Category: History

President’s Day: Discovering Lincoln and Washington Through Biography

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President’s Day is a national holiday in the United States, celebrated on the third Monday of February. It honors two of the most respected leaders in American history: George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Both were born in February and are remembered for their strong leadership and lasting impact on the country.

George Washington was the first president of the United States. He led the American army to victory in the Revolutionary War and helped create the new government. Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president. He led the country during the Civil War and worked to end slavery. His famous speech, the Gettysburg Address, is still studied today.

George Washington 1732-1799
Abraham Lincoln 1809-1865

Reading biographies is a great way to learn about these presidents. For English learners, books like Who Was George Washington? (ISBN-139780448448923) and Who Was Abraham Lincoln? (ISBN-139780606040068) are excellent choices. These books use simple language and include helpful illustrations and timelines. They show how each man grew up, faced challenges, and became a leader.

Biographies help us understand history and the values of honesty, courage, and service. They also improve reading skills and vocabulary. On President’s Day, take time to explore the lives of Washington and Lincoln. Their stories can inspire us to be better citizens and lifelong learners.

📚 Tip: Try reading with a friend or writing a short summary after each chapter. It’s a fun way to practice English and learn about American history!

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Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day: A Message of Hope and Equality

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Every January, people in the United States honor the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He was a leader in the Civil Rights Movement, a time when many Americans fought for equal rights for all people—no matter their skin color.

Vocabulary:

  • Equality – the state of being equal, especially in rights and opportunities
  • Justice – fairness in the way people are treated
  • Peaceful protest – showing disagreement without violence
  • Civil rights – the rights of citizens to freedom and equality

Dr. King believed in peaceful protest. He gave powerful speeches, including the famous “I Have a Dream” speech, where he spoke about a future where children of all races could live and learn together in harmony. His words inspired millions and continue to give hope today.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is more than just a holiday. It’s a day to remember the importance of justice, kindness, and respect. Many people celebrate by volunteering in their communities, helping others, and learning more about history.

📝 Try This:
Write a short paragraph about a dream you have for a better world. Use words like “peace,” “respect,” and “hope.”

Dr. King’s dream was big—but he showed us that change begins with one voice. What will your voice say today?

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History of Indigenous Peoples’ Day: today, October 13, 2025.

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VOCABULARY

Indigenous – adj., of or relating to the earliest known inhabitants of a place

Disrupt – v., to throw into disorder

Recognize – v., to admit that something exists

Hurtful – adj., causing pain, especially emotional

Glorified – v., to make something seem great

Colonial – adj., relating to people settling in a new place, often belonging to someone else

Oppression – n., cruel or unjust use of authority or power

Trauma – n., a psychological state resulting from severe mental or emotional stress or injury

Erased – v., to wipe out, to make something disappear

Self-sufficient – adj. to be able to take care of oneself

Sustain – v., to keep up, to supply nourishment

Movement – n, series of acts working toward a desired end

History of Indigenous Peoples’ Day: today, October 13, 2025.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day began in 1977 as an idea expressed at a UN conference on discrimination.  In 1990, South Dakota was the first state to recognize the day.

In 1992, protests and demonstrations disrupted planned Columbus Day celebrations in San Francisco and Santa Cruz. People began referring to that day as Indigenous Peoples’ Day, to celebrate the rich culture and the lives of the Native American people. Soon, those cities also recognized the holiday.

For the Native Americans, Columbus Day was always hurtful as it glorified the violent past of 500 years of colonial torture and oppression by European explorers like Columbus. Indigenous Peoples’ Day draws attention to the pain, trauma, and broken promises that were erased by the celebration of Columbus Day. Before his arrival, the indigenous folk were successful self-sufficient communities that sustained life for thousands of years.

Year by year, the movement to change Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day spreads to more and more states, towns, and cities across the United States of America.*

*https://nationaltoday.com/indigenous-peoples-day/

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W1 Tourism Presentations

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New York City, as everyone knows, is a famous tourist destination. Some of its most well-known landmarks include the Empire State Building, Times Square, and Central Park.

This weekend, Lynne’s W1 class did an amazing job introducing the W2 and W3 classes to some other great, lesser-known places to visit in New York, including the Irish Hunger Memorial, the Noguchi Museum, Historic Richmond Town, the African Burial Ground, Federal Hall, Fraunces Tavern, Roosevelt Island, Green-Wood Cemetery, Dykeman House, the Eldridge Street Synagogue Museum, Gracie Mansion, the Merchant’s House Museum, and Castle Clinton.

