November is a tangy mix of cold and bright. It is the transition month between the rainy monsoon and the cold winter. November is when we pull out our fancy pull-overs, blazers, over-coats and beanies. November is about being hopeful of a new beginning. Hello November.

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Welcome to a new month with new strategies, AITs. Don't forget to read Pat's latest post and see what others are saying about ‘Cultivating a Culturally Responsive Classroom Community.” 

Dates to Remember

Interesting Facts about November

November is one of the four months in the year with only 30 days in it. Name the other three.

The flower for the month of November is the chrysanthemum which symbolizes honesty, joy, and optimism.

November’s traditional birthstone is the topaz, usually a yellow to amber color. The ancient Greeks believed that topaz could make a wearer invisible. A symbol of honor and strength, topaz was also believed to bring longevity and wisdom.

Scorpio and Sagittarius are the astrological signs for November. Birthdays from November 1st through the 21st fall under the Scorpio sign. November 22nd through November 30th birthdays fall under the sign of Sagittarius.

Movember, the month formerly known as November, is when men around the world grow a moustache, and women step up to support them, all to raise awareness and funds for men's health.

Come on a virtual Tundra Buggy trip in Churchill, Canada to see polar bears as they wait for winter sea ice to form on Hudson Bay.

A Tundra Buggy is a low-impact, all-terrain vehicle specially designed to operate in the harsh conditions found in the Arctic with minimal environmental impact. The height of these buggies enables them to navigate through small streams and snow drifts and keeps the guests inside safe.

EXPLORE is the largest live nature cam network on the planet. We bring nature to you, raw, unscripted, and unedited. Enjoy the natural world as it unfolds in real time in front of our cameras. EXPLORE.org takes you from Kenya, Africa to the riverbanks of Katmai, Alaska and everywhere in between.

November is the month for remembering. On November 11, we pay tribute to members of the Canadian Armed Forces who fought to defend our values and freedoms, and to those who continue to serve our country today. Lest we forget.

Riddle Me This

What do you get when you drop a pumpkin?

A Squash

There is a bush, a pine tree, and an oak tree and it is the fall season. If the wind is blowing towards the west, which way does the leaves on the pine tree fall?

A pine tree doesn’t have leaves. It has needles.

I’m tall when I’m young and I’m short when I’m old. What am I?

A Candle

What falls but never breaks?

Nightfall.

What asks but never answers?

An owl.

I can travel at nearly 100 miles per hour, but never leave the room. You can cover me up, but that doesn’t slow me down. You will not know if I come only once or again and again and again. What am I?

A sneeze.

Eyes on the Skies

The Beaver Moon reaches peak illumination in the morning hours of Monday, November 27, at 4:16 A.M. EST. Of course, it will be very close to full the night before, so plan to look for it starting on Sunday, November 26, just after sunset!

November’s Moon names highlight the actions of animals preparing for winter and the onset of the colder days ahead. Digging (or Scratching) Moon, a Tlingit name, evokes the image of animals foraging for fallen nuts and shoots of green foliage and bears digging their winter dens. The Dakota and Lakota term Deer Rutting Moon refers to the time when deer seek mates, and the Algonquin Whitefish Moon describes the spawning time for this fish.

In reference to the seasonal change of November, this Moon has been called the Frost Moon by the Cree and Assiniboine peoples and the Freezing Moon by the Anishinaabe—for good reason, as winter is right around the corner!

November comes
And November goes,
With the last red berries
And the first white snows.

With night coming early,
And dawn coming late,
And ice in the bucket,
And frost by the gate.

The fires burn
And the kettles sing,
And the earth sinks to rest
Until next spring.