occasions and make an appropriate greeting card. Post the cards (somewhere)."

"Cutting the mustard-On National Mustard Day, conduct a survey to find out how many children like regular, spicy, or dijon mustard. On which foods do (each in the family) use mustard? Do any (of the family) not like mustard at all? Have the (children) graph the results."

The next day to learn about is August 6th with the following Birthdays:

August 6, 1809 Alfred, Lord Tennyson, English poet, was born.

August 6, 1881 Alexander Fleming, British bacteriologist who

discovered penicillin, was born.

August 6, 1909 Norma Faber, children's author, was born.

August 6, 1946 Frank Asch, children's author, was born.

August 6, 1965 David Robinson, basketball player, was born.

Now for the Events:

August 6, 1825 Bolivia declared its independence from Spain.

Book (1) has the following activity to follow it called "Name that country-Ask your (children) whom Bolivia was named for (Simon Bolivar, the Venezuelan general and statesman who liberated much of South America from Spain). Then challenge the kids to think of another South American country named for a person (Colombia, named for Christopher Columbus.)"

August 6, 1890 Cy Young, baseball's winningest pitcher, appeared in

his first game.

August 6, 1926 Gertrude Ederle became the First Woman to

Swim the English Channel.

August 6, 1945 The United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan.

It is also considered Hiroshima Day. However, Book (1) writes it as "Contemplating Peace-On Hiroshima Day, use videotapes, films, or literature to introduce students to the cases and effects of America's use of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. After a discussion, share with (the children) copies of books containing quotations, poetry, stories, or essays about peace. Encourage the children to review the books, then select a quotation, poem, or passage that holds meaning for them. (The children) can then write these words on strips of white paper. Post the strips (up somewhere.)" August 6 is also Peace Festival for Japan.

August 6, 1962 Jamaica gained its independence after more than three

centuries as a British possession.

August 6, 1965 President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act,

protecting the rights of black voters.

August 6 is also National Sandwich Month in which Book (1) gives an activity in "Class sandwich book-During National Sandwich Month, help your (children) develop a class sandwich recipe book. Gather a collection of cookbooks, and allow your (children) to browse through them for sandwich recipes. ... . (They should each copy the recipe for a sandwich they like (or would like to try) and illustrate it. Have them categorize the sandwiches--for example, meatless sandwiches, Hot sandwiches, exotic sandwiches--then compile the illustrated recipes into a ... book. Invite the kids to make their sandwiches ...and...one day this month (have) a ...taste test."

Next is August 7 and following are the Birthdays:

August 7, 1742 Nathanael Greene, Revolutionary War general, was born.

August 7, 1779 Carl Ritter, German geographer considered one of

the founders of modern geographic science.

Book (1) says in "Geography in the news-Help (the children) discover how geography affects their daily lives. First, have them guess how many geographic references, maps, and charts they'll find in an edition of the daily newspaper. Then have them check their predictions by counting and clipping all the geographic references they can find from today's paper. Afterward, discuss how the news would be different without the science of geography."

August 7, 1903 Louis S. B. Leakey, English anthropologist and paleontologist,

was born.

August 7, 1928 Petsy Byars, children's author, was born.

Next comes the Events for August 7:

August 7, 1782 George Washington established the Badge of

Military Merit (Purple Heart) to honor wounded soldiers.

August 7, 1789 The War Department was created.

August 7, 1888 Theophilus van Kannel patented the Revolving Door.

August 7, 1927 The International Peace Bridge, commemorating

longlasting peace between the United States and Canada,

was dedicated. It connects Buffalo, N.Y., and Fort Erie, Ontario.

Book (1) established an activity around this called "Peaceful posters-To mark the dedication of the International Peace Bridge, ask your students to develop commemorative posters. Show the children photos or illustrations of the bridge. Next, have them brainstorm for images that symbolize peace, then work ...to create their posters. Make sure each poster includes the date the International Peace Bridge was dedicated and the signatures of the ...artists. Display the posters (somewhere)."

August 7, 1959 The United States Launched Explorer VI,

which took the first pictures of earth from space.

Book (1) has and activity called "Travel tips for extraterrestrials-Share with your (children) photographs of earth from space. Then ask the kids to imagine how earth might seem to beings from other planets. Have them prepare a 7-day travel itinerary to help the aliens get acquainted with our planet. Mode of transportation: flying saucer, of course." ( In doing this activity take into consideration this book was made in 1993 and not much evidence was out in the open then. Now may be a different story and is worth the research if you can find the stories-start with You-tube. I tried to get a picture to save on my computer, it would not do it. I do not know why yet.)

August 7, 1963 The U.N. called on the South African government

to Abandon Apartheid.

August 7, 1990 President George Bush ordered a military buildup

in the Persian Gulf following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.

The operation was called Desert Shield.

(Grandma has those few days put on tape-I may put them on DVD's)

August 7 is also National Scuba Diving Day which may be explained to the children.

The next day of interest  is August 8th with the following Birthdays:

August 8, 1763 Charles Bulfinch, American architect who designed

the state houses of Massachusetts, Maine, and Connecticut and

who succeeded Benjamin Latrobe as architect of the U.S. Capitol,

was born.

August 8, 1799 Nathaniel Brown Palmer, American sea captain believed

to be the first explorer to sight Antarctica, was born.

August 8, 1866 Matthew Henson, African-American polar explorer who

was a member of Robert Peary's North Pole expedition, was born.

August 8, 1896 Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, children's author. was born.

Book (1) says in "Authors and animals-Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings's bokk The Yearling is a poignant story of growing up. In it, a young boy learns to accept the tragic necessity of getting rid of his pet deer. Ask your students how they'd feel if they had to give up their pet. Encourage them to write a story about their pet." (Ask if a pet deer could be pinned up away from crops and kept-Grandma does not know. They do keep similar animals in zoos. Name other animals that have and could be a problem to keep.Do some research if you wish.)

August 8, 1937 Dustin Hoffman, American actor, was born.

Now Grandma will give you the Events for August 8:

August 8, 1588 Under Sir Francis Drake, The English Fleet Destroyed

the Spanish Armada off the coast of France.

August 8,  1786 The Silver Dollar and the Decimal System of Money

were adopted by an act of Congress.

August 8, 1911 Membership of the House of Representatives was fixed at 435.

August 8, 1974 President Richard Nixon Announced His Resignation, effective

the next day.

