In like a lion and (hopefully) out like a lamb… March has arrived! This month we’re highlighting topics in Nutrition and Women’s rights, and exploring rain forests and insect nests in preparation for World Wildlife Day. Keep your lessons up to date each week with the following resources. And as always, keep up with us on Facebook and Twitter for daily updates on our Free Topics. Have a magnificent month!
Nutrition Month
This month, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics will work hard to promote American’s awareness about eating well. “You are what you eat,” they say, but what does that really mean? In our unit on Nutrition, kids will discover that it’s true: Everything you put into your body affects its ability to move, grow, and live. Topics include The Digestive System, A Balanced Diet, and Healthy Eating Around the World.
March 3rd – World Wildlife Day
In 2013, the United Nations made this the official day to celebrate wild animals and plants around the world. This year’s theme is “The future of wildlife is in our hands.” What a great opportunity to teach kids about taking responsibility for our environment! Take a look at our units on Ecology, Conservation, and Endangered Species to get started. You can also spend some time with some of our favorite wildlife topics like Animals of the Rain Forest, Bird-Watching, and A Spider Up Close.
Don’t forget — you can always have kids play with Discover Map to research and explore all of our Life Science topics!
March 8th – International Women’s Day
As part of National Women’s History Month, today is a day to celebrate the social, economic, and political achievements of women around the world. Prepare to celebrate strong women by learning about Suffragists. Or, take a look at our our topic Women of the Revolution, which explains how women were a driving force during the American Revolution.
March 12th – Aztec New Year
For the Aztecs, keeping track of time was key for both religious reasons and for planting crops. In our topic on The Aztec Calendar, kids will learn about how this ancient civilization measured time using the stars, and the difference between their “sacred” and “solar” calendars.
March 14th – Learn About Butterflies Day
Did you know that butterflies can’t fly if they’re too cold? Or that a male moth can smell a female moth from a mile away? Tuck in to our print issue on Moths and Butterflies to welcome these creatures into spring, or spend some time researching our unit on Insects. Kids will love learning about What Insects Eat, Camouflage and Mimicry, and strange and Unusual Insects.
March 17th – St. Patrick’s Day and Irish American Heritage Month
This isn’t only the ultimate day to wear your best greens and search for leprechauns… it’s also an opportunity to teach your students about the concept of heritage, during Irish American Heritage Month. Did you know many Irish immigrated to the U.S. during the potato famine of 1845-1849? Kids can learn all about how the United States has formed through a rich mix of cultures in our unit on Immigration, including topics like A Nation of Immigrants and U.S. Immigration Since 1820.
March 20th – The First Day of Spring
Two days a year, the Sun appears directly over the equator, and day and night are of equal length all over the world. Today is one of those days! Have kids learn about the spring equinox with our topic on the Sun’s Rotation, Revolution and Eclipses.
(Lion and Lamb header image by Big_Ryan; Spring image by Aleksandar Grozdanovski via Shutterstock)
