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Marshmallows are one of the earliest candy confections. Originally, marshmallows were made from the sap of the marsh mallow plant which is native to swampy areas in Europe, North Africa and Asia. The marsh mallow is related to the common mallow, but it looks more like a hollyhock because it is a tall plant with large pink flowers. The plant’s roots would be collected in the fall, then scraped and squeezed to collect the gooey substance. Marsh mallow sap is said to be a good cough suppressant, and a tea made from powdered marsh mallow root soothes and relaxes the bronchial tubes.
As long ago as 2000 BC, ancient Egyptians enjoyed eating marshmallow sap mixed with honey. The French popularized marshmallows (Pate de guimauve) in the mid-1800’s by whipping the sap with egg whites and sugar. Cornstarch was added so they could mold them into shape. Candy makers had a hard time keeping up with demand and they looked into other ways of making the soft spongy confection. This is when they discovered that gelatin could be substituted for the mallow sap.
Marshmallows were introduced to America in the early 1900’s, dispensed as penny candy at general stores. Campfire brand marshmallows were sold in cellophane-wrapped boxes. Alex Doumak revolutionized marshmallow production in 1948 by extruding marshmallows through tubes and cutting them into cylindrical pieces. Jet-Puffed marshmallows were introduced by Kraft Foods in the 1950’s. The Jet-Puffed name was coined to describe a manufacturing process that infuses air into marshmallows giving them a light, fluffy texture. Shaped marshmallows are formed by a special nozzle that moves back and forth.
The marshmallows that we eat today are made from gelatin with sweeteners, flavorings, and colorings added. (I’ve never figured out why FD&C Blue #2 is found in white marshmallows!) Through clever marketing and connections with other favorite foods, marshmallows have become a staple ingredient at campouts, parties, potlucks, and family get-togethers. Marshmallows are used in hot chocolate, on top of candied sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving, in Rice Krispie treats, Jell-O desserts, and Rocky Road ice cream.There is marshmallow fluff, marshmallow creme, marshmallow frosting, marshmallow icing, and marshmallow fudge.
No one really knows who started the classic tradition of toasting marshmallows over an open fire. However, the 1927 Girl Scout Handbook was the first documented source of the S’mores recipe combining marshmallows with chocolate and graham crackers. Even though marshmallows are popularly associated with summer camp fires, the majority of marshmallows are actually sold between October and December. (Source: National Confectioners Association.)
There are other uses for marshmallows, too. Ice cream won’t leak through the bottom of a cone if you place a large marshmallow at the bottom. You can keep candle wax from dripping onto birthday cakes by sticking each candle through a marshmallow first. When baking cupcakes, never mind the icing – just put a marshmallow on top of each one and let it melt for a couple of minutes in the oven.
Did You Know…? In the “Ghostbusters” movie, the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man was a parody of the real-life Pillsbury Doughboy, and the fictitious Stay Puft company name was a pun on the Jet-Puffed marshmallow brand. (From Wikipedia)
Marshmallow Snowman
Push a thin pretzel stick through the center of a stack of three large marshmallows to create a snowman’s body. Stick two more pretzels into the sides of middle marshmallow to form arms. Tie on a fruit leather scarf and fashion a hat out of gumdrops. Press on small candy pieces for facial features and buttons. Place the marshmallow snowman in the front yard of a gingerbread house.
Marsh Mallow Treats
Try this old-fashioned, all natural confection!
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup raw cane sugar
1 tablespoon powdered Marsh Mallow Root (available from some herb shops)
Whip egg whites until almost stiff. Add vanilla and whip until stiff. Whip in the sugar, a little at a time. Add Marsh Mallow and whip again. Place by teaspoonful on cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.
Thanksgiving is a festive holiday that involves a rich tradition of long get-togethers with family and friends, both old and young. Thanksgiving also focuses on the historic religious roots of our nation, the importance of family and savoring our abundant blessings.
Some families like to sit down together and watch a classic, heartwarming movie after everyone is stuffed with turkey. Good movies with Thanksgiving themes are few and far between, and the older ones may be hard to find, but this article lists some appropriate movies that the whole family can enjoy.
Mouse On The Mayflower (1969) – This animated fantasy tells the story of a brave little mouse who helped the Pilgrims survive both the dangerous sea voyage and the cold New England winter, while staying on peaceful terms with their Indian neighbors.
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973) - This holiday special with the Peanuts gang is an Emmy-award winning cartoon. Charlie Brown is planning on going to his grandmother's house for Thanksgiving dinner, but then Peppermint Patty and her friends show up. Charlie, Linus, Snoopy and Woodstock concoct a quick feast of popcorn, toast, jellybeans, and pretzels. In the end, all of the kids go to Grandma’s house singing “Over the river and through the woods...”
Rocky (1976, PG) – This classic story won a Best Picture award. It’s a tough and tender portrait of a loser who becomes a winner in the things that matter. It includes a memorable exchange of lines in which Adrian says to her brother: “Paulie, it’s Thanksgiving. I got a turkey in the oven.” Paulie says, “Oh, a turkey in the oven!” He opens up the oven, grabs the turkey, and throws it out the door. “You want the bird?” he hollers, “Go out in the alley and eat the bird!”
