Children's Health Month. For more information, go here.

Crime Prevention Month. For more information, as well as safety tips, visit the National Crime Prevention Council's website.

Energy Awareness Month. By Presidential Proclamation. For more information, go here.

Family Health Month. Designated by the American Academy of Family Physicians. Visit their website for more information.

International Dinosaur Month. For coloring pages, craft ideas, and lesson plans, visit the Crayola website. Be sure to visit the online dinosaur exhibits at the  National Museum of Natural History as well as the American Museum of Natural History. The following links are to lesson plans and activities:

SEDL: Dinosaur Unit. Grade: K.
123Child: Dinosaur art and activities. Grades: K-3.
BBC: A brief guide to dinosaurs for kids. Grades: 3 and up.

National Book Month. Sponsored by National Book Foundation, presenters of the National Book Awards. Go here for more information.

National Go-On-A-Field-Trip Month.

National Popcorn Poppin' Month. For more information, go here.

National Stamp Collecting Month. Sponsored by the U.S. Postal Service. Ten lesson plans which "explore the concept of citizenship as students learn about people who have been honored on U.S. Postage stamps" may be found here. Appropriate for 3rd grade.

James Earl Carter, Jr. Birthday. Born October 1, 1924. 39th President of the United States (1977-1981). For more information, go here. Discovery School offers a lesson plan, "Carter as President and Ex-President." Appropriate for grades 6-8. For a brief biography, go here.

National Children's Health Day. By Presidential Proclamation. Observed on the first Monday in October.

Prime Meridian Conference. Anniversary. The Prime Meridian is an imaginary longitude line running through the Royal Greenwich Observatory in Greenwich, England. The Prime Meridian is the meridian at which longitude is 0 degrees. It separates the eastern and western hemispheres. On October 1, 1884, delegates from around the world met in Washington to determine the position of the meridian. You may read more about the conference here.

Mahatma Gandhi. Anniversary of Birth. Born October 2, 1869; Died January 30, 1948. A major political and spiritual leader of India. There is a plethora of information available on the internet about Gandhi. A gook place to start is here.

Thurgood Marshall Sworn In. On this day in 1967, Thurgood Marshall was sworn in as the first black U.S. Supreme Court Justice. For more information, go here.

International Walk to School Day. For more information, go here.

Sputnik Launched. On this day in 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the world's first artificial satellite. For more information, go here.

Karen Cushman. Birthday. Born October 4, 1941. Children's book author. Wrote the Newbery award winner, The Midwife's Apprentice. You may read an interview with her here. For a list of teaching resources, visit the Web English Teacher's website.

Rutherford B. Hayes. Anniversary of Birth. Born October 4, 1822; Died January 17, 1893. 19th President of the United States (1877-1881). For a brief biography, go here.

World Space Week. October 4-10. This year's theme, "Space is for Saving Lives." Check out the teacher's kits, activity guides, teacher's awards, and more at the World Space Week website.

National Storytelling Festival. October 6-8. A three-day festival held in Jonesborough, TN. For more information, go here.

David Shannon. Birthday. Born October 5, 1959. Children's book author and illustrator. Wrote No, David! For more information, go here. For a video interview, go here.

World Teacher's Day. A United Nations observance. Go here for more information.

Mental Illness Awareness Week. October 7-13. Go here for more information.

National Fire Prevention Week. October 7-13. This year's theme: "Prevent Cooking Fires: Watch What You Heat." For more information, go here.

The Great Chicago Fire. Anniversary. On this day in 1871, legend has it that a cow kicked over a lantern in the barn of a Mrs. O'Leary. Regardless of how it started, the fire spread quickly, eventually leveling four square miles and killing approximately 250 people before it died. Be sure to visit National Geographic Kids: Chicago Fire! as well as Chicago History's Great Chicago Fire and Web of Memory online exhibit. Edsitement offers a lesson plan for grades 9-12.

Recommended book: The Great Fire by Jim Murphy (Scholastic Press, 1995; ISBN: 0590472674; 144 pages; Ages: 10 and up).

Faith Ringgold. Birthday. Born October 8, 1930. Children's book author. Wrote Tar Beach, among others. For more information, go here.

R.L. Stine. Birthday. Born October 8, 1943. Author of the Goosebumps series. Visit the author's website.

Columbus Day. Officially, Columbus Day is October 12. However, it is celebrated on the second Monday in October. Anniversary of the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the New World.

Leif Erikson Day. By Presidential Proclamation. Erickson was a Norse explorer. He is believed to be the first European to visit North America. For more information, go here.

