State of the Union Address Scheduled for Tuesday Night

Use the President's Address to Help Young People Connect with Contemporary Events

Tuesday night President Obama will make his state of the union address to Congress. What policies and legislative goals will the president be promoting? Is the state of the union address important? Need we watch? Need our kids watch?

Key topics President Obama discussed in last year's speech were job creation and the need to change the tax code. You can watch the president's 2012 state of the union address on WhiteHouse.gov.
You can read the text of previous state of the union addresses (back to 1982) on the website of the government printing office.
 

What might President Obama be proposing for Americans in this year's speech?

 
Events such as the state of the union address provide a perfect opportunity to continue our dialog about American history and politics with our young people.

 

Encourage young people to watch the president's address. Watch it with them! When the speech is over, turn off the TV pundits and discuss the speech. What did they think about it? Do they agree with the president's proposals? Why or why not? Take the time to help young people make the connection to their own lives.

Learn more about the constitutional requirements for the state of the union address, plus additional information regarding guests and opposition responses, in the article "State of the Union Addresses and Messages" on the American Presidency Project website.

Help Young People Make Connections
with Our White House

An excellent resource to consult regarding the presidency, politics, and American history is the NCBLA’s art and literature anthology Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out (Candlewick Press). Our White House seeks to build on the logical links between literacy, historical literacy, and civic engagement. Coordinating activities and discussion suggestions, as well as additional articles, are available on the book's supplemental website: OurWhiteHouse.org. On OurWhiteHouse.org, learn from a political speech writer how a state of the union address differs from an inaugural address in "Writing Political Speeches: An Interview with Thomas LaFauci." 

Also on OurWhiteHouse.org, discover research tips to help adults guide young people in their quest for knowledge, Presidential facts, tips on visiting the White House, and an extensive guide of additional history websites you can share with young people. 

WIN Copies of Our White House
for EVERY Student in Your Class or Group!

 

The NCBLA is currently sponsoring the Our White House Book Giveaway, an opportunity for all other adults who live and work with young people to win copies of the interdisciplinary anthology Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out for every student in the winner’s class or group--up to 40 copies! 

To be entered to win, share your most creative activity idea for engaging young people during Presidents Month. Send a one- to three-paragraph summary or a lesson plan that describes your idea to the NCBLA by email (info@thencbla.org) or by Facebook message (facebook.com/TheNCBLA) before 11:00 PM EST Friday, February 22, 2013. Be sure to include complete contact information. 

Up to three winners will be chosen at random from all entries received. For more contest information and rules, go to: thencbla.org/OWH_Book_Giveaway.html. 

This giveaway is made possible by the generous donation of all books by Candlewick Press. Thank you!

In Celebration of Presidents Month!

The Our White House Book Giveaway!

Tell Us How You Celebrate Presidents Month with Young People To WIN Copies of
Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out!

How do you celebrate Presidents Month with the young people in your life?

Do your students dress up and role play as a particular presidential couple? Do you bake a cake and sing “Happy Birthday” to George and Abe? Do your kids create a presidential rap? Write a skit or play? Or dramatize a scene from a president’s life using puppets and word play? 

Send us your very best activity idea for using Presidents Month to get kids excited about American History and be entered into a drawing to win one copy of Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out for EVERY student in your class or group!

How to Enter!
Write a one- to three-paragraph summary or a lesson plan that describes your most creative and successful activity for engaging the young people in your classroom, home school, library, or community group during Presidents Month. Be sure to include a recommended age or grade level.

Your idea could be a writing exercise, an art activity, a research project—any idea you think would be helpful to other educators to get kids engaged in American History! And if you give us permission, we would love to share the best ideas with other educators by publishing them on our educational website OurWhiteHouse.org. Please submit your idea to be applied in one of the following categories:

• Social Studies
• Language Arts
• Visual Arts and Music
• Science

You are welcome to submit more than one idea.

THREE Chances to Win!
THREE WINNERS will be selected at random from all entries received to win up to 40 copies of Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out, one for each student in each winner’s classroom or group. 

Book Giveaway Details
The contest starts TODAY and ends Friday, February 22. Winners will be announced Wednesday, February 27, 2013.

Send your entries by email or Facebook:

• Email entries to info@thencbla.org. Be sure to type “Our White House Book Giveaway” in the Subject line.

• Post your entry as a message to our Facebook page: facebook.com/TheNCBLA

All entries must be received by 11:00 PM EST Friday, February 22, 2013. 