A Day for Thanks on Walton’s Mountain (1982) – The Walton household has begun to go their separate ways, and Elizabeth takes action to see them all reunited to celebrate Thanksgiving. Based on the Emmy-award winning TV series.
Hoboken Chicken Emergency (1984) - Mr. and Mrs. Bobowicz ask their son to pick up a bird for Thanksgiving dinner, and he brings home a 266-pound live chicken named Henrietta. Based on the novel by Daniel M. Pinkwater.
Molly's Pilgrim (1985) - A Russian Jewish immigrant girl is given a class assignment to create a doll based on a Thanksgiving character. She makes a Russian immigrant doll because Russian Jews are Pilgrims too, having come to America for religious freedom. Based on the book “Molly's Pilgrim,” by Barbara Cohen.
Avalon (1990, PG) – A family drama spanning several generations, from the arrival of immigrant Sam Krichinsky to a suburb of Baltimore, down through his children and grandchildren. The Thanksgiving holiday plays a crucial role throughout the film.
Squanto: A Warrior's Tale (1994, PG) – Disney version of the classic Thanksgiving story of Squanto, a young Indian warrior who befriended the Plymouth Pilgrims, as told from his perspective.
Miracle on 34th Street (1947) – This is technically a Christmas movie, but it’s a great way to kick off the holiday season since it starts out with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Homemade Family Videos
Thanksgiving is a good opportunity to gather the family together to make a video as a gift to send to faraway relatives and friends. You can write an original script in which everyone has a part, or just follow people around like in reality TV. Another option would be to have a talent show in which one person sings, another recites a poem, etc. You might even dress up in costume. It’s a fun and easy way to spend quality family time while sharing the holidays with distant relatives. If you can, edit the footage on your computer, burn it onto a DVD, and design a personalized label for it. Be sure to mail the DVD in a padded envelope so it won’t get broken. You might also want to have a home video party starring your family. We never laugh so hard as when we’re watching our own movies!
Veterans Day is observed annually on November 11 to honor all who have served in the armed forces, particularly during wartime. Most of these men and women are ordinary people who do not expect to achieve fame or reap huge rewards from military service. Their motives are simple – love of country, a sense of duty, and a willingness to serve our nation in times of crisis.
In the words of Frederic Remington, “Soldiers, like other men, found more hard work than glory in their calling.” Over the years, military personnel deployed around the globe have had to endure many hardships. Nevertheless, wherever and whenever our soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen are called to duty, they do not hesitate to go.
George Orwell once stated, “People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.” Freedom is never free. It depends on the vigilance of those brave patriots who have been safeguarding our liberties ever since the American Revolution, in both peacetime and wartime.
Patriotic Pins
It’s a tradition to honor brave soldiers with medals, pins, and ribbons. You can make some colorful pins for awarding to cherished veterans in appreciation for their sacrifices, dedication, and service. Make one for yourself, too, and wear it on your shirt for Veterans Day. You will need: large safety pins, colored beads (red, white, blue), thin yellow ribbon, white glue, waxed paper, scissors. Directions: Thread a pattern of red, white, and blue colored beads onto the pin side of a large safety pin. Glue the beads onto the pin. Let them dry on waxed paper. Tie a little yellow ribbon onto the other arm of each pin, so that when you are wearing it the beads are on top and the ribbon hangs down. The yellow ribbon is a remembrance for prisoners of war, soldiers missing in action, and all military men and women who are far away from home.
Veterans Day Activities
Attend a Veterans Day ceremony or other presentation. Many veterans are able to relate personal stories of what defending liberty really means. This is an opportunity for children to experience living history. Make cards, cookies, etc. to give to the veterans. Shake their hand and say “Thank you for keeping our country and our family safe.”
Display some old fashioned patriotism and fly the American flag with gratitude and pride. Wear red, white, and blue. Sing patriotic songs. Visit the NationalMemorialCemetery, a veteran’s memorial, or attend a Veterans Day parade.
Do some research to find out about your relatives and ancestors who served in the armed forces. Read a wartime historical novel or a history book about war. Watch a movie such as “Gettysburg” or “Gods and Generals.”
Send notes or cards to hospitalized veterans or those living in veteran homes. Make cards, placemats, bookmarks, or other appropriate gifts for distribution at a veteran’s hospital. Donate to veterans organizations such as the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Disabled American Veterans.
Support our troops. Families, groups, and individuals can do their part by participating in a patriotic service project to show soldiers how much we appreciate them. You can send a letter, e-mail, care package, or Christmas card to a soldier overseas. Many military units are living in primitive conditions in Iraq and your gift may be all they receive this Christmas. The following websites offer specific ways in which you can help:
www.loc.gov/vets (The Veterans History Project from the Library of Congress relies on volunteers to collect and preserve first-hand accounts of 20th-century wars and current conflicts.)
www.legion.org (The American Legion provides information on veterans issues, Veterans Day e-cards, sample speeches, flag FAQ's, and more.)
www.va.gov/vetsday/index.cfm (Veteran's Day history, customs, observances, symbols, patriotic fact sheets, links, teacher's guide, school resources, a play, and a kid's page from the Department of Veteran's Affairs.)
