December 14, 1911: For the first time an expedition reached the South Pole. Roald Amundsen and a team of four others left Norway in June 1910 and the trip took over a year!
December 13, 1934: J.P.M. Prentice, a British astronomer, discovered Nova Herculis, one of the brightest novas in history.
A nova is a white dwarf star that suddenly (and briefly) becomes extremely bright because of an explosion on its surface. For more: Learn more about supernovas in this video!
Writing Prompt of the Day
Write about three qualities that make a good leader.
Today’s Awesome Person in History
It's Taylor Swift birthday! Born in 1989, this superstar singer has won 10 Grammys and sold over 40 million albums.
Taylor’s 1989 concert tour was the highest grossing of the decade. For more: Check out these Taylor Swift songs on Kidz Bop!
Math Problem of the Day
Emerson is in charge of collecting the basketballs at the end of gym class. There are 6 bins and 7 basketballs can fit in each bin. How many basketballs are there if each bin is full?
The funniest thing that has ever happened to me is _______.
Joke of the Day
What is a tornado’s favorite game to play?
Twister
Math Problem of the Day
Jose wants to make cups of hot cocoa for his six family members. The recipe calls for 1/3 cup of cocoa powder for four servings. How many cups of cocoa powder does Jose need?
December 8, 2010: SpaceX became the first commercial company to send a spacecraft into orbit and successfully return it to Earth.
For more: Watch this video of kid a kid reporter from Scholastic who interviews Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX’s president, chief operating officer, and an engineer, to see how the company builds their rockets.
Quote of the Day
"I think it’s possible for ordinary people to choose to be extraordinary."
– Elon Musk
For more: Do you think anyone can be extraordinary? Why?
Today's Brain Break!
Let’s shadowbox! Stand up and make sure you have space around you. Curl your fingers into a fist and box with an imaginary person. Try a few jabs and an uppercut!
Math Problem of the Day
Jai Lynn bought her brother a basketball as a gift. The diameter is 9.5 inches. What is volume?
Would you rather explore the moon or the depths of the sea?
Optional: find a partner who has a different point of view and discuss!
Math Problem of the Day
Jordan is wrapping his mom’s present. The sides of the box are 12 inches by 4 inches by 9 inches. What is the area of wrapping paper he needs to cover all the sides?
If you won a million dollars, how would you spend the money?
Today’s Awesome Person in History
Jerry Rice: In 1992 on this day, Rice catches an NFL record 101st touchdown!
Rice remains the NFL’s all-time leader in receptions (1,549), yards (22,895) and touchdowns (197). He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
Math Problem of the Day
Colette collects 12 snowflakes. Each snowflake has six sides. How many sides does Colette have in total?
Courtney wanted to bake two pies for her family. One pie crust calls for 2.5 cups of flour. The filling calls for 3 tablespoons of flour. How much flour does Courtney need in total?
November 30, 1874 Sir Winston Churchill, former British Prime Minister, was born.
For more: Churchill is famous for being a British statesman, orator, and author who rallied the British people during World War II. Listen to his Sinews of Peace speech with this video from America’s National Churchill Museum.
Wonderful Word of the Day
Connect: Join together to establish a link
Prompt: Use “connect” in a paragraph.
Would You Rather?
Would you rather have an extra eye or an extra ear?
Optional: find a partner who has a different point of view and discuss!
Math Problem of the Day
A box of chocolates has 14 rows. There are 6 pieces of chocolate in each row. How many pieces of chocolate are in the box?
November 29, 1832 Louisa May Alcott, known for her children's books, especially Little Women, was born.
For more: Little Women is a story about family. What did you do with your family and friends over Thanksgiving?
Writing Prompt of the Day
What is your favorite thing to do on a rainy day?
Today’s Awesome Person in History
Venus and Serena Williams In 2001, tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams become the first sisters to meet in a Grand Slam event in over 100 years.
For more: Serena has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles. Venus was formerly world No. 1 in both singles and doubles. Watch this video read aloud of Game Changers, a book based on the sisters.
Math Problem of the Day
Maria has 56 gummy bears. She will give all the gummy bears to 8 of her friends. Each friend will get the same number. How many gummy bears will each friend receive?
November 24, 1877 Author Anna Sewell sold her manuscript "Black Beauty" and the book was published shortly thereafter.
For more: Black Beauty was one of the first major children’s books about animals. Do you have a favorite animal book?
Quote of the Day
"I may not be there yet, but I am closer than I was yesterday."
–Unknown
For more: Do you agree with this quote? How do you define progress?
Today's Brain Break!
Choose a random animal, then act like that animal for a minute or two. See if a classmate can guess what animal you are!
Math Problem of the Day
In November, a fourth-grade classroom held a canned food drive. There were 18 students in the class. If each student brought in 6 cans, how many cans of food did they collect altogether?
November 23, 2019 The Sumatran rhino was officially declared extinct after the last known specimen died of cancer in Malaysia.
For more: Did you know over 900 species of animals have gone extinct in the last five centuries? Discuss ways we can help keep animals from going extinct.
Wonderful Word of the Day
Dodge: Avoid (someone or something) by a sudden quick movement.
Prompt: Use “dodge” in a paragraph.
Would You Rather?
Would you rather always have to eat your favorite food or never eat it again?
Optional: find a partner who has a different point of view and discuss!
Math Problem of the Day
Alana is making green bean casserole for Thanksgiving. She spent $30 on fresh green beans at the store. If green beans cost $2.14 per pound, how many pounds of green beans did she buy?
November 22, 1995 Pixar's Toy Story was released. It was the first entirely computer-animated feature-length film.
For more: Watch the original Toy Story trailer! Then, write about your favorite character from the series.
Writing Prompt of the Day
What is the most important rule in the classroom?
Today’s Awesome Person in History
Louis Braille A French educator and inventor of a reading and writing system for use by people who are visually impaired.
For more: Did you know that Braille was a kid inventor? He caught a severe eye infection when he was three years old which rendered him blind. He tried to read by using raised letters, but it was too difficult. When he was twelve, he simplified a method of silent communication used by the French military.
Math Problem of the Day
A Thanksgiving feast began at 3:15 p.m. It lasted for 2 hours and 30 minutes. What time did the feast end?
The 14th Dalia Lama: Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.
The Dalai Lama is the highest spiritual leader of the people of Tibet. In 1959, the current Dalai Lama was forced into exile after the Chinese military occupation of Tibet. Living in India, he has spent the years since advocating a peaceful resolution to the conflict between his people and China (for which he won his prize), as well as spreading a general message of peace throughout the rest of the world.
Math Problem of the Day
Grandma brought a pecan pie to Thanksgiving. The pie had 8 slices. If we ate all but 2 slices of the pie, what fraction of the pie did we eat?
