Special Features

Father's Day Lessons and Teacher Resources :

Introduction:

Father's Day is a day to celebrate parenting, and to honor and commemorate fathers and forefathers. Father's Day is celebrated on a variety of dates worldwide and typically involves gift-giving, and special dinners to fathers and family-oriented activities. ... The first observance of Father's Day is believed to have been held on July 5 1908... by Dr. Robert Webb of West Virginia at the Central United Methodist Church of Fairmont. Mrs. Sonora Smart Dodd ... was the first to solicit the idea of having an official Father's Day observance. ... A bill was introduced in 1913, US President Calvin Coolidge supported the idea in 1924, a national committee was formed in the 1930s by trade groups in order to legitimize the holiday. ... The holiday was not officially recognized until 1972, during the presidency of Richard Nixon. In recent years, retailers have adapted to the holiday by promoting greeting cards and male-oriented gifts such as electronics and tools. Schools and other children's programs commonly have activities to make Father's Day gifts. - Wikipedia

Lesson Plans:

• Students make scented paper flowers in this Father's Day, Mother's Day or Valentine idea
  
• This idea is for writing Valentine poetry, but it could be used for Mother's Day or Father's Day as well
  
• Create Father's or Mother's Day cards here using computers and the Internet
• Here's a fun collection of Mother's Day activity ideas (which may be adapted for Father's Day)
  
• Here's a brief idea for creating Father's or Mother's Day Word Art with Microsoft Word
  
  

• The following is a collection of brief ideas for boosting Family Involvement:
  
  • Here's an overview of the activities for Family Involvement
    
  • Here's a collection of the letters to send to parents regarding the family involvement activities
    
  • This one tries to help with Adult Reading Buddies
    
  • This part is for developing a "Family Command Post"
    
  • Here you can create a Home Book Bag for taking projects home to be done with the family
    
  • This portion is called Science Discovery Days
    
  • This one involves celebrating different cultures' holidays
    
  • Called Curriculum Night, this idea gets parents into the schools
    
  • Here are some miscellaneous ideas for Family Involvement
    
  
  
• Here's a computer lesson idea where students create a family tree with photos
  
• Here's a family lesson plan with many aspects including a Family Tree and interviewing family members
  
• This lesson on immigration looks at family history and origins
  
• Here's another idea for creating a family tree on construction paper
  
• This lesson is on family diagrams
  
• This lesson looks at the roles of different family members
  
  
• Here's an idea for making Father's Day T-Shirts
  
• This squeezy ball Father's Day idea teaches gerunds and reduces stress
  
• This Father's Day card idea begins with an origami shirt with an attached paper tie
  
• In this writing exercise, students create a Memory-A-Day box as a gift for Grampa, Dad, or anyone special
  
  
• Not many here yet. If you have any Father's Day lesson plans to share, please add them to our site!

Videos and Other Media:

• This film called "Father's Day" is part of Liberty Mutual's "The Responsibility Project" and involves forgiving fathers who weren't there for you
• WikiHow and 5min.com show us How to Celebrate Fathers Day in these short videos
• Camille Erikson created this curious collection of animated and flash video e-cards
• Watch videos about Father's Day on PBS KIDS Sprout Online here.

Additional Resources:

• Here are fun facts and tips for Father's Day from the USA.gov.
  
  
• PBS KIDS Sprout Online offers Father's day crafts, videos, coloring pages and games.
  
  
• Crayola.com provides coloring pages, craft ideas, e-cards and a handful of art-related lesson plans for Father's Day.
  
  
• LoveYouFather.com and TheHolidaySpot.com host all your Father's Day needs starting with poems, quotes, recipes, and songs down to jokes, movies and party decorations.
  
  
• Learn more about the history of Father's Day, famous TV dads and more at this History.com Minisite.
  
  
• You can find a great collection of Father's Day craft ideas at Kaboose.com.
  
  
• EdHelper.com offer a Father's Day themed book units, a science activity, math worksheets, and many activity pages.
  
  
• DLTK presents similar Father's Day activities, games, and crafts for the pre-school set.
  
  
• "Quality Time" is a big book lesson about "Me and My Dad"
  
  
• If you have any Father's Day lesson plans to share, please add them to our site