Dr. Seuss and Read Across America Day

On March 2nd schools across the United States celebrate Read Across America Day, and the birthday of Dr. Seuss, one of the world's most well-known and beloved children's authors. Almost any child, or parent for that matter, can quote from the wonderful books of Dr. Seuss.



Before he became known for cats in hats, Dr. Seuss was once a struggling author eager to sell his first picture book. Learn about Dr. Seuss and his path to success.

Source: mamiverse.com via Jane on Pinterest

Groundhog Day 2012

Groundhog Day prediction 2012: Did Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow?

Published: Thursday, February 02, 2012, 7:26 AM     Updated: Thursday, February 02, 2012, 7:36 AM

 By Erik Gallant, MassLive.com 

Punxsutawney Phil, the weather predicting groundhog, is seen on his stump during the annual Groundhog Day festivities in Punxsutawney, Pa. in this file photo from Feb. 2, 2011.

It's an annual tradition in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania: when the groundhog speaks, we humans listen. His weather-predicting skills may only be accurate 39 percent of the time, but that hardly matters.

The rules of Groundhog Day are simple: if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, we can expect another 6 weeks of winter. If he doesn't see his shadow, it indicates that spring is "just around the corner."

What makes this small town in central Pennsylvania so special? As the vice president of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club explained to the crowd Thursday, "Our president is the only person in the world who is gifted to understand the language of Groundhogese."

On Thursday morning, Phil did see his shadow. Six more weeks of winter!

Phil immediately updated his Twitter account confirming the prognostication:

A terrifying shadow = 6 more weeks of winter! No complaining. We haven’t even had winter yet.

For many in the Northeast, another 6 weeks of winter may seem an unlikely prediction, considering the fact that winter has barely even arrived.

Indeed, one member of the crowd Thursday was heard shouting, "It's already warm enough to be spring!"

In recent years, Phil has embraced technology as a way of getting the word out, with the aforementioned Twitter account full of humorous observations like:

"All eyes are on me right now, and I'm mad with power!"

Fans and media organizations have also increasingly tried to read more into the groundhog's predictions. The Patriot-News recently ran a "scientific statistical analysis" to see if the predictions held any indicators for the 2012 presidential election.

Despite the modern flourishes, Phil's bread-and-butter remains emerging from his hole and whispering into the ear of a top-hatted man. We'll all have to wait and see if the groundhog's words of wisdom hold true.

The first day of spring is March 20, according to the calendar.

Martin Luther King Day

Martin Luther King Day is a federal holiday held on the third Monday of January. It celebrates the life and achievements of Martin Luther King Jr., an influential American civil rights leader. He is most well-known for his campaigns to end racial segregation on public transport and for racial equality in the United States.

Martin Luther King Day is a relatively new federal holiday and there are few long standing traditions. It is seen as a day to promote equal rights for all Americans, regardless of their background. Some educational establishments mark the day by teaching their pupils or students about the work of Martin Luther King and the struggle against racial segregation and racism. In recent years, federal legislation has encouraged Americans to give some of their time on this day as volunteers in citizen action groups. Martin Luther King Day, also known as Martin Luther King’s birthday and Martin Luther King Jr Day, is combined with other days in different states. For example, it is combined with Civil Rights Day in Arizona and New Hampshire, while it is observed together with Human Rights Day in Idaho. It is also a day that is combined with Robert E. Lee’s birthday in some states.

Read more...

Christmas Comes But Once a Year

[Infographic provided by Grammar.net]