August 8 is also International Good Character Day and Middle Children's Day in which there are a couple of following activities:

"Displaying good character-For International Good Character Day, have your (children) brainstorm for positive character traits. Do these traits apply to people all over the world? Next, have the kids design character-trait license plates. Ask them each to print their first name in the center of an 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 sheet of paper, then write their character traits along the edges to create a border. The (children) can tape their plates to their (doors or the refrigerator, etc.)"

"In the middle-Are there any middle children in your (family)? Ask these (children or people) to describe the positive and negative aspects of holding this position in their families."

Next is a review of August 9th starting with the following Birthdays:

August 9, 1776 Count Amedeo Avogadro, Italian chemist and physicist who developed the table of atomic weights, was born.

August 9, 1914 Tove Jansson, illustrator, was born.

August 9, 1931 Seymour Simon, children's author, was born.

August 9, 1944 Patricia McKissack, children's author, was born.

Book (1) says "Family folktales-Patricia McKissack said her writing career began when she was in 3rd grade. She recalled the thrill of having a poem she'd written displayed on the bulletin board for others to read. Since she began writing professionally, McKissack has authored more than 40 children's books. One of her picture books--Flossie and the Fox--is based on a tale her grandfather used to tell her. (He named the characters after people in their family.) Read Flossie and the Fox to your (children). Then ask them to share tales told to them by their grandparents or other family members. Or have them make up their own folktales based on people in their families. Compile their stories into a "Family Folktales" booklet.

August 9, 1963 Whitney Houston, American singer, was born.

Now for the Events of August 9:

August 9, 1638 Jonas Bronck became the first European settler

in what is now the Bronx, N.Y., which was named after his family.

August 9, 1936 Jesse Owens Won the Last of His Four Gold

Medals at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. 

Book (1) says in "Olympic triumphs-Tell your (children) that in the years preceding World War II, German leader Adolf Hitler and his Nazi propagandists proclaimed the superiority of the "Aryan race." Hitler believed that the 1936 Olympic Games held in Berlin would support his racial theories. He was wrong, Jesse Owens and nine other African-Americans--whom HItler had called members of an "inferior race"--led a U.S. team that dominated the sprints, hurdles, and field events. Owen's brilliant performances in particular deflated the Aryan myth. Ask your (children) to find out the events in which Owens's brilliant performances in particular deflated the Aryan myth. Ask your students to find out the events in which Owens won medals. Then challenge them to find out the other African-Americans who won medals at the Berlin Olympics. (John Woodruff, 800-meter run; Cornelius Johnson, high jump; Ralph Metcalfe, 400-meter relay and 100-meter dash.) Have the kids use their information to make posters honoring Jesse Owens and his fellow African-American Olympians."

August 9, 1945 The United States dropped its Second Atomic

Bomb on Nagasaki, Japan, during World War II.

In honor of this event and sorrow there is now a service observed in Peace Memorial Park in Nagasaki, Japan called a "Moment of Silence".

August 9, 1974 Gerald Ford became the First Nonelected

President to assume office after the resignation of Richard Nixon.

August 9, 1988 The First Night Baseball Game at Wrigley field in

Chicago was played.

August 9, 1989 General Colin Powell became the First Black Chairman of the

Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Next is August 10th beginning with the Birthdays:

August 10, 1753 Edmund Randolfh, General George Washington's

aide-decamp during the Revolutionary War, was born.

August 10, 1874 Herbert Hoover, 31st president of the United States,

was born.

August 10, 1959 Rosanna Arquette, American actress, was born.

Following are the Events:

August 10, 1519 The First Recorded Around-The-World Voyage began

in Seville, Spain, under the command of Ferdinand Magellan.

August 10, 1821 Missouri became the 24th state.

Book (1) says in "Statehood status-Tell your (children) that Missouri gained statehood only after Congress engineered the "Missouri Compromise" of 1820. This compromise, which maintained the ratio of non-slave states and slave states--allowed Missouri, a slave state, to simultaneously enter the Union with a non-slave state. Challenge your students to find out which state entered the Union with Missouri."

August 10, 1845 The U.S. Naval Academy was established at

Annapolis, Md.

August 10, 1846 Congress Chartered the Smithsonian Institution,

founded with $500,000 bequeathed by English scientist James Smithson.

Book (1) writes in "Student-run"Smithsonian"-To celebrate the chartering of the Smithsonian Institution, invite your (children) to create a "mini-Smithsonian" exhibit at (your home). (The children) can ask (your family and friends) to temporarily loan appropriate items from their personal memorabilia and collections. (If items can't be loaned, (the children) can photograph them and display the pictures (maybe keep them in a book later.) (Give special tasks to each child) to handle various aspects of the exhibit. Duties might include maintaining an inventory of exhibit items, preparing an exhibit catalog, designing the exhibit space, selling admission tickets, publicizing the event, installing the exhibit, and ensuring that the exhibit is guarded. Hold a by-invitation-only opening for (family, and friends)."

August 10, 1949 The War Department was renamed the Department of Defense.

August 10, 1972 The Only Meteorite Known to Have Entered the Earth's

Atmosphere and Left it flew in over Utah and departed the atmosphere

over Alberta, Canada."

(This seems awfully strange to Grandma that they

even just consider it a Meteorite.)

Book (1) gives "Mysterious meteorite-Ask your (children) to speculate about the meteorite that flew in and out of the earth's atmosphere. Where did the meteorite come from? Why didn't it hit the earth? What happened to it after it left the earth's atmosphere? Encourage the kids to conduct some background research. Then have them create fact-based science fiction stories about this mysterious meteorite."

(This will be all Grandma will give you now-I am so sorry for not getting it to you sooner. The next 10 days should be right away and then the last eleven days.)

Here we are moving int the August Calendar History Lessons for Summer at the end of the Year.

The Project of the Month for August is what Book (1) called" American Artists-Celebrate American Arts Appreciation Month by having your (children) learn about American painters, poets, and authors.

August is the birthday of my other son, one of his sons, and my mom; making both my sons, a grandson, and my mom all Leo's, well enough my brother born in April; no wonder I am so overpowered. They just haven't figured out that Aquarious which is what I am is the water they drink or the knowledge of learning. Enough of that considering many are going to tell me it is all hogwash.

