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AAM Electronic Newsletter
Published by An Adventure of the American Mind at Mars Hill College
Vol. 8 Issue 25 - March 30, 2007
April is not the Cruelest Month...
...Unless it is filled with end-of-grade tests and students (and
teachers) who would rather be outdoors in the spring sunshine. In the classroom we are looking at Alcohol and Drug Awareness Month, National Library Week, and Earth Day -- which makes it a great time to explore the issues around global warming.
Alcohol Awareness Month
From the US Department of Health and Human Services, this site is a
source for identifying problem drinking in adolescents, adults, the
elderly, and pregnant women and other at-risk groups. You can
order free and low-cost materials, too.
(http://ncadi.samhsa.gov/seasonal/aprilalcohol/)
To sponsor an alcohol awareness Teach In, go to
http://www.teachin.samhsa.gov/.
Join Together
The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Inc. is
encouraging local communities to focus on alcoholism and
alcohol-related issues, particularly highlighting the important
issue of underage drinking, a problem with devastating
consequences. Alcohol use by young people is extremely dangerous,
both to themselves and to society at large, and is associated with
traffic fatalities, violence, unsafe sex, suicide, educational
failure, and other problem behaviors. Find out more at
http://www.jointogether.org/news/yourturn/announcements/2006/alcohol-awareness-month-to.html.
National Library Week
April 15-21, 2007 is a fine time to celebrate the contributions of
our nation's libraries, librarians, and library workers and to
promote library use and support.
You can download materials to help you promote this celebration
(including a poster featuring George Lopez) from the American Libary Association website at http://www.ala.org/ala/pio/natlibraryweek/nlw.htm.
Here are some great ideas to celebrate reading in your school at http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/bookweek.htm. (Note: Ignore the typos running rampant through the page.)
And it's not just the books! Celebrate National Library Worker's
Day on Tuesday, April 17th. Here's a link at http://ala-apa.org/about/nlwd.html.
LOL @ Your Library
Another part of National Library Week is Support Teen Literature
Day on April 19th, raising awareness among the general public that
young adult literature is a vibrant, growing genre with much to
offer today's teens. This site has lots of ideas to help teachers
and librarians connect teens with books and other reading
materials. Many of these activities can be featured throughout
National Library Week or simply featured on Support Teen Literature Day.
Support Teen Literature Day will also be the official launch of
the Young Adult Library Services Association's 2007 Teen Read Week initiative, which will be celebrated
October 14-20, 2007 with the theme "LOL @ Your Library." The humor
theme is meant to encourage teens nationwide to make time to read
something light and entertaining just for the fun of it.
(http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/supportyalit.htm)
Keep Celebrating
This is from the website of the American Association of Law
Libraries, but it still has plenty of ideas for you to borrow. (http://www.aallnet.org/sis/pllsis/commgrp/LibWeek.asp)
Earth Day - April 22nd
Every Day is Earth Day - Political action and changing out your
incandescent light bulbs for compact fluorescents. Regardless of
taking big steps and little ones, this is a great site for getting
connected to what Earth Day is all about: doing what we can to
protect the planet. (http://www.earthday.net/default.aspx)
At the Teacher's Guide you'll find links to a number of
teacher-created activities to celebrate Earth Day in your
classroom, no matter what the grade level.
(http://www.theteachersguide.com/earthdaylessonplans.htm)
The Wilderness Society has a good Earth Day page for teachers,
including a virtual tour of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge,
located Alaska's north shore, and prized for its wilderness and
wildlife. (http://earthday.wilderness.org/)
Climate Change
From the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, here is an
interactive resource for students in grades 4 through 8. With
information on climate change, nature and animals, quizzes and
games, your students might just learn something interesting.
(http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/eek/index.htm)
From the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, here is their student
page (clearly for the older kids). Their approach is based on
sound science, straight talk, and a belief that we can work
together to protect the climate while sustaining economic growth.
(http://www.pewclimate.org/global-warming-basics/kidspage.cfm)
The EPA has a Climate Change page for kids. Check it out
at http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/.
Panda Cam
Okay, it's not exactly Earth Day, but it's a big cute animal. At
the National Zoo, you can keep an eye on Tai Shan, the cub. At 22
months and 112 pounds, you can watch him eat bamboo - lots and lots
of bamboo. There's lots of other Panda information too.
(http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/GiantPandas/)
Spread the Word!
If the teachers in your school or AAM program are not receiving this newsletter, please send me their names and e-mail addresses. Also, feel free to share this newsletter with a colleague. And we encourage new readers to get their own subscription.
More input + greater diversity = better newsletter. Be part of the equation! Thanks to everyone who has sent submissions to me. Please continue to send your favorite resources and successes to your either of your editors, Liz Lang at elang@mhc.edu, or AnneMarie Walter at awalter@mhc.edu. I will feature them in coming newsletters and on the AAM program Web site.
Don't forget to contribute your favorite links to the Useful Links section!
Contact aam-teachers@aweber.com to be added to the mailing list.
AnneMarie Walter
AAM Associate Director
Mars Hill College
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