December Learning Calendar with DVD Resources
by Diane Flynn Keith
Author of Carschooling
There are historic and important events to commemorate nearly every day of the
year. This Learning Calendar will help you note events and people that impact our
lives with recommendations for DVDs, CDs, books, and websites to further learning
and boost your student's knowledge of the world. All of the DVD, CD, and book
recommendations are available through our affiliation with Amazon.com -- just
click on the links to make a purchase that allows us to continue to provide this
resource for free.
Homefires' December Learning Calendar
- Antarctic Treaty signed in Washington, D.C., assuring peaceful
use of the continent by all nations, 1959. Explore this freezing continent from
the comfort of your classroom or home with
Antarctica - An Adventure of a Different Nature.
Join in the search for scientific clues locked in centuries old ice, fly a helicopter over towering
glacial peaks, dive through a submerged crystalline cavern and join a company of penguins in an
underwater ballet. Or watch PBS' Nature: Antarctica
and experience just how brutal conditions get in one of the coldest environments on the planet.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- In 1954, Senator Joseph McCarthy was condemned by the U.S. Senate
for conduct unbecoming a Senator due to his unfounded accusations of suspected
communists in the U.S. government, military, and civilian society. His 4-year long witch hunt
for communists was dubbed "McCarthyism." To understand this event in U.S. history, it
helps to understand the history and culture of America in the 1950s watch
The Fabulous 50's: The Fun and the Feel of America's Dream Decade
and relive the days of hula hoops, Elvis Presley, and the Cold War. From politics to comedy,
television to rock & roll, this DVD provides coverage of decade-defining events that were a
precursor for the way Americans live today.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- Astronomer Galileo perfected his 20-power refracting telescope in 1609
that allowed him to see the moon's landscape, as well as sunspots, and the 4 largest moons of Jupiter. The Standard
Deviants title, Astronomy Module 2: From Galileo to Gravity
introduces Galileo and other astronomers like Newton and Kepler. Join them on their voyage of discovery.
For explanations of how Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo and Newton developed their theories, and an in-depth
exploration of the wonders of the universe, get Cosmos.
This is part of a 13-hour TV miniseries that originally aired on PBS with Dr. Carl Sagan, as the moderator.
A Peabody Award winner.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- The Mars Pathfinder was launched in 1996 to explore the red planet.
Check out the Nova DVD titled, Mars: Dead or Alive,
commemorating the landing of two identical robotic explorers on the planet Mars in January of 2004. Go behind the
scenes of the mission as it chronicles the ongoing hunt for signs of life on Mars.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- Walt Disney, animation genius who created Mickey Mouse, born 1901.
Celebrate his birthday with a Disney film festival! Enjoy classic Disney titles such as
Pollyanna,
Babes In Toyland,
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,
The Parent Trap,
20,000 Leagues Under The Sea,
Mary Poppins,
Herbie,
Pinocchio,
Bedknobs and Broomsticks,
and many more!
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- Harriet Tubman escaped from slavery in 1849 and started
"The Underground Railroad."
Tubman risked capture and death to help hundreds of other slaves escape by following a 1,500-mile backwoods
trail. The Underground Railroad
looks at the 200-year struggle to end slavery in the American South. Alfre Woodard hosts this program,
produced by the History Channel, with dramatic, re-creations of daring escapes and in-depth looks at the
lives and achievements of Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and William Lloyd
Garrison. Learn about the Corridor of Courage stretching from Maryland's eastern shore through the length
of Delaware to Philadelphia and beyond in
Whispers of Angels: A Story of the Underground Railroad
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, marking the U.S. entry into WWII.
The History Channel's Pearl Harbor
is one of many educational documentaries and films that tell the story of this Day of Infamy. Watch titles
such as Tora! Tora! Tora! - a
movie that meticulously re-creates the attack on Pearl Harbor and the events leading up to it. Opening scenes
contrast the American and Japanese positions and note the intercepted Japanese messages that warn of it - but
never reach F.D.R.'s desk! The action-packed footage dramatizes one of America's darkest days and her entry
into WWII.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- American inventor of the cotton gin, Eli Whitney,
was born in 1765. They Made America
is a look at innovation in America through the stories of the resourceful men and women whose ideas and inventions
have transformed the world. Based on author and journalist Harold Evans's book,
They Made America,
it also explores the political, social, economic, and environmental forces that make the United States an
incubator for so much radical and far-reaching creativity.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- Archaeologist and Paleoanthropologist, Mary Douglas Leakey, died in 1996.
Called "the woman who found our ancestors," Mary Leakey
worked with her husband, Louis Leakey, in East Africa uncovering and investigating human fossils.