August's Monthly Observances are the following:

American Arts Appreciation Month

National Catfish Month

National Sandwich Month

Romance  Awareness Month(A lot can be done here in teaching children the difference in sexual relationship's and those in true love and what makes good romance. It is what puzzles a boy more than anything and it will teach girls how to make their lives more fullfilled, warning them not to get tied up into  fake romantic words boys or men may play on them. Teach them how to get to know each other and not fall wrong directions with fake romance. Teach them how to know who they are and if they want involved.)

Water Quality Month (Ties the month to the beginning lessons of pollution, etc. and our Earth along with the lesson in June and July.)

Weeklong Events are the following:

National Smile Week(week beginning on the first Monday)

National Clown Week(first full week and ties to the lessons in June on circuses)

Elvis International Tribute Week(week ending with Aug. 16)

National Aviation Week (week that includes Aug. 19 and it could tie Aviation to the study of Space)

Special Days and Celebrations are the following:

American Family Day (first Sunday)

Friendship Day (first Sunday)

Daughter's Day(second Sunday)

We will start with July 17th Calendar History with activities all from Book (1). First we have the birthdays:

July 17, 1859 Luis Munoz-Rivera, Puerto Rican patriot and poet, was born.

For now it is known as Munoz-Rivera Day in Puerto Rico.

July 17, 1932 Karla Kuskin, children's author, was born.

Book (1) says in "Word lover-Author Karla Kuskin once said that her love of words was so great that she couldn't even bear to discard fortune-cookie fortunes. Have your (children) write their own fortunes or words of wisdom on 6-in-long strips of adding-machine tape. Tape the strips together and post them in the hallway for others to read. Later, introduce your (children) to the works of Karla Kuskin by reading The Philharmonic Gets Dressed."

July 17, 1935 Donald Sutherland, Canadian actor, was born.

The Events will be now:

July 17, 1850 The Fist Photograph of a Star was taken.

July 17, 1897 The steamship Portland arrived in Washington with

the First Major Gold Shipment from the Klondike.

July 17, 1938 Pilot Douglas "Wrong Way" Corrigan left

New York for California. He eventually landed in Dublin, Ireland.

Book (1) writes in "Wrong-way day-When Douglas "Wrong Way" Corrigan landed in Dublin, Ireland, he got out of his plane and asked, "Isn't this Los Angeles?" Invite your (children) to have a "wrong-way day." For example, (children) might wear their shirts backward, or you might mix up the schedule. You might also include some "wrong ways" into social studies. Have students consider how U.S. history would be different if certain events came out the "wrong way." For instance, what if the South had won the Civil War or we would have lost the Revolution War against England? What if the Pilgrims had landed in California?"

July 17, 1954 The First Newport Jazz Festival was held in Newport, R.I.

July 17, 1975 U.S. Astronauts and Soviet Cosmonauts

Joined Hands after linking their Apollo and Soyuz spacecrafts.

July 17, 1987 The Dow Jones Industrial Average Closed

over 2,500 points for the first time in history.

Book (1) says in "Stock market speculators-On the anniversary of the Dow Jones 2,500-point milestone, begin this (nearly) hands-on stock market activity. ...give each (child) $500 in play money. Explain that for the next 2 weeks, (they) will be seeking "profit" by investing their "money" in stocks. You will be the broker. For their initial investments, (they) can buy $500 worth of shares in any stock or stocks listed on the New York Stock Exchange.Each morning, (look at ) the business pages of the newspaper so the (children) can check the previous day's closing prices. Give the (children) the opportunity at this time to sell and buy stocks at the closing prices. At the end of the 2 weeks, total the value of each (child's) stocks to determine who earns the title of Wall Street wizards."

Next is July 18th starting with the birthdays:

July 18, 1918 Nelson Mandela, South African civil rights

activist and longtime leader of the African National Congress, was born.

July 18, 1921 John Glenn, U.S. astronaut

who was the first American to orbit the earth.

Book (1) has this to say about it in "Firsts in space-Have (the children) conduct research to find out about other "Firsts" in space exploration--for example, the first rendezvous in space, space station, space walk, U.S. astronaut, black astronaut, woman astronaut, space shuttle(, etc.) Armed with their data, the (children) can each make a rocket-shaped time line depicting these important events."

July 18, 1954 Felicia Bond, children's author, was born.

Now for July 18th Events:

July 18, 1792  American naval hero John Paul Jones died.

July 18, 1874 Tennis was introduced to the United States.

July 18, 1925 The American Automobile Association

Declared Women Drivers to be as Competent as Men Drivers.

July 18, 1940 Franklin Roosevelt was Nominated

for an Unprecedented Third Term.

July 18, 1947 President Henry Truman Signed the Presidential Succession Act.

July 18, 1955 Disneyland opened in California.

Book 1 tells about it in "Disneyland adventures-(Have your family visited Disneyland? If you have and your children haven't share your experiences with them. If they have with you talk about your memories.) Encourage them to (look) at park maps and souvenirs to enhance their presentations. ...obtain brochures from local travel agents. Share these with (each other), then invite (them) to write about what they'd do if they could spend a day with their favorite Disney character."

July 18, 1971 Brazillian soccer star Pele ended his

career with the Brazillian National Soccer Team.

July 18, 1974 Bob Gibson became the First National

League Pitcher to Strike Out 3,000 Batters in a career.

July 18, 1980 India became The Sixth Nation to Put a Satellite into Orbit.

July is also Read an Almanac Month; therefore, Book (1) has this to say in "Reading the almanac-

Teach (the children) how to locate information in an almanac by using the general index. Have them each identify their favorite hobby, vacation spot, or other topic, then locate it in the almanac. To test their newfound skills, have the kids list and share five facts about their topic that they gleaned from the almanac."

Next is July 19th with the birthdays first:

July 19, 1814 Samuel Colt, American inventor of the Colt revolver, was born.

July 19, 1834 Edgar Degas, French Impressionist Painter, was born.

(Learn about Impressionist Painters here also.)

July 19, 1865 Charles Mayo, American surgeon, was born.

July 19, 1916 Eve Merriam, children's poet, was born.

Book (1) has this to say about it in "Provocative poetry-Read aloud selections from Eve Merriam's It Doesn't Always Have to Rhyme, Blackberry Ink, and The Inner City Mother Goose. Have the children select their favorite poems and pick up Merriam's beat either by drawing pictures to go with the poems or by writing poems to reflect their own neighborhood experiences."

