February 2012 Newsletter

Hello and welcome to the February 2012 issue of The Busy Educator's Newsletter edited by teacher, speaker and author Marjan Glavac.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

I grew up in Welland Ontario Canada, just 40 minutes from where black slaves crossed over the Niagara River at Buffalo USA/Fort Erie Canada to freedom. They were part of the Underground Railroad, following the North Star.

Harriet Tubman, legendary conductor on the Underground Railroad lived in St. Catharines Ontario Canada, for 8 years. St. Catharines is 25 minutes away from where I grew up.

Southwestern Ontario Canada where I’m writing from was the end point for the Underground Railroad. Just up the highway from me is Uncle Tom’s Cabin Historic Site located in Dresden, Ontario.The site commemorates the life of Reverend Josiah Henson and his contributions to the Underground Railroad.It was Henson's life experiences that inspired Harriet Beecher Stowe’s creation of the character Uncle Tom in her book Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

It’s ironic that although I lived near these historic events, none of this history was taught to me when I was in school. It was only when I became a teacher that I learned about the incredible stories of the Underground Railroad and the part Canada played in it.

The February issue of The Busy Educator's Newsletter contains 4 Canadian websites that deal with the Underground Railroad and Black History Month in Canada.

• CALENDAR EVENTS
• ONTARIO BLACK HISTORY SOCIETY (TEACHERS, PARENTS)
• THE UNDERGROUND RAILWAY WORDS IN STONE (TEACHERS, PARENTS, STUDENTS GR. 4-12)
• UNCLE TOM'S CABIN HISTORIC SITE (TEACHERS)
• NIAGARA BOUND TOURS (TEACHERS)

Calendar Events February is Black History Month

Groundhog Day February 2
St. Valentine's Day Ferbruary 14
National Flag Day of Canada February 15
President's Day (USA) February 20
Family Day (Ontario, Alberta & Saskatchewan) Feb. 20
Louis Riel Day (Manitoba) February 21
Ash Wednesday February 22

ONTARIO BLACK HISTORY SOCIETY (TEACHERS, PARENTS)

The Ontario Black History Society (OBHS) is a non-profit registered Canadian charity, dedicated to the study, preservation and promotion of Black History and heritage.

Click Here Ontario Black History Society

THE UNDERGROUND RAILWAY WORDS IN STONE (TEACHERS, PARENTS, STUDENTS GR. 4-12)

The tragedy of events that led to the organization of the Underground Railroad in America and Canada in the 18th and 19th centuries forced exceptional individuals to rise above and transcend the everyday horrors of slavery. On this page, are plaques and monuments dedicated to these individuals.

The stores of these and other influential individuals who helped to make the Underground Railroad a reality can be found here: Click Here For Influential Voices of The Underground Railway

Click Here For The Underground Railway Words In Stone

UNCLE TOM'S CABIN HISTORIC SITE (TEACHERS)

Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic Site commemorates the life of Reverend Josiah Henson. Recognized for his contributions to the abolition movement and for his work in the Underground Railroad, he rose to international fame after Harriet Beecher Stowe acknowledged his memoirs as a source for her 1852 anti-slavery novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. It was Henson's life experiences that inspired Ms. Stowe's creation of the character Uncle Tom in her 1852 outcry against slavery

Click Here For Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic Site

NIAGARA BOUND TOURS (TEACHERS)

What happened to the Black fugitive slaves once they completed their journey on the Underground Railroad?

Where did they go?

What did they do?

On a trip six years ago to the Niagara Peninsula in Southern Ontario Canada, I met Lezlie Wells the owner of www.NIAGARABOUNDTOURS.com a tour company specializing in Black History Tours. Lezlie is a fifth generation Canadian descendant of a fugitive slave from Kentucky, who has a personal interest in the history of fugitive slaves who came to Canada, in particular, to the Niagara area.

For a customized Black History tour of the Niagara area, and to find out what happened to individuals on their freedom journey, the church Harriet Tubman attended and more check out Lezlie’s site or call her at: (905) 685-5375

Click Here For Niagara Bound Tours

Be An Inspiring Teacher

“Create Your Ideal Classroom, Motivate Your Students, And Maintain A Work Life Balance"

"In one word, this course was practical!" B. Carriere,
Grade 4/5 Teacher

A Wonderful Resource For Staff PD

Click Here To Discover More About How To Be An Inspiring Teacher

/

Subscription & Legal Info Permission to repost this newsletter is granted as long as the link http://TheBusyEducator.com is included. Thank you for your support. FREE subscription to The Busy Educator's Newsletter Jam-packed with time saving tips, ideas and websites http://TheBusyEducator.com “There are no boundaries for the journeys of the mind.” To subscribe to The Busy Educator's Newsletter go to :http://www.glavac.com/or e-mail me at: marjan@glavac.com with subscribe in the subject line.