March 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' March Learning Calendar
- Frederic Chopin, Polish-French composer and pianist was born in 1810.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- Theodor Geisel aka Dr. Seuss, the author of children's classics such as
The Cat In The Hat, born 1904. Check out this selection of animated films based on the
beloved books by Dr. Seuss: The Cat In The Hat,
Dr. Seuss - Green Eggs and Ham and Other Favorites,
How The Grinch Stole Christmas,
The Best of Dr. Seuss and more!
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone, born 1847. In the History
Channel's DVD Alexander Graham Bell & the Telephone (History Channel)
learn the history behind how the telephone came into being.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- Vermont, the 14th state and top producer of maple syrup, was admitted
to the Union in 1791. Experience woodchip harvests and heavy machinery in action.
Witness breathtaking landscapes through the four seasons of Vermont. Tour the Burlington McNeil
Generating Station, accented by interviews with power, forestry, and railroad employees who make
it happen in Vermont's Woodchip Route.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- Howard Pyle, the author of
Robin Hood and His Merry Men and
The Story of King Arthur and His Knights,
was born in 1853. Homefires recommends movies based on the books including the
Disney animated film Robin Hood, the PG-13 rated
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves,
the musical Camelot,
the highly-rated A Kid In King Arthur's Court, and many more!
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- Michelangelo Buonarroti, Renaissance artist, was born in Italy in 1475.
- Peter Pan was the first Broadway play to be televised in color
in 1955. Peter Pan
has a special place in the realm of classic animated Disney films: it instills an element of childlike
wonder. The 1953 version of James M. Barrie's story is colorfully told and keeps on the straight and
narrow of the book. Then compare it to this 1924 version of
Peter Pan.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- Kenneth Grahame, author of the children's classic,
The Wind In The Willows,
was born in 1859. Preschoolers and grade school students will relish,
The Wind in the Willows.
Based on Grahame's literary classic and William Horwood's critically praised sequel,
the book's characters come to magical life in these beautifully animated feature-length
films. Join four of the best-loved characters in children's literature for their
heart-warming and hilarious adventures along the Riverbank, narrated by Academy
Award-winner Vanessa Redgrave.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- The armored ships Merrimack and Monitor battled during the
U.S. Civil War in 1862. Many educational documentaries and feature length
films about every aspect of the Civil War have been made. Homefires recommends these
"Civil War" titles: Watch the highly acclaimed
Civil War Minutes - Confederate DVD Box Set
series and the 1939 Hollywood epic, Gone With The Wind.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- The first U.S. paper money was issued in 1862.
The kids will learn about how money works when they view,
Money: What It Is; How It Works DVD
Then watch Suze Orman's critically acclaimed PBS presentation,
The Laws of Money, The Lessons of Life.
She teaches the five laws of money -- vital principles you need to know whether
you are old or young, male or female, with or without money, a novice or veteran investor.
Modern economics is a subject that today's students must understand in order to protect
their future. Inflation, the creation of money, and the regulation of the economy are
explained in Understanding Money and Inflation DVD.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- Bobby McFerrin, musical talent and acapella vocalist extraordinaire,
was born in 1950. Get the award-winning series
Behind The Scenes Volume 3: Music and Dance
hosted by magician/comedians, Penn and Teller. Go behind the scenes to discover the creative
process with renowned artists, choreographers, conductors, composers, and musicians. Bobby McFerrin
lends a hand!
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- In 1930, Indian independence leader Mohandas Gandhi led a defiant
march to the sea in protest of the British monopoly on salt - an act of civil disobedience
against British rule in India. Get Gandhi
an engrossing, reverential look at the life of Mohandas K. Gandhi, who introduced the doctrine
of nonviolent resistance to the colonized people of India and who ultimately gained the nation
its independence.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- Joseph Priestly who discovered oxygen in 1774 and is credited as
the father of chemistry was born in 1733. Watch the Standard Deviants' Organic Chemistry series including:
The Standard Deviants - Learn Chemistry 1,
The Standard Deviants - Learn Chemistry 2, and
The Standard Deviants - Learn Chemistry 3
just to name a few. Designed for middle school and high school students.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- Albert Einstein, Nobel Prize winning physicist for The Theory of
Relativity, born 1879. Watch
NOVA: Einstein Revealed,
a highly acclaimed biography that explores his thoughts and feelings about "the
unpredictability of human relations" and follows his ferocious quest to "glimpse
the order that lies hidden in nature" -- a search that catapults him to the forefront
of modern physics, but at great personal cost. Journey into the mind of a genius--and with
the help of some whimsical computer animation, visualize the thought experiments Einstein
could only imagine: mind-boggling meditations on light, time, and space that would forever
change the way we view the universe. See also:
NOVA: Einstein's Big Idea.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- Andrew Jackson, 7th president of the U.S., was born in 1767.
