WOMEN OF PROTEST In celebration of the 85th anniversary of women’s right to vote in the United States, the Library of Congress is releasing online “Women of Protest: Photographs from the Records of the National Woman’s Party.” The presentation, available at http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/suffrage/nwp/, is a selection of 448 of the approximately 2,650 photographs in the Records of the National Woman’s Party, housed in the Manuscript Division of the Library of Congress. Representing the militant wing of the suffrage movement, the National Woman’s Party effectively commanded the attention of politicians and the public alike through its aggressive agitation, relentless lobbying, creative publicity stunts and disarming examples of civil disobedience. It used tableaus, parades, demonstrations and picketing, as well as its members’ arrests, imprisonment and hunger strikes, to spur public discussion and win publicity for the suffrage cause.

CALCULATING STUDENTS Texas Instruments is now offering a free CD with more than 200 ready-to-use classroom activities for math and science teachers. Activities were collected from teacher input through TI’s Activity Exchange program located on the company’s Web site. Teachers can choose either from activities that incorporate a TI graphing calculator or the TI-Navigator Learning System in various topics from pre-algebra and basic science to calculus and chemistry. The CD allows the teacher to search by subject matter, look up how the lesson aligns with state and national tests, and print out an activity guide that can be passed out to the class or used as a teaching guide. The CD also offers calculator tutorials, TI-Navigator demos, information about data collection and more. To order, visit http://education.ti.com/us/activitycd.

EYE, EYE! Middle school students and their families can learn about the importance of eye health through “Eye Didn’t Know That!” a nationwide program developed by a team of eye-care professionals, scientists and educators. The program offers teachers in-class posters and lesson plans, including information about the science of light to help students better understand the structure and function of the eye and to appreciate the importance of healthy vision. The centerpiece of the program is a traveling exhibit that has been touring across the country this year and ultimately will be donated to the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh. But many of the lesson plans and other materials, including order forms for free posters and tour dates, are available online. For more information, visit
www.eyedidntknowthat.info.

TEEN READING The American Library Association has declared Oct. 16-22 Teen Read Week. For tips, ideas and materials to help inspire teenagers to read, visit ALA’s special section on the Web, www.ala.org/teenread. A new “frequently asked questions” section has been added to the site, which features posters and other information to help teachers, librarians and parents encourage teenagers to read this week in October and throughout the year. Teen Read Week is an adolescent literacy initiative of the ALA’s Young Adult Library Services Association division.

SAFETY CONTEST October marks the launch of a new national competition for teachers tied to the Got 2B Safe! curriculum, developed by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and Honeywell. The contest aims to recognize America’s safest classrooms and specific teachers who are implementing, or will implement, the Got 2B Safe! curriculum, a free program designed to help families and educators prevent child abduction through commonsense rules. The grand prize is a “classroom makeover” and several runners-up prizes are also offered. For complete contest guidelines, visit www.honeywell.com/got2bsafe.

JAPAN STUDY The Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program provides U.S. educators with fully funded study tours of Japan. The program is designed to increase understanding between the people of Japan and the United States by inviting U.S. elementary and secondary educators to visit Japan. Participants learn about Japanese culture and education; upon returning home, they design and implement a plan to share their knowledge and experience with their students, colleagues, and the community. Now in its 10th year, the program is sponsored by the government of Japan and every year sends up to 600 educators to the country. The deadline for the 2006 JFMF competition is Dec. 10, 2005. An online application is available at www.iie.org/jfmf. For more information, additional materials, or if you have any questions, call the program toll-free at 888/527-2636 or e-mail jfmf@iie.org.

COLUMBUS CHALLENGE The Christopher Columbus Awards is a free program that challenges middle school students to find ways to improve their communities. The program, now in its 10th year, allows teams of up to four students and a coach to identify a community problem and use the scientific process to solve it. Past winners have included a group of Native American girls who built a study hall out of straw on the Crow Indian Reservation in Montana, and many teams have gone on to develop patents for their ideas. The program is sponsored by the Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation with support from the National Science Foundation. The deadline for entries is Feb. 13, 2006. For more information and competition guidelines, visit www.christophercolumbusawards.com or call 800/291-6020.

STAMPS AND SUCH October is National Stamp Collecting Month and the American Philatelic Society offers a number of online resources to show students the enjoyment of this educational hobby. Visit http://www.stamps.org/kids/kid_StampFun.htm for information on such topics as new stamp arrivals, tips on how to start a club or a collection, and interesting facts about stamps and mail delivery. Also included is a special “Lewis & Clark” activity section highlighting stamps that commemorate the landmark expedition.