July 19, 1922 George Stanley McGovern, American politician

who ran unsuccessfully for the presidency in 1972, was born.

Book (1) has the following to say about it in "Forgotten politicians?-To mark George McGovern's birthday, have your (children) compile a list of unsuccessful presidential and vice presidential candidates from the second half of the 20th century. Ask each child to research the postelection career of one of these candidates,, then write a one-paragraph summary on an index card. Post the cards on a (poster board or wall) titled"American Politicians: Where Are They Now?""

Next are the following events for July 19th:

July 19, 1812 The United States Declared War On England

over the issue of British interference with American

trade and shipping on the high seas.

July 19, 1848 The First Women's Rights Convention met

in the home of Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

July 19, 1969 John Fairfax arrived in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.,

after Rowing Across the Atlantic.

July 19, 1984 At its convention in San Francisco, the

Democratic Party nominated Geraldine Ferraro for vice

president. It was the first time a woman had been

chosen for a major-party ticket.

July 19, 1985 NASA chose teacher Christa McAuliffe

from among 11,000 applicants to be its first civilian

crew member on a space shuttle.

July 19 is also National Ice Cream Day (third Sunday in July) therefore Book (1) says in "Ice cream poll-To celebrate National Ice Cream Day, have each of your (children) ask at least 10 people the following question: "Does ice cream taste best served in a cone or in a dish?" Encourage (them) to create a pictograph to display the results. As a culminating activity, bring in ice cream, cones, and dishes--and invite your (children) to serve themselves."

Next is July 20th with only two Birthdays:

July 20, 1919 Sir Edmund Hillary, New Zealand explorer and

mountain climber who was the first to reach the summit

of Mt. Everest, was born.

July 20, 1947 Carlos Santana, Mexican rock musician, was born.

Now for July 20th Events:

July 20, 1810 Columbia declared its independence from Spain.

July 20, 1859 Baseball Fans Were Charged Admission (50¢)

for the first time, to see Brooklyn play New York.

Book (1) has an activity for this in "Batting for dollars-Ask your (children) to find out the cost of the cheapest ticket for a major-league baseball game at the park nearest their hometown. Then ask them to calculate the percentage increase in admission price since 1859."

July 20, 1881 Sitting Bull surrendered to federal troops at

Fort Buford in the Dakota Territory.

July 20, 1944 President Franklin Roosevelt was Nominated

for an Unprecedented Fourth Term at the Democratic convention.

July 20, 1964 NASA tested the First Successful Rocket engine.

July 20, 1969 Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz

Aldrin became the First Men to Set Foot on the Moon.

Book (1) writes in "Moon memories-Have your (children) ask their parents or grandparents to recall where they were and what they were doing when astronaut Neil Armstrong stepped onto the moon. Your (children) will themselves remember other historic happenings--including, perhaps, the smashing of the Berlin Wall, the liberation of Kuwait, and the Challenger accident. Have the children each make a chart that consists of historic events they recall and where they were, who they were with, and what they were doing the day each event occurred."

July 20, 1976 The U.S. space probe Viking 1 landed on Mars.

Book (1) says in "Searching for signs of life-After landing on Mars, Viking 1 sent back television pictures of the planet's surface. It also conducted experiments, one of which involved searching for life. The lander scooped up a soil sample, then added certain chemicals to trigger an organic reaction. None was observed. Perhaps Viking 1 wasn't able to recognize what Martian life looks like. or maybe the site was, indeed, devoid of life. Have your (children) discuss what it means to show signs of life. Make a list of places a spacecraft could land on Earth and what signs of life would be found there. Next, make a list of places on Earth that wouldn't show any signs of life--for example, inside a volcano. Take your (children) on an indoor field trip at (home) to search for signs of life. Be sure to include bacteria as a type of life."

July 20, 1985 A diving expedition off the coast of Florida located

the remains of the Spanish galleon Nuestra Senora de Atocha,

sunk in a hurricane in 1622. The expedition recovered $400 Million

in Gold, Silver, and Copper Treasure.

July 20, 1987 Wilma Mankiller became the First Woman

Elected Chief of the Cherokee Nation.

July 20 is also considered Moon Day.

Now we move on into July 21 with the following birthdays:

July 21, 1899 Ernest Hemingway, American novelist, was born.

July 21, 1920 Isaac Stern, Russian violinist, was born.

July 21, 1952 Robin Williams, American comedian and actor, was born.

Book (1) says in "Stand-up comedy-Have your (children) seen Robin Williams on TV or in movies? To celebrate his birthday, ask the kids to choose a favorite comedian. Why do they like him or her? Are there any potential comedians in your (family)? Let those who wish prepare a short comedy skit and perform it in front of the family. Nonperformers might like to join forces with the (family comics) and help write the skits."

Now we will add the events for July 21:

July 21, 1834 The Liberty Bell was Muffled to toll the

death of the Marquis de Lafayette.

July 21, 1861 At the Battle of Bull Run, the first

major encounter of the Civil War, Confederate General

Thomas J. Jackson gained the nickname "Stonewall."

Book (1) writes in "Stonewall and other nicknames-Tell your (children) that Confederate General Thomas J. Jackson earned the nickname "Stonewall" during the first Battle of Bull Run. Despite overwhelming odds, his brigade stood firm--"like a stone wall"--against attacks from Northern troops. Ask your (children) to name other prominent Americans and the actions that have earned them recognition--for example, Alexander Graham Bell, Martin Luther King, Jr. , Sally Ride, Carl Lewis. What nicknames might your students give these people?"

July 21, 1873 Jesse James committed the World's

First Train Robbery, near Council Bluffs, Iowa.

July 21, 1925 Tennessee biology teacher John Scopes was found

Guilty of Teaching the Theory of Evolution, which was against

state law. He was fined $100.

July 21, 1930 The U.S. Veterans Administration was established.

July 21, 1959 The United States launched the Savannah,

the First Nuclear-powered Merchant Ship.

July 21, 1961 U.S. astronaut Virgil Grissom became the

Second American in Space. His flight lasted 16 minutes.

Book (1) says in "Flying in space-To mark the anniversary of Virgil "Gus" Grissom's space flight, turn off the lights in your (home) for 16 minutes. During that time--the length of Grissom's flight--ask your (children) to imagine what they might see or do or think about if they were flying in space. When the lights come back on, have the kids quickly write all their thoughts on scrap paper. Finally, have them use their ideas to write poems about space flight. (Make articles in your family newspapers also.)"

