findingEducation’s Digital Teachers’ LoungeTips and insights from the findingEducation team.

Test your students’ knowledge of the notable events covered in findingDulcinea’s “On This Day” column this week with Quiztory. It makes a fun extra credit assignment.

1. What battle ended the Scottish Wars of Independence?

2. How long did it take a Houston jury to convict Muhammad Ali of draft evasion?

3. Why didn’t U.S. forces fire back at a Japanese submarine that fired on Fort Stevens, Ore.?

4. Who is the main source of information on the mutiny of Henry Hudson’s attempt to find the Northwest Passage?

5. Under what name was Anne Frank’s diary originally published?

What’s Coming Up?

Next week, “On This Day”will examine President Kennedy’s “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech, the killing of Mormon Church founder Joseph Smith, the Treaty of Versailles and Einstein’s theory of special relativity. We’ll also take a look at the Supreme Court’s decision on capital punishment statues, the Battle of Gettysburg and the Continental Congress.

Subject: History, Other History, Social Studies, U.S. Government, U.S. History, World History
Tags: Quiztory

Gettysburg is famous for its Civil War history, its 20,000-acre battlefield, dramatic stone monuments and affecting cemetery. A popular destination for schools and families with children, Gettysburg presents a wealth of educational opportunities, but is surrounded by a quaint town that allows for parental relaxation as well. Take a virtual visit to Gettysburg using the Web sites in this article, and get a pre-trip history lesson to enhance your visit.

Pennsylvania’s Storied Past

Pennsylvania was home to many important developments in early U.S. history, including crucial Civil War battles. FindingDulcinea’s Civil War States feature on Pennsylvania suggests visiting the Library of Congress Web site, which maintains a collection of portraits of named Civil War soldiers from both the Confederate and Union armies. The Library of Congress site also discusses President Lincoln’s invitation to speak at Gettysburg, and has rare documents, including the only known photo of Lincoln at the dedication of the Gettysburg cemetery, and two drafts of the Gettysburg address.

The Battle of Gettysburg began on July 1, 1863, when Gen. Robert E. Lee led his Confederate troops into what would be the bloodiest Civil War battle. At the end of three days, 50,000 troops were dead and the war had taken a turn. Union Maj. Gen. George Meade’s army defeated Lee’s troops, ending the South’s charge into northern territory.

Listen to actor Sam Waterston read Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address on NPR. The segment was taped on Nov. 19, 2003, to mark the 140th anniversary of the speech, which commemorated Union soldiers who perished in the Civil War.

Planning a Visit to Gettysburg

Frommer’s travel guide to Frederick, Md., includes a chapter on Gettysburg. Learn the lay of the massive battlefield, which is essentially a park. According to Frommer’s, riding a bike, driving a car or taking a bus tour around the park’s sloping hills and rolling valleys are the most efficient ways to take it all in.

The battlefield surrounds Gettysburg, a small town that draws tourists from around the world. Frommer’s says crowds are most heavy during the annual three-day reenactment from July 1–3, and on Remembrance Day in November. Among the more than 100 park monuments, “dedicated by various states to their military units,” the “granite-domed Pennsylvania Memorial” is the biggest and most popular among visitors.

The Gettysburg Convention & Visitors Bureau has tips and planning advice for travelers, including hotel and restaurant recommendations. Activities for traveling families and school groups are also listed. For example, take a self-guided Scenic Valley Tour through Adams Country, spanning about 35 miles north, south and west of Gettysburg. The Adams Country area is laced with bucolic orchards, and is home to historic sites like the Lower Marsh Creek Presbyterian Church, built in 1790.

The U.S. National Parks Service Gettysburg portal explains some of the most popular attractions, including a Civil War soldier exhibit. The site also covers practical information, such as fees and directions. Use National Park Service maps of Gettysburg and view maps of the Battle of Gettysburg.

If you’re looking for a general hotel or flight search Web site, visit findingDulcinea’s Travel Web Guide, or consult Gorp for a list of campgrounds in the Gettysburg area, with descriptions, amenities and booking information.

Gettysburg Reenactment Video

Civil War Hotel has a video of a Gettysburg reenactment that, though surrounded by ads, offers an excellent pre-visit perspective on the attraction.

Subject: History, Other History, Social Studies, U.S. Government, U.S. History
Tags: Sites to Bookmark

Did you take the Quiztory last week? Now it’s time to check your answers:

1. Where were Nelson Mandela and other African National Congress members sentenced to life in prison? Robben Island

2. Who wrote the first published account of Benjamin Franklin’s kite experiment? Joseph Priestley

3. A photo of whose dying body became a symbol of the Soweto uprising in South Africa? 13-year-old Hector Pieterson

4. Who honored Vlad Dracula as a national hero in Romania’s Hall of Fame? Former Romanian President Nicolae Ceausescu

5. How did Dowager Empress Longyu rise to power? She bore the Xianfeng emperor’s only son

Subject: History, Other History, Social Studies, U.S. Government, U.S. History, World History
Tags: Quiztory, The Answer Sheet

Test your students’ knowledge of the notable events covered in findingDulcinea’s “On This Day” column this week with Quiztory. It makes a fun extra credit assignment.

1. Where were Nelson Mandela and other African National Congress members sentenced to life in prison?

2. Who write the first published account of Benjamin Franklin’s kite experiment?

3. A photo of whose dying body became a symbol of the Soweto uprising in South Africa?

4. Who honored Vlad Dracula as a national hero in Romania’s Hall of Fame?

5. How did Dowager Empress Longyu rise to power?

What’s Coming Up?

