Free Resources corresponding to a Day in History for each of these topics/people: Alaskan Pipeline, Chichen Itza, NAFTA (North America Free Trade Agreement), Gettysburg Address, International Space Station, Iran-Contra Affair, Battle of the Sexes (Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs), and the Marx Brothers.
November 16
President Richard Nixon asked Congress to pass a bill authorizing construction of the Alaskan Pipeline on November 16, 1973, .
The National Park Service created quick video lasting less than 3 minutes gives a historic overview of he trans-Alaska pipeline. This would be a good intro for your students.
November 17
A smaller pyramid dating back to 550-80 AD was found inside Chichen Itza on November 17, 2016.
Fabulous pictures of Chichen Itza can be found on the Google Arts and Culture Site. Students will see the variety of architectural styles from one of the larges May cities in Mexico.
November 18
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was a free trade treaty between the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It passed US House of Representatives on November 18, 1993.
NAFTA is explained in this CNN money video.
November 19
Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863.
A printable version of the handwritten copy of he Gettysburg Address is available from americanhistory.si.edu. Audio recordings of the famous speech are available free from National Jukebox by the Library of Congress.
November 20
The first component of the International Space Station (ISS) was launched November 20, 1998.
The NASA website features news, up to date videos, a live stream camera, blogs, pictures and much more. Science Kids shows short videos about everyday life in space. It includes clips about sleeping, brushing teeth, eating, washing hair, feeling ill, spacewalks, and spacesuits.
My very favorite resource is the Sally Ride EarthKam program. Click here to be redirected to my blog post about this incredible free program where students can request pictures of specific locations to be sent back to your classroom from the International Space Station. You don’t want to miss this great opportunity.
November 21
November 21, 1986 the Iran-Contra Scandal investigation began with an inquiry by the Justice Department.
A lesson plan and accompanying documents are available at no cost for the activity Decoding US Foreign Policy: The Iran Contra Affair. Students will analyze a timeline and documents as they appraise foreign policy. Resources are differentiated by reading level. The lesson includes a script where Reagan Administration officials debate how to support the contras. The lesson is well-designed and articulated with many opportunities for higher level thinking and active engagement.
November 22
Billie Jean Moffitt was born November 22, 1943. She defeated Bobby Riggs in the “Battle of the Sexes” in 1973.
This one minute ESPN video clip gives a brief overview and shows original footage of the Battle of the Sexes, King vs. Riggs tennis match.
November 23
Arthur “Harpo” Marx, an American comedian, actor, mime artist, and musician was born November 23, 1888.
One interesting place to visit to find information about Harpo Marx is the website Harpo’s Place which is written by Bill Marx, Harpo’s son. It contains sections about the character Harpo, the family, the artist, the prop trunk (which was the responsibility of Bill) and pictures of his props, harp, clothing, and other interesting photos.
Additional Resources
Looking for additional resources on these topics (and more)? Click on the topics below the images below to be taken to my TPT store (Reading Specialty) and check out the differentiated passages with comprehension questions to give your students background information and help them with nonfiction reading.
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