The coyote is a member of the dog family. Coyotes have coats of tan and gray fur, bushy black-tipped tails, pointed ears and noses. A fully grown coyote is almost four feet long, weighing between 20-30 pounds. Coyotes are fast runners. The coyote’s original habitat was the Great Plains, but its range has expanded from the prairies to include southwest deserts, mountain forests and even urban environments. The coyote has become the most well adapted and widespread mammal in the United States.
Coyotes are mostly solitary, although they sometimes travel in a group called a pack. The coyote stays with a single mate for life. Coyote pups are born in the spring. The father delivers food to the den entrance, which may be a burrow underground, in a hill of dirt, or a hollow tree. By autumn the young leave to find food and territories of their own. Coyotes mainly eat small animals such as rabbits, squirrels, and rodents of all kinds. They help to control rats and other crop-destroying pests. Coyotes will also eat birds, fish, insects, dead animals, berries, and whatever else they can find.
The coyote’s best known trait is its distinctive cry of one long mournful howl, which has become identified as the song of the American West. However, as anyone who has heard their evening “concert” will tell you, coyote calls can also consist of a series of howls and sharp barks, a sequence of high-pitched yips and yelps, as well as a combination of huffs, growls, shrieks, squeals, wails, whines and whimpers. Sometimes the coyote vocalizations sound eerie and disturbing, while other times they are quite beautiful.
Primarily nocturnal, coyotes are commonly heard between sunset and sunrise, especially at dusk. They are also more active in the spring and fall. If more than one coyote is in the same vicinity, the howling of one triggers that of the others. Two coyotes howling in unison can create the illusion of a dozen or more. They have strong voices, and humans can hear their howl up to ten miles away. But the coyote’s howl can be deceiving due to the way the sound carries. It may seem as though it’s coming from one direction, when the coyote is actually somewhere else. The coyote’s call may also sound closer or farther away than it really is.
Coyotes are common figures in American Indian myths and legends. The coyote’s personality traits include cleverness, mischievousness, and trickiness, although in some stories he is the butt of jokes, in a few stories he actually proves to be helpful (or even heroic), and on the rare occasion he represents evil. The coyote also appears in “just so stories” that attempt to explain natural animal characteristics, such as why rabbits have long ears.
Roadrunner vs. Coyote
This is a fun game for inline skaters to play. You will need a whistle, chalk, inline skates, and safety gear (helmet, wrist guards, knee and elbow pads). On a smooth flat surface, draw a long chalk line to represent the edge of a cliff. Skaters take turns going as fast as they can toward the line. When you blow the whistle, they have to stop. If they can do so before going over the cliff, they are the Roadrunner. If they go over, they are the Coyote. As the skaters get better at stopping, blow the whistle closer and closer to the line.
Books
“Coyote: A Trickster Tale from the American Southwest,” by Gerald McDermott.
“Borreguita and the Coyote,” by Verna Aardema and Petra Mathers.
“The Tale of Rabbit and Coyote,” by Tony Johnston.
“Coyote Goes Walking,” by Tom Pohrt.
“Coyote Places the Stars,” by Harriet Peck Taylor.
Throughout history, people have understood a basic sense of kindness and consideration. Courteous manners are always appreciated. Proper behavior is suitable for everyone regardless of age, income, or situation in life. Good character never goes out of style.
Probably the best example of polite society was typified by the Regency Period in England. Officially spanning the years from 1811 to 1820, this was the time following the American and French Revolutions, and occurring before the Victorian Age. Everyone dressed in the best of taste, and strict codes of etiquette and conduct were followed.
The works of Jane Austen are wonderfully accurate views into the life and times of the Regency era. Writing about a society that she knew well, and often using real people as models for her characters, Austen provides a complete picture of the ways of English gentlefolk.
Jane Austen (1775-1817) was the youngest in her family. Jane never married but she was interested in everything and everybody. She had a quick mind and colorful imagination. Austen makes commonplace everyday events interesting through rich description, well-developed characters, and sparkling wit.
Books
Jane Austen wrote six novels: “Pride and Prejudice,” “Persuasion,” “Northanger Abbey,” “Sense and Sensibility,” “Emma,” and “MansfieldPark.” While all of her books are classics, “Pride and Prejudice” is one of the most famous novels in the English language. It tells the story of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy and literature’s best-loved heroine, Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Mr. Darcy is filled with pride and Lizzy is blinded by prejudice. Upon overcoming these faults, they discover their mutual attraction.
Movies
There are some excellent film versions of Jane Austen’s books. My favorite is “Pride and Prejudice,” the six-part miniseries produced by the BBC and A&E in 1996. It is the most faithful adaptation of the characters and plot, and it is the most authentic representation of the period, costumes, language and mannerisms. With its gorgeous scenery and superb acting, one can watch this film over and over again without tiring of it. It’s not just a chick flick, either. “Pride and Prejudice” is my husband’s favorite book (after “The Lord of the Rings”) and surprisingly, even our pre-teen and teenage sons became enthralled as the movie unfolded. I like the way it demonstrates how men should treat women with respect.