July 21, 1969 Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin

Returned From the Moon to the command module,

manned by Michael Collins.

July 21 is also National Independence Day in Belgium.

Now we will start on July 22 with the following birthdays:

July 22, 1822 Johann Gregor Mendel, Austrian monk who

discovered the principles of heredity, was born. 

July 22, 1844 William Archibald Spooner, English clergyman

after whom the spoonerism was named, was born.

Book (1) explains in "Sunny flips of the tongue-Have your (children) look up "Spoonerism" in the dictionary. Next, (...challenge competition with your children by taking turns reading aloud a favorite poem. Afterward,...write down your poems, intentionally transpose the initial sounds of some words, Then ...read the spoonerism-filled results.)"

July 22, 1849 Emma Lazarus, American poet who wrote

the sonnet "The New Colossus," which is engraved on

the Statue of Liberty, was born.

July 22, 1881 Margery Williams Bianco, children's author

who wrote The Velveteen Rabbit, was born.

July 22, 1898 Alexander Calder, American artist

considered the originator of the mobile, was born.

Book (1) has the following to say in "Nature mobiles-Share some photographs of Alexander Calder's mobiles with your (children). Then encourage the children to make nature mobiles, " using leaves, twigs, tree bark, and other natural objects. First, take the students for an outdoor walk to gather their objects. Next, ask them to tie or glue their objects pieces of string cut to varied lengths, then tie the strings to coat hangers. Suspend the mobiles from the (home") ceiling."

July 22, 1898 Steven Vincent Benet,  American poet, was born.

Now we well cover the events for July 22:

July 22, 1587 More than 100 English colonists founded a

Second Colony on Roanoke Island off North Carolina, the

site of the first attempted English colony in America.

When supply ships returned 3 years later, the only

trace of the colony was the word Croaton carved on a tree.

July 22, 1796 Moses Cleaveland, a surveyor for the

Connecticut Land Co., founded Cleveland, Ohio.

Book (1) writes "Place names-Tell your (children) that in 1831, the spelling of Cleaveland was changed to Cleveland to better fit into a newspaper headline. What cities, buildings, businesses, schools, or streets in your (children's) area are named after people? Make a class list, and note any changed spellings."

July 22, 1881 In Seattle, Wash., Tom Clancy was Arrested

for Speeding on His Horse. He was riding more than

the legal limit of 6 mph.

July 22, 1933 American pilot Wiley Post completed the

First Solo Air Circumnavigation of the Globe. His flight

took 7 days, 18 hours, and 45 minutes.

July 22, 1975 Congress voted to Restore the American

Citizenship of Robert E. Lee, who had commanded the

Confederate forces during the Civil War.

Now we move onto July 23 starting with the two birthdays as follows:

July 23, 1926 Patricia Coombs, children's author, was born.

July 23, 1929 Robert Quackenbush, children's author, was born.

Not so many events as follows either:

July 23, 1827 America's First Swimming School opened in Boston.

July 23, 1829 William Burt received a patent for his

typographer,a Forerunner of the Typewriter.

July 23, 1903 Ford Motor Co. sold its first car.

Book (1) writes in "Classroom assembly line-Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor co., believed that the average person should be able to own a car. To make this possible, he developed one of the first assembly-line production systems. The assembly line allowed Ford to produce a greater number of cars at a lower price. The process proved so successful that other manufacturers began using it. Have your (children) conduct an experiment to test the effectiveness of an assembly line. Bring in a couple loaves of bread, several jars of Peanut butter and jelly, paper plates, and (a number of) knives. (Use the whole family to form an assembly line.) Tell the (family) that their goal is to make 12 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as quickly as possible. (Divide up the work and put the jobs to work. Test yourselves with a timer. Than each of you make so many of the same sandwiches do some alone. Does it make it any faster?)"

July 23, 1958 Queen Elizabeth II named four women to the

peerage, making them the First Women members of the House of Lords.

July 23, 1962 Australia's Dawn Fraser became the First

Woman to Swim 100 Meters in Under 1 minute.

July 23, 1986 Britain's Prince Andrew married Sarah Ferguson.

They were titled the duke and duchess of York.

July 23 is also the time for Perseid Meteor Shower (Through mid-August). This is explained in Book (1) under "Seeking shooting stars-Tell your (children) that a meteor (also called a shooting star) is a streak of light in the sky that occurs when a meteoroid--a usually small, solid object from space--enters the earth's atmosphere and burns up. On a dark, moonless night, a careful observer might expect to see five or six meteors per hour. But at certain times of the year, when the orbit of a group of meteoroids intersects the earth's orbit, many more meteors are visible. This is called a meteor shower. Show your (children) a sky chart, pointing out the constellation Perseus and noting how to find it in the nighttime sky. Then encourage your (children) to observe the Perseid meteor shower, which begins about now but peaks around August 12. Tell them to go to a place away from bright lights, find Perseus, and note how many meteors they see in a 15- or 20-minute period."

Next is July 24 starting with the birthdays:

July 24, 1783 Simon Bolivar, South American patriot, was born.

Book (1) explains in "El Libertador-Simon Bolivar was born in Venezuela. As a child, he learned about the French and American revolutions and dreamed of the day his country would achieve independence from Spain. Bolivar became one of South America's greatest generals in the fight against Spain, managing to win independence for Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. Have your (children) locate South America on a world map. Then have them find the countries that were liberated by Bolivar." (This lessons should be infiltrated in the North American revolution history but tied to studies for South America in the Spring, that is why it is good in the summer as well.)

July 24, 1802 Alexandre Dumas, French novelist, was born.

July 24, 1898 Amelia Earhart, American aviator, was born.

July 24, Bella Abzug, American politician and feminist, was born.

Book (1) tells about her in "Women's rights-Tell your (children) that when Bella Abzug was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1970, she pushed vigorously for women's rights. Ask the children to list the kinds of rights women have been fighting for since the 19th century, when women such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony were leading the charge. How has the women's movement progressed? Who are today's prominent feminists?"(A little note of Grandma's opinion here. Grandma is very partial to the dignity of women and the direction they have been led into. Grandma believes women should have all the rights a man has; however, Grandma feels this bit where feminists or business officials, educators, or group of people that feel they know it all and everyone should live a certain way or be a certain way that are controling our world may not be doing the best by us. Grandma feels women should be proud they are women and live up to standards to be as strong as we can being exactly like men or being with many womanly traits God has given us.