Visit Friends and Family
Christmas is a time for appreciating those we care for. Take some flowers to your mom, or spend quality time with someone you haven’t seen for a while.
Send Christmas Cards
A pretty card brightens the darkest day, and sitting down to fill out a small box of them warms the spirit. Even a few Christmas postcards to one or two special people will spread “good cheer.”
Eat Turkey
By 4 p.m. on Christmas Day, seventy-five percent of America will be passed out on the couch, bellies stuffed, watching television in a “turkey coma.” Rise up and join them! Or rather, lie down and join them. Turkey is comparatively low in calories–perfect for gleeful gorging.
Give Presents
Again, Christmas is about showing friends and family that they are loved. Even the hardest heart melts to see the happiness on a loved one’s face when opening a Christmas gift.
Make a Wish
Christmas is a magical time of year. The next time you see a lighted tree twinkling in the darkness of your neighborhood, make a wish!
Pull a Cracker
Fireworks are not just for summer–there are Christmas “crackers” that look like big, jolly-colored Tootsie rolls, popular across the pond. Grasp it at both ends and yank. Bang! Inside is a small gift.
Light a Candle
People often light candles at Christmas in remembrance of departed or absent loved ones. If your spouse or kids are elsewhere, if you’re missing a parent, light a candle and spend some time with your happiest memories of that person.
Kiss Under the Mistletoe
It an old tradition to kiss to anyone standing under a sprig of mistletoe. Some not only follow this tradition, they cheerfully linger under it. Hang a piece in a doorway of yourhome for the holidays, and include some when decorating for holiday parties.
Sing a Carol
A rousing Christmas song can fire up the spirit, especially if sung in the shower, but if you’re asked to go caroling with friends, it can be great fun.
Hug Santa
An icon of love and giving, wrap that big man in the red suit in a hug the next time you see him, and it will probably make his day as well as yours.

  Vocabulary for Christmas
  Carol: a Christmas song.
  Chimney: a brick column that vents fireplace smoke through the roof. Santa is said to climb down the chimney to deliver toys to the children.
  Christmas Eve: the day before Christmas.
  Egg Nog: a traditional holiday drink made with eggs, often containing rum.
  Mistletoe: a leafy plant with white berries.
  Reindeer: a cold-climate relative of the caribou. Nine are said to pull Santa’s sleigh: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and Rudolph.
  Sleigh: an open-topped vehicle pulled by livestock, having runners instead of wheels. Santa loads his with a bag of toys for the children.
  White Christmas: a Christmas where snow has fallen.
  Xmas: abbreviation for Christmas.

A Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving

from BigThink, Bob Duggan, Nov. 22, 2011

You can have your Martha Stewart Thanksgiving(tm) with theAleppo pepper-rubbed roast turkey if you wish, but give me the good, old-fashioned, Norman Rockwell version any day. Rockwell’s classic painting (detail above, full picture here) of Grandma lugging in the gigantic bird on a platter as the patriarch awaits his carving duties and the surrounding adults and kids drool in anticipation will always be the quintessential image of Thanksgiving to me. And, yet, when Rockwell painted that iconic scene, it was March 1943—months away from Thanksgiving. The painting, titled Freedom from Want belongs to a series of works Rockwell titled the Four Freedoms after President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1941 State of the Union address in which FDR outlined what he saw as the four essential freedoms that all people in the world should enjoy. When you look for the roots of the Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving, you won’t find it in the stuffing or the cranberries (and certainly not in an Aleppo pepper rub)—they’re in the simple idea of human, not just American, freedom.

In that State of the Union address FDR gave seventy years ago, he announced the following:

In the future days, which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms.

The first is freedom of speech and expression—everywhere in the world.

The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way—everywhere in the world.

The third is freedom from want, which, translated into world terms, means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants—everywhere in the world.

The fourth is freedom from fear, which, translated into world terms, means a world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor—anywhere in the world.

That is no vision of a distant millennium. It is a definite basis for a kind of world attainable in our own time and generation. That kind of world is the very antithesis of the so-called “new order” of tyranny....READ MORE

Happy Birthday, Mickey!

Walt Disney was born in Chicago on December 5, 1901. Mickey Mouse made his screen debut on November 18, 1928 in Steamboat Willie , a short black-and-white animated musical. So began a partnership that charmed generations and has had an amazing influence on American culture and the way the US is seen around the world. 

When TIME magazine named Walt Disney as one of the most important people of the twentieth century, they wrote, "He created Mickey Mouse and produced the first full-length animated movie. He invented the theme park and originated the modern multimedia corporation. For better or worse, his innovations have shaped our world and the way we experience it. But the most significant thing Walt Disney made was a good name for himself." 