Jackson was a hero of the War of 1812. Learn more about his brilliant
leadership by renting The History Channel Presents: The War of 1812.
The War of 1812 chronicles of one of america's most defining moments. Only 30 years
after gaining independence, the upstart United States found itself once again battling Great
Britain. At stake were the future of the republic and America's Manifest Destiny. Pitted
against the world's most powerful nation, victory seemed unlikely. But then Andrew Jackson's
brilliant leadership, a lone sniper, and one of the most lopsided victories in military
history turned the tide of the war.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- James Madison, 4th president of the U.S., was born in 1751.
In 1787, the Constitutional Convention convened in Philadelphia and James Madison was among
the delegates. Learn more by watching
Just The Facts - The United States Constitution.
The program is targeted towards high school freshmen and sophomores and is divided into
sections corresponding to the articles of the Constitution. With contributions from
experts on constitutional history and theory. See also:
A DVD History of the U.S. Constitution (1619-2005)
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- St. Patrick's Day. Learn all about the man, who became the
patron saint of Ireland. The biographical DVD drama,
St. Patrick: The Irish Legend,
details the life of the beloved saint. Born in Britain, the privileged son of nobility,
Patrick is kidnapped by Irish raiders and enslaved by a cruel druid chieftain. Patrick
escapes, but troubled by visions of the Irish people pleading to be freed from enslavement
and hardship, he becomes intent on liberating the nation. His unwavering courage in the
face of adversity forces Ireland to abruptly turn in a direction that changed history
forever.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- Grover Cleveland, 22nd & 24th President of the U.S., born
1837. Learn more about the life and times of all of the U.S. Presidents in
the PBS DVD Box Set: The American President.
Be sure to watch The History Channel Presents The Presidents,
then view History of US Presidents - America's Greatest Leaders,
which presents a carefully compiled set of historic presidential speeches, as well as live
footage from landmark events in some remarkable presidential tenures. Witness first-hand
the presidential speeches and debates that have, for better or worse, gone down in the annals
of American history.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- Wyatt Earp, Western legend and lawman who fought in the gunfight
at O.K. Corral, born 1848. Learn all about the myths, legends and realities
of the Old West, in The Best of the Real West.
Through original footage, authentic diaries, paintings, photos and expert commentary, this
award-winning series reawakens the adventure of our most fabled era.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- Libby Riddles became the first
woman to win the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on Wednesday, March 20, 1985, at 9 a.m..
The race is an 1,150-mile dog-pulling sled race from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska. Learn more about dog
sledding, watch the DVD, Iron Will,
the Uplifting True-Life Story Of Courage, Determination And Triumph! When Will Stoneman's father
dies, he is left alone to take care of his mother and their land. Needing money to maintain it,
he decides to join a cross country dogsled race. This race will require days of racing for long
hours, through harsh weather and terrain. This young man will need a lot of courage and a strong
will to complete this race.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- Johanne Sebastian Bach, classical composer, was born in 1685.
Check out this selection of Bach-themed DVDs for all ages including
Baby Einstein: Baby Bach
the award-winning, whimsical video that introduces infants to the music of J.S. Bach.
Then watch the film, Glory To God Alone: The Life of J.S. Bach.
Young people who may not be familiar with Bach, will find his life a fascinating adventure,
while those who have long loved his music will be enthralled with the captivating details
of his life and development.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- The Stamp Act imposed on American colonies signed by King George
III of England, 1765. Watch the video,
The History Channel Presents The Revolution.
It explains how the Stamp and Sugar Acts caused Colonial merchants to stop trading with
Britain, setting into motion a series of events that eventually led to the American
Revolution. For ages 8-13 theatrical American history production with period and original
songs, humor and puppetry, and free online activities and music/video clips.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- Patrick Henry delivered his speech that ended with the line,
"but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death" in 1775. Learn
more about the leaders that found this nation in the film,
Founding Fathers.