The Irish Hunger Museum

Merchant’s House Museum

Green-Wood Cemetery

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Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

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Vocabulary Preview:

Civil rights movement: n., actions between 1954 and 1968 taken to change laws of racial discrimination

Protests: n., a gathering of people who believe the same thing and want others to learn about it.

Abolish: v., to eliminate or stop something completely

Segregation: n., when all of one kind of people have to be together; for example, racial segregation.

Boycott: n., to stop buying or using something as a protest

Unconstitutional: adj., an act or belief that is not part of the ruling document of a country

Orator: n., someone who speaks powerfully and well

Martin Luther King, Jr. was an important leader in the civil rights movement in America in the ‘50s and ‘60s.  He used peaceful protests to secure basic rights for people of color, including the right to vote.  It was by nonviolent methods that he helped abolish the racial discrimination and segregation laws that were in place at the time.  These laws ruled where people of color could sit or walk or even go to school.

His first efforts in the civil rights movement were inspired by the Montgomery Bus boycott.  This began in 1955, when an African American woman named Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus for a white man, as the driver had told her to.  Parks was arrested and fined. Subsequently, people of color refused to ride the buses at all, and this boycott continued for over a year.  Eventually, the Supreme Court ruled that these laws were unconstitutional.

King went on to work hard helping people of color, changing many laws and attitudes in America. He became known as a great orator, and his speech “I Have a Dream” is one of the most famous in this country’s history.  Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated when he was 39 years old, while still trying to improve the lives of others.  We mark his birthday nation-wide as a federal holiday and try to increase our awareness of the racial problems that still exist in America.

Sign From Segregated Nashville Bus Number 351

Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. addresses the crowd at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., where he gave his “I Have a Dream” speech on Aug. 28, 1963, as part of the March on Washington.

The speech was ranked the top American speech of the 20th century in a 1999 poll of scholars. The speech has also been described as having “a strong claim to be the greatest in the English language of all time.”

Sources:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Have_a_Dream

AFP via Getty Images

To listen to King’s famous speech:

https://www.npr.org/transcripts/122701268

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A ‘Towering’ Triumph!

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Vocabulary:

Nave – n., the large central part of a church

Towering – adj., very tall or very high

Funds – n., money 

Ongoing – adj., something that always happens

Daring – adj., very brave

Illicit – adj., against the law

Disorderly conduct –  n., behavior that is not peaceful

Trespass – v., to go onto private property without permission

Fondly – adv., with warm feelings

Close – n., the enclosed part of a cathedral

High-wire artist Philippe Petit will walk a tightrope across the nave of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, in New York City, on Wednesday, August 7th, and again on the 8th. Grammy Award-winning musician Sting, a friend of Petit, will perform original music for the event.  The performance is called “Towering” and will raise funds for the Cathedral’s ongoing programs.

Petit, well-known for his daring high-wire walks around the world, is celebrating the 50th anniversary of his walk between the two towers of the World Trade Center in 1974.

Even though Petit was arrested for what came to be known as “the art crime of the century,” he has never stopped walking on wires. “If I see two towers, I have to walk,” he told The New York Times. Later he added, “Anything that is giant and man-made strikes me in an awesome way and calls me.”

The illicit walk took 45 minutes and Petit, who turns 75 next week, was arrested for disorderly conduct and criminal trespass, but today his act is remembered fondly, including as part of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.

He has walked high wires all over the world, from the Sydney Harbor bridge in Australia, to the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and now, at 75 years old, he will celebrate the anniversary of this daring stunt in a place that holds great meaning for him – and is his spiritual home in New York.  It was the Reverend James Parks Morton, at the Cathedral in 1974, who requested Petit’s release from his arrest.  His daughter’s ashes are also at the Cathedral. When Morton retired at the end of 1996, Petit performed “Crescendo,” an aerial tribute on the cathedral’s close.

Photo source: https://millefiorifavoriti.blogspot.com/

Here is a video of another of Petit’s performances at the magnificent cathedral, his high-wire “Ribbon Walk” in February of 2024:

A visit to the cathedral is an amazing experience:

https://www.stjohndivine.org/visit

sources:

https://episcopalnewsservice.org/2024/08/07

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/06/opinion/philippe-petit-twin-towers.html?searchResultPosition=2

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September 8 is International Literacy Day

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Today is International Literacy Day (ILD)! This special day started in 1967 to remind the public around the world about the importance of literacy and education as a human right. Promoting literacy means helping adults and young people unlock opportunities to a better future. ILD reminds us about the work we need to do for a more sustainable1 and equitable2 society.

UNESCO Video about International Literacy Day 2023

International Literacy Day (ILD) is an opportunity to honor those are dedicated to making literacy a reality for the many.

Read more for facts about national and international literacy: September 8 is International Literacy Day
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