Scholastic

During the webcast—which will be globally accessible—Baldacci will present some of the most fascinating artifacts in the Smithsonian’s national collections, including the Lewis and Clark compass (which is featured in Baldacci’s 39 Clues book), Abraham Lincoln’s pocket watch, and the original Star-Spangled Banner, the flag that inspired Frances Scott Key to compose our national anthem. Viewers will also “meet” renowned museum curators and explore some of the most mysterious moments in American history.

“I’m thrilled to be part of the joint program between the powerhouse combination of Scholastic and the Smithsonian,” Baldacci says. “History and books, what could be better? Each entertains and educates. And The 39 Clues series and the Smithsonian do both, splendidly.”

Day of Doom will be the sixth and final book in the multi-platform series of books, collectible cards, and an online game that debuted in September 2008 for ages 8-12.

Prolific and bestselling author David Baldacci‘s first book, Absolute Power, was published 1996; he has since written more than 25 novels, plus two titles for young readers in the Freddy and the French Fries series. He was inducted into the International Crime Writing Hall of Fame in 2011.

David Baldacci. Credit: Travis Riggs, Creative Edge Studios.

“Scholastic is honored to have author David Baldacci as part of our groundbreaking and innovative 39 Clues team and we couldn’t be more excited that he has agreed to lead our exclusive webcast,” says Ellie Berger, President, Scholastic Trade. “We are also thrilled to collaborate with the renowned institution, Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, on this unique and educational virtual tour that will reach countless classrooms and libraries around the globe and is a perfect way to merge history, mystery, and storytelling.”

According to the company, the webcast will help teachers meet the “Speaking & Listening” Common Core Standards for English and Language Arts. There are currently more than 15 million copies in print worldwide of the series and more than 2 million registered users for the online game.

A movie is currently in development with Dreamworks.

Presidential inauguration: “Teaching the 57^th U.S. Presidential Inauguration” is an online conference series being launched by the Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies. Participation is free, and it’s opened to students, teachers, and the general public. According to a recent news release, it will focus on “the historical and contemporary significance of the inauguration ceremonies” and it will offer “context and information for student groups that will be traveling to Washington for inaugural events as well as for classes that will be viewing these activities through various forms of media.”

There are two parts to the conference. On Monday, January 7, 2013 at 4pm EST, there will be a 50 minute teacher preview session during which educators at the Smithsonian will highlight relevant museum resources and discuss teaching strategies to prepare students to participate in the main online conference to be held on Thursday, January 10th starting at 1pm. These three 50-minute sessions will have a Q&A format with Smithsonian curators and a moderator providing information and answering questions sent to them by students.

The website also features a virtual exhibit hall that includes museum website links, interdisciplinary resources, and activities for students to engage in before, during and after the online sessions. Among those resources are a video, “The Curators’ Tour of Inaugurations Past,” and an online exhibition that examines the history of the American presidency, “The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden.” For more information and to register, visit the conference website.

Grammy nominations:  Five children’s music albums were nominated for a 2013 Grammy Award by the Academy of Recording Arts on December 6. The top contenders in the Children’s Album category are Can You Canoe (RedEye Dist.), performed by the Okee Dokee Brothers (childhood friends Joe Mailander and Justin Lansing); Bill Harley’s High Dive and Other Things That Could Have Happened (Round River); the JumpinJazz Kids’s A Swinging Jungle Tale (JumpinJazzKids), narrated by James Murray and featuring Dee Dee Bridgewater, Al Jarreau, Hubert Laws, and various artists; Little Seed: Songs for Children by Woody Guthrie (Smithsonian Folkways), re-imagined renditions of classic Guthrie favorites by Elizabeth Mitchell; and the Pop Ups’s (Brooklyn-based music duo Jason Rabinowitz and Jacob Stein) Radio Jungle (CDBaby.com). The winner will be announced at the awards ceremony on February 10.

Early Childhood Education

A learning initiative: What role should libraries and museums play in early learning? On December 5 leaders from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the Campaign for Grade Level Reading hosted the first in a series of activities that will become the basis for a policy report that “will lay the foundation for decision makers at the local, state, and federal levels to fully use the capacity of libraries and museums in their early learning efforts.” The report is expected to be released in April 2013.

The meeting included representatives from the Smithsonian Institution, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Education, the National League of Cities, the National Governors Association, libraries, museums, public and private funders, and others. The topics under discussion included how libraries and museums are expanding early childhood learning in their communities, strategies to engage museums and libraries in early learning decision making, and ways to establish relationships with civic leaders, policy makers, and others to influence libraries and museums to help meet our nation’s early learning challenges.

Libraries and museums reach millions of children each year, and it is exciting to bring that capacity into focus,” said IMLS director Susan Hildreth. “I am delighted that we will be able to tap expertise nationwide so that libraries and museums can more effectively engage in early learning strategies at the community, state, and national level.”

The Campaign for Grade Level Reading is “a collaborative effort by foundations, nonprofit partners, states and communities across the nation to ensure that more children in low-income families succeed in school and graduate prepared for college, a career, and active citizenship. The Campaign focuses on the most important predictor of school success and high school graduation—grade-level reading by the end of third grade.”