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1. Classroom Resources | Grades   3 – 12  |  Calendar Activity  |  January 1
   Annie Moore becomes the first immigrant to enter Ellis Island in 1892.
   Students explore online resources about Ellis Island, interview an immigrant in the area, and publish their stories.
2. Classroom Resources | Grades   3 – 12  |  Calendar Activity  |  January 23
   Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman in the US to earn a MD degree in 1849.
   "Famous Firsts" are researched by students, followed by small group research and multimedia presentations to report research results.
3. Classroom Resources | Grades   3 – 12  |  Calendar Activity  |  January 24
   Gold was discovered in California in 1848.
   Students read letters from the Gold Rush and follow up by writing an imaginary letter to a family member about their experience using the Letter Generator.
4. Classroom Resources | Grades   3 – 5  |  Lesson Plan  |  Minilesson
   How Big Are Martin's Big Words? Thinking Big about the Future
   Inspired by the book Martin's Big Words, students explore information on Dr. King to think about his "big" words, then they write about their own "big" words and dreams.
5. Classroom Resources | Grades   3 – 12  |  Calendar Activity  |  January 8
   On this day in 1935, Elvis Presley was born.
   Students visit the National Archives to read a letter written by Elvis Presley to President Nixon. The Letter Generator is used to write a letter to a current artist suggesting a meeting with the President.
6. Professional Development | Grades   5 – 10  |  Professional Library  |  Book
   Reading for Learning: Using Discipline-Based Texts to Build Content Knowledge
   Heather Lattimer provides practical, classroom-tested approaches to helping students access and critically respond to content-based texts.
7. Classroom Resources | Grades   3 – 12  |  Calendar Activity  |  January 28
   The Space Shuttle Challenger exploded in 1986.
   Students interview a parent or another adult about the Challenger and hypothesize about differences. Students can also write about the Columbia disaster in 2003.
8. Classroom Resources | Grades   1 – 6  |  Calendar Activity  |  January 17
   Today is Benjamin Franklin's birthday.
   Students discuss Benjamin Franklin's contributions to postal history, investigate the roles of the Postmaster General, and write letters to their classmates using the Letter Generator.
9. Classroom Resources | Grades   3 – 12  |  Calendar Activity  |  January 6
   Two famous Smiths share this birthday.
   Students research Captain John Smith and Jedediah Smith, and compare them. Students then investigate the meaning of their last name.
10. Classroom Resources | Grades   3 – 5  |  Lesson Plan  |  Unit
    Writers' Workshop: The Biographical Sketch
    Students use the faces and places they learn about in their research to write a biography about a contemporary or historical figure.