Education Newswatch January 2006

Calling All Writers
What is the true spirit of holiday celebrations? This is the theme to be explored in Highlights for Children magazine's 27th annual fiction contest. The contest is open to anyone 16 and older interested in writing fiction for children; three previously unpublished stories will be chosen and winners will be awarded $1,000 each. Stories should not exceed 800 words; those for younger children may be considerably shorter. Entries must be postmarked between January 1 and February 28, 2006, and be clearly marked "Fiction Contest." To submit your story, or for additional guidelines, write to Fiction Contest, Highlights for Children, 803 Church St., Honesdale, PA 18431.

Arbor Day Art
"Trees are Terrific…in All Shapes and Sizes!" is the theme of this year's Arbor Day National Poster Contest, sponsored by Toyota. The contest is open to all U.S. fifth graders. Visit www.arborday.org/postercontest to receive a free activity guide on the importance of trees in a community, in-depth lesson plans, hands-on activities and detailed contest information and deadlines.

Winter's Journey into Spring
This winter, engage your classroom in a "citizen science" project. Journey North invites K-12 teachers and students to track the winter-spring migration patterns of bald eagles, American robins, whooping cranes and gray whales, among other animals; to observe the changing of sunlight and budding of plants; and to share and compare such observations with students across North America. Each Journey North online global studies project includes standards-based lessons, photos and video clips, interactive maps, reading selections and guidance for helping students conduct local inquiries and fit them into a global context. Journey North also offers professional development workshops to schools and districts. Journey North project participation is free, and spring projects begin February 3. For more information, visit www.learner.org/jnorth

Remembering Rosa
In memory and honor of the late Rosa Parks (1913-2005), Teaching Tolerance and the Southern Poverty Law Center want to remind educators about their free middle-and upper-grade teaching kit, "Mighty Times: The Legacy of Rosa Parks." The Emmy Award-winning film by this name retells the story of Parks' courageous stand against segregated bussing. Her refusal to give up her seat on a Montgomery AL, bus in 1955 – and the 381-day bus boycott that followed – stands as a reminder of the power of one person to change the world. The kit includes a teaching guide with classroom activities and historical documents tied into the story of Rosa Parks. To preview the film and order your free kit, as well as to receive a free subscription to Teaching Tolerance magazine and browse other complimentary materials, visit www.teachingtolerance.org/resources and click on Kits & Handbooks.

Be Your Best!
Attending teacher training workshops, seminars and conferences boosts one's profession and spirit alike, and the National School Supply and Equipment Association (NSSEA) is offering a scholarship that promotes these opportunities. The Be Your Best! Teacher Scholarship is available to full-time teachers of preschool through 12th grade and individuals seeking certification. Applicants must demonstrate how the professional development workshop for which they'll use their scholarship will help improve his or her classroom skills. A total of 20 $500 awards will be given. Applications are distributed through NSSEA member stores; to find a store near you and for requirements, visit www.teacherstores.com Applications are available January 3 and the deadline to apply is March 31, 2006.

Making Connections
"Constructing the past, creating the future." This is the motto for CiviConnections, a grant program funded by the federal Corporation for National and Community Service and the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS). The $7,500 grant covers the costs for teams of three teachers of grades 3-12 in the same school district to attend a summer workshop, to implement a service learning program with their students during the fall of 2006 and to attend the 2006 NCSS Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. The recipients and their students choose an issue of local concern or need related to 1) poverty, 2) healthcare, 3) the environment or 4) discrimination. They investigate the topic through local and national history and see how it is impacted by one or more government documents, such as the Bill of Rights. They then design and conduct applicable service learning activities, as well as create a public display to educate the community and celebrate their collaborative service projects. The deadline for application is February 24, 2006. Please visit www.socialstudies.org/civiconnections to apply.