The 2005 movie adaptation of “Pride and Prejudice” starring Keira Knightley is also faithful to Jane Austen’s vision, but in a completely different way. Director Joe Wright said, “I tried to find the cinematic equivalent for Jane Austen’s prose.” As a result, this movie concentrates on visual imagery. At only two hours in length, the plot moves too quickly and you don’t really get to care about the characters. Also, Mr. Darcy didn’t seem arrogant enough and Mr. Bennet was a most uninspired performance by Donald Sutherland.
Did You Know…? A Scottsdale-based organization called We Make History seeks to provide wholesome interactive social opportunities for couples and families that are conducive to character development and polishing one’s manners. In particular, We Make History is dedicated to keeping alive the elegant tradition of the Grand Ball, complete with its atmosphere of gentility and civility. These balls provide an environment where a level of grace and respect are expected and exercised at a much higher level than the current culture. We Make History holds several historic balls every year. Find out more at www.wemakehistory.com .
Make a Silhouette (A Popular Regency Pastime) - Hang a large piece of white paper on the wall in a dark room. Have someone sit sideways in front of the paper. Shine a bright desk lamp at the person to create a shadow of their profile on the paper. The closer you set the lamp to the person, the smaller and more defined the silhouette will be. Draw an outline of the person’s head, neck, and shoulders.
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself – nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror...” ~Franklin D. Roosevelt
Halloween brings up scary images of ghosts, skeletons, monsters, and haunted houses. Spooky as they are, however, these things often aren’t as frightening as some of the everyday phobias that terrify people throughout their lives.
“Phobia” means an unreasonable, irrational, or exaggerated fear that occurs when no real danger exists. A person who has a phobia is petrified by what is just an ordinary object or basically harmless situation. One of the best-known phobias is claustrophobia, the fear of small enclosed places (such as elevators). Other common phobias include the fear of flying, heights, crowds, water, bridges, spiders, snakes, mice, cats and dogs.
Almost everyone has gone through a period in which they have a fear of lightning, thunder, being alone or in the dark. Most childhood fears are eventually outgrown, whereas phobias generally continue into adulthood. Phobias can result from a specific incident that happened at an early age. Others are passed from a phobic parent to a child who develops a similar fear. People who are naturally nervous are more susceptible to phobias.
The scientific names of phobias are taken from the Greek language:
Acrophobia- heights
Aerophobia- flying
Agoraphobia- open spaces or public places
Ailurophobia- cats
Apiphobia- bees
Arachnophobia- spiders
Autophobia- being alone
Bogyphobia- goblins
Brontophobia- thunder
Claustrophobia- enclosed spaces
Cyberphobia- computers
Cynophobia- dogs
Gephyrophobia- bridges
Hemaphobia- blood
Hippophobia- horses
Hydrophobia- water
Keraunophobia- lightning
Mathemaphobia- math
Microphobia- germs
Musophobia- mice
Nychtophobia- darkness
Ophidiophobia- snakes
Panophobia- everything
Pathophobia- disease
Phasmophobia- ghosts
Phobophobia- fear itself
Phonophobia- noise
Socialphobia- people, crowds, social gatherings
Telephonophobia- telephones
Xenophobia- foreigners and strangers
Zoophobia- animals
While some of the above phobias may seem silly, they can cause severe anxiety for anyone who suffers from that phobia. Phobic persons will go to extreme lengths to avoid the thing that causes their distress, even though directly confronting the fear may be the best way to get over it. The following books will help put your fears in perspective.
“The Pop-Up Book of Phobias,”by Gary Greenberg. (The paper engineering of these pop-ups will amaze you. Each page is designed to make you experience for yourself how it feels to have the depicted phobias. Even if you say you don’t have any fears of your own, there’s bound to be at least one page that will spook you. Although it may be a little too much for young children and sensitive adults – especially those with phobic tendencies – everyone else will think this book is a blast.)
“What Was I Scared Of?” by Dr. Seuss. (It’s creepy when you see the pair of pale green pants with nobody inside them. But when you look at the situation from a different point of view, it’s not so scary after all. The colors and classic Seussian illustrations set the spooky mood, and the silly rhyming text makes this a good book to read aloud.)
“Go Away, Big Green Monster!” by Ed Emberley. (Boldly colored diecut pages reveal increasingly scary features of a big green monster - eyes, nose, hair, mouth, etc. - until the monster is fully unmasked. “You don't scare me!” reads the caption. Keep turning the pages and, one by one, the scary features disappear– and so does the monster.)
Make a Scary Spider Web Card – You will need blue construction paper, a white crayon, black crayon or marker, and a metallic gel pen if you have one. Fold a piece of blue construction paper in half to make a card. Using the white crayon, draw a spider web on the front. (Start by making a large asterisk * in the center of the page and then draw lines to fill in the strands of the web.) On the inside, make a white dotted line coming down from the top of the page. Draw a black spider hanging at the end of the line. With the metallic gel pen, put two tiny dots for eyes on the spider. Write “BOO” or another message underneath.