Homefires DVD calendar recommends several titles about the origin of
human beings from both creation and evolution perspectives including:
- Walking With Cavemen - How did our ancestors come to invent language, to shape the world with tools, to create art and to imagine the future? Meet Australopithicus afarensis, the first primate to stand on two legs. Then, make your way across the frozen wastelands of ice age Europe with the Neanderthals who dominate the planet...until they are finally forced to concede it to Homo Sapiens.
- The Image of God - Visit some notorious ape-men, including Piltdown Man, Homo Habilis, and Homo Erectus. In London, Dr. Chris Stringer at the Natural History Museum and Dr. Fred Spoor discuss evolutionist views of human origin. But creationists have a different understanding. The Genesis model of repopulation after a recent global flood is presented by Dr. Sigrd Hartwig-Scherer and Dr. Marvin Lubenow. They claim the supposed "ape-men" are either true humans or extinct apes. [VHS format]
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- In 1993, the crew of the space shuttle "Endeavour" deployed the repaired
Hubble Space Telescope into Earth orbit. Watch IMAX: Destiny In Space
and travel alongside the astronauts as they deploy and repair the Hubble Space Telescope, soar above Venus and
Mars, and find proof of new Planets
and the possibility of other life forming around distant stars.
Download a free learning guide,
available online from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. [Grades 4-12]
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- The first recorded sighting of the Aurora Borealis took place in
New England in 1719. The northern lights frightened people who thought it was the end of the world. Most aurora
borealis displays occur in September, October, March and April. The colorful lights occur when there is significant
sunspot activity. As explained on, IMAX: Solar Max,
the sun's poles reverse every 11 years in a powerful storm called a solar max. In this DVD you can witness some
of the unique attributes of the sun, our nearest star. See a total eclipse of the sun and the magnificence of the
aurora borealis, viewed from both Earth and space through images captured by NASA's SOHO satellite.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- Guglielmo Marconi sent the first radio signal across the Atlantic ocean
on this day in 1901 -- from an antenna in England to a receiver in Canada. It was the beginning of radio communication
and broadcasting. Adapted from Tom Lewis's book, Empire follows three Americans who crafted Guglielmo Marconi's
discovery of radio waves into a powerful component of the 20th century. Watch
Empire of the Air - The Men Who Made Radio
to learn more about the three men most responsible for bringing radio to the masses: Lee DeForest, Edwin Armstrong,
and David Sarnoff.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- New Zealand discovered 1646. Dutch explorer Abel Tasman first reported
sighting New Zealand. He also discovered the island of Tasmania — it was named in his honor.
Kiwi Country New Zealand
contains three quality New Zealand documentaries on one DVD.
- "Natuarlly it's New Zealand," - the best of New Zealand's fascinating and unique sights of both the North and South Islands.
- The Maori - 20-minute documentary about the indigenous people of New Zealand, the Maori, presented by New Zealand historian, Don Stafford and covers the culture, traditions and history of the Maori.
- Abel Tasman National Park - a typical 5 day walk through the coastal walking track of the Park, includes beautiful golden sand beaches, lagoons, tidal estuaries and beach forests.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- Explorer Ronald Amundsen reached the South Pole, 1911. Get the 3-disc DVD series
titled, The Last Place On Earth,
that recounts the epic race to the South Pole between rival explorers English Captain Robert Falcon Scott and
Norwegian Roald Amundsen. In one of the greatest adventure stories of the 20th century they undertook a 1,500-mile
trek across the desolate frozen landscape of Antarctica, facing danger, extreme suffering and death. Their motives
and methods were quite different, but their aim was the same, to be the first to plant their country's flag at the
South Pole.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- The Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, became law in 1791.
American Government Module 5: Civil Liberties
by The Standard Deviants, investigates the Bill of Rights that guarantees our civil liberties. Watch the DVD to
find out why the Founding Fathers
thought these liberties were so important.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- The Boston Tea Party took place in 1773. American colonists, dressed
as Indians, boarded British ships and dumped all of the tea cargo into the harbor to protest high taxes placed on
tea by King George III of England. For more insight into the people behind the American Revolution, watch the
History Channel DVD, Founding Fathers.
This DVD depicts the Founding Fathers as human beings, revealing the good and bad qualities of the men who risked
their reputations, fortunes and lives for the cause of American Independence.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- Wilbur and Orville Wright made their historical airplane flight in 1903
at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Watch IMAX: The Magic of Flight
to relive the historical first flight of the Wright Brothers, then, soar with the world-famous Blue Angels as
they defy the laws of gravity with their most breathtaking maneuvers. Narrated by Tom Selleck.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- The 13th Amendment took effect in 1865, ending slavery in the U.S.