To parents around the world Disney means clean, decent entertainment for their children. And it all started with a mouse. Happy Birthday, Mickey!!

A Brief History of Mickey Mouse

Mickey Mouse - Wikipedia

An unofficial Mickey site

Where Did Halloween Come From?

   

"Trick or treat" evolved from a notion that when hungry ghosts are trying to eat you, a person only survives with protection from the saints.

Big Think presents a video of Sharon Gannon explaining the beginnings of Halloween traditions.

Watch her explaination and read along with the transcript.

Then listen, and repeat along with the Halloween conversation on LEC.

... and have a safe and Happy Halloween !!

Why Is It Called America and not Columbusia?

from dictionary.com

Amerian place names can sound pretty confusing even to native English speakers. From Philadelphia (Greek for “loving brother”) to Chicago (Algonquian Fox for “place of the wild onion”), the map of America is an etymological hodge-podge. For a clear example, take three adjacent states in New England. Vermont is an inverted, rough translation of the French for “green mountain,” mont vert. Massachusetts is derived from the name of the Native American people who lived in the area, the Algonquian Massachusett. The word meant “at the large hill.” New Hampshire comes from a county in southern England. 

But what about America itself? Why aren’t the continents of North and South America called “Columbusia” after Christopher Columbus? The word America comes from a lesser-known navigator and explorer, Amerigo Vespucci. Who made the decision? A cartographer.

Like Columbus, Vespucci traveled to the New World (first in 1499 and again in 1502). Unlike Columbus, Vespucci wrote about it. Vespucci’s accounts of his travels were published in 1502 and 1504 and were very widely read in Europe. Columbus was also hindered because he thought he had discovered another route to Asia; he didn’t realize America was a whole new continent. Vespucci, however, realized that America was not contiguous with Asia. He was also the first to call it the New World, or Novus Mundus in Latin, in his books.

With the discovery of this “New World”, maps were being redrawn all the time. No one really knew what land was where or how big it was. Because of this confusion, maps from the 1500s are incredibly inaccurate and contradictory. (They also often feature drawings of mythical sea creatures.) In 1507, a German cartographer named Martin Waldseemüller was drawing a map of the world–a very serious map. He called it the Universalis Cosmographia, or Universal Cosmography. Comprised of 12 wooden panels, it was eight feet wide and four-and-a-half feet tall. He based his drawings of the New World on Vespucci’s published travelogues. All countries were seen as feminine (like her lady Liberty today), so Waldseemüller used a feminine Latinized of Amerigo to name the new continents, “America.” Cartographers tended to copy one another’s choices, so Columbus was left off the map. The rest is history.

Today, an original of Waldseemüller’s map is permanently on display at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

Electing a US President - In Plain English

We the People - Observing Constitution Day

The United States Constitution is the most important document in the country. It sets out our form of government and enumerates rights and protections for American citizens. It was ratified in 1787, and is arguably more relevant now than ever before. Not bad for a 224-year-old. Schools across the country dedicate one day a year to teaching and celebrating the Constitution. Officially, September 17 is Constitution Day. (The Constitution was ratified on September 17, 1787.) But this year, schools are observing Constitution Day on September 16. 

A great Constitution Day resource — for students, parents, and teachers - is the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps special report Know Your Constitution. The special report brings the Constitution alive through interviews with people charged with upholding the laws and rights of the Constitution.
One of the interviews in the collection is with President Barack Obama. When the Kid Reporters spoke with the President in July, they took the opportunity to ask him about the Constitution. After all, he was a Constitutional Law professor before becoming President — and his primary responsibility as President is to protect and uphold the Constitution. His insights on why the Constitution is relevant and cool in 2011 are sure to resonate with kids — they certainly made an impression on the Kid Reporters!
Some of the other interviews in the collection are with former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Roberts, and former Senator Robert Byrd. These are joined by stories from the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia and the Newseum in Washington, D.C., which put on an exhibit highlighting the First Amendment. Games and other resources for kids and adults alike round out the collection.
You can learn more about Constitution Day on the Constitution Center website. There, you can find information about the Constitution itself, the Amendments, and the Consitutition Hall webcast.
taken from the oomscholasticblog - by Dante  

September 11, 2001

Labor Day

Many people think of Labor Day as the end of summer. But what's today's holiday really about?