Would you like to plan a different kind of Halloween party this year? How about having a Halloween Read-Aloud? It’s the perfect time to tell some frightening and suspenseful tales. Invite all of your bookish friends, dress up as creepy literary characters, and share scary stories in the dark. You can ask everyone to bring along their favorite spooky story, poem, urban legend, or excerpt from a longer novel. The original greatest scares and terrors of all time can be found in classic literature. They might even write their own.
Putting on a Halloween theatrical show can also be fun, especially if you dress up in costume. For example, you can act out a scary scene from a Shakespearean drama. Many of his plays are brimming with dark castles, ghosts, witches, fairies, supernatural omens, dastardly deeds, the stuff of dreams and nightmares. A few good choices would be “Hamlet,” “Macbeth,” and “Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Another possibility would be to do a reader’s theater rendition of the “War of the Worlds” radio broadcast script.
Although it’s not a good idea to let children spend too much time dwelling on scary stories and frightening images, let’s face it – kids love to get scared. Consider the campfire tale that is designed to both frighten and delight, as the kids scare themselves again and again. Besides being entertaining, scary stories can actually help children face their own fears and master them. Note: Please exercise care when reading scary stories to young children. Read the story yourself first, to determine if it is appropriate.
Anthologies
“A Halloween Reader: Poems, Stories, and Plays from Halloweens Past,” by Lesley Pratt Bannatyne.
“Grimm’s Fairy Tales,” by Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm.
“Scared Silly: A Halloween Book for the Brave,” by Marc Brown.
“Scary Stories,” by Peter Glassman and Barry Moser.
“Scary Stories and Songs,” by Diane Goode.
“Tales of Terror,” by Edgar Allan Poe.
Novels
“Dracula,” by Bram Stoker.
“Frankenstein,” by Mary Shelley.
“The Halloween Tree,” by Ray Bradbury.
“Hound of the Baskervilles,” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
“Something Wicked This Way Comes,” by Ray Bradbury.
Short Stories
“A Ghost Story,” by Mark Twain.
“Feathertop: A Moralized Legend,” by Nathaniel Hawthorne.
“Ken's Mystery,” aka "The Grave of Ethelind Fionguala," by Julian Hawthorne.
“The Canterville Ghost,” by Oscar Wilde.
“The Child That Went With the Fairies,” by J.S. Le Fanu.
“The Devil and Tom Walker” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” by WashingtonIrving.
“The Monkey’s Paw,” by W.W. Jacobs.
Plays
“Hamlet, “Macbeth,” and “Midsummer Night’s Dream,” by William Shakespeare.
“War of the Worlds” 1938 Radio Broadcast, by the Mercury Theatre.
Poems
“The Bat,” by Theodore Roethke.
“The Old Wife and the Ghost,” by James Reeves.
“The Raven,” by Edgar Allan Poe.
“The Ride-by-Nights” and “Someone,” by Walter de la Mare.
“The Witch of Willowby Wood,” by Rowena Bennett.
“The Witches Song,” by William Shakespeare.
“Who’s Afraid,” by L. Frank Baum.
Picture Books and Easy Readers
“A Beastly Story,” by Bill Martin and Steven Kellogg.
“Bony-Legs,” by Joanna Cole.
“Boo! Stories to Make You Jump,” by Laura Cecil.
“Go Away, Big Green Monster!” by Ed Emberley.
“Inside a House That Is Haunted,” by Alyssa Satin Capucilli and Tedd Arnold.
“Monster Night at Grandma's House,” by Richard Peck and Don Freeman.
“The Ghost on Saturday Night,” by Sid Fleischman.
“The Ghost-Eye Tree,” by Bill Martin.
“The Teeny Tiny Woman,” by Paul Galdone.
“What Was I Scared Of?” by Dr. Seuss.
Reading some spooky books? Make a Creepy Snake Bookmark to hold your place. You will need an ice cream stick with wide ends (found in Haagen-Dazs bars); tempura paint or permanent marker (black, green, or orange); a 1" piece of thin red ribbon; scissors; glue; and a pair of wiggle eyes. Paint the ice cream stick and let it dry. At one end of the ribbon, cut out a tiny triangle to form a forked tongue. Glue the two wiggle eyes onto one end of the ice cream stick. Glue the ribbon to the underside of that same end so the forked tongue is sticking out.
Do you like nature and science, or history and culture? Are you a student doing research for a term paper, a teacher looking for new and exciting ideas for this year’s curriculum, or a parent looking for something fun to do with your family?
With nearly four hundred National Parks across the country, the possibilities are endless. From glaciers to geysers, from petrified wood to dinosaur bones, the parks have it all including volcanoes, caves, canyons, mountains, forests, rivers, lakes, islands, beaches, sand dunes, and Indian ruins. Places like the Grand Canyon, Statue of Liberty, and Gettysburg are popular destinations, but so are hundreds of lesser known yet equally meaningful gems.
