Parents: Believe it or not, most of your children will be back in school next month.
Now is the time to make sure they have completed any assignments that were given to them before they head back to school. Don’t allow them to wait until next month to rush through these assignments.
At the same time, if your children are seniors in high school, they should have started on their college applications before plunging into this very busy academic year, when it will be difficult for them to find time to do their very best.
History is not always a favorite subject for many students. This month, take a step towards turning their perception of history into a fun subject through these activities:
The Fourth of July holiday encourages lots of family fun, and as we’re celebrating America’s 250th year, you can make it more meaningful and educational by having your children practice their reading skills, and at the same time become better acquainted with patriotic documents and American history.
One example is to have your children visit constitutionfacts.com and click on "Declaration of Independence" to find out more details about the people involved in the signing of the Declaration. Once your children have expanded their knowledge, they can take a quiz on the Declaration.
Visit readingrockets.org and search for "Celebrate America" to find a list of recommended books for children ages 0-9. Each book gives children information about real and legendary heroes and heroines. This can make history come to life and become more engaging.
A truly fun website that family members should visit is history.com — its "Day in History" has a different story each day for children to leanr what happened on that date in history. These stories can make for some very interesting conversations at the dinner table. For example, the shortest war ever only lasted between 38 and 45 minutes. It was between the United Kingdom and Zanzibar. Unbelievably, the longest war in history lasted 1,213 years and was the Muslim invasion of India.
Help your children understand that burgers were definitely not the diet of their ancestors. However, French-fried potatoes were discovered by the end of the Civil War. And that the main dish for the soldiers then was hardtack. Consider having them make or try hardtack to understand what it tasted like. It can be purchased today in online stores.
Reading about historical events is definitely not appealing to every student. There are movies that give insight into them with considerable accuracy. You can search online for ones that are considered authentic depictions of events from The Killing Fields describing the Cambodian Civil War to the not completely accurate Zero Dark Thirty on the decades long hunt for Osama bin Laden. And they can learn about Margaret Thatcher, the longest running prime minister in the United Kingdom by watching The Iron Maiden. Other good choices are: Apollo 13, Gettysburg, 12 Years a Slave, and All the President’s Men.
Your family’s state is unique for its landscape, culture, and various symbols. Do your children know your state’s motto, its flower, or animal? The grizzly bear is California’s state mammal, for Kansas, it is the American Bison, New York is the beaver, and Tennessee is the raccoon. This is a fun fact for them to know. These animals are typically chosen for their prevalence in the state. Your city may also have jumped on this bandwagon and chosen an animal that is commonly found in your area.
While traveling in the family car, increase a bit of what your children know about other states by looking at their license plates. Some state plates have the official mottos while others have popular tourism slogans like Idaho’s Famous Potatoes and Texas’s The Lone Star State.
Parents should send questions and comments to dearteacher@dearteacher.com and visit the dearteacher.com website to learn more about helping their children succeed in school.
©Compass Syndicate Corporation, 2025