Next week, “On This Day” will examine Nelson Mandela, “Miranda” warnings, Benjamin Franklin’s kite experiment and Captain Bligh’s landing on Timor. We’ll also take a look at Vlad the Impaler, Chinese Empress Longyu and the first hijacking of a commercial flight.

Subject: History, Other History, Social Studies, U.S. Government, U.S. History, World History
Tags: Quiztory

Did you take the Quiztory last week? Now it’s time to check your answers:

1. It is believed that Sirhan Sirhan assassinated Robert F. Kennedy for what reason? Revenge for Kennedy’s support of Israel

2. Where did the Germans think the Allies were planning to invade Normandy? Pas de Calais

3. In Cohen v. California, why did Justice Harry Blackmun argue that Cohen’s action wasn’t protected by the First Amendment? Because it “was mainly conduct and little speech”

4. Who tried to launch a rocket full of mail between two Scottish islands in the 1930s? Gerhard Zucker

5. What is the name of the cove where some of the pioneers of the Mormon handcart expedition sought shelter during a snowstorm? Martin’s Cove

Subject: History, Other History, Social Studies, U.S. Government, U.S. History, World History
Tags: Quiztory, The Answer Sheet

Test your students’ knowledge of the notable events covered in findingDulcinea’s “On This Day” column this week with Quiztory. It makes a fun extra credit assignment.

1. It is believed that Sirhan Sirhan assassinated Robert F. Kennedy for what reason?

2. Where did the Germans think the Allies were planning to invade Normandy?

3. In Cohen v. California, why did Justice Harry Blackmun argue that Cohen’s action wasn’t protected by the First Amendment?

4. Who tried to launch a rocket full of mail between two Scottish islands in the 1930s?

5. What is the name of the cove where some of the pioneers of the Mormon handcart expedition sought shelter during a snowstorm?

What’s Coming Up?

Next week, “On This Day” will examine Nelson Mandela, “Miranda” warnings, Benjamin Franklin’s kite experiment and Captain Bligh’s landing on Timor. We’ll also take a look at Vlad the Impaler, Chinese Empress Longyu and the first hijacking of a commercial flight.

Subject: History, Other History, Social Studies, U.S. Government, U.S. History, World History
Tags: Quiztory

Did you take the Quiztory last week? Now it’s time to check your answers:

1. What did Tenzing Norgay bury at the top of Mount Everest? Biscuits and chocolate

2. Who drafted an American version of the Code Duello, a list of rules governing duels? South Carolina Gov. John Lyde Wilson

3. What did The New York Times call the 1866 Fenian raid into Canada? “Fenian Folly”

4. What were Lou Gehrig’s two nicknames? “The Iron Horse” and “Pride of the Yankees”

5. Time Magazine named which participant of the Tiananmen Square demonstration one of the 100 most influential people of the 20^th century? “Tank man”

Subject: History, Other History, Social Studies, U.S. Government, U.S. History, World History
Tags: Quiztory, The Answer Sheet

Test your students’ knowledge of the notable events covered in findingDulcinea’s “On This Day” column this week with Quiztory. It makes a fun extra credit assignment.

1. What did Tenzing Norgay bury at the top of Mount Everest?

2. Who drafted an American version of the Code Duello, a list of rules governing duels?

3. What did The New York Times call the 1866 Fenian raid into Canada?

4. What were Lou Gehrig’s two nicknames?

5. Time Magazine named which participant of the Tiananmen Square demonstration one of the 100 most influential people of the 20^th century?

What’s Coming Up?

Next week, “On This Day” will examine the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, D-Day, “Missile Mail” and the Crusaders’ siege of Jerusalem. We’ll also take a look at the Mormon handcart expedition, the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous and three inmates’ escape from Alcatraz.

Subject: History, Other History, Social Studies, U.S. Government, U.S. History, World History
Tags: Quiztory

Did you take the Quiztory last week? Now it’s time to check your answers:

1. What was Adolf Eichmann called by his classmates as a child in Linz, Austria? “The little Jew”

2. How did P.T. Barnum prove the strength of the Brooklyn Bridge a year after it first opened? He ushered 21 elephants back and forth across it.

3. When was the so-called evolution law, a result of the case of State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes, repealed? 1967

4. How many complaints of witchcraft were made in Connecticut between 1638 and 1697? 43

5. How long did it take to construct the Bismarck, Germany’s famed battleship? Three years

Subject: History, Other History, Social Studies, U.S. Government, U.S. History, World History
Tags: Quiztory, The Answer Sheet

Test your students’ knowledge of the notable events covered in findingDulcinea’s “On This Day” column this week with Quiztory. It makes a fun extra credit assignment.

1. What was Adolf Eichmann called by his classmates as a child in Linz, Austria?

2. How did P.T. Barnum prove the strength of the Brooklyn Bridge a year after it first opened?

3. When was the so-called evolution law, a result of the case of State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes, repealed?

4. How many complaints of witchcraft were made in Connecticut between 1638 and 1697?

5. How long did it take to construct the Bismarck, Germany’s famed battleship?

What’s Coming Up?

Next week, “On This Day” will examine the first climbers to reach the peak of Mount Everest, the Johnstown, Pa., flood and the Fenian raid into Canada. We’ll also take a look at the duel between Andrew Jackson and Charles Dickinson, Lou Gehrig, the “zoot suit riots” of Los Angeles and the Tiananmen Square demonstration.

Subject: History, Other History, Social Studies, U.S. Government, U.S. History, World History
Tags: Quiztory