Observance Days
Wisconsin's 21 special observance days are part of state statutes governing general school operations (Wis. Stat. sec. 118.02). In addition, there are federal observances which are either designated by Congress in Title 36 of the United States Code (36 U.S.C. § 101 et seq.), or by presidential proclamation.
Resources for WI Observance Days
The links below will take you to the Wisconsin Observance Day WiseLearn Group for each specific Wisconsin Observance Day. The curated resources are from trusted partners such as universities, the Library of Congress, and the Smithsonian.
The resources often suggest the use of primary source documents and photographs to help students critically analyze people and events. Note that student access to a primary source does not alone meet Wisconsin standards and curricular objectives; teachers are encouraged to consider primary source analysis processes such as those suggested by the National Archives and the Library of Congress. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction encourages educators to recognize people and groups throughout the year and not just on their special day or month.
Observance days are listed in the order they will arrive during the school year.
Federal Observances and Presidential Proclamations Related to Social Studies
The links below will take you to Pinterest boards for each specific federal observance day. As with the Wisconsin resources, these are from trusted partners such as universities, the Library of Congress, and the Smithsonian.
The resources often suggest the use