Scottish-American naturalist John Muir lobbied for the preservation of natural lands during the 1860’s. On March 1, 1872, President Grant signed a bill to create Yellowstone, the first national park in the world. By the turn of the century, Congress had voted to create a few more national parks. The number of national parks grew rapidly after Theodore Roosevelt, a conservationist, became President in 1901. In 1916, Congress established the National Park Service within the Department of the Interior. Many more places of national interest were considered for preservation under the Historic Sites Act of 1935.
The goal of the National Park Service is to preserve, protect, and share America’s heritage, natural wonders, and the legacies of this land. National parks provide plentiful opportunities for hiking, sightseeing, photography, wildlife watching, etc. However, they are more than just interesting recreational areas. They can be considered the greatest classroom in the world, the largest scientific laboratory, as well as a living history textbook. Within the parks there are museums, exhibits, and guides that illustrate, explain, and interpret what visitors are seeing.
A superintendent is in charge of each national park. National parks hire naturalists, foresters, biologists, ecologists, geologists, archeologists and historians to study the park lands. They also employ natural resource managers, landscape architects, land planners and engineers. Park rangers and guides help people explore and enjoy the parks. Rangers also protect the wild animals and plants while enforcing the park rules.
Since the 1960’s, kids have been able to become young park rangers through the Junior Ranger program. Almost every national park has a Junior Ranger program that provides age-appropriate and park-specific self-guided activities for children ages 6-14. Junior Rangers learn about responsibility, nature conservation, and the importance of preserving our national treasures. They can do these with their families, Cub Scout troop, church Sunday school group, or any group that might go on a field trip to a national park. Ask about it at a park’s VisitorCenter.
If you can’t physically visit a park, there is the Web Ranger program. To become a Web Ranger, children complete a series of activities on their computer at home or in a library. This allows children from all over the country to become Junior Rangers even if they can’t go to a national park themselves. It has also shown great potential to enrich and augment the park experience for children who do visit by allowing them to prepare for their visit ahead of time, and to extend their visit when they return home.
Groups of children sometimes work with the National Park Service and other agencies to clean up vacant lots and make neighborhood recreation areas. Perhaps you and your friends could start a similar project in your neighborhood. You won’t be making a national park, but you would be helping your community.
At home you can make your own a collection of natural treasures such as: seashells, rocks, crystals, geodes, leaves, pinecones, seeds, twigs, etc. Keep them in a shoe box and examine these miniature wonders using a magnifying glass.
Additional Resources
"The Little Park," by Dale Fife. (Neighborhood children find a way to save the last vacant lot in town as a wildlife preserve.)
www.nps.gov/learn(Curriculum and field trip planning, activities and games, a guide to the Web Ranger program, and other educational media created by the NPS.)
While crisp fall weather and colorful foliage aren’t the first things that come to mind here in the desert, that’s exactly what you’ll find in Arizona’s high country. A good time to view fall foliage in Arizona is from early to mid-October. On the San Francisco Peaks near Flagstaff, changing leaves can herald autumn’s arrival as early as mid-September. The drive through Oak CreekCanyon is absolutely beautiful during fall foliage season, and Oak Creek’s popular West Fork trail is an easy walk for everyone from toddlers to seniors. There are plenty of other pockets of fall color around the state, too – in the White Mountains, around Globe, and in the “SkyIslands” of southern Arizona, for example.
Trees shut down their systems for winter just like hibernating animals do. Food nutrients move slowly out of the leaves and into the tree’s branches, trunk and roots to prepare for freezing temperatures. As the green chlorophyll pigmentation disappears, various other hues such as yellow and orange become visible. A combination of warm, sunny days and cool but not freezing nights are ideal conditions for producing spectacular fall colors. The colors and their timing varies from one location to another depending on the combination of light and shade the tree receives. Moisture and chemicals contained in the leaves also affect the brilliance of autumn colors. As the leaves dry out, they fall or are blown by the wind onto the ground. They help protect grasses and other plants by holding in warmth and moisture through the winter.
Autumn Activities
Leaf Mobile - Make your own fall leaves! Glue different colorful fabrics to both sides of several pieces of heavy paper. Cut leaf shapes from this. Put a string on each leaf. Tie the leaves to a small branch. Hang it where the leaves will flutter in a breeze.
Aluminum Foil Leaves - Set out square pieces of aluminum foil and a variety of leaves. Place a leaf under a piece of foil. Gently press and rub the foil with your hand to get a leaf print. Glue each leaf print onto a piece of construction paper.
Leaf Rubbings - Place a variety of leaves (underside up to show the veins) under a piece of plain white paper. Using the sides of crayons (with the paper coverings peeled off), make rubbings of the leaves.
Pressed Leaves - Collect some colorful fall leaves. Place them between two sheets of paper and set a heavy book on top. After the leaves have dried, use to make a fall leaf book or decoration.
Waxed Leaves - Collect some colorful fall leaves. Arrange them on a sheet of wax paper, and cover with another sheet of wax paper. Adults: Put a sheet of newspaper on top and using an iron on the wool setting, gently iron the two pieces of wax paper together. After ironing, you can cut around the individual leaves or attach the entire collage to a hanger of some kind and hang or tape the leaves in your window.
