Lesson planning is imperative, but sometimes it’s fun (and necessary) to step away from traditional plans in order to recharge your students’ interest in learning. An easy way to do so is by simply following the momentum of your calendar year.
January has a plethora of monthly, weekly, and daily observances as well as famous birthday anniversaries that you can tie into curriculum practice. Studying the Southern Hemisphere? Incorporate Australia Day games and activities. Working on measurements? It’s National Soup Month. Why not practice those skills with recipes? And how about famous authors? Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19th, 1809.
In addition to well-known holidays, here are a handful of January dates and observances to use when looking for a creative alternative. abcteach has materials that adapt to many of these special times, so take a look around and find what suits you best!
Birthdays
- Betsy Ross – January 1st
- Louis Braille – January 4th
- Elvis Presley – January 8th
- Stephen Hawking – January 8th
- Lewis Carroll – January 27th
- Jackie Robinson – January 31st
Holidays
- Chinese New Year – January 23
- Australia Day – January 26th
Special Observances
- Inauguration Day – January 20th
- National Handwriting Day – January 23rd
- National Puzzle Day – January 29th
- National Thank You Month
- National Mentoring Month
- National Soup Month
- 100th day of class for some schools