Be sure to include complete contact information with your entry. Complete contact information includes your name, title, email address, telephone number, and the name and complete address of your school, home school, library, or community group. All contact information will be kept confidential. Entries without complete contact information will not be accepted. For more details and complete contest rules, go to:
thencbla.org/OWH_Book_Giveaway.html
 
Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out is the interdisciplinary anthology created by over 100 of America’s most gifted storytellers and artists as a project of the National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance. An incomparable collection of essays, personal accounts, historical fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and a stunning array of original art, Our White House offers a multifaceted look at America’s history through the prism of the White House. Our White House is available in both hardcover and paperback from Candlewick Press. Learn more on the companion website OurWhiteHouse.org.

Please share our book giveaway information with all the educators, home schoolers, parents, guardians, librarians, and community leaders you know! Thank you. 

For the latest updates on the Book Giveaway, be sure to check our Facebook page and this blog often.

The NCBLA would like to thank Candlewick Press for their very generous donation of Our White House books to our contest winners. 

THANK YOU!

Believe in Picture Books!

What Do YOU Believe
Is the Value of Picture Books?

Candlewick Press is in the midst of a year-long video celebration featuring authors, illustrators, staff, family, and friends--all explaining why they believe in picture books! You can check out all the current videos here.

You can even choose to create and upload your own video!

Be sure to look for videos by Kate DiCamillo, Peter H. Reynolds, Timothy Basil Ering, and MORE!

In Case You Missed It!

What Do Kids Learn from the Arts?

In the Washington Post article "Top 10 Skills Children Learn from the Arts," author and arts educator Lisa Phillips describes ten critical skills young people gain from studying the arts. 

What's on her list? Skills such as creativity, confidence, problem solving, and perseverance. To read the entire list--complete with descriptions of the benefits--click here. 

And to read an opinion piece that explores the disconnect between why we seemingly value our artists but do not want to fund arts education, check out "Why We Love Artists But Not Arts Education," also by Lisa Phillips in the Washington Post. 

Family Outing!

Discover the WORLD at
Your LIBRARY This Winter!

 

Libraries across the nation sponsor a treasure trove of events for patrons of all ages all year round, but the warmth and community of your local library beckon all particularly during the frigid winter months.  From history lectures to job hunting workshops, from pajama time storytelling hour to SAT prep classes, you are bound to discover a class or event--or even a book--to spark the imagination of all members of your family this winter!

Read below for a sample of library happenings across the country. For ideas about how to make the most out of a library visit with your family, check out the NCBLA's article, "An Affordable Family Night Out: Visit Your Neighborhood Public Library."

Boston

The Boston Public Library continues its Local and Family History Lecture series and will be featuring two lectures in February: "Boston's Chinatown: Beyond Stereotypes, Food, and Boundaries" by retired MIT professor Tunney Lee; and "They Came for the Gold and Stayed: An Introduction to Chinese-American Genealogy" by geneaologist and research Alice Kane.

Chicago

The Chicago Public Library welcomes U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor this Wednesday, January 30, at 6:00 PM, when she will be discussing her book My Beloved World. 

Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Public Library is sponsoring its ongoing lecture series "A Nation Emerges: The Mexican Revolution Revealed," a photography exhibition featuring works for thousands of pictures taken by Mexicans, Americans, and Europeans during the Mexican Revolution.

What's happening at
YOUR local library?!

In Case You Missed It!

Editorial in Washington Post
Urges Caution on
Common Core Implementation

In the Washington Post editorial "Caution urged on Common Core--from a supporter," journalist Valerie Strauss writes about a letter written by Paul Horton, a history teacher at the private University of Chicago Laboratory Schools (where President Obama’s daughters attended before moving to Washington D.C.), and state liaison to the Illinois Council for History Education. In the letter, Horton writes:

If we truly want to increase literacy, we need to take more time to train teachers to implement formative and summative assessments using standardized rubrics. We must also trust teachers to evaluate accurately. Most importantly, our teachers need smaller class sizes that will for allow frequent writing, speaking, and reading assignments.

To read the entire article and letter, click here.

Winter Story Time!

Check Out Episode 16 of
The Exquisite Corpse Adventure
on Read.Gov!

Written by Kate DiCamillo and
Illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering

 

"If I Only Had a Leg" (c) Timothy Basil Ering

Looking for a rollicking adventure to read aloud with the young people in your life? 

Then pull up your laptop, tablet, or smart phone and visit READ.GOV, the Library of Congress website that is NOW FEATURING a new episode of THE EXQUISITE CORPSE ADVENTURE each week. Episodes 1 through 16 are now available. 

To visit THE EXQUISITE CORPSE ADVENTURE, click here.