Grandma does not feel we have to dress in pants when a dress or skirt was designed to handle our bladder needs better than the design of a man being able to open his pants or slip them down to go in an easier position.

Many men the same as women like the feel and look of satins, ruffles, and sheers. A man is attracted to a women for his neat appearance in more of a rustic dress because they usually like to be doing things outside and rough. Not to say that women at times like to get just as close to the Earth and doing things they can. However, each person must work out a balance with the people they live with and things they like to do. However, to say the only way is to wear jeans or pants and act like a man is the only answer because men really like to be in control and if a women overpasses them they have a tendency to sit back and not want to do anything because they feel she can handle it why not let her and a lot ends up falling on the women that way. I feel fathers and mothers that do not give their girls a chance to be as lovely as the other girls try to rob them of the benefit of being a woman, not to say they want to be loved for how sexy or even sensual they are, but it can be a lot easier on them if they are allowed to have the time with their children if they want to and take care of womanly chores if they want to as well as put make-up on, fix their hair the way they want, or look a little more appealing even though many feel jeans can be sexy. They really can be too tight, or constantly have to be pulled up, or downright sloppy. Dress pants are ok, but when some older women can have so many problems that they have to change a pair of pants to fit in with the crowd, Grandma does not feel comfortable with the crowd bit nor will she ever.

Not all women are born with the strength to handle all the jobs men do as well as some women and I do not feel it should be forced on them. Some men do not want to do all the jobs women have done or like to do. Some men like to see women dressed up sensually occasionally and women like to see men dressed up themselves too. I feel there should be a fair balance made and other women nor men should put one or the other down because they look nice for each other at times. It makes a better relationship in the end. If women don't like dressing up nor men and want to look junky who is to put them down, but business people do frown on a too junky or sexy of a look someone might have, but some of those people hung around others that felt it was all ok.

Grandma got tired of looking junky in a T-shirt and old ragged pants or jeans for work. She learned where she felt comfortable. However, if I am doing something that could ruin my clothes as home or work I definitely wanted old ragged clothes on. If  it is summer and she knows she is going to be hot she wants shorts or something cool on.

Grandma just had to put her 3 cents in. Grandma does not always go to a beautician for her hair or whatever because she has only had a small budget to live on. As I said people should dress the way they feel comfortable at the time, but not have to live a certain form of dress to be considered for a man's job. I do feel they should be considerate of their spouses feelings in the way they dress and understand that if they want to sell a product to the public, the public is not going to change for their feelings, they have to dress presentable in order to be accepted by other people. That does not mean they have to show off with the most expensive or newest fad on the market at the time either. People will always look at the appearance of a stranger selling something unless they are the type that don't care any better than than the person selling. Smaller towns are worse than the bigger cities because of the variety of people to pick from. If many of you disagree maybe our world has us all mental blocked or some women are just trying to hide their own sex problems.)

Now lets do the events for July 24 as follows:

July 24, 1679 New Hampshire became a royal colony of the British crown.

July 24, 1701 Antoine De La Mothe Cadillac founded a fort at the site of Detroit.

July 24, 1847 Brigham Young and his Mormon

followers arrived at the Great Salt Lake in Utah.

July 24, 1866 Tennessee became the First Confederate

state to be readmitted to the Union.

July 24, 1959 U.S. vice president Richard Nixon and Soviet premier

Nikita Khrushchev Debated the Pros and Cons of Capitalism

and Communism on world television.

(Grandma feels this topic should be talked about because,

Soviet Unions idea of Communism was the incomes to be equal but far lower than the officials themselves therefore it left them in more power to decide who belonged there and what they should do.)

July 24, 1977 Dutch rider Henk Vink set a Motorcycle World Record

by covering a 1-kilometer course in 16.68 seconds from a standing start.

July 24 is also Pioneer Day in Utah therefore have some fun with it and it is also National Baked Bean Month in July. Book (1) says in "Best baked beans-Celebrate National Baked Bean Month by having your (friends and/or family) conduct a taste test of various (recipes and/or) brands of canned baked beans. Which brand tastes best? Which tastes worst? Afterward, challenge (the children) to create tongue twisters beginning with: "The best baked beans..."

Now we move onto July 25th beginning with the following birthdays:

July 25, 1750 Henry Knox, American military officer who served

as the first U.S. secretary of war, was born.

July 25, 1911 Ruth Krauss, children's author, was born.

July 25, 1954 Walter Payton, football star who set the NFL

career record for rushing, was born.

July 25, 1978 Louise Brown, the first socalled test-tube baby

(baby conceived through in vitro fertilization, was born.

Next are the events for July 25th:

July 25, 1814 The English inventor George Stephenson

first demonstrated a Steam Locomotive.

July 25, 1866 Ulysses S. Grant became the army's First Five-Star General.

July 25,  1909 The French engineer and aviator Louis Bleriot

made the First Airplane Flight Across the English Channel,

from Calais, France, to Dover, England.

Book (1) writes this in "Flying across the Channel-Tell your (children) that it took Louis Bleriot 37 minutes to complete his 20-mile flight. Help them appreciate Bleriot's aviation milestone by having them re-create it with paper airplanes. Have (the children) work ...to create a scale drawing of England. France, and the English Channel (somewhere else). They can use chalk or masking tape to lay out their design, (making France a good distance away from the drawing of England-maybe a foot 100-200 miles or as far as 500 miles to France.) Have the children mark the sites of Calais, France, and Dover England. Next have them each make a paper airplane. Students can then take turns flying their airplanes "across the Channel.""

July 25, 1934 Franklin Roosevelt became the First President to Visit Hawaii.

July 25, 1952 Puerto Rico's Constitution was proclaimed,

and the island became a self-governing commonwealth of the United States.

July 25, 1971 South African surgeon Dr. Christiaan Barnard Successfully

Transplanted Two Lungs and a Heart into a patient.

July 25, 1984 Soviet cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya became

the First Woman to Walk in Space.

July is also Recreation and Parks Month and July 25 of Book (1) says in "Passport to the parks-

The National Park Service offers a national parks passport book. Each time a passport holder visits a national park, the book gets stamped. Make a notebook-size version of this passport book for your students. List each national park or monument your students have visited on a separate page, and ask the kids to find an appropriate illustration or magazine photo. Then have students sign their names under the locations they've visited. Encourage those who will visit national parks or monuments in the future to send postcards for inclusion in the passport book. (Grandma will have some information for this later and she want to cover some of the National Parks in November to go along with the letter N for children.)

