American+Holidays

=American Holidays:=

General Ideas:

 * Resources in the community to support planning for American holidays include:
 * Sailors from the USS Constitution will come, especially to support literacy events, Judi Paradis has contact information
 * Kelly Erwin Everett (Former Plympton parent) is a member of the Waltham American Legion Band
 * Have students learn Patriotic Songs to sing at these events and at all-school meetings; perhaps each grade could learn a song each year
 * Grade level projects with ties to holidays can be shared


 * Holiday Celebrations recognized at Community meetings: **
 * **Veterans' Day**
 * **Martin Luther King, Jr. Day**
 * **Presidents' Day**
 * **Patriot's Day**
 * **Earth Day**
 * **Memorial Day**
 * **Flag Day**

> // Boxes for Katje //by Candace Fleming // H is for Honor by // Devin Scillian //Don't Forget, God Bless Our Troops// by Jill Biden // Nubs // by Brian Dennis // A Poem for Every Day //**// ! //** by Susan Moger p. 33 //Veterans' Day// by Robin Nelson // The Wall // by Eve Bunting
 * Veteran's Day: **
 * Possible ideas for Observance: **
 * Students and staff share names of friends and relatives who are serving in the military. Classes can make cards and letters to send them to lift their spirits.
 * School secretaries group often collects items for those in active service; and we can support this effort
 * During announcements we have a student read a description of the Veteran's Day observance and sing a patriotic song.
 * At each lunch, we designate a student who can share a poem with students after lunch is eaten.\
 * Invite a member of a veteran's organization to come in and talk to students
 * Recommended Read-Alouds Available in Plympton Library: **

[|Enchanted Learning] has a nice short description of the holiday and some ideas for crafts

**Thanksgiving Day:**
 * Possible ideas for Observance: **
 * A study of Thanksgiving is embedded in the curriculum at several grade levels - notably grades 2 and 3. Grade 3 students often share feedback from trip to Plimouth Plantation at community meeting.

// Giving Thanks // by Chief Jake Swamp // Giving Thanks // by Kate Waters Gracias by Pat Mora Gracias // The Thanksgiving Turkey // by Joy Cowley Holidays // Around the World Celebrate Thanksgiving // by Deborah Heiligman // How Many Days to America // by Eve Bunting // 1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving // by Catherine O'Neill Grace and Margaret M. Bruchac // Molly's Pilgrim // by Barbara Cohen // On the Mayflower // by Kate Waters // Samuel Eaton's Day // by Kate Waters Sarah Morton's Day by Kate Waters // Squanto's Journey // by Joseph Bruchac // Strawbeater's Thanksgiving //by Irene Smalls-Hector //Tapenum's Day// by Kate Waters //Thanksgiving// by Dana Rau // Thanksgiving Day // by Gail Gibbons // Thank You, Sarah // by Laurie Halse Anderson
 * Recommended Read-Alouds Available in Plympton Library: **

Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday:

 * Plan for Observance **
 * Grade 1 students typically share classroom projects at community meeting
 * Juliet Najumba (Plympton Parent) will share African dance with her students

// Martin Luther King Jr. Day // by Jill Foran // A Poem A Day // by Helen H. Moore p. 63 //As Good As Anybody// by Richard Michelson // The Beatitudes // by Carol Boston Weatherford Boycott //Blues// by Andrea Davis Pinckney //Coretta Scott// by Ntozake Shange //Freedom on the Menu// by Carol Boston Weatherford // I Have a Dream // by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. // John Lewis in the Lead //by James Haskins //Lift Every Voice and Sing// by James Weldon Johnson // March On! // by Christine King Farris // Martin's Big Words // by Doreen Rappaport // Martin Luther King, Jr. A Man Who Changed Things // by Carol Greene // Martin Luther King, Jr. // by Rob Lloyd Jones // Martin Luther King Jr. // by Pamela Walker // My Brother Martin //by Christine King Farris // A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr. // by David A. Adler // Let's Read About...Martin Luther King, Jr //. by Courtney Baker // Happy Birthday Martin Luther King // by Jean Marzollo // My Brother Martin // by Christine King Farris //Richard Wright and the Library Card// by William Miller // Rosa // by Nikki Giovanni // Ruby Bridges Goes to School // by Ruby Bridges // Separate is Never Equal // by Duncan Tonatiuh //Sit In// by Andrea Davis Pinckney // The Other Side // by Jacqueline Woodson // When Marian Sang // by Pam Munoz Ryan
 * Recommended Read-Alouds Available in Plympton Library: **

President's Day:

 * Possible ideas for Observance: **
 * Grade 1 students share projects at community meeting