Gain a fascinating, engagingly intimate glimpse behind the iconic images on the marble
busts and the noble faces gazing out from our dollar bills and pocket change. Discover
the remarkable, unseen private sides of the men who risked their reputations, fortunes
and lives for the cause of American Independence.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- Harry Houdini, famous magician and escape artist, born 1874.
In addition to being a remarkable illusionist himself, Houdini spent much of his life exposing
hoaxes. One well-known, true incident that Houdini explored is captured in the film,
Fairy Tale: A True Story.
During World War I, two young sisters in England claimed to have taken photos of fairies
that resulted in a controversy involving master illusionist Harry Houdini and Sherlock
Holmes' author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Were the girls' photos real or a clever hoax?
Get the movie and find out.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- In 1901, the Mercedes car debuted at a car race in Nice,
France. By 1904, a Mercedes clocked 97 mph over a one-kilometer stretch,
an astonishing feat in its day. Mercedes cars dominated the racing world. Learn more about
racing by watching the IMAX film, NASCAR.
See a racecar being built from the frame up. Watch pit crews run through their split-second
routines. The IMAX experience puts you in the driver's seat for the bumper-to-bumper, 200
MPH thrills.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- Dr. Jonas Salk announced the polio vaccine in 1953.
1952 had been an epidemic year for polio with 58,000 new cases reported in the U.S., mainly
affecting children. The 20th Century: A Moving Visual History.
Discover the monumental changes that previous generations had never heard of including vaccines,
radios, movies, airplanes and computers.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- 8.4 Earthquake & Tsunami hit Alaska in 1964.
Geology and volcanology are two subjects that can be enhanced through viewing the IMAX production,
Ring of Fire.
It takes you heart-stoppingly close to the great circle of volcanoes and seismic activity that
ring the Pacific Ocean. Then, get a better view of Alaska through the IMAX film,
Alaska - Spirit of the Wild.
Experience the explosive calving of glaciers, the celestial fires of the Aurora Borealis.
Witness the thundering stampede of caribou, the beauty of the polar bear and the stealthful,
deadly hunt of the wolf pack.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- DVD for elementary age:
Over Alaska
- Book for elementary age:
Alaska History Projects: 30 Cool, Activities, Crafts, Experiments & More for Kids to Do to Learn About Your State
- Book for elementary age:
Alaska
- Book for upper elementary age:
Shake, Rattle, and Roll: The World's Most Amazing Volcanoes, Earthquakes, and Other Forces
- Book for high school age:
Looking for Alaska
- Book for high school age:
Alaska's History: The People, Land, and Events
- Website:
Virtual Field Trip to Glacier Bay, Alaska
- Three Mile Island, the site of the worst nuclear accident in U.S.
history occurred in 1979. Coincidentally, the movie,
The China Syndrome,
was released just 12 days prior to the real-life Three Mile Island accident that mirrored the
events depicted in the film.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- John Tyler, 10th President of the U.S. born 1790.
Get the PBS studios' The American President
that examines the presidencies. In The American President: A Matter of Destiny,
Episode Two: Happenstance focuses on John Tyler, Millard Fillmore, Andrew Johnson,
and Chester Arthur, all of whom were vice-presidents who succeeded presidents who died in
office. What happens when such a man takes office - frequently facing widespread conviction
that he is unworthy of the powers he inherits?
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- Vincent Van Gogh, Dutch painter, lithographer, and leader of
the post-impressionist school, was born in 1853.
Baby Van Gogh: World of Colors
is a mesmerizing new approach to learning basic colors through the context of paintings
by Van Gogh - designed for preschoolers.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
- Franz Joseph Haydn, famous composer and one of Beethoven's teachers,
born 1732. World Singers
contains historic film clips, originally broadcast by the BBC in December of 1961, presenting
recitals by some of opera's greatest names singing songs by Haydn, Handel, Schubert, Mozart,
Brahms, and more.
Further the Learning with These Resources:
Do you have young children?
Check out the Preschool Learning Calendar!
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Carschool on your next trip! If you like this calendar, you'll love the Carschooling Calendar for learning history on
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