Giuseppe Verdi. Anniversary of Birth. Born October 9, 1813; Died January 27, 1901. Verdi was an Italian composer of operas (primarily). For a list of works by Verdi, go here.

Robert D. San Souci. Birthday. Born October 10, 1946. Children's book author. Wrote The Samurai's Daughter, among others. For more information, visit his website here.

World Mental Health Day. For more information, go here.

Russell Freedman. Birthday. Born October 11, 1929. Children's book author. Wrote the Newbery winner Lincoln: A Photobiography. For more information, go here. For a cyberguide for Lincoln, go here.

Eleanor Roosevelt. Anniversary of Birth. Born October 11, 1884; Died November 7, 1962. Known as "the first lady of the world," she was married to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. She was a writer and activist for social causes. Be sure to visit the Dear Mrs. Roosevelt website.

Recommended books: Eleanor by Barbara Cooney (Viking, 1996; ISBN: 0670861596; 40 pages; Ages: 4-8) and Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery by Russell Freedman (Clarion Books. 1997; ISBN: 0395845203; 208 pages; Ages: 9-12).

Dwight D. Eisenhower. Anniversary of Birth. Born October 14, 1890; Died March 28, 1969. 34th President of the United States (1953-1961). For a brief biography, go here.

National Health Education Week. A national health observance. Sponsored by the National Center for Health Education. For health education lesson plans appropriate for grades 6-12, visit Discovery School's webpage.

National School Lunch Week. October 14-20. This year's theme: "Eat Smart, Get Moving." For more information, go here.

Teen Read Week. October 14-20. An initiative by the Young Adult Library Services Association. For more information, go here.

National Dictionary Day. Noah Webster, the author of the American Dictionary, was born on this day in 1758. Dictionary day is observed to encourage everyone to own and use a dictionary. For more information, go here.

Sound Barrier Broken. Anniversary. On this day in 1947, Chuck Yeager, then a test pilot, flew faster than the speed of sound. The calculate the speed of sound at any particular air temperature, go here.

Oscar Wilde. Anniversary of Birth. Born October 16, 1854; Died November 30, 1900. Anglo-Irish poet, playwright, novelist, and short story writer.

World Food Day. It is observed each October 16th in recognition of the founding of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 1945. For more information, go here.

Ed Emberley. Birthday. Born October 19, 1931. Children's book author and illustrator. Wrote Go Away, Big Green Monster among others. For more information, go here.

Victory at Yorktown. On this day in 1781, the British General Cornwallis surrendered to the Franco-American force, effectively ending the American Revolution. For more information, go here.

Ursula K. LeGuin. Birthday. Born October 21, 1929. Science fiction writer. For more information, go here.

National Character Counts Week. October 21-27. For more information, go here. Go here for character lesson plans. Visit the Good Character webpage for materials, links, and lesson plans.

National Chemistry Week. October 21-27. This year's theme: "The Many Faces of Chemistry." For more information and resources, go here.

Franz Liszt. Anniversary of Birth. Born October 22, 1811; Died July 31, 1886. Liszt was a Hungarian virtuoso pianist and composer in 19th century Europe.

National School Bus Safety Week. October 22-26. This year's theme: "Be Aware — Cross With Care." For more information, go here.

Pablo Picasso. Anniversary of Birth. Born October 25, 1881; Died April 8, 1973. One of the most influential artists of the 20th century. For a teacher's guide and lesson plans appropriate for grades 6-12, visit the National Gallery of Art. For more ideas appropriate for grades 2-8, go here.

Johann Strauss II. Anniversary of Birth. Born October 25, 1825; Died June 3, 1899. Strauss was an Austrian composer known especially for his waltzes.

Make a Difference Day. Sponsored by USA Weekend. A national day of doing good. For more information, go here.

Nicoló Paganini. Anniversary of Birth. Born October 27, 1782; Died May 27, 1840. Paganini was an Italian violinist and composer.

Theodore Roosevelt. Anniversary of Birth. Born October 27, 1858; Died January 6, 1919. 26th President of the United States (1901-1909). For a brief biography, go here.

Statue of Liberty Dedicated. On this day in 1886, the statue, a gift of friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States, was dedicated. The statue was known originally as Liberty Enlightening the World.

Stock Market Crash. On this day in 1929, stock prices collapsed and billions of dollars in investments were wiped out. The crash was followed by the Great Depression. For more information, go here.

Eric A. Kimmel. Birthday. Born October 30, 1946. Author of more than fifty children's books. Visit the author's website.

Halloween.