Nature Collage - Go on a fall nature walk and pick up items that have fallen off trees (leaves, twigs, nuts, pinecones, pine needles, etc.). Arrange your findings in a shoebox, create a collage, or make a fall wreath.
Autumn Leaf Snacks – If you have a leaf-shaped cookie cutter, you can make leaves from yellow, red and orange gelatin or leaf cookies decorated with red, orange, yellow and brown frosting.
Books
“Autumn: An Alphabet Acrostic,” by Steven Schnur.
“Every Autumn Comes the Bear,” by Jim Arnosky.
“I Am a Leaf,” by Jean Marzollo.
“Look What I Did With a Leaf!” by Morteza E. Sohi.
In one-room schoolhouses, children of all ages and grades were taught in a single room by one teacher. Schoolteachers were required to give instruction in “the three R’s” (reading, writing, and arithmetic) as well as English grammar, orthography (spelling), geography and history. The teacher couldn’t teach all eight grades at once, of course, so he or she would teach one group of children while the rest of the students worked independently on assignments that were posted on the blackboard.
In the early days, young girls often started teaching as soon as they received their 8th grade certificate at age 15 or 16, so they weren’t much older than the pupils. Some male schoolmasters were former soldiers unable to do farm work because of a war wound or disability. The teacher’s school day was ten hours long. A teacher’s duties included stoking the fire in the potbellied stove, filling kerosene lamps, cleaning the classroom, and disciplining the students. Schoolteachers had to be strict to keep order in the classroom. Students who misbehaved were told to sit in the corner, or for greater offences the teacher gave them a “licking” with a rod or paddle.
In the late 19th and early 20th century, schoolteachers led rather restricted lives. They boarded with local families or in a “teacherage” next to the school. (You can see a real teacherage and schoolhouse at PioneerArizonaLivingHistoryMuseum.) The teachers were supposed to set an example of good moral character for their students. Thus, teachers were expected to avoid engaging in any conduct that might cause anyone to suspect their intention, integrity, or honesty. Their personal lives were closely watched by the community and any activity or behavior that was deemed inappropriate - including marriage - provided grounds for dismissal.
When teachers were not in school, they were supposed to spend their time reading the Bible or other good books. They could not be seen in pool halls, saloons, or ice cream shops. The use of alcohol or tobacco in any form was forbidden. Male teachers could take one evening each week for courting purposes, or two evenings if they went to church regularly. Female teachers were not allowed to keep company with men, and had to be home between the hours of 8:00 pm and 6:00 am unless they were attending a church or school function.
There was a bride shortage in the ArizonaTerritory, however, so young schoolmarms frequently left their posts to get married. The resulting teacher shortage led to the founding of the TerritorialNormal School at Tempe in 1886, which later became ArizonaStateUniversity. Its main purpose was training hundreds of young people to become teachers. By the turn of the century, most teachers were receiving some type of formal training.
Check out one or more of the following resources to learn what it was like to be a teacher in a one-room schoolhouse.
“These Happy Golden Years,” by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
“My Great-Aunt Arizona,” by Gloria Houston.
“The SecretSchool,” by Avi.
“The Year of Miss Agnes,” by Kirkpatrick Hill.
“My Face to the Wind: The Diary of Sarah Jane Price, a Prairie Teacher,” by Jim Murphy.
“Ghost Girl: A Blue RidgeMountain Story,” by Delia Ray.
“The Teacher’s Funeral: A Comedy in Three Parts,” by Richard Peck.
See also: “Not One Less,” a wonderful movie about a 13-year-old girl who teaches in a one-room schoolhouse in a remote Chinese village while the regular teacher is gone.
Make a Writing Slate - You will need an 8x12 piece of plywood or craft wood, sandpaper, a cloth rag, masking tape, newspaper, and blackboard-finish spray paint. Sand all surfaces of the wood, especially the edges. Wipe off any sawdust with the rag. Use masking tape to make a border around the edges of the wood. Place the board on some newspapers. Lightly spray paint the wood. Allowing it to dry between coats, add more paint as needed. Remove the masking tape. You can write on your slate with chalk and erase with a felt eraser.
One-room schoolhouses were common throughout the United States from 1750 to 1950, most noticeably during their heyday in the late 1800’s. In these schools, children of all ages and grades were taught in a single room by one teacher. The total number of boys and girls would be anywhere from two to sixty, with grade levels ranging from first to eighth. The schoolteacher couldn’t teach all eight grades at once, of course, so he or she would teach one group of children while the rest of the students worked independently on assignments that were posted on the blackboard.
The materials used in one-room schools were minimal. Behind the teacher’s desk up front would be a large blackboard, alphabet chart, globe, and shelves. The Bible, a dictionary, and a hymnal were the main books used besides early textbooks such as “The New England Primer,” Webster’s “Blue-Backed Speller,” “McGuffey’s Readers,” and “Ray’s Arithmetic.” Listening, repetitive drills, memorization, recitation, reading aloud and copying were the most common means of learning “the three R’s.” Students had wooden paddles called horn books on which were inscribed the alphabet, numbers, and Bible verses for easy reference. The students wrote on small slate boards or in homemade copy books using quill pens dipped in inkwells.
