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| The North Saskatchewan River & Downtown Edmonton |
Dead or Alive!
One of our ideas is to celebrate famous people's birthdays, whether they have been long deceased or are alive and kicking. Some times I choose the person, sometimes our son does. This represents a unique and fun way to learn about someone without it being an in-depth study, but allow for the opportunity to be a jumping board into something more substantial.
We don't eat birthday food and cake. We don't decorate. But that's just us. I can see where a very crafty/artsy family may wish to decorate or bake a cake. We chose not to... so, what do we do?
Typically, I would do the research on the person and find all kinds of resources: library books, movies, documentaries, music, art, quotes, magazine articles, websites, YouTube videos, stories, the person's favourites, etc. I would also brainstorm possible activities or field trips. Since the purpose of this exercise is to provide a glimpse into the life and achievements of the person, I try not to go too overboard. Still, if I have too much material and the interest goes beyond a day of celebrations, all the better!
On the birthday, we look over the plundered information and pick and choose. It is supposed to be fun and stimulating, not gruelling! Usually some form of biography is in order and then, from there, there is no order. We read, listen, create, visit, and enjoy delving into the life and times of the famous person. And, if we find ourselves going off on a tangent, we go full throttle!
I suppose you can take the birthday out of the equation and just have a day that focuses on a particular person. We find it more fun to honour the person's birthday. Besides, the challenge of finding a birth date and corresponding person, at any given moment, is fun too! It often instigates examination of an unfamiliar person.
Resources
HistoryOrb.com From this website, you can find famous birthdays, famous deaths, and famous events
Internet
local public library
local archives and museums
your imagination
I love the idea of it being connected to the bday; makes it more fun. We'd probably do a cake too, but that's just us. :) Any excuse for a little bit of cake is always welcome!
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