Today’s Wonder of the Day was inspired by Salih. Salih Wonders, “Are protests good or bad? ” Thanks for WONDERing with us, Salih!
On June 1, 1996, the largest demonstration for children in U.S. history took place in Washington, D.C. Over 300,000 people met that day at the Lincoln Memorial. It was the first-ever Stand for Children Day.
Since then, many people around the United States have recognized June 1 as Stand for Children Day. On this date, they plan special events to promote children’s issues.
Those who attended the first Stand for Children Day sent a clear message. They wanted to improve the lives of American children through better education. They were inspired by the civil rights Rosa Parks. She once said, “If I can sit down for justice, you can stand up for children.”
But what exactly does it mean to stand for something? It means to hold firmly to an opinion or belief. To stand for something means you give it your support. That means Rosa Parks stood for something by sitting down!
Certain words have feelings associated with them. Many see sitting as a passive action. Some see it as the opposite of doing something. Standing is more active. When you stand, you take action. That’s why standing is connected to supporting a cause.
For example, many fans at a baseball game will sit in their seats to enjoy the game. If someone hits a home run, though, most people will stand and cheer.
Likewise, when actors in a play give great performances, they get a standing ovation. This means the audience stands up to applaud. Thus, rising to your feet can mean appreciation or support for something.
If you support better public education, then you can stand for children. But there are also thousands of other causes around the world looking for supporters.
A cause is a charitable movement that seeks to encourage support for an issue. The causes you will come across in your life reflect the many passions of people all over the world.
Support can take many forms. Some people donate their money. Other people volunteer their time and talents to projects important to them.
Of course, you can also support a cause with your actions. As the world learned from Rosa Parks, sometimes actions speak louder than words.
Many causes relate to health problems that need cures or research. Other causes may be social, such as equal justice for all people. They may also be environmental, such as recycling to conserve precious natural resources.
Whatever you are passionate about, there’s sure to be a cause that you can support. You never know when your actions might make the world a better place!
Standards: C3.D2.Civ.12, C3.D2.Civ.14, C3.D2.His.2, CCRA.L.3, CCRA.L.6, CCRA.R.1, CCRA.R.2, CCRA.R.4, CCRA.R.10, CCRA.SL.1, CCRA.W.4