Posted on

A History of Memorial Day: Celebrating those Who Died in Battle

Did you know that Memorial Day wasn’t always called Memorial Day? If you ask your parents or grandparents they might remember the holiday  being called Decoration Day. It wasn’t until 1967 that the holiday became officially known as Memorial Day. It was established as a federal holiday on May 13th, 1938 and is celebrated on the last Monday in May. In this blog post we’ll talk about the history of Memorial Day and its origins in Decoration Day, and some ways that people celebrate the holiday that carry on the original spirit of honoring those who died in military service.…

Read more

Posted on

Celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month

May is Jewish American Heritage Month in the United States. It is a time for “hundreds of organizations and Americans of all backgrounds [to] [join] together to discover, explore, and celebrate the vibrant and varied American Jewish experience from the dawn of our nation to the present day.” In this blog post we’ll talk about the history of Jewish American Heritage Month, the history of the first Jewish community in New Amsterdam (later New York),  and share some educational resources and activities for your learners. Despite the first Jewish community in North America forming in 1654, a commemorative month-long celebration…

Read more

Posted on

Learning Resources for Ancient Pompeii

I don’t know about you, but when I think about what the city of Pompeii looked like immediately after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE, I envision a city completely buried by ash and dirt. But the city wasn’t completely buried, and tops of houses, sculptures, and other artifacts would have been poking up out of the dirt, giving those returning after the eruption a guide for where to dig. Survivors and grave robbers returning to the covered city after the eruption was over dug and tunneled in to get personal items and steal valuables. While the city…

Read more

Posted on

A Brief History of April Fools’ Day!

Would it surprise you to learn that April Fools’ Day, celebrated every year on April 1, has been celebrated for thousands of years in many countries and communities around the world? Today, April Fools’ Day is generally celebrated as a day of mischievous and (hopefully) harmless pranks put on by both individuals and mass media, but it hasn’t always been that way. Let’s explore the mostly true history of April Fools’ Day. Want more info on calendars? Check out our Calendars Unboxed downloadable lesson. Ready to leave the winter behind and dive into some Spring learning? Check out Spring Unboxed…

Read more

Posted on

Women’s History Month Teatime

We are a little over halfway through Women’s History Month and here at History Unboxed® we figured that it’s time for a Women’s History Month teatime. Check out the graphic below to learn about how Women’s History Month came to be. We’ve compiled a list of poetry and short readings we think lend themselves well to a Women’s History Month themed teatime. But first, the tea and snacks! Looking for more Women’s History Month lessons? Check out our 2023 Women’s History Month Downloadable Lesson! Legend has it that scones were first created in Scotland around 1500, and were quick breads…

Read more