Labor Day

Labor Day "officially" marks the end of summer. In our little community of under 2,000 residents it is a huge event--more than 10,000 enter our village for a parade, all sorts of activities in the park, and to consume 8 tons of FREE sweet corn--it's no wonder I like FREE stuff. (Did I mention that the park is right across the street?) Today's freebie, although brief, explains the history of "summer's last hurrah."

Title: Labor Day
Description: Provides the history, and links for more information, about this holiday.
Format: Online Article
Availability: Available to all requesters
Source: KU Medical Center
http://www3.kumc.edu/diversity/national/laborday.html

The Irish and Their Music

Saturday marked beautiful weather in Wisconsin so my son and I ventured to Milwaukee to partake in Irish Fest. He had studied in Galway, Ireland last year and was immediately taken by the folk music that is so prevalent in their culture (he also rather liked the venue so many musicians chose to play in--the pubs). We were treated to lots of Irish music at this fabulous festival on Milwaukee's waterfront. This freebie will treat those of you who couldn't attend to some of the great music from Ireland and other countries.

Title: Folk Music of England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and America
Description: Lots of music to listen to, along with lyrics, from these countries, as well as historical background and tune related links.
Suggested Grade: All ages
Format: Web Site
Availability: Available to all requesters
Source: Lesley Nelson-Burns
http://www.contemplator.com/folk.html#

Snakes Alive

My local newspaper reported yesterday that a python snake was found under a porch at a nearby residence. I live in the state of Wisconsin and snakes are not a common sight. It turns out it was someone's pet who left home about a month ago to "see the sights." This freebie will help you teach students more about this often scary, always fascinating reptiles.

Title: Snake Lesson Plans
Description: Lesson plans to educate about these slithery critters.
Suggested Grade: 5
Format: Online Lesson Plans
Availability: Available to all requesters
Source: David Wines
http://www.uoregon.edu/~titus/herp_old/wines.htm#

Atom Bomb Tested

The events that took place in a remote area of New Mexico during the predawn hours of July 16, 1945 forever changed the world. That was the first test of the Atom Bomb. This freebie offers biographies, documents, treaties, photos and more for an in-depth study of the ethical and historical implications for the dropping of the atomic bomb.

Title: Atomic Archive
Description: Explores the complex history surrounding the invention of the atomic bomb - a crucial turning point for all mankind.
Suggested Grade: 6-12
Format: Web Site
Availability: Available to all requesters
Source: AJ Software & Multimedia
http://www.atomicarchive.com

Baseball--An All American Sport

My DH and I had the great pleasure of attending a Milwaukee Brewer baseball game last Saturday with our son--who is such a huge fan that he has a season ticket package. The Brewers won in the bottom of the ninth in what turned out to be a fantastic game. While not exactly on the Major League level, this freebie provides tips for all people playing baseball to follow to ensure the game remains fun and safe.

Title: Baseball Safety Fact Sheet
Description: Tips to keep baseball fun, rather than an injury-prone sport.
Availability: A limit of 50 copies will be sent through the mail to schools, libraries, and homeschoolers in the United States and Canada. May be copied to create additional copies for distribution. This article may also be downloaded from the web site.
Suggested Grade: 4-Adult
Format: Printed Article
Source: U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
http://www.cpsc.gov/

Amelia Earhart

I'm a firm believer that women can do anything they put their mind to. In that spirit, we celebrate the accomplishments of Amelia Earthart who embarked on the first trans-Atlantic flight by a woman 71 years ago today. This freebie tells all about the life of this female pioneer.
Title: Amelia Earhart FAQ
Description: A complete biography of Amelia Earhart.
Suggested Grade: All ages
Format: Web Site
Availability: All requesters
Source: Naval Historical Center
http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq3-1.htm

Tiananmen Square--20 years ago today

June 4, 1989 was an infamous day in history--events that took place in Tiananmen Square in China resonated around the world. This freebie provides an account of this day.

Title: Tiananmen Square, 1989: The Declassified History
Description: Presents detailed (and previously classified) U.S. government accounts of the infamous military assault by the Chinese government on pro-democracy demonstrators in and around Tiananmen Square in Beijing in June 1989.
Format: Electronic Briefing Book
Availability: Available to all requesters
Source: compiled by Jeffrey T. Richelson and Michael L. Evans
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB16/index.html