The first Monday in September is Labor Day, a special day to celebrate working people.

Who first came up with the idea of a workers' holiday? There is still some doubt. The idea may have come from Canada, where Labour Day parades have been held since 1872.

Some historians say a machinist named Matthew Maguire started the holiday. Maguire was a union leader in New York City. In 1882, Maguire called for the city's workforce to lead a "festive parade through the streets of the city." More than 10,000 workers marched through New York City.

Labor Day was later officially recognized by several states, beginning with Oregon in 1887. It became a national holiday for all workers across the U.S in 1894.

That year, President Grover Cleveland wanted to heal wounds from a conflict between workers and big companies that started with the Pullman Railroad Strike. During the strike, more than 250,000 railroad workers from 27 states fought with the country's biggest railroad companies for higher pay and shorter workdays. President Cleveland wanted Labor Day to recognize the contributions of workers to the American economy.

These days, Labor Day means many things to Americans. It heralds the start of the pro football season, and the start of a new school year for many students. It's also a time for parades and fireworks, and for enjoying the last days of summer.      from scholastic.com

 Hope you had a happy day!!

WATCH A SLIDESHOW

Check out these facts and figures about workers in America.

The Grand Rapids LipDub

When Newsweek magazine included Grand Rapids, Michigan, in a list of "America's Dying Cities" the people of Grand Rapids got together and created this response.  Filmed in one ten-minute continuous shot, this video has been called "the greatest music video ever made." There are appearances by the mayor, city councilmen and representatives of all sectors of the community. Without a doubt it is living proof of the American spirit and the refusal of Grand Rapids to be classified as a city with a "bleak future".
The people of Grand rapids were not afraid to enthusiastically disagree with the media when they considered that they had been wrongly labelled - after all, that's freedom of speech, and community loyalty all rolled into one! They fought back - not in anger and bitterness but with joy and pride,

Here we are. This is who we are and we are not dying.

4th of July

"Hallowed be the day, forever bright its memory in the heart of the Nation.
Sing to it, poets;
shout to it, freemen;
celebrate it with bonfires, parades, and triumphant assemblies"(Daily Alta California, 4 July 1855).

Independence Day honors the birthday of the United States of America and the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. It's a day of picnics and patriotic parades, a night of concerts and fireworks, and a reason to fly the American flag.
See much more about Independence Day on usa.gov.

Take a look at The History Channel,  the Boston Pops Spectacular, or the Fourth of July Celebrations Database.

You can also revisit some of our older posts on the 4th of July here at Cultural Access

• The History of Independence Day
• Declaration of Independence
• Fireworks
• Fourth of July Word Origins

The First Day of Summer

Welcome to summer, which officially begins today, June 21st, thanks to the summer solstice. This is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

Summer is all about fun, relaxing, vacation and having a good time.  For those who don't have summer jobs it may take some imagination to fill up all those free hours every day. Here is a look at the summer of two non-working sisters.

Father's Day

Father's Day is a special day to honor fathers and grandfathers. It is on the third Sunday of June. Fathers receive cards and gifts on Father's Day. It is important to thank your father and grandfather for all the things they do.
Father's Day was started in 1910 by Mrs. John Dodd of Spokane, Washington. The custom spread throughout the United States and in 1936 a national Father's Day committee was formed. Headquartered in New York City, the committee annually selects a Father of the Year. Some of the fathers who have won this title are Douglas MacArthur, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Harry S. Truman.

When is Father's Day? It is on the third Sunday of June. We celebrate it by giving cards and gifts to our fathers and grandfathers. We say "Happy Father's Day!"

Some Father's Day reflections from ABC

Flag Day

Flag Day is on June 14, a day when all Americans celebrate the flag by showing respect for the flag and its makers and its designers. One of the main symbols of the United States of America is the flag.

