Summary Archives

History of Juneteenth Reading Passage Image

The History of Juneteenth

Juneteenth, celebrated on June 19th, is a significant day in American history that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. The name “Juneteenth” is a blend of “June” and “nineteenth,” marking the day in 1865 when Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, arrived in Galveston, Texas…

Gibraltar

Published in 1869, Mark Twain’s book The Innocents Abroad tells of his trip through Europe and the Mideast in 1867. In this passage, Twain has arrived in Gibraltar, gateway to the Mediterranean Sea. He is taking a tour of Rock of Gibraltar and has already heard the story of the…

Thumbelina Meets the King of the Flowers

“Oh, no. Oh, no,” cried Thumbelina. “I don’t want to marry Mr. Mole.” Chipper the field mouse shook his head. “But, it’s your wedding day! There’s no way of getting out of it now.” SWWOOOOOCCCCHH. Bluebird swooped down. “Thumbelina, my dear friend. It’s been a long time. How have you…

The Little Mermaid and Her Sisters

This young mermaid is the youngest of five sisters. She has never seen the world above the sea, but she has heard many stories about the land of humans. ————————- Nothing gave her so much pleasure as to hear about the world above the sea. She made her old grandmother…

Homework

Elena loved school. She woke up early every morning and ate her breakfast quickly so she would never be late. Kindergarten was fun! Elena also loved to play with her baby sister after school. Maria slept late because she was little, so Elena had to wait until the afternoon to…

Alexander and the Jewels

Alexander pushed with all his might against a huge stone. “I saw a wizard put jewels behind the stone. If we can move it, they’ll be ours. We’ll be rich.” “It’s too heavy for us to move,” said Raja. He leaned against the rock and wiped his forehead. “We can…

Old Dog

With great big brown eyes And a heart pure and true, She wagged her long tail, While she looked at you. Let’s go for a walk, She tried to say. But you stared at your phone, And the dog went away. She brought you a toy, Trying to get you…

Primary Source: The 1896 East St. Louis Tornado

On the afternoon of May 27, 1896, a Category 4 tornado hit St. Louis, Missouri and East St. Louis, Illinois. It is the third deadliest tornado in U.S. history, and one of the rare ones to hit a large urban area. Below is a report from The Illinois State Journal…

Primary Source: Comanche, the Army Horse and Hero

On June 25, 1876, the U.S. Army 7th Calvary under the command of Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer engaged in battle with Native Americans, including the Lakota, the Dakota, and the Arapaho tribes. The army troops were vastly outnumbered. All the soldiers with Custer when the battle began, totaling five…

Mary Chesnut: The Firing on Ft. Sumter

Mary Boykin Miller Chesnut (1823-1886) was a prominent woman from South Carolina. Her husband, James Chesnut, was a U.S. Senator before the Civil War. Well-educated, intelligent, and well-connected, Mary understood, as the Civil War began, she had a front row seat to a historic moment in history. She began recording…