Now we will move onto July 26th starting with the birthdays:

July 26, 1856 George Bernard Shaw, British playwright, was born.

Book (1) writes under "Perspectives on teaching-Playwright George Bernard Shaw once observed, "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach. " Share Shaw's quote with your (children). Then share this quote from Christa McAuliffe: "I touch the future; I teach." Ask your (children) which quote they think more accurately describes today's teachers. After they've shared their views, explain quotes to survey family, friends, and community members about their perceptions of teaching."

July 26, 1892 Pearl Buck, American author, was born.

July 26, 1897 Paul Gallico, American author of The Snow Goose, was born.

July 26, 1923 Jan Berenstain, children's author, was born.

July 26, 1943 Mick Jagger, British rock star, was born.

Book (1) writes in "Classroom rock fest-In honor of Mick Jagger's birthday, have a parent-(child) rock fest in your (home). ...find favorite Rolling Stones recordings. (Children and yourself) also can ( find your own favorite artists.) After playing a sampling of the songs, ask ...what they think of the other generation's musical tastes."

Now we will move into the Events:

July 26, 1788 New York became the 11th state.

July 26, 1847 The West African nation of Liberia proclaimed its independence.

July 26, 1889 China's Hwang Ho (Yellow River) flooded, leaving the

surrounding countryside under as much as 12 feet of water.

July 26, 1908 The Federal Bureau of Investigation was created.

July 26, 1920 Oscar Swann, age 72, won a medal in rifle

shooting, thus becoming the Oldest Olympic Medalist.

July 26, 1969 U.S. scientists examined the First Moon Rock Samples.

July 26, 1986 Bicyclist Greg Lemond became the First American

to Win the Tour De France. His time for the 2,500-mile race was

110 hours, 35 minutes, 19 seconds.

(Do some math figuring with this as: How many miles an hour figuring approximately 110 hours into the 2,500 miles equals what?)

July 26 is also Hopi Niman Dance in United States as Book (1) explains it in "Native American legends-Share with your (children) the Hopi Indian legend of the kachinas--supernatural beings who leave their mountain homes for half the year to visit the tribe. The kachinas are believed to bring good health to the people and rainfall for the crops. For the Niman dance, dancers portraying kachinas sing and dance for almost the entire day. Ask your (children) to name other supernatural beings--for example, leprechauns and guardian angels--who some to earth and help people. Then have the children write stories featuring supernatural do-gooders of their own invention."

The next day is July 27th with only two birthdays as follows:

July 27, 1913 Scott Corbett, children's author, was born.

Book (1) says in"Titles of honor-Children's author Scott Corbett fulfilled a longtime wish when he joined two friends for a balloon trip. They traveled from northern Rhode Island to southern Massachusetts. Later, Corbett joked that he could sign his name "Scott Corbett, I.A. (Interstate Aerialist)." Ask your (children) what titles they could give themselves based on their accomplishments. Next, have them fold 8 1/2 x 11-inch sheets of construction paper in half to make "nameplates" for their desks. Have them each write their name and new title on their nameplate."

July 27, 1948 Peggy Fleming, American figure-skating champion, was born.

Now we have the Events for July 27th:

July 27, 1586 Sir Walter Raleigh returned to England bearing

the Virginia colony's first tobacco crop.

July 27, 1775 Benjamin Church was named Surgeon General

of the Continental Army.

July 27, 1789 Congress established the Department of Foreign Affairs,

which later became the State Department.

July 27, 1866 The Fist Underwater Telegraph Cable Between

North America and Europe was completed.

July 27, 1909 Orville Wright set a World Record by staying

aloft in an airplane for 72 minutes and 40 seconds.

Book (1) writes in "It takes teamwork-Tell your (children) that Orville Wright worked together with his brother, Wilbur, to build and fly the first power-driven airplane. Since the Wright brothers worked as a team, how did they decide who would fly the plane on this day in 1909? Ask your (children) to speculate. How do your students think Orville felt during his record-setting flight? How do they suppose Wilbur felt watching from the ground? Have each (child) write a narrative from the perspective of either Orville or Wilbur."

July 27, 1921 Insulin was isolated for the first time.

July 27, 1931 A Swam of Grasshoppers descended on the

states of Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota, destroying

thousands of acres of crops.

July 27, 1953 The Korean War ended.

July 27, 1974 The House Judiciary Committee passed its

First Article of Impeachment Against President Richard Nixon.

July 27 is also Take Your Houseplants for a Walk Day and Book (1) has this to say in "Walk the plant?-Today is Take Your Houseplants for a Walk Day. Ask your (children) to suggest a scientific reason why this might be a good thing to do. (Plants remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and generate oxygen.) What whimsical reasons can they suggest?"

(By the way Book (1) has a picture with this insert where the children are walking and the plants are actually walking beside them as humans-a good laugh for the day.)

Next is July 28 with only two following birthdays:

July 28, 1932 Natalie Babbitt, children's author, was born.

Book (1) says in "Character diary-Natalie Babbitt's popular book Tuck Everlasting deals with the theme of searching for oneself. Read it aloud to the (children). As (the children) listen, have them keep a diary of their reactions to Winnie, the main character. Following the story's conclusion, have (the children) make collages to illustrate their reactions. They might include pictures, drawings, words, or other creative ways to capture the essence of a character who faces difficult choices."

July 28, 1943 Bill Bradley, professional basketball player

and U.S. senator, was born.

Book (1) writes in "Looking at Legislators-Before entering politics, Senator Bill Bradley of New Jersey was a basketball star. He earned All-American honors at Princeton University, played on the 1964 U.S. Olympic team, and won two NBA championships with the New York Knicks during a 10-year pro career. Bradley said that his basketball experiences taught him lessons he could apply in his work as a legislator. In particular, he believed, he gained insights into race relations, an issue he frequently spoke on. Ask your (children) to list professions or personal experiences that they believe would prepare a person for a successful career in Congress. Do the kids feel Congress should contain members from diverse backgrounds? Why? Have your (children) write to your state's two U.S. senators, asking each about his or her previous professional experiences."

Now we will cover the events for July 28th:

July 28, 1821 General Jose de San Martin proclaimed

Peru's Independence from Spain.

