Wow, hard to believe it’s the last week in October! I’m here with your weekly dose of historical happenings for this week in history! I’ve got three TOP HITS for October 29th-November 3rd! I’ll feature helpful ideas for integrating literacy, technology, and supporting all learners! These fun facts can be your saving grace in those transition moments, great lesson hooks, or the makings of morning work. I’ll be including significant events from across the spectrum to spark your attention and maybe even your students! Turn those history haters into engaged enthusiasts with tidbits that relate to areas of interest like sports and pop culture!

You can find all previous IGTV episodes in my Instagram profile and a link to all of the blog posts at the bottom of each new post!  And also many of my links below are to history.com. I love this site. Mostly. What I don’t love is that the videos auto-play. Right click on the browser tab and opt to “mute site” or “mute tab.” That tech tip comes straight to you from my 16 year old son! Let’s get started with this week in history!

Monday 10/29

The big event for October 29th is Black Tuesday, the day the Stock Market crashed in 1929. This sent Americans into a frenzy that resulted in a chain of events leading to The Great Depression. Need resources for the Great Depression? I’ve got an entire collection including this web quest! Click the picture to check it out!

 

There is also a Flocabulary.com unit! I’ve got several other ideas and links pinned on this Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.com/runitrunnels/the-great-war-roaring-20s-great-depression/

Also on this day in 1998, John Glenn returned to space at age 77! Learn more about it here: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/john-glenn-returns-to-space

Tuesday 10/30

October 30th brings us the birth of John Adams and “The Fonz” Henry Winkler! It’s also the date FDR approves the Lend-Lease act to provide aid during WWII and the day of the famous “Rumble in the Jungle” boxing match. Along with all of that, it’s the date of TOP HIT 1! Americans received quite the scare on October 30, 1938 when Orson Welles presented his radio broadcast of “War of the Worlds.” The performance was based on H.G. Wells novel of the same name from the previous century. Orson, who was only 23 at the time,  included special effects and so brilliant of a radio show that the people listening thought it was real and panicked! Have students create a timeline of the evolution of mass communication and popular entertainment beginning with the newspaper all the way to the digital age. Students can even draw parallels between how voice is used for entertainment today with the resurgence of podcasts! Anchor is a super simple free app you could have students use to create their own! Just search for it in the App store!

Wednesday 10/31

Duh, it’s Halloween but there’s more to the final day in October than that! Have you heard of the Anaconda Plan? It was the north’s answer to the problem of those pesky rebels in the south. It was developed by General Winfield Scott who was quite the strategist. That’s because he was old as dirt. He wasn’t going back on the front lines after this day in history. That’s because he had fought in the War of 1812!!! Originally he was in command of the Union troops but due to poor health and his age, he stepped down on October 31, 1861. His Anaconda Plan was instrumental in the defeat of the Confederacy though! Also on this day 3 years later, Nevada was admitted to the Union as our 36th state. And did you know that Harry Houdini died on this day in 1926? I find it ironic the master illusionist died on Halloween, the day of tricks.

In case you missed it, this week’s TOP HIT 2 also happened on this day! Another sports pioneer I didn’t know about until researching this week is Earl Lloyd. He was the first African American basketball player in the NBA. This TOP HIT  happened on October 31, 1950 which was years before the Civil Rights movement. He was only 21 when he joined the Washington Capitols. Two other African American men joined the NBA that season but their seasons started later so Lloyd is credited with being the first. Lloyd said his teammates were welcoming (not exactly the same experience baseball legend Jackie Robinson faced) but fans were not. Believe it or not he was drafted during the season and sent to war in Korea! When he returned the Capitols were no longer so he joined the Syracuse Nationals who later became the Philadelphia 76’ers. He later became the first African American full time coach in the NBA. Earl Lloyd was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003. Students need to know his story. I’m sad I didn’t know about it until now! Click the picture to read more about Lloyd! 

Thursday 11/1

I usually share fun facts related to American history but the opening of the Sistine Chapel is a notable event! On this day in 1512 Michelangelo’s masterpiece opened to the public!  Fast forward a couple hundred years to 1765 and you have the very unpopular passage of the Stamp Act on this day. The Colonists were not having it with the taxation without representation!

In a recent show episode I mentioned the cornerstone of The White House being laid. Well on this day in 1800, John Adams became the first president to take up residence in what was then called “The President’s House.” 71 years later on this day author Stephen Crane was born. Crane’s Red Badge of Courage remains a popular book to this day. Unfortunately Crane died at the age of 28 of tuberculosis.

One more notable event for November 1st is an assassination attempt on Harry S. Truman in 1950 by Puerto Rican nationals on a mission for independence! Read the details about that event here: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/an-assassination-attempt-threatens-president-harry-s-truman

Friday 11/2

November 2nd brings us the birth of James Polk, Warren G. Harding, and actor David Schwimmer. Also on this day in 1983, President Ronald Reagan declared MLK day to be a federal holiday. Of course it’s celebrated in January. Fun fact MLK and I share a birthday. If you saw the IGTV episode you know that the 2nd day of November also brings us the story of the Spruce Goose! Howard Hughes was able to launch the massive aircraft in the air for about a mile! Find out the rest of the story in the show replay in case you missed it!


Saturday 11/3

Speaking of presidents, on this day in 1964 LBJ defeated Goldwater as residents of Washington D.C. cast votes for the first time thanks to the passage of the 23rd amendment 3 years earlier! Do you use the presidential library websites? If not, you have to! They are a goldmine for teachers! Check out the LBJ site to start here: http://www.lbjlibrary.org/

Here is a link to this week’s replay! You can always find them in my Instagram profile @andrearunnels!

We obviously don’t teach historical events on the day that happened. We cover them when they fall in our curriculum! Here is a link to all previous shows in case you need ideas for events that happened in August, September, and earlier October!

This wraps up the TOP HITS of October  29th-November 3rd! Are you in my Facebook group for teachers called Social Studies Salute? I’d love to have you! Click the link below to join! See ya next week for Episode 11!

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