Knowing she wanted to be a nurse at a young age, Mahoney went to work at the New England Hospital for Women and Children. She worked at the New England Hospital for 15 years, learning about nursing. She then joined the hospital’s nursing program at age 33 where she graduated one of only a handful of women.
During her career, Mahoney worked to bring equality in nursing. She co-founded the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses (NACGN) to be an advocacy group in the nursing world. Mahoney continued to work a 40-year career, encouraging diversity and showing her passion and love for the nursing field.
Honoring Our Ancestors
Mary Mahoney’s life and legacy have been honored over the years. In 1973, a monument was raised at her grave site making it a memorial site. She was also inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1993.
We continue to honor Mahoney and her work through the Mary Mahoney Award which acknowledges nurses who continue to promote and encourage diversity in the nursing field.
Click here to read more about Mary Eliza Mahoney: https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/mary-mahoney
Click here to read more about the Mary Mahoney Award: https://www.nursingworld.org/ana/national-awards-program/mary-mahoney-award/
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As a community of people who believe in the mission of Bevy & Dave, let us seize the opportunity to positively impact how children see themselves and others. We have the ability to empower children to use their self-leadership skills to contribute their best to society; let’s do it!
I believe connecting children to history can guide them in the right direction, for history is our greatest teacher. As a society, may we always appreciate the lessons of history, honor our ancestors and nurture the self-leadership abilities in our children for the success of our society depends on it.
]]>Spending quality time with people shows care and appreciation and it develops deeper, stronger bonds.
Go to the movies, have a cookout, or just relax. Appreciate the time with everyone and enjoy!
]]>Matthew Henson took his exploration to new distances. He is known as one of the first people to visit the North Pole, and is credited as being the co-discoverer of the North Pole. Click here to read more about Matthew Henson.
You can also check out Matthew Henson on our History Makers Puzzle Block Set!
Activities:
Take a look at local sites to see where your family can visit. There are many historical sites, parks, gardens, and science centers. You can even check with your local public library to see what community events are happening in your area.
Some good places to visit:
~Zoos
~Public Library for events
~Historical Sites
~Science Centers
~Nature Parks
~Botanical Gardens
A quick internet search of “historical sites near me” will show some places nearby that you can visit. With summer vacation coming to a close, it is a good time to do a final day trip and go somewhere new.
]]>Percy Julian was a chemist who made his career teaching others and doing his own research. Julian’s research led “to the chemical synthesis of drugs to treat glaucoma and arthritis”. Click here to read more about Percy Julian.
Percy Julian is one of the amazing people you can learn about on our History Makers Puzzle Blocks Set!
Activities
~Learn to code – Coding is becoming a popular thing to learn for kids. Coding can be fun and there are many apps and sites available to teach kids how to code without it seeming like a chore. Mommy Poppins has gathered a list of websites that can teach coding to kids. Click here to view the list. At & T also created a guide that gives educators a resource to introduce the basics of coding on a safe and fun website. Click here to view.
~Read a book – A way to learn about science without making a mess is to read! There are many great books that teach kids about science and the world around them. The books range in topics from archaeology to astronomy, from plants to medicine!
"We Are Teachers" put together a list of some of their favorite science books for kids. Click here to see their recommendations.
Booksellers might have their own lists, and some libraries will put out books they recommend on science.
~Try some experiments of your own! – Tornado in a bottle, the potato clock, or the baking soda volcano are popular experiments that people have done for years. However, there are many other at-home science experiments that use everyday items. Mommy Poppins has gathered a list of 50 science experiments that use household things. Click here to see the household science experiments.
Want to try something different? There are many science kits offered in stores that cover a wide range of topics.
]]>George Coleman Poage was a skilled track and field athlete. He ran track in high school and college, and ultimately, he ran track in the Olympics in 1904. He came in third place in the 400-meter hurdle, becoming the first African American to win a medal at the Olympics. Click here to learn more about George Poage.
Activities
Don’t forget!!! Staying hydrated and staying cool are very important. Be cautious of very hot days and make sure to drink plenty of water.
~Dance Party – a simple, quick, and fun way to get up and move is by dancing! Put on some of your child’s favorite music and dance! There is no wrong way to dance and it doesn’t require any equipment.
Dance isn’t only a great way to get up and move, but it’s also a form of self-expression and art.
~Sports with friends or family – play a sports game with friends or family. Sports are another fun way to exercise and are a great way to build sportsmanship and bond with people.
Don’t have enough people to play a game? Playing catch or kicking a soccer ball with your child is just as good.
Don’t have any sports equipment? Make up a game with what you have around you. Balloon volleyball, playing hockey with mops and a crumpled piece of paper, anything can be made into a game.
Today’s Parent has a lot of great ideas on how to stay active indoors. Click here to see some more ideas.
