Sally Ride, first American woman in space, was born in 1951.

After exploring information about Sally Ride on the StarKids Who's Who site, students write a letter using the Letter Generator to Dr. Ride's foundation, Sally Ride Science.

Grades   3 – 8

Memorial Day is observed in the United States today.

Observed on the last Monday of May, Memorial Day honors the men and women who died while serving in the United States military. In addition to having celebrations with family and friends, many people visit cemeteries and memorials and place flags on the grave sites of fallen servicemen and women.

Grades   5 – 12

On this day in 1907, Rachel Carson was born.

Students learn about Rachel Carson, explore different environmental websites, and write a Diamante Poem about a particular habitat.

Grades   3 – 12

National Spelling Bee Finals are held this week.

Students discuss why certain contests get more publicity than others and what counts as "knowledge."

Grades   7 – 12

Today is Walt Whitman's birthday.

Students write and illustrate their own children's stories using the text from a Walt Whitman poem.

Grades   7 – 12

CNN debuted as the first television news network in 1980.

Students brainstorm a list of modern news sources and from previous centuries. Groups then research one of these sources and create a timeline showing the evolution of news.

Grades   3 – 12