Lift Off to Literacy: International Literacy Day (September 8, 2014)

Help Your Students "Lift Off to Literacy" International Literacy Day (ILD) is going interplanetary to celebrate the power of literacy around the world! For this year's celebration, "Lift Off to Literacy," the International Reading Association has partnered with NASA and Story Time From Space to inspire a literacy habit in your students.   Our mission begins September 8, 2014, the day the world celebrates International Literacy Day and the transformative power of literacy. How can you participate? Pledge to add an extra 60 seconds of literacy activities in your classroom for 60 days. It's that simple! Not sure what to do for those extra 60 seconds? We've got you covered! Sign up at our ILD website (www.reading.org/ILD) to pledge your participation and receive an activity kit of 60 fun, cross-curricular 60-second activities; by signing up, you'll be entered to win an out-of-this-world prize pack from NASA!   In addition, find other FREE resources to motivate and engage your students, including: The official ILD 2014 poster, designed by Dave Roman (graphic novelist of the Astronaut Academy series) A 60-day log to track your activities A sign to announce your class's participation and inspire other classrooms to join the mission Pre-designed banners for your personal or class blog and social media accounts Share your participation by using #ILD14 on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, or any other social media platform you use. Follow what others are doing and find related resources on our ILD 2014 Pinterest board. We look forward to seeing photos, videos, and stories from your classrooms! Won't you join our 60-for-60 mission? Sign up NOW at www.reading.org/ILD!

What Are You Doing to Celebrate Earth Science Week?

Since October 1998, the American Geological Institute has organized this national and international event to help the public gain a better understanding and appreciation for the Earth Sciences and to encourage stewardship of the Earth.

(Please view video at bottom of post.)


This year's Earth Science Week is held from October 9-15 and is celebrating the theme, "Our Ever-Changing Earth."

“We invite you to join us online, explore our changing planet, and share this work with your students, family, and colleagues,” says Eric Brown de Colstoun, a scientist who also coordinates Earth science education for NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

“You can also choose to reflect on how lucky we are to live on this beautiful and ever-changing planet, the home base from which we carry out our many explorations into the universe.”

There will be ann introduction to the next Earth-science satellite, NPP, set to launch later this month. The National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System Preparatory Project will play a key role in studying climate change. Learn more about NPP and its polar bear mascot NPPy at: http://npp.gsfc.nasa.gov/kids.html.


Let's be good to our planet, and become involved in activities of the week and beyond.  This is an important organization on so many levels.

Visitors From All Over This Orb

I feel so blessed.  Many people from numerous countries have found their way to this blog.  I am grateful and humble as well. 

Earth Fron Space
(NASA Flat Map)

While I don't know who you are, I do know from which countries you come.  And you are from everywhere.  Argentina to Belarus to the Czech Republic to India to Malaysia to Russia to the United Kingdom and so many other countries are represented. Welcome to this blog!

We are a small neighborhood, this village Earth.  We must be a caring community, where needs are met and people are valued, no matter their race, religion or gender.

Why can't this happen?  It is such a simple concept. 

The reality, of course, is a different matter--complex, multifaceted and fraught with borders and protectionism.  I know that. 

But as I receive statistics showing the myriad places from which readers come, I am heartened.  Why?  Because we are all human, most of us with the requisite amount of goodness it takes to make our home a habitable, safe place once again.  And if we all, or at least some of us try, we surely will succeed.