March has arrived! This is one of the best months in the calendar! Why? Well, I’m a bit partial to this month seeing that it is my birth month!
Here are some interesting facts that happened in the month of March.
Facts in March:
- The inventor of the telephone, Alexander Graham Bell, spoke on his invention for the first time. “Mister Watson, come here, I want you.” (March 10, 1886)
- Boston Massacre–A group of rowdy Americans harassed British soldiers who then opened fire. The first man killed was Crispus Attucks, an African American. (March 5, 1770)
- Fort Alamo fell to the Mexican troops led by General Santa Anna. (March 6, 1836) “Remember the Alamo” was the rallying cry of the Texans who fought to defeat Santa Anna in the Battle of San Jacinto in April.
- The first issue of U.S. government paper money as $5, $10, and $20 bills–March 10, 1862
- March 12, 1938–Hitler’s Nazis invaded Austria
- March 12, 1988–the Great Blizzard of ’88 struck the northeastern U.S.
- Julius Caesar was assassinated in the Senate chamber in Rome by Brutus and his fellow conspirators. “Et tu, Brute?” March 15, 44 B.C. –the Ides of March
- March 23, 1775–Patrick Henry’s famous speech before the Virginia convention in
Richmond–“I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!” - March 24, 1934–Philippine Islands were granted independence by President Franklin D. Roosevelt after nearly 50 years of control.
A few famous March birthdays:
- Jack Johnson–first African American to win the heavyweight boxing title
- Vincent Van Gogh–painter
- John Tyler–10th U.S. President
- Johann Sebastian Bach–composer
- David Livingstone–explorer and missionary
- William Bradford–sailed on the Mayflower, first governor of the Plymouth Colony
- Grover Cleveland–22nd and 24th U.S. President
- Albert Einstein–scientist and inventor
- Joseph Priestly–scientist and clergyman (discovered oxygen)
- Claire Both Luce–served in House of Representatives in 1943-1947, first woman appointed as U.S. ambassador to a major country (Italy)
- Yuri Gagarin–a Russian cosmonaut, first human in space
- Michelangelo–Renaissance artist, poet, and architect
- Knute Rockne–football coach for Notre Dame for 13 seasons, “Win one for the Gipper.”
- Alexander Graham Bell–inventor, most famous invention – the telephone
- George Pullman–railroad car builder, improved railroad sleeping cots by developing the folding upper and lower birth designs
- Sam Houston–joined the Cherokee Indians while a teenager; served in the U.S. Congress, commanded the Texan army in the Texan War for Independence
Celebration of St. Patrick’s Day–March 17.
Every month has its holidays and celebrated days. March has its celebrations as well. The most famous holiday in March is Saint Patrick’s Day. This day happens to be my birthday as well! Lucky me! This day is celebrated by many, but especially by the Irish.
Saint Patrick’s Day was started to celebrate their patron saint of Ireland. The real name of Saint Patrick was Maewyn Succat. He was born in Great Britain which at the time was ruled by Rome. As a teenager, he was kidnapped by raiders and taken to the island known today as Ireland as a slave. He was a slave until age 20. He escaped and sailed back to his homeland. He returned as a missionary some years later to Ireland to spread the word of God to the Irish people who were worshipping in a form of Celtic paganism.
It is said he used a three leaf clover to teach the people about the Trinity of God–Father, Son, and Holy Spirit because the people felt a bond with nature. His teaching this way may be a myth, but it IS a great way to show how God is three entities in One. It is also said that he chased the snakes out of the country. That is a myth. In reality, snakes do not like the cold, hence do not live there. They most likely departed after the flood and ice age era. For whatever reason, I for one would be happy to live there for that one reason–no snakes!
The celebration of the Feast of St. Patrick (St. Patrick’s Day) has been celebrated in Ireland for centuries as a holy day of observance. The pubs were closed on that day. Recently, that has changed. The celebration in the United States started in the mid-18th century by the Irish immigrants.
Ireland Lap Book Activity
In preparation for March and St. Patrick’s Day, I recently put together a lap book activity for grades 3-5 for the country of the Republic of Ireland. Lap books are a fun way for children to get a taste of researching a topic while having fun doing so. In this specific activity, the several topics about Ireland are covered. This can now be purchased as a download in my TpT store here.
Irish Topics Covered in the Lap Book:
- Landmarks
- Irish currency
- Unique historical facts
- National symbols
- Country facts
- Animals of Ireland
- Myths
- Geographical locations/map of Ireland
The answers to each topic covered can be found in many books about Ireland that can be found in the library, but one book that correlates well with this activity is the book called Ireland–by the Way written by Joy Budensiek. My family absolutely loves Joy’s books! They are filled with interesting historical and scientific facts about the country written in an adventurous story about a brother and sister and are filled with biblical truths. The photos are so colorful! This book can be found on her website here.
Spring Freebie
I have a cute craft freebie in my TpT store for your littles! It is a fun way to learn about how rainbows are formed. It can be downloaded here.
There are so many ways to celebrate spring. Living in southeastern part of the U.S., I find that we have warmer weather quite a bit. We do not see snow like the northern states, and may not feel the effects of really cold weather as many of you do. Yet, we still look forward to that first blossom on some trees. We look forward to the birds who flew really south, to come back once again. Spring is a time of newness.
I would love to see any pictures of your favorite activities on your spring days! If you do download any activities from my store, I encourage you to do two things:
- Leave a rating.
- Post a picture of the activity that your child did with my product and tag me @dyertyme for Facebook or Instagram. I would love to feature that picture in my next post!
Enjoy Spring!
Stacy
