Units Spoonerisms: A Wordplay Unit Study 22 Jul 20217 Aug 2021 Sir, you have tasted two whole worms.... Poor William Archibald Spooner! Highly respected for his scholarship in philosophy, divinity, and ancient history and appreciated for his kind, dutiful manner —…
Units The Gateway Arch: A Unit Study 10 Jun 2021 On June 10, 1967, the Gateway Arch was opened to the public. This structure was the highlight of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Park, which had its origins in the…
Units Hail: A Unit Study 3 Sep 2020 During a thunderstorm on September 3, 1970, hail formed, creating the heaviest hailstone of the 20th century. The hailstone fell on Coffeyville, Kansas. It weighed 1.67 pounds and had a…
Units Blaise Pascal: A Unit Study 19 Jun 2020 Blaise Pascal was a French Renaissance scientist, mathematician, inventor, and theologian who was born on June 19, 1623. Pascal's Beginnings Pascal's mother died when he was three years old. Pascal's…
Units La Salle and the Great Lakes: A Unit Study 19 Mar 2020 French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, ultimately claimed the entire Mississippi River basin for France, naming the region Louisiana for King Louis XIV, but his other great achievement…
Units DNA & Genetics: A Unit Study 13 Sep 2019 On September 13, 1994, President Bill Clinton signed the Federal Crime Bill, which included the U.S. DNA Identification Act. This act authorized the establishment of a national index to keep…
Units Morse and the Telegraph {Free Unit} 24 May 2019 On May 24, 1844, the first Morse code telegraph message was sent over a line from the Supreme Court room in the Capitol in Washington, D. C., to Samuel Morse's…
Units Transcontinental Railroad 150th Anniversary Teaching Resources 7 May 2019 One of our more popular units is on the Transcontinental Railroad. This May 10 is the 150th anniversary of the Golden Spike ceremony that was held to commemorate the completion…
Units Jules Verne: A Unit Study 8 Feb 2018 Jules Verne was born on February 8, 1828, in the busy port city of Nantes, France. It was a stirring time and place, with ships constantly on the move and…
Units Egyptian Hieroglyphs & Alphabets: A Unit Study 24 Aug 2017 The latest known inscription written in Egyptian hieroglyphs stands in the temple of the goddess Isis on an island in Lake Nasser. The date of this inscription, the Graffito of…
Units Edison’s Incandescent Light Bulb: A Unit Study 9 Mar 2017 On January 27, 1880, Thomas Edison patented the electric incandescent lamp. The incandescent light bulb was invented by Thomas Alva Edison in the year 1879. Despite the fact that it…
Units Around the World in 80 Days: A Unit Study 22 Dec 201620 Aug 2021 Five minutes too late! Phileas Fogg was due back in London on December 21 and was to make his appearance at his usual club no later than 8:45 PM. But…
Units The Florida Everglades: A Unit Study 6 Dec 2016 The renowned Florida Everglades is a large area of swamps and sawgrass prairie that floods in regular cycles. It is significant in its staggering amount of flora and fauna —…
Units Gerrymander: A Unit Study 23 Nov 2016 Elbridge Gerry, who died on November 23, 1814, could have been remembered for any number of contributions to American history. Unfortunately for the memory of Elbridge Gerry, he has mostly…
Units Diabetes: A Unit Study 27 Jul 2016 The story of insulin goes back to 1869, when Paul Langerhans studied the pancreas under the microscope. As he examined the organ, he noticed that it was not uniform; clumps…
Units The Creation of Indian Territory: A Unit Study 30 Jun 2016 Up to June 30, 1834, Andrew Jackson had aggressively enforced the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which sent the Five Civilized Tribes of the South (Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and…
Units Tornadoes: A Unit Study 25 May 2016 On the evening of May 25, 1955, an F5 tornado touched the ground near the Kansas-Oklahoma state line. As it proceeded northward, it took a northeast twist that put it…
Units Sun Dogs: A Unit Study on Light & Optics 20 Apr 2016 The Sun Dog Painting attributed to Urban the Painter depicts the sun dogs, or atmospheric halos, that appeared over Stockholm, Sweden, on April 20, 1535. Scientifically known as parhelia, sun…
Units James Madison: A Unit Study 16 Mar 2016 James Madison was born on March 16, 1751, a time when tumultuous and fascinating events were brewing on an international scale. As the young Madison studied with his mother, under…
Units Leap Day: A Unit Study 29 Feb 2016 It happens once every four years: February 29th! The leap day of leap years -- those years ending in a number divisible by four...well, sort of. The earth takes 365.24219…
Units Silent Night: A Unit Study 24 Dec 2015 When “Silent Night, Holy Night,” was first performed on Christmas Eve 1818, its composers probably did not anticipate that it would become one of the world’s most beloved carols. While…
Units Constitution Day: A Unit Study 17 Sep 201531 Aug 2021 September 17 is Constitution Day, a day set aside by the United States government to celebrate the supreme law of the land. Establishing the Holiday Constitution Day was first observed…
Units The War of 1812: A Unit Study 18 Jun 2015 There was no going back once President James Madison signed the declaration of war on June 18, 1812. The House of Representatives had already voted in favor of the war,…
Units Jamestown: A Unit Study 14 May 2015 On May 14, 1607, the weary travelers set foot on a low-lying island in the James River. The site was marshy and the water smelled rank, but the location offered…