// Poem A Day // by Helen H. Moore p. 65, 66 // A Poem for Every Day! // by Susan Moger p.22, 28 // Abe's Honest Words // by Doreen Rappaport // Abraham Lincoln // by Amy L. Cohn and Suzy Schmidt //Barack// by Jonah Winter //Barack Obama// by Nikki Grimes //Breakfast at the Liberty Diner// by Daniel Kirk // George Washington The Man Who Would Not Be King // by Stephen Krensky // Let's Read About...George Washington // by Kimberly Weinberger // Let's Read About...Abraham Lincoln // by Sonia Black // George Washington // by Michael Burgan // Abraham Lincoln // by Pamela Walker // Abe Lincoln the Boy Who Loved Books // by Kay Winters // George // by Frank Keating // George Did It // by Suzanne Tripp Jurmain // George Washington // by Cheryl Harness //Jack's Path of Courage// by Doreen Rappaport //Legend of the Teddy Bear// by Theodore Roosevelt // Make Your Mark, Franklin Roosevelt // by Judith St. George //A Picture Book of Dwight David Eisenhowe//r by David Adler // A Picture Book of John Kennedy // by David Adler // President Taft is Stuck in the Bath // by Mac Barnett //So, You Want to be President// by Judith St. George // To Dare Mighty Things // by Doreen Rappaport // Young Abraham Lincoln Log-Cabin President // by Andrew Woods
 * Recommended Read-Alouds Available in Plympton Library: **

**Patriot's Day:**
 * Possible ideas for Observance: **
 * Grades 3 and 5 study Battle of Lexington and Concord
 * Provide students with information about local observances of the holiday to bring home and share with their families.

// A Poem for Every Day! // by Susan Moger p. 24 //The Boston Coffee Party// by Doreen Rappaport // Daniel Brown at the Battle of Lexington // by Ellen Leroe //Henry and the Cannons// by Don Brown // Joining the Boston Tea Party // by Diane Stanley // The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere, // illustrated by Christopher Bing // Paul Revere's Midnight Ride //by Stephen Krensky // Sam the Minuteman // by Nathaniel Benchley // Let it begin here // by Dennis Fradin // Dangerous Crossing // by Stephen Krensky // Sybil's Night Ride // by Karen Winnick
 * Recommended Read-Alouds Available in Plympton Library: **

** Earth Day: **

 * Possible ideas for Observance: **
 * Students can participate in recycling efforts or cleaning playground

// Bamboo Valley // by Ann Whitehead Nagda //B////iscuit's// // Earth Day Celebration //by Alyssa Capucilli //Choose to Reuse// by Lisa Bullard //A Grand Old Tree// by Mary Newell DePalma //The Great Kapok Tree// by Lynne Cherry //How to Help the Earth// by Trish Rabe //Just Grace Goes Green// by Charise Mericle Harper //The Lorax// by Dr. Seuss //Our Tree Named Steve// by Alan Zweibel //The Story Goes On//by Aileen Fischer //Welcome to the Green House// by Jane Yolen
 * Recommended Read-Alouds Available in Plympton Library: **

Memorial Day:

 * Possible ideas for Observance: **
 * Ask staff and students to wear red, white and blue clothing.
 * Grade 5 students share about visit to Mount Feake cemetary
 * Invite service members to visit school
 * Opportunity to share patriotic songs

// Across the Blue Pacific // by Louise Borden // Crow Calls //by Lois Lowry // Don't Forget, God Bless Our Troops // by Jill Biden // The Drummer Boy // by Anne Warren Turner Hold // the Flag High // by Catherine Clinton // Hyam Salomon // by Susan Goldman Rubin //Jack's Path of Courage// by Doreen Rappaport // L'il Dan the Drummer Boy //by Romare Bearden // Memorial Day // by Lynn Hamilton // Patrol // by Walter Dean Myers // A Picture Book of Dwight David Eisenhowe // r by David Adler // Pink and Say // by Patricia Polacco // Seven Miles to Freedom //by Janet Halfman //The Unbreakable Code// by Sara Hoagland Hunter
 * Recommended Read-Alouds Available in Plympton Library: **

// The Wall // by Eve Bunting

Flag Day:
 * Possible ideas for Observance: **
 * Ask students and staff to wear red, white, and blue clothing to school.
 * Flag ceremony in front of school with patriotic songs
 * Share grade 1 "translations" of Pledge of Allegiance

// A Poem A Day // by Helen H. Moore, p. 72 // A Poem for Every Day! // by Susan Moger, p. 21, 33 // Betsy Ross // by Alexandra Wallner // Hold the flag high // by Catherine Clinton //I Pledge Allegiance// by Pat Mora // The Flag we Love // by Pam Munoz Ryan // Wow America // by Robert Neubecker
 * Recommended Read-Alouds Available in Plympton Library: **