July 28, 1868 The Fourteenth Amendment defining U.S. citizenship and guaranteeing due process of law, took effect.

July 28, 1914 World War I began when Austria declared war on Serbia.

July 28, 1945 The U. S. Senate ratified the United Nations Charter

by a vote of 90-2.

July 28, 1945 A B-25 Bomber Crashed into the 79th floor of the

Empire State Building.

July 28, 1959 Daniel Inouye of Hawaii became the First

Japanese-American elected to Congress.

July 28, 1973 Six hundred thousand people attended the

Biggest U.S. Rock Concert ever, at Watkins Glenn, N.Y.

Book (1) writes about it in "Concert calculations-Tell Your (children) that 4 years before the Watkins Glen concert, in the summer of 1969, 400,000 people attended another famous rock festival held in New York State. Ask your students to name this event (Woodstock). There were 200,000 more people at the Watkins Glen event than at Woodstock. Have students calculate this difference as a percentage increase."

Lastly:

July 28, 1984 The Summer Olympics Opened in Los Angeles.

Nineteen nations, including the USSR, boycotted.

Moving on into July 29th with Three birthdays:

July 29, 1869 Booth Tarkington, American novelist, was born.

July 29, 1905 Dag Hammarskjold, Swedish diplomat and

second secretary-general of the United Nations, was born.

July 29, 1938, Peter Jennings, Canadian-born TV journalist, was born.

Now we will list the Events and activities for July 29 as follows:

July 29, 1778 A French Fleet Arrived at Rhode Island to help the

American colonists in the Revolutionary War.

July 29, 1958 Congress authorized the National Aeronautics

and Space Administration (NASA).

Book (1) writes here in "What's next for NASA?-As early as 1915, the U.S. government supported organized research on aeronautics. That year, a congressional resolution established the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). By 1958, government officials agreed that NACA's work should be extended to include the region outside earth's atmosphere--and NASA was created. Ask your (children)  to predict how NASA's work will be extended 10 years from now. For example, what other regions or heavenly bodies might be explored? Have each (child) write a science fiction story describing what might happen."

(By the way while Grandma was in Mexico during August we sighted lights in the sky that were not stars or anything normal. They looked like airplane lights but they were not moving like an airplane. They were just there and then disappeared. First it showed in one place then it disappeared and shown in another space and then did the same two or three other places. They said it happens there occasionally. Grandma had never seen anything like it before. It was really strange.)

July 29, 1962 Seventy-five American historians and political scientists Rated U.S. Presidents as "great," "near great," "average," below average," or "failure."

Book (1) writes about it in "Evaluating the presidents-Have your (children) rate all the presidents who've served in their lifetimes using the same scale as the historians and political scientists used in 1962. Ask the kids to cite specific events and presidential decisions to support their ratings."

July 29, 1981 Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer were

married in St. Paul's Cathedral in London.

July 29, 1988 Javier Sotomayor of Cuba became the First

High Jumper to Clear 8 feet.

July 29th is also Chincoteague Pony Penning(last Thursday in July) and Book (1) writes about it in "Where the wold horses are-Tell your (children) that about 150 wild ponies live on Assateague Island in Virginia. These animals are descendants of colonial-era horses. Each year, the ponies are rounded up and made to swim across the inlet to Chincoteague Island, where about 40 of them are sold. Ask (your children) to locate these two islands on a map of Virginia. How far apart are they? invite the kids to speculate on why the ponies are rounded up annually. (With no predators, they would eventually become too numerous for the island's ecosystem to sustain.) (This is a good lesson in Biology for the children.)

Now we will begin July 30 starting with only two birthdays:

July 30, 1863 Henry Ford, American automobile manufacturer, was born.

Book (1) writes in "The family car-In honor of Henry Ford's birthday, ask your (children) to collect data about their families' cars, including how many cars their families own, the makes and models, the colors, and the safety features, such as air bags or antilock brakes. Have (the children) work...to compile their data and design graphs illustrating the results.

July 30, 1947 Arnold Schwarzenegger, Austrian-born

bodybuilder and actor, was born.

Next are the following events for July 30th:

July 30, 1619 The First Representative Assembly in the American Colonies

met at Jamestown, Va., and enacted laws against drunkenness,

idleness, and gambling.

July 30, 1729 Baltimore Town (later Baltimore) was founded by the

Maryland colonial government.

July 30,1909 The United States Bought its First Airplane for $31,250.

July 30, 1919 Missouri farmer Fred Hoenemann got a temporary

injunction Prohibiting Pilots From Flying Over His Farm.

July 30, 1942 President Franklin Roosevelt signed a bill creating

the navy Waves (Women accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service).

July 30, 1952 The Chesapeake Bay Bridge--third longest in the world--opened.

Book (1) writes about it in "Down by the bay-Tell your (children) that the Chesapeake Bay--which is 200 miles long and 4 to 40 miles wide--is the largest inlet on the Atlantic coast of the United States. Have the children locate the Chesapeake Bay on a U.S. Map. Various rivers flow into the bay. Challenge the kids to find as many as they can. (Among the rivers are the James, York, Potomac, Rappahannock, Patuxent, and Susquehanna.)"

July 30, 1956 Congress adopted the motto, "In God We Trust."

Book (1) writes in "National motto- Ask your (children) where the motto "In God We Trust" can be found--for example, on coins and paper currency. Then discuss the concept of mottoes and why they exist. What is your state's motto? Ask each (child) to adopt a personal motto, write it on a sheet of oaktag, and add a personalized border design. Tape the mottoes (onto something to display them.)"

July 30, 1971 Apollo 15 astronauts landed on the moon.

Their mission included deploying a jeeplike vehicle called

a Lunar Rover, which enabled them to explore much more

of the moon's surface.

This is the last day of July and the last day on this blog. Grandma will carry on tomorrow into August. This is also a very special sons birthday.) Therefore, we will start July 31 with the only two birthdays:

July 31, 1803 John Ericsson, Swedish-American engineer

who designed the Monitor, the famous Ironclad Civil War

ship, was born.

July 31, 1930 Robert Kimmel Smith, children's author, was born.

Now moving on into the Events for the day:

July 31, 1498 Christopher Columbus first sighted Trinidad.

July 31, 1790 The First American Patent was awarded to Samuel

Hopkins for his method of making potash, a substance used in

the manufactur