Welcome to February, a month bursting with celebrations! From exploring the significance of Black History Month to exchanging Valentine’s with your students, the Kids Discover team is here to make every lesson enlightening and fun! Here are 8 holidays to explore with your students during the month of February.
Black History Month
Celebrate Black History Month by getting to know the courageous figures and pivotal moments in our Civil Rights Unit. From the trailblazing Rosa Parks to the poetic Maya Angelou and so many more, engage students in the stories that shaped a movement. Be on the lookout for two new additions to our Historical Figures collection: George Washington Carver and Wilma Rudolph.
February 2 – World Wetland Day
World Wetlands Day occurs every year on February 2nd, marking the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands in 1971. Most kids don’t know what wetlands are, but after reading our Wetlands Unit they’ll understand how pivotal wetlands are in regulating Earth’s climate and to the survival of many endangered species.
February 7 – National Periodic Table Day
Explore the magical world of chemistry on National Periodic Table Day. The basics of simple chemistry has the power to engage students in understanding the elements and so much more! Dive into our Chemistry and Atoms Units, especially The Periodic Table Topic for your next STEM lesson!
February 10 – Lunar New Year
On this day, Chinese and other Asian cultures begin a 16 day celebration and enter the Year of the Dragon. The name comes from the Chinese Zodiac which believes that a person’s birth year affects their personality. In Celebrating the Chinese New Year, students will learn more about this beautiful holiday and the traditions that come with it.
February 14 – Valentine’s Day
Chances are, your students are already brimming with excitement for this holiday. Sure it means a lot of candy, but do they know the facts behind it? Our Heart Unit will give them an opportunity to learn more about the organ and why it represents love. Before your class exchanges cards, our Valentine’s Day Topic will share the history of the holiday and how it’s changed over the years.
February 19 – President Day
On this day, we honor all of the presidents that have served as commander-in-chief. Because of their February birthdays, we also give special attention to George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Although their presidencies are separated by nearly 100 years, they both represent some of the greatest virtues a leader can have. Discuss with your students the impact both of these men had in history, while tying in our Presidency Unit.
February 22 – World Thinking Day
Make World Thinking Day an exploration of the mind with our Kids Discover Unit on the Brain, including a Video on How Learning Works. From neurons to synapses, students will uncover the intricacies of cognitive function, making this day an enlightening journey into neuroscience.
February 29 – Leap Day
Do your students know what a leap day is? Occurring once every four years, a leap year is a calendar year containing an additional day, which is added to stay in-sync with the astronomical year. Astronomical events, like Earth’s rotation around the Sun do not repeat in a whole number of days, but calendars have the same number of days each year. So, by inserting an additional day into the year, the “drift” can be corrected. For a whole library of lesson ideas, visit our Sun Unit.
