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What To Teach Your Kids This November 2020

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Each month at RiiRoo, we focus on different engaging topics to teach your kids in addition to what they would usually learn at school.

If you missed last month’s article - What To Teach Your Kids This October 2020, then you can read it here.

Last month we looked at Black History Month, World Space Week, National Poetry Day, Battle Of Hastings and Halloween.

This Month

This month we’re going to look at the world’s first TV service, Guy Fawkes, The Largest Passenger Liner retires, Charles Darwin, Band-Aid.

2nd November - The World’s First Regular TV Service

It’s hard to imagine a TV service starting at a certain time, since it feels like it should have been around forever. Believe it or not, The BBC (British Broadcasting Corp) Television was the first regularly scheduled public television service launched from Alexandra Palace on November 2, 1936. The transmitter was based in North London and had a 25-mile radius.

Today, millions of viewers watch Strictly Come Dancing on a Saturday and we think nothing of it. Back then an estimated 100 people tuned which at the time was revolutionary and never been done before.

Resources:

BBC Television Service launches, November 2, 1936

History of Television

The First Television Era

4th & 5th November - Guy Fawkes Was Arrested

In 1605 a chap named Guy Fawkes was arrested for a plot to blow up Parliament and King James I with 36 barrels of gunpowder under the cellars of the Houses of Parliament in London. 

This wasn’t because there was a major dislike of the King, merely based on a different religions (Protestant and Catholics).

Every year in the UK we mark the anniversary of that failure of the gunpowder plot which also included 12 other as well as Guy Fawkes on 5th November. Some people call it Guy Fawkes night and others refer to it as Bonfire night.

Resources:

Guy Fawkes Night

Why do we celebrate Bonfire Night?

Guy Fawkes - The Gunpowder Plot

24th November - Charles Darwin Publishes the “Origin of Species”

Known to be the first book of its kind, it introduced a scientific theory that populations evolved over a period of time through a process of natural selection. A theory that wasn’t even known or thought of before this book was published.

Of course, it all seems so obvious now and it is hard to imagine people thought anything other than this theory. However, before it was published people were unaware that only the strongest creatures survived whilst other died or perished.

Darwin gathered his evidence after an expedition called The Voyage of the Beagle where he sailed the seas on the ship HMS Beagle.

Resources:

Origin of Species

On the Origin of Species - Darwin Online

Charles Darwin - On the Origin of Species

25th November - Band Aid Recorded

A widespread famine (the worst to hit the country) had affected Ethiopia from 1983 to 1985 with a staggering 1.2 million dead and 400,000+ refugees feeling the country with 200,000 children who were orphaned.

Musical artists Bob Geldof and Midge Ure felt compelled to do something about it and use their voices and music to raise money for anti-famine efforts. 

They asked (mainly British) artists to help produce a record the song "Do They Know It's Christmas?" for the Christmas market that year on 25th November 1984.

The song was recorded at Sarm West Studios in Notting Hill, London. This had never been done before in the history of music where artists and groups from different genres of music got together to raise awareness and funds for such a worthy cause.

They ended up raising well over £8 million within 12 months of release and triggered an American song "We Are the World" by USA for Africa.

Resources:

About BandAid

Who Was In BandAid

The Ethiopian Famine

27th November - Largest Passenger Liner In The World Retires

Cunard’s flagship Queen Elizabeth the luxury liner that provided a weekly service between Southampton in the United Kingdom and New York City in the United States, via Cherbourg in France. 

She was considered the last of the transatlantic ocean liners until Queen Mary 2 entered service. It retired from active sea service for the last time in Southampton.

It operated as a cruise ship from 1969 to 2008 and since 18 April 2018, has been operating as a floating hotel in Dubai.

Why Is It So Famous?

In essence, it represented the true benchmark of transatlantic luxury travel where only the rich and famous could afford the travel price. It represented an era of both elegance and style.

Resources:

Queen Elizabeth Largest Passenger Liner

Cunard’s flagship Queen Elizabeth Retires

History of Cunard

So that’s it for another month. If you would like more interesting information like this, please sign up for the RiiRoo newsletter.

See you next month.

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