The Civil War had accomplished one of its goals: freedom for slaves. Watch
The Civil War: A Film By Ken Burns,
an epic documentary that brings to life America's most destructive--and defining--conflict.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanac made its debut in 1732,
and included Franklin's witticisms and advice. The History Channel's
Ben Franklin,
is a biography that explores the many facets of Franklin's persona: inventor, writer, businessman,
scientist, and diplomat. Despite his fame, "the man who helped write the Declaration of Independence
and tamed lightning was far from perfect. A self-promoter, and occasionally ruthless competitor, Franklin
never made a penny from his achievements and was more comfortable speaking in front of the British
Parliament than he was with his own family." This DVD features in-depth interviews with historians,
as well as reenactments shot on location in Franklin's hometown of Philadelphia.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- The Louisiana Purchase transferring the Louisiana Territory from France to the
U.S. took place in 1803. The purchase price was $15,000,000 for the 828,000 square miles that
included the Missouri and Mississippi River valleys. Find out about The Louisiana Purchase and other American
history facts and trivia by watching the Tell Me Why: Americana
video presentation.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Walt Disney's first full-length (83 minutes),
animated film opened in Los Angeles, California. Disney had to mortgage his house to pay for the
film's production.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- Giacomo Puccini, Italian opera composer, born 1858. The composer
of some of the world's most loved operas of such works as La Boheme,
Tosca, and
Madame Butterfly,
Puccini's gifts were primarily theatrical. He had a great feeling for the stage and the sound of instrumental
colors, combined with a well-developed melodic sense. Inspired by Verdi, he focused his attention on the Italian
dramatic traditions.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- The first human kidney transplant was performed in 1954 in Boston, Massachusetts.
About sixty years ago, successful organ transplants for humans began to show signs of success. Since then, organ
transplants have saved millions of lives worldwide. Watch
Organ Transplant: Making a Match
was part of the award winning public television series Healthy Body/Healthy Mind, to learn more.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- Silent Night, the most popular Christmas song ever written was composed by Joseph Mohr
in 1818. Silent Night, Holy Night
from the Schaupielhaus Berlin 1990, Silent Night, Holy Night features an unforgettable Christmas concert, recorded
at the Berlin Schauspielhaus just after the German reunification. The pieces are enhanced with beautiful Christmas
images and the romantic and festive atmosphere captures the spirit of the season.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- Christmas Day. There are many wonderful favorite Christmas DVD's
available your children will enjoy including The Polar Express,
The Bishop's Wife,
Elf,
It's A Wonderful Life,
Sesame Street Christmas,
and many more. Better yet, get the entire Christmas Classics Gift Set.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- In 1941, Winston Churchill, the British prime minister
addressed the U.S. Congress to express solidarity with the United States against the Axis powers
in WWII. The History Channel's biography, Winston Churchill
examines the leader's extraordinary life. He was an uninspired student who won the Nobel Prize for literature.
He failed military school examinations twice-but eventually became Prime Minister of Britain in 1940. A
fascinating video portrait of one of the 20th century's greatest statesman.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- Louis Pasteur, the chemist known as a founder of microbiology, was born in France in
1822. He discovered the role of bacteria in fermentation, and proved that the growth of microorganisms
was not spontaneously generated from non-living matter. He discovered the process of milk pasteurization. He created
and tested vaccines for diphtheria, cholera, yellow fever, plague, rabies, anthrax, and tuberculosis. Watch
What Are Bacteria and
award-winning educational DVD. Or, explore high school chemistry by watching
The Standard Deviants - Chemistry
DVDs.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- Woodrow Wilson, the 28th president of the United States, was born in 1856.
Learn more about the life and times of all of the U.S. Presidents:
The Presidents Collection.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- Charles Goodyear, inventor, was born in 1800. Goodyear baked rubber
mixed with sulphur in a vulcanization process that made rubber practical as a commercial product - for example,
in tires. He was not an astute businessman and didn't profit from his invention. Goodyear wasn't connected to
the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company even though it was named in his honor. Rubber comes from rubber trees
that grow in tropical regions and rain forests. With our video,
Travel by Train: The American Railroad Poster, 1870-1950
you can take an armchair vacation to the dense Costa Rican rain forest.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- Rudyard Kipling, author of The Jungle Book, born 1865.
Read the book with your students and then enjoy films based on the book including:
Jungle Book,
The Jungle Book,
and The Second Jungle Book.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- Ellis Island began processing immigrants to the U.S. in 1892.
For half a century, Ellis Island was the gateway to America.
Remembering Ellis Island
tells the story of immigrants of every ethnic background. Interviews, photographs and film recounts the stories
of treacherous passage across the ocean to the hardship of starting life over in America. Historians explore the
sometimes insensitive policies, including the casual Americanization of names of the people who passed through
Ellis Island looking for a chance at the American Dream.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
Do you have young children?
Check out the Preschool Learning Calendar!
Going on a Road Trip?
Carschool on your next trip! If you like this calendar, you'll love the Carschooling Calendar for learning history on
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