~Exercise – traditional exercise is another way to get up and move. Very Well Family has some great exercises for kids, and great ways to make the exercises into games. Click here to read up on some exercises recommended for children on the Very Well Family website.
]]>For Dr. Daniel H. Williams, he not only listened to his patients, he also listened to his community. In 1891, he founded Provident Hospital to not only provide medical care, but to also provide a training school for inspiring nurses. Click here to learn more about Dr. Daniel H. Williams.
(He is also one of the great people on our History Makers Puzzle Block Set)
Activities:
~You can use any of our previously mentioned activities as an opportunity to practice listening with your child.
Examples:
~Cooking something healthy: recite some of the recipe to your child and ask them to repeat the instructions.
~Public Speaking: After you give a presentation, ask your child to recite some of the key reasons you like a particular thing or activity. You should do the same when your child presents their favorite things.
~Math: When teaching your child the value of each coin, you can quiz them to see if they were listening. For going grocery shopping, you can give your child a specific set of instructions for what to add together. Then ask them to recite the instructions.
~Drawing a picture you can’t see - Create a drawing or find a simple design online and print it out. Be careful not to show your child the image! With paper and a pencil, ask your child to start drawing the shape while you describe it. Say you drew a circle with a line straight down the middle. You can instruct your child to draw a circle, and once they complete that, then instruct them to draw a line from top to bottom, right down the middle.
If your child starts drawing without waiting to hear the whole set of instructions, let them continue.
When the image is complete, show your child the image you were looking at and see how similar they are! You both can discuss what went well, and what didn’t. Then, if you want to have your child practice giving instructions, let them create a shape and instruct you what to draw.
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Edmonia Lewis is known as the first professional African American and Native American sculptor. She made money through her sculptures and eventually went to Rome to further her studies. Some of her most famous works include a bust of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw and Cleopatra, entitled The Death of Cleopatra. Click here to read more about Edmonia Lewis.
Activities for Art
~Try different mediums! Some people prefer paint, others prefer clay, while others prefer textiles like yarn. There are so many different mediums, styles, and projects out there for you and your child to try. The artful parent compiled a list of different art projects you and your child can try, many with household items. Click here to see some of the Artful Parent’s suggestions.
~Visit an art museum. Part of art is the ability to appreciate the work of others. Find art that interests you and your child and share what you both like and don’t like about the piece.
No art museum nearby?
There are smart phone apps available from different art museums. Some apps give virtual tours of the museum, while others show up close images of some of the pieces.
~Try copying a favorite masterpiece! Sometimes it’s hard to try different art styles, so having something to imitate is helpful. Try pieces like Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night, Edvard Munch’s the Scream, or Georgia O’Keeffe’s Red Poppy.]]>Benjamin Banneker had a love and talent for math. He taught himself mathematics and used his gift to pursue astronomy and surveying. Banneker assisted with surveying land for the United States’ capital and wrote several almanacs with a variety of useful information. Click here to learn more about Benjamin Banneker.
Activities for Math:
~Learning to Count Money (Addition and Monetary Skills)
Teach your child the different values of US currency coins. (A dime is smaller than a nickel, but it is worth more!) Then, challenge your child to add up a different pile of change every week for a given time period. If your child is correct in adding the value of the coins together, they get to keep the change!
You can even toss it up and throw in a dollar to add to the challenge.
This activity teaches addition and monetary skills. Plus, what child wouldn’t love to make some money!
~Keep tally at the grocery store or supermarket
Bring a calculator, or a pad of paper and a pencil, and ask your child to write down prices of some of the items on the shopping list. Then you’re your child add them together.
You can also combine this activity with shopping for ingredients for your nutritious meal. Your child can write down the price of the ingredients of the meal to see how much the meal costs.
]]>Maria Stewart had the confidence to become a public speaker. Stewart is known as the first woman to speak publicly on politics. She continued giving speeches and writing throughout her life. Click here to read about Maria Stewart.
Activities for Public Speaking:
For these activities, it is good practice to have everyone stand when they speak. It will help mimic situations when your child will need to do presentations in front of their class.
~Have your child present one of their favorite memories from the week or the summer. Ask them to explain why that memory was their favorite.
Take turns as a family! Have everyone share their favorite memory from the week.
~You and your child can take turns presenting your favorite things. You can bring an item up to the front of the room and share what the item is and why you like it.
~Has your child been asking for something they really, really, want? Why not ask them to give you, or the family, a presentation about what they want and why they want it so badly?
~If your child has been reading, ask them to give you a short verbal report about the book they read? Ask them what they liked about the book, and what they didn’t like.
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With our fast pace society, sometimes it can be a challenge to consistently eat well. Below we have provided some fun tips to get the whole family involved in a healthy eating lifestyle.
