The Day You Were Born

This project was inspired by the book, 
On The Day You Were Born by Debra Frasier.
   

     The following project is designed to help you explore the many exciting things that have happened on your birthday. Below you will be taken to many different web sites that will allow you to find out some interesting facts about The Day You Were Born.

     As you visit these sites you are going to need a way to check to make sure you have all the information. Make sure you have the data collecting sheet.

    All the information you gather will be used in designing a Special Project about yourself.  This is your unique story!

     I hope you have an enjoyable time learning more about you, and the many important events that have occurred on your special day. Good luck and happy searching.

 

    


1.) What Does Your Name Mean?

  

The day you were born was a very special event in your parents lives. Your parents picked out a very special name for you. Why did your parents pick your name? Was it to name you after someone or something? The answer to those two questions can only be answered by your parents. When you gohome tonight ask them why they chose the name they did for you. Take home the Parent Sheet and use it to collect your information.

Investigate what that special name really means? Click on the link below and it will take you to a website where you can search about your name. (The website should be able to find almost every common name, but remember some names are not common or have different spellings.) If your name is not found, please let your teacher know and we may be able to give you some hints on ways to find it.

When you find the correct information WRITE, in your own words, what your name means on your data collecting sheet.

 

 

  Click here to SEARCH  

Behind the name?

What's in a name?

What does my name mean?
 
  

 

2.) How Many Days Old Are You?

 

 

You will find out old you are ......in days, hours, and minutes. The website below will allow you to enter your date of birth.

You will also find out which day of the week you were born on.

The easiest way is to use ONLY the FIRST 3 BOXES on the web site. Please notice that you need to type in the DAY then the MONTH then the YEAR. (The year needs to be in four digits - ex. 1999).

When you find the correct information WRITE how many days old you are and the day of the week you were born, on your data collecting sheet. 
 

Click here to SEARCH

How many days old am I?

What day was I born on?
 
  

 

3.) What Happened On Your Birthday?

 

 

You will find out what important events in history happened on your birthday. There have been many important events in history that have occurred on the day you were born. Find interesting events that happened on on the same date as your birthday (it may not be the same year.)

When you click on the link below, you will be taken to The History Channel Web Site. When you get to the site, look on the left side on the page. You will find a place to enter your birthday. Enter your birthday and you will be taken to important events that happened on the day you were born. 

When you find the correct information, WRITE the important and interesting events, on your data collecting sheet. 
 

 

Click here to SEARCH

 

What happened in History on your birthday?

Uncle Woody's Almanac

dMarie Time Capsule

New York Times
   

 

4.) The Man in the Moon and You

 

 

You will research and compare the moon view on the day you were born.

Select the year, day, and month you were born from the drop down menus. Click on the Get Moon button.

 You will also learn the name of the moon phase you were born under.

When you find the correct information, RECORD the phase of the moon and make a simple drawing, on your data collecting sheet. 
 

  

 

Click here to SEARCH

 

Moon View

Moon Phases

              

   

 

5.) Some of My Favorite Things

 

You were probably given lots of toys when you were born and during your first year as a baby.

Check out this toy timeline to see what toys were popular in the year you were born.   

When you find the correct information, WRITE the names of the toys, on your data collecting sheet.

If you have some extra time, check out the rest of the website about toys.   
 

 

Click here to SEARCH

 


Toy Timeline
 
   

 

       6.) What Else is News?

 

 

As great as you are,  there were other things going on in the world when you were born.

Let's learn more about the World on the Day you were born.

You are going to a website that allows you to look up some interesting facts about what was going on in the world the day you were born. In this website you will find many more interesting facts, some you won't believe.

Find the following information:

  1. What was the cost of a postage stamp?
  2. What was the cost of a loaf of bread?
  3. How much was the average cost of a house?
  4. How much was the average cost of a car?
  5. How much was a gallon of gas?
  6. What was the average income in the United States?
  7. Who was the President of the United States?
  8. Who was the Vice-President of the United States?
  9. What was the Academy Award Winner for the Best Picture?
  10. What were some of the top songs during that year?
  11. What were some of the Sports Headlines for that year?
  12. Who else was born on your birthday?

At the top of the website page, enter your birthday. Notice for this web site you need to use the following format to enter your birthday - MM/DD/YY - which means if your birthday is February 28, 1989, you need to enter it as 02/28/89.

When you find the correct information, WRITE the facts, on your data collecting sheet. 
 

 

Click here to SEARCH


Historical Events

Day of Birth

dMarie Time Capsule

Any Day in History

Famous Birthdays

Are you having fun finding enjoyable and interesting facts 
about the day and year you were born?

    

  7.) Conclusion

 

The purpose of this assignment is to develop your research skills using the Internet to collect data about what was happening in the world on the day you were born. You learn that you are a part of history.  You become skilled at and confident to Collect, Record and Organize  the data on the important events that occurred on your special day. It is also designed to enhance your autobiography writing by exploring information about your birth date and year. You will put it all together & share it.

After you complete this lesson, you will have experienced "surfing" the web. You will be more familiar with how to navigate on the web (go from one site to another and back). You will be more knowledgeable about what the world was like on the day you were born. And, you will have developed research skills, thinking skills and writing skills.

Evaluation Rubric 
 Rubric

   

Hope you had fun learning more about yourself in the computer lab!

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