What Is The Exquisite Corpse Adventure?

The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is a progressive story just like the one many families play on road trips, at camps, at parties, at home when there is a power outage. It is a game where one person begins a story, stops at a cliffhanging moment, and the next person picks it up, continuing on until everyone in the group has the opportunity to contribute. And just like in those games, in The Exquisite Corpse, characters spontaneously erupt out of our authors’ imaginations; plot lines tumble forth, some realized, some lost; and we are often poised at the edge of a cliff with no logical solution in sight! The Corpse is now being published for a second time on Read.Gov.

The Exquisite Corpse Adventure authors and illustrators are: M.T. Anderson, Natalie Babbitt, Calef Brown, Susan Cooper, Kate DiCamillo, Timothy Basil Ering, Jack Gantos, Nikki Grimes, Shannon Hale, Lemony Snicket, Steven Kellogg, Gregory Maguire, Megan McDonald, Patricia and Fredrick McKissack, Linda Sue Park, Katherine Paterson, James Ransome, Jon Scieszka, and Chris Van Dusen.

Companion Reading, Writing, and Art Activities
Are Available FREE!

Teachers, librarians, home schoolers, and parents interested in FREE educational materials should check out the NCBLA's The Exquisite Corpse Adventure Education Resource Center. Designed to support The Exquisite Corpse Adventure, these extensive materials provide a gold mine of literacy articles, web resources, classroom activities, games, reading lists, art activities, and discussion questions, many of which can be adopted for use with books, stories, and art beyond The Exquisite Corpse Adventure. Click here.


MORE Writing Activities Available from Reading Rockets!

To check out the coordinating writing activities created by Reading Rockets especially for The Exquisite Corpse Adventure, visit The Exquisite Prompt: Classroom Writing Resources on ReadingRockets.org here.


In addition to its online existence, THE EXQUISITE CORPSE ADVENTURE is available from Candlewick Press in both paperback and hardcover. It is also available on audio. 

Ask for it at your local library or bookstore!

It's Inauguration Day!

HOST YOUR OWN CELEBRATION
with the kids in your life today!

For fun ideas, games, and all kinds of historical information, check out the NCBLA's Our White House Inauguration Celebration Kit for Kids, a comprehensive and nonpartisan resource available free here.

Visit now so you can:

• Play "Inaugural I SPY" while watching the ceremonies today. Print our "I SPY" Scorecard here.
• Plan your own inaugural party using historic recipes and our idea for creating floats, writing poetry, and listening to the president's speech.
• Dig deeper into past inaugurations reading our exclusive articles outlining the history of Inauguration Day, how technology has improved access to festivities, and how Thomas Jefferson's first inauguration helped unite the country following a bitter election battle.

And don't forget to check out the NCBLA's anthology Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out, a perfect resource for engaging kids in American history!

In Case You Missed It!

Reading Rockets Shares Ideas for Helping Kids Engage in the Presidential Inauguration

"Inaugural Morning" by A. G. Ford, an illustration in
Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out,
paperback edition, Candlewick Press.

Check out the latest blog entry titled "Fit for a President" by Reading Rockets' children's literature expert Maria Salvadore for information regarding how you can involve kids in Monday's inauguration. To read her article, click here. 

Here is an excerpt:
The National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance has built on their 2010 book Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out (Candlewick) to create an online (downloadable) resource sure to not only inform but inspire adults with activities to actively engage children. 

The Our White House Inauguration Celebration Kit for Kids was created especially for parents, family members, teachers, librarians, and community leaders. Not only is it likely kids will get caught up in the fascinating material gathered here, they'll have a good time trying some of the suggested activities — from designing a parade float to hosting an inaugural poetry reading.

No matter where you live, you can join the festivities — in person or virtually. Children will find inaugural excitement positively contagious when guided by an informed adult and in doing so, become excited about a uniquely American tradition.

To check out the complete contents of the NCBLA's Our White House Inauguration Celebration Kit for Kids, click here. It's jam packed with games, articles, stories, stories, and discussion questions to engage young people in this year's inauguration and the political process!


For an easy-to-print version, find it here on the document-sharing website Scribd.

AND,  to download and print the "Inaugural I SPY Scorecard," click here. 

And don't forget to ask for the interdisciplinary anthology  Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out  (Candlewick) at your local library and bookstore, a perfect companion to helping you engage young people in American History and politics all year round!

Our White House is available in both hardcover and paperback. The  paperback edition features a moving poem written by Nikki Grimes reflecting on President Obama's 2009 inauguration, as well as an accompanying illustration by A. G. Ford!

Kids' Inaugural Concert Saturday, January 19

First Lady Michelle Obama and
Second Lady Jill Biden
to Host

Second Kids' Inaugural Concert

First lady Michelle Obama and Second Lady Jill Biden have assembled an all-star lineup for the second Kids' Inaugural Concert to be held Saturday, January 19 at 6:00 PM.
.
The Presidential Inaugural Committee has announced that performers will include Alicia Keys, Brad Paisley, Katy Perry, Usher and Stevie Wonder.

The concert was created as a joint effort between Obama and Jill Biden as part of their platforms to celebrate and support military families. Although the concert is a private event for children of military families, be sure to watch for it in your local TV listings.

For more information, click here.

CONTEMPORARY HISTORY: Engage Kids in Monday's Presidential Inauguration

Print Our Inaugural "I SPY" Scorecard
for Inauguration Day

See How Many Political Luminaries
You and Your Kids Can "Spy"

Looking for a way to engage your kids in Monday's inaugural ceremonies? Check out our easy-to-print "I SPY" Presidential Inauguration Scorecard!

Watch the inauguration January 21st, live on TV or the Internet, and have your kids identify, then check, the important "players" taking part in this year's inaugural ceremonies. 

The three-page scorecard includes names, descriptions, and photographs of the president and his family, the vice president and his wife, the Chief Justice, and the leaders of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Also included are photographs and descriptions of four significant Washington, D.C. landmarks. See if you and your kids can find them all during the broadcast. 

Encourage kids to write down the names of other politicians, entertainers, and celebrities they see on the backside of their scorecard. See who can "spy" the most number of people! If you are unable to watch the inaugural ceremonies live, then watch what you can later that evening on the news or on YouTube. 

To print the Inaugural "I SPY" Scorecard, click here.

To download the Scorecard from the Scribd document-sharing website, click here.

And don't forget to check out the complete contents of the Our White House Inauguration Celebration Kit for Kids on OurWhiteHouse.org.  

The Inauguration Celebration Kit includes:

• Exclusive articles covering such topics as why President Obama will be sworn in twice, presidential speech writing, the oath of office, inaugural parades, and how technology has transformed participation in Inauguration Day.

• Hands-on activities to use with young people in the classroom or at home, such as ideas for designing a parade float, hosting an inaugural ball for kids, writing poetry, understanding the inaugural speech, and illustrating political cartoons.

• Games to engage kids in the inauguration, such as "Inaugural I SPY" and "Pin the President on the Presidential Timeline."
  
• Discussion questions you can share during class, around the dinner table, and at a Scout or club meeting.
  
• So much more!

To visit the Inauguration Celebration Kit, click here.

Some of the ideas and activities provided in the Kit coordinate with the content and illustrations in the interdisciplinary anthology Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out. Although most of the activities can be used independently of the book, Our White House is a perfect resource for engaging young people in American History, current events, and politics. To learn more about Our White House, click here.

Ask for Our White House at a library or bookstore near you! 

MORE Content ADDED to the Our White House Inauguration Celebration Kit for Kids!

The 2013 Presidential Inauguration
Is One Week from Today!

Engage Kids Using the
Our White House Inauguration Celebration Kit

Involve the young people in your life in next week's inauguration using the Our White House Inauguration Celebration Kit for Kids!

• SHARE STORIES of inaugurations past with the young people in your life, and discover how the inaugural ceremonies have changed over the years in such articles as "Come One, Come All! How Technology Transformed Inauguration Day" by Heather Lang and "United by Voice and Vision: Thomas Jefferson's First Inauguration" by Renee Critcher Lyons.
• LEARN why President Obama will be having TWO swearing-in ceremonies, and dig deep into the speech writing process in our exclusive interview with professional speech writer Thomas LaFauci.
• Make PLANS to host your OWN INAUGURAL BALL using our ideas for writing POETRY, designing PARADE FLOATS, creating inaugural ART, cooking historic White House RECIPES, and MORE!
• INVOLVE kids with hands-on activities, such as "Inaugural I SPY," "Be a Reporter for the Day," and "Design the Oval Office."
• PLAY your own inauguration TRIVIA GAME using our lists of historical moments in past inaugural ceremonies and inaugural parades.
  Do YOU know: 
  * Which president was the first to take the oath of office outside?
  * Which president chose to AFFIRM rather than SWEAR his oath?
  * Which president was sworn in on an airplane?
  * AND which president's inaugural float was an aircraft carrier?!

