Thinkfinity.org Provides Parents and Teachers with Free Holiday-Themed Educational Resources and Activities

NEW YORK - Whether you’re a teacher seeking tips to create a party reminiscent of the Christmas celebration in Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” a parent interested in learning the traditions of Hanukkah, or just trying to figure out how much it would cost to buy all the gifts in the “12 Days of Christmas,” the answers can be found at Thinkfinity.org.

All for free.

Thinkfinity.org is the Verizon Foundation’s comprehensive Web site containing more than 55,000 educational resources, including standards-based, grade-specific, K-12 lesson plans, online educational games, videos and other materials provided in partnership with 11 of the nation’s leading educational organizations.

A rich collection of winter holiday-themed resources are featured on the Thinkfinity.org home page, including:

* The Gift of Holiday Traditions: Kwanzaa, Hanukkah and Christmas: This resource from the National Endowment for the Humanities’ EdSITEment will help students understand how numerous cultures contributed to popular holiday traditions. It includes an overview of each holiday, as well as activities and links to History Channel features.
http://edsitement.neh.gov/monthly_feature.asp?id=83

* Beyond the Story: A Dickens of a Party: In this lesson from the International Reading Association and National Council of Teachers of English’s ReadWriteThink.org, students are invited to attend a 19th century party as a character from “A Christmas Carol.” Students learn about the values and customs of Victorian society and write a first-person character analysis. For grades 6-8.
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=238

* The Twelve Days of Christmas: In this lesson reviewed by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Illuminations, students are asked to calculate the total number of gifts given in the song “The 12 Days of Christmas,” along with 21st century cost of those gifts. The lesson includes worksheets and prices for each item. For grades 6-8.
http://illuminations.nctm.org/WebResourceReview.aspx?ID=3638

“The holiday season presents tremendous teaching moments for parents and educators alike,” said Verizon Foundation President Patrick Gaston. “Through Thinkfinity.org, anyone in reach of the Internet can quickly find entertaining, engaging resources to share the history of the holidays with their students or children.”

Since the launch of Verizon’s Thinkfinity.org in March 2007, the Verizon Foundation has committed more than $34 million to update and expand Thinkfinity.org and provide training to teachers.

Content for Thinkfinity.org is provided through a partnership between the Verizon Foundation and 11 of the nation’s leading organizations in the fields of education and literacy: the American Association for the Advancement of Science, International Reading Association, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, National Center for Family Literacy, National Council on Economic Education, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Council of Teachers of English, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, National Geographic Society, ProLiteracy and the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon Communications, supports the advancement of literacy and K-12 education through its signature program, Thinkfinity.org, and fosters awareness and prevention of domestic violence. In 2007, the foundation awarded more than $67.4 million in grants to nonprofit agencies in the United States and abroad. The foundation also matched the charitable donations of Verizon employees and retirees, resulting in $25.1 million in combined contributions. Through Verizon Volunteers, one of the nation’s largest employee volunteer programs, Verizon employees and retirees have volunteered more than 3 million hours of community service since Verizon’s inception in 2000. For more information on the foundation, visit www.verizon.com/foundation.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a leader in delivering broadband and other wireline and wireless communication innovations to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America’s most reliable wireless network, serving nearly 71 million customers nationwide. Verizon’s Wireline operations include Verizon Business, which delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world, and Verizon Telecom, which brings customers the benefits of converged communications, information and entertainment services over the nation’s most advanced fiber-optic network. A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 228,000 and last year generated consolidated operating revenues of $93.5 billion. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.