French writer and philosopher Charles de Montesquieu was born in 1698. He once said, "The less men think, the more they talk.” Do you agree with him? Why or why not?

A.A. Milne, the author of the books about Winnie-the-Pooh, was born in 1882. Which of the characters in the Winnie-the-Pooh books is your favorite? Why do you like that one best?

Famous American statesman Daniel Webster was born in 1782. He had strong feelings about right and wrong. When he ran for President, he lost because he refused to change some of his opinions which were unpopular. He said, "I would rather be right than President.” Some people admire this; others think it is only a sign of stubbornness. How do you feel about what he said?

In 1911, Lieutenant Eugene Ely became the first person to land a plane on a platform attached to a ship. This is still a very difficult and dangerous thing to do with modern planes and aircraft carriers, but Lt. Ely had only a wooden platform tied to the deck of a ship and a small, low-powered plane. His feat took a great deal of courage. Have you ever done anything dangerous? How did it make you feel? How did you prepare yourself? (If you have not done anything dangerous, imagine that you are Lt. Ely and write how you think he felt and prepared himself.)

January 19:
In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt and King Edward VII of Great Britain sent greetings to each other over the first telegraph line under the Atlantic Ocean. It was the first time people could send messages across the ocean in less than several days. If you were asked to write a first message to be sent over a new means of communication, what message would you send, and to whom would you sent it?

Edgar Allan Poe was born in 1809. His most famous poem, "The Raven," tells about a mysterious bird. Write a poem or short paragraph about an animal you think is mysterious (or might be used in a mystery).

Horace H. Hayden died in 1844. He founded the first college to train dentists. Many people dislike going to the dentist. What are four things you can do that will make you need to go to the dentist less?

Marvin Gaye's hit "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" becomes number 1. Rumors can be very destructive. Why do you think some people make up and spread harmful stories about others? What can you do to avoid spreading rumors?

January 20:
The first basketball game was played in 1892. Who is your favorite basketball player? List reasons you like him or her.

In 1942, top Nazi officials plan the Final Solution, the murder of Europe's Jews, at a conference in Wannsea, Germany. Some people think a memorial should be placed there to mourn those lost. Others think such a terrible thing should not be memorialized. How do you feel about this? Explain your answer.

Today is the day the President is inaugurated. After he is sworn in, he gives a speech about what he hopes to do during the next four years. Think about what is going to happen to you during the next four years. What are 3 things you hope to achieve in that time?

In 1982, Ozzie Osbourne, the rock singer, is supposed to have bitten the head off a dead bat someone threw onto the stage during a concert. Osbourne has said that he thought that the bat was fake. Other people say that it really was fake, and was a stunt that had been planned in advance. Have you ever seen or touched something you thought was a fake, only to find out it was real? Describe how you felt.

January 21:
Eliza H. Bordman died in 1873, after successfully working to make Washington's birthday a holiday. What person do you think needs a holiday? Why do you think so?

In 1933, William Wrigley III was born. He made a fortune making chewing gum and bought the Chicago Cubs, who still play in Wrigley Field. Many schools ban gum in the classroom. Do you agree with this rule? Give three reasons for your opinion.

Today is National Hugging Day. You should be sure to hug people who are important to you today. Make a list of five good reasons to hug someone today.

January is High Tech Month. Sometimes high tech gadgets are really useful, but sometimes they just seem to make things more complicated. What are two high-tech devices you think are really useful? What makes them so useful?

January 22:
Joy Adamson, the author of Born Free, was born in 1910. She advocated restoring zoo animals to their natural habitat, and worked out ways to teach them how to live in the wild. If you could study one wild animal in its natural habitat, which one would you choose? Why that one?

Francis Bacon was born in 1561. He wrote and described the scientific method. He stressed that a scientist must always be truthful in his reports. Why is truthfulness such an important quality for most jobs and professions?

Today is Answer Your Cat's Questions Day--a very strange day. If your cat or dog or other pet could ask you questions, what do you think the first three would be? What would your answer be?

In 1720, one of the first great financial scandals in the world began. A fad for imports from the Caribbean Islands and South America caused many people to invest in companies doing business there, even though many of the companies were actually fakes set up to defraud people. When the truth came out, thousands of people discovered they had lost their life savings. This scandal was called the South Seas Bubble, because the dreams of wealth of so many disappeared like a bubble that had burst. What precautions should you take to prevent being taken advantage of by crooks?

January 23:
Charles Curtis became the first Senator of Native American ancestry to become a U.S. Senator in 1907. He later became Vice President for President Hoover. Senators help to write laws for the United States. If you were able to write a law for your nation or state, what law would you write? What problem would your law solve?

In 1831, Belgium accepted a design for its national flag, based on the German flag, but with strips that run in a different direction. If the United States decided to choose a new flag, what do you think would be a good design? Draw or describe it.

Some people love winter for its sports, others hate it for its cold. Name 3 good things and 3 bad things about winter.

Elizabeth Blackwell became the first American woman to get a M.D. degree in 1849. Describe how she probably felt when she went to her first class in medical school, knowing that she would be the only woman there. (She actually had to sit behind a screen, so that no one would be embarrassed when they discussed male and female anatomy.)

January 24:
The Eskimo Pie, ice cream covered with chocolate, was patented by Christian Nelson in 1922. Describe a new dessert or treat you would like. It may contain ice cream or not, depending on your preferences.

In 1984, the first Apple Macintosh computer went on sale for $2,495. How would your school be different if it had no computers? List 5 ways.

In 1899, Edward John Phelps, a lawyer and diplomat, said, "The man who makes no mistakes does not usually make anything else.” What do you think he meant by that?

Shiochi Yokoi was discovered in Guam, where he had been hiding since 1944. He was a Japanese soldier who went into hiding when American forces invaded the island and had been waiting patiently ever since to be rescued by the Japanese Army. He went back to a Japan completely different from the war-torn country he left. Imagine that you went away from home and didn’t come back for 30 years. What things you would expect would be changed, and what would you expect to stay the same?

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