The original U.S. flag was authorized by Congress on Saturday, June 14, 1777. It had 13 stripes - 7 red and 6 white - that represent the original 13 colonies. There were 13 white stars in a blue field representing a new constellation.

Since 1777, there have been different versions of the flag that have been adopted. The red and white stripes with blue constellation have remained the same. Each state in the union is represented by a 5 point star. The number of stars have changed as states joined the union. There are currently 50 states that belong to the United States of America.

History Of Flag Day From Veronica

Hurricane Season

The official Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico hurricane season starts on June 1, ends on November 30, and averages seven named storms.  The 2005 Atlantic season was a  record breaker. Twenty-eight storms reached speeds of thirty-nine miles per hour, the threshold for being named by the National Hurricane Center. Among them, Hurricane Katrina was the deadliest and costliest hurricane in U.S. history, and Wilma the most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded.

The Atlantic basin is expected to see an above-normal hurricane season this year, according to the seasonal outlook issued by NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center – a division of the National Weather Service.

Across the entire Atlantic Basin for the six-month season, which begins June 1, NOAA is predicting the following ranges this year:

12 to 18 named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher), of which:

6 to 10 could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including:

3 to 6 major hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5; winds of 111 mph or higher)
Each of these ranges has a 70 percent likelihood, and indicate that activity will exceed the seasonal average of 11 named storms, six hurricanes and two major hurricanes.

To see what type of damage different levels of hurricanes can cause, go to the AP Interactive feature.

Check in at the National Hurricane Center at any time to see what storms are in the area.

Weather WizKids has a very complete hurricane page which will help you learn what a hurricane is, how it forms, and much more, including hurricane vocabulary such as

TROPICAL STORM WATCH - Tropical Storm conditions with sustained winds from 39 -74 mph are possible in your area within the next 36 hours.
TROPICAL STORM WARNING - Tropical Storm conditions are expected in your area within the next 24 hours.
HURRICANE WATCH - Hurricane conditions with sustained winds of 74 mph or greater are possible in your area within the next 36 hours. This WATCH should trigger your family's disaster plan, and protective measures should be initiated. Especially, those actions that require extra time such as securing a boat and leaving a barrier island.
HURRICANE WARNING - Hurricane conditions are expected in your area within 24 hours. Once this WARNING has been issued, your family should be in the process of completing protective actions and deciding the safest location to be during the storm.

and more.

Hurricane Names
Hurricanes, tropical storms, and tropical cyclones in other parts of the world are identified by names. The north Atlantic and eastern north Pacific oceans use a six year rotating list of hurricane names. If a hurricane is severe, that hurricane name is retired and a new one is chosen to replace it. If any hurricane name is retired from the 2011 east Pacific or Atlantic hurricane season the list of hurricane names for 2017 will be adjusted by the National Hurricane Center.

Take a look at the names for hurricanes from 2011-2016.

Memorial Day, 2011

Memorial Day, which falls on the last Monday of May, honors the men and women who died while serving in the American military. Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades. Unofficially, at least, the long Memorial Day weekend marks the beginning of summer. In 2011, Memorial Day is observed on Monday, May 30.

They fought that we might live in freedom.
Thank you.

 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

Look through this photo album for more Memorial Day images.

May 20 - Day of Historic Transatlantic Flights

On May 20, 1927, twenty-five year old American aviator Charles Lindbergh took off from Roosevelt Field (near New York City) in the Spirit of St. Louis, a plane he helped design. Thirty-three and a half hours later he landed in Paris a hero. Although other pilots had crossed the Atlantic before him, Lindbergh was the first to do it nonstop. His achievement brought him international fame, and $25,000 in prize money.
Find information on Lindbergh at

• PBS - Lindbergh
• Charles Lindbergh
• PBS - Chasing the Sun
• Time

On May 20, 1932, just 5 years after Lindbergh,  Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. She broke several records on this flight: the first woman to fly across the Atlantic solo and the only person to fly it twice...the longest non-stop distance flown by a woman...and a record for crossing in the shortest time. Read more about Amelia Earhart at

• Ellen's Place
• The Official Amelia Earhart site
• Infoplease