Students either walked or rode horses to school, bringing their lunches in small tin pails. They sometimes helped out with school chores like bringing in wood. A bell signaled the beginning of class. The morning routine consisted of raising the American flag, singing a patriotic song or a hymn, and reading from the Bible. Students copied proverbs from “Poor Richard’s Almanac”and copied math problems from the blackboard. The morning sessions ended with exercises on cursive writing and penmanship. After lunch, there was a reading by the teacher, followed by drills in English grammar and studies of world geography and history. Spelling rounded out the day’s lessons and weekly spelling bees added some excitement.
The one-room schoolhouse was the focal point of many small communities, where town meetings, social events, and church services were also held. As populations increased and school buses made longer distances possible, large centralized schools with separate classes for each grade level were built beginning in the 1920’s. By the 1950’s, most one-room schools were abandoned. The majority of one-room schoolhouses have since been torn down, left in a state of decay, converted to other uses, or maintained as museums. However, one-room schoolhouses are still used in some small towns and rural villages, primarily for elementary education.
Arizona one-room schoolhouses that are open to the public include: the oldest standing schoolhouse in Strawberry, the replica Little Adobe Schoolhouse at the MesaSouthwestMuseum, the historic Tubac schoolhouse, and the restored schoolhouse at Pioneer Arizona. Also at PioneerLivingHistoryMuseum is the teacherage, an original structure which was the home for the teacher who taught at the schoolhouse.
Make a Copybook - Take several sheets of white paper and fold them in half. Get a sheet of colored construction paper and fold it around the outside for a cover. Using a large-eyed needle and heavy thread or yarn, sew the cover to the paper along the crease. Decorate the cover. Inside, write down Scriptures, proverbs, quotes, poems, literary passages, etc.
Books
“CoyoteSchool News,” by Joan Sandin.
“Going to School In Pioneer Times,” by Kerry Graves.
“Me and My One-Room Schoolhouse”, by Rita Carney.
“My Great-Aunt Arizona,” by Gloria Houston.
“On the Banks of Plum Creek” and “These Happy Golden Years,” by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
“One RoomSchool,” by Laurence P. Pringle.
“One-RoomSchool,” by Raymond Bial.
“PrairieSchool,” by Lois Lenski.
“The One-Room Schoolhouse: A Tribute to a Beloved National Icon,” by Paul Rocheleau.
“Under One Roof: A Traveler’s Guide to America’s One-Room Schoolhouse Museums,” by Grace S. Schoerner.
“We, the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity do ordain and establish the Constitution of the United States of America.” ~The Preamble to the Constitution
Do you sometimes hear people speak of their constitutional rights? Have you ever read about the Supreme Court ruling a law as unconstitutional? Abraham Lincoln said, “Study the constitution! Let it be preached from the pulpit, proclaimed in the legislatures, and enforced by the courts of justice.” Constitution Week is September 17-23. This is a good time for learning about the principles upon which our country was founded.
In May of 1787, fifty-five delegates from thirteen states gathered at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. America had just won its independence from England. The states were working together under a loose agreement called the Articles of Confederation, but the Founding Fathers decided to create a Constitution that would be the basis of our federal government. George Washington was chosen as president of the Constitutional Convention. Among the men who wrote the Constitution were Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison.
The Constitution is the highest law of the land. The framers specifically stated in the body of the Constitution that its provisions supersede any other law. No act of government, no law passed by Congress, and no law in any city, state, or town can conflict with the Constitution. The framers of the Constitution did not want the government to have absolute power, however, so they limited the powers of the central government and left some powers to the states. Each of the branches of government checks and balances the others. To protect the people’s right to self-government, changes in the Constitution are limited by a strict set of guidelines.
The delegates signed the Constitution of the United States of America on September 17, 1787. The first ten amendments to the Constitution were adopted in 1791 to further public confidence in the government and prevent abuse of its powers. Called the Bill of Rights, they establish the basic freedoms of Americans and protect the rights of individual citizens. For example, the First Amendment guarantees the free exercise of religion, speech, and the press. The Second Amendment guarantees the right of the people to own and bear firearms.
Experts consider the Constitution of the United States to be one of the most remarkable documents in history. Written over 200 years ago, the Constitution still stands as a working model of cooperation and compromise. It incorporates the combined wisdom of some of the brightest minds in American history, who not only had a great love of their country but also had a beautiful command of the English language.
Daniel Webster said, “Miracles do not cluster. Hold on to the Constitution of the United States of America and the Republic for which it stands—what has happened once in six thousand years may never happen again. Hold on to your Constitution, for if the American Constitution shall fail there will be anarchy throughout the world.”
Celebrate Constitution Week
Impress your friends by memorizing the Preamble to the Constitution. You can print out a page of hand motions to go along with it at www.nccs.net/constitution-week/preamble.pdf .
Watch the award-winning DVD, “A More Perfect Union: America Becomes a Nation” (1989, 112 min.), a gripping account of the Federal Convention of 1787.
Read “Shhh! We’re Writing the Constitution,” by Jean Fritz.
Get your community group, church, or civic club to sponsor the distribution