Activities:
~Cook a healthy meal together! With your child, pick a recipe that looks good to both of you. There are plenty of recipes out there that fit all kind of tastes, budgets, and time constraints. EatingWell offers a lot of recipes online that range in time demand and difficulty. CountryLiving also offers some recipes, including crock pot recipes, which are great for people who have little time, but want a home cooked meal.
Click here to visit Eating Well.
Click here to visit Country Living.
Once you and your child pick the recipe you want to cook, go shopping for the ingredients.
Cooking is always a great time to bond with other people, and your child will get to learn things about cooking something healthy and delicious!
Cooking can also be a great time to test your child's listening skills. Read some of the recipe to your child and ask them to repeat what you said. Following a recipe is the same as following instructions. It might be a good time to share the importance of following instructions with your child.
~Look at the Nutrition Facts on some of your favorite foods. There are a lot of long, complicated words on a label, but there is one part of the nutrition label that is pretty easy to understand - serving size. With your child, count or measure out the appropriate serving size.
If you or your child don't normally eat the serving size, discuss the differences between what you measured and what you normally eat. You can discuss that serving sizes are just suggestions and not a law that must be followed. Serving sizes just let us know how to count things like calories and sugar intake.
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Paul Laurence Dunbar was taught to read by his mother and found a deep love for poets like John Keats and William Wordsworth. His love for reading extended into his schooling where he was president of his school’s literary society. Dunbar’s love of reading, especially reading poems, led him to become a published poet. Click here to learn more about Paul Laurence Dunbar.
Reading can help people find their passions. Dunbar was inspired to be a poet himself, while others find a fascination with history, science, or mysteries. Reading also helps people with their writing skills and their vocabulary. Plus, it’s a fun past time!
Activities for Reading:
~Take your child to a library or a book store and have them pick out some stories that interest them.
~You can also challenge your child to read a book they might not normally read. Do you have a fiction lover? Try a non-fiction book for kids or a poetry book instead.
~Create your own reading club with your child! Both of you pick a book for the two of you to read. Then you can discuss what you liked and didn't like about the book.
Is your child still not interested in reading?
Sometimes it’s hard to find the time between playing and school and all the other extracurricular activities. It’s sometimes even harder to pull your child away from whatever screen they are staring at. You can set a compromise this summer. For every minute of reading they do, you can give them a minute in front of their favorite screen. For example, 15 minutes of reading for 15 minutes of video games.
Another incentive idea is to reward your child for completing more challenging books. For every milestone they reach, you can offer them a reward of some sort- a new toy, a new game, time with friends, or a candy bar.
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Shocking, right?
Despite your best efforts, your child just isn’t interested in how beneficial it will be for them to keep up with learning. You can’t really blame them, it is their vacation. But, studies have shown that summer vacation can cause a loss in what children have learned and it isn’t often understood by a child until later in life.
But what can we do?
One way to keep children, and adults, motivated and engaged is to provide incentives to them. Summerlearning.org proposes the idea of creating “Mom” or “Dad” dollars that can be rewarded to your child for completing learning exercises.
You can create different “Mom” and “Dad” dollars worth different amounts. Then, create a chart about what rewards these dollars can be exchanged for. There is a multitude of things you can put on the chart and it should cater it specifically to what your child wants. Assign a specific value to each reward and clearly indicate it on the chart.
Ideas for rewards:
This activity can also help your child with
math skills!
If your dollars are values at increments of 1, 2, and 5, for example, and your child wants a new toy, which costs 15 “Mom” or “Dad” dollars, your child will need to figure out how many “Mom” or “Dad” dollars they have and how many they need before they can exchange them for a new toy.
Another way you can do this is to reward stars, stickers, or check-marks every time your child completes a learning activity. Like the “Mom” or “Dad” dollars, after a certain number of checks are earned, a reward is provided.]]>Phillis Wheatley found a love of writing and understood the importance of the written word, becoming a published poet at age 13. Click here to learn more.
Being able to write well helps convey ideas and avoid misunderstandings. Writing well is an important skill that is needed in school, at work, and in our personal lives. Like any other skill, a person’s writing can get better with practice.
Activities to practice writing:
Writing exercises should be done periodically. Set a minimum length (a paragraph, a page) and a frequency (daily, weekly) for your child to write.~Ask your child to write about something he or she recently learned. Sometimes when someone learns something, they can forget it. But, writing it down can help keep it in your memory. Keep the writing going by asking your child to share why this was something interesting to learn.
~Ask your child to create a short story. Whatever comes to mind, write and share it.
~Think of a poem, write down the words, then share it with all the world! The poem can be about an experience, a memory, something silly, or something from the heart. Phillis Wheatley would be proud.