Winston Churchill, Winter Olympics, Amnesty International, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the Eiffel Tower, Smithsonian Institute, Wright Brothers, Jackie Robinson
January 24 Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955.
A well-developed documentary is available from The People Profiles covering from the birth of Winston Churchill to his leadership in WWII.
When most people think of Winston Churchill they think of a British politician. Churchill was also an artist, and the WikiArt website shows more than 80 of his paintings.
January 25 Winter Olympics
January 25, 1924 the first Winter Olympics were held at Chamonix in the French Alps. Read about the Winter Olympics.
Videos, articles, news, and photos are available from this website sponsored by the International Olympic Committee. Information includes a dropdown with each sport and historical information. There is also a dropdown with all the previous games. The video gallery has short video clips on earlier games and various sports. The news tab keeps up to date with current events.
January 26 Amnesty International
Amnesty International (AI) is a global movement working to protect human rights.Sean MacBride, one of the founders of Amnesty International was born in Dublin Ireland on January 26, 1904.
Amnesty International Toolkits explain the issues and provides facts and talking points for conversations dealing with important human rights issues. At the time this blog was posted, there were many toolkits available including the following:
- Deadly use of lethal force by police
- an unjustly imprisoned blogger
- “My Body, My Rights”
- Restrictions on refugees and immigrants
January 27 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
January 27, 1756, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born.
20 Essential Mozart Recordings gives teachers recordings which can expose their class to Mozart. Studies have shown changes in mood, productivity, and creativity for listening to classical music. Check out whether or not this is true in your classroom.
January 28 Eiffel Tour
Work on the Eiffel Tower began in Paris on January 28, 1887.
Tour the tallest building in Paris without leaving home. Click on the 3-D tour of the Eiffel tour and view this historic landmark created for the 1889 World’s Fair.
January 29 Smithsonian
January 29, 1903, a special committee composed of Congressmen and the Smithsonian board ask Congress for funding.
Another great virtual tour is available from the Smithsonian Institute. Click here and use your computer to view many of the exhibits available from the Smithsonian. The menu and navigational tools are easy to use and clearly marked, making this easy for students to navigate.
January 30 Wright Brothers
The Wright brothers were two American aviation pioneers who are credited with inventing, building, and flying the world’s first successful airplane.
Funded by the Library of Congress, the Reading is Fundamental organization has a variety of resources to use primary sources in relation to the Wright Brothers, flight, and aviation. Check out the RIF website for many lessons plans, activities, and other downloadable PDFs for a wide variety of grade levels.
January 31 Jackie Robinson
Jack Roosevelt Robinson was a professional baseball player who became the first African American to play in Major League Baseball. Read about the journey of Jackie Robinson.
The Jackie Robinson website has good resources for the classroom. In the biography section, the 4 minute video gives a an overview of the life of Jackie Robinson. The stat section gives basic baseball statistics on his career. The photo section has historic photos in a gallery.