Click here to visit the newly updated and expanded Our White House Inauguration Celebration Kit for Kids! 

An easy-to-print version is also available for free download on the document-sharing website Scribd.com at:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/119766104/The-Our-White-House-Inauguration-Celebration-Kit-for-Kids

Some of the ideas and activities provided in the Kit are designed to coordinate with the content and illustrations in the NCBLA's anthology Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out, but most of them can be used independently of the book. We invite you to print and adapt content from the Kit as needed or to browse the pages using your smart phone, tablet computer, or laptop while on the go.

Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out was created by the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance as a collaborative effort by over one hundred award-winning authors and illustrators. Our White House is an incomparable collection of essays, personal accounts, historical fiction, poetry, and a stunning array of original art, offering a multifaceted look at America’s history through the prism of the White House. Our White House is available in both hardcover and paperback from Candlewick Press.

Ask for Our White House
at a library or bookstore near you!

Attention Parents, Family Members, Teachers, Homeschoolers, Librarians, and Community Leaders!

NEW Inauguration Celebration Kit for Kids NOW AVAILABLE Free at OurWhiteHouse.org

 

Use This All-in-One Nonpartisan Resource
to Engage Kids
in the Presidential Inauguration 

 

Just in time for the upcoming inauguration on January 21st! The National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance has created a free, online Inauguration Celebration Kit for Kids for all adults who live and work with young people to help engage and excite kids all across the country in this year's presidential inauguration and to enrich kids' knowledge of government and the political process! 

 

The Our White House Inauguration Celebration Kit for Kids is available on OurWhiteHouse.org. An easy-to-print version is also available on the document-sharing website Scribd.com.

 

Using the extensive resources in our Kit, you can:

• Host an Inaugural Ball for Kids!
• Discover why President Obama will be sworn in twice.
• Learn how Thomas Jefferson's first inauguration helped unite the country following a bitter election battle AND how President Kennedy's inaugural parade was NOT thwarted by snow!
• Play "Inaugural I Spy" on Inauguration Day using our easy-to-print "I SPY" Scorecard.
• Understand how presidents--and their speech writers--approach and write an inaugural speech.
• Help kids design their own inaugural parade floats, write their own inaugural poems, and SO MUCH MORE!

Some of the ideas and activities provided in the Kit are designed to coordinate with the content and illustrations in the NCBLA's anthology Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out, but most of them can be used independently of the book. We invite you to print and adapt content from the Kit as needed or to browse the pages using your smart phone, tablet computer, or laptop while on the go.

Click here to check out the complete Inauguration Celebration Kit for Kids!

 

About Our White House and OurWhiteHouse.org

Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out was created by the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance as a collaborative effort by over one hundred award-winning authors and illustrators. Our White House is an incomparable collection of essays, personal accounts, historical fiction, poetry, and a stunning array of original art, offering a multifaceted look at America’s history through the prism of the White House. Our White House is available in both hardcover and paperback from Candlewick Press.

The Our White House anthology is supported by a companion educational website, OurWhiteHouse.org, which expands the book content with additional stories, primary sources, articles, activities, and discussion questions related to book topics. The Our White House Inauguration Celebration Kit for Kids is the most recent addition to this site, which has been named a Great Web Site for Kids by the American Library Association! Both Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out and OurWhiteHouse.org are projects created by the NCBLA to not only promote literacy, but to also excite people of all ages about our nation’s rich history. 

 

Learn more about how parents, teachers, and librarians can inspire young people using the Our White House resources in the online article "For Educators: Using Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out and OurWhiteHouse.org in the Classroom."

 

Ask for Our White House at a library or bookstore near you!

About The National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance

The NCBLA is a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization founded by award-winning young people’s authors and illustrators. Acting as an independent creative agent or in partnership with interested parties, the NCBLA develops original projects, programs, and educational outreach that advocate for and educate about literacy, literature, libraries, and the arts.

We believe that literacy is essential to the development of responsible citizens in a democracy. And we believe that citizens, both young and old, must have equal access to stimulating books and information sources that invite them to dream and give them the tools to achieve their dreams. As writers and illustrators, teachers and mentors, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles—as citizens and neighbors—our ultimate question is always how can we best serve all of our nation’s children?

For more information about the NCBLA, please visit our website at www.thencbla.org. 

In Case You Missed It!

The New York Times Discusses the Value of Public Libraries in an Era of Fewer Bookstores

In The New York Times debate piece titled "Do We Still Need Libraries?" you can read various perspectives regarding the purpose and value of libraries. Follow the discussion at:

http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/12/27/do-we-still-need-libraries