Resource Collections

Learning around the history, culture, and tribal sovereignty of Wisconsin’s eleven federally-recognized American Indian nations and tribal communities (in support of Act 31).

Helpful for:
Indigenous Peoples' Day (2nd Monday in October)
Native American Heritage Month (November)

Books, articles, and videos to help teach about the Hindu "Festival of Lights" - Diwali.

Diwali takes place between October and November, with the date changing every year. It is on the 15th day of the 8th month, Kartik, in the Indian calendar. The main celebrations occur on the third day of Diwali, the darkest day of the month, coinciding with the Hindu lunisolar calendar.

Books, articles, and videos to help learn about Lunar New Year. Chinese New Year is one of the most well known of the festivals, but people in Vietnam, North and South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, and other countries celebrate as well. 

The lunar calendar is based on the cycles of the moon, so the dates of the holiday vary slightly from year to year. The new year begins sometime between January 21 and February 20 according to Western calendars. The festivals last for 15 days.

February is Black History Month. Although we, of course, read feature Black characters, joy, and excellence all year long, this collection links some resources for you that may be helpful to share with students and plan your events/read alouds.

Carter G. Woodson was a scholar whose dedication to celebrating the historic contributions of Black people led to the establishment of Black History Month, marked by U.S. Presidents every February since 1976.  He first set out to designate a time to promote and educate people about Black history and culture in 1926 - the second week of February.

The holy month of Ramadan is observed by most of the world's 1.6 billion Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. It is the most important month on the Islamic calendar.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar. It begins and ends with the appearance of the crescent moon. Because the Muslim calendar year is shorter than the Gregorian calendar year, Ramadan begins 10–12 days earlier each year, allowing it to fall in every season throughout a 33-year cycle.

Holi is a popular and significant Hindu festival that comes from India and Nepal. It celebrates the start of spring and the victory of good over evil. During celebrations participants throw colored water and powders on one another. For this reason Holi is also called the Festival of Colors. It offers people the opportunity to begin anew with a fresh start. 

Holi is celebrated on the full moon day in the Hindu month of Phalguna, which usually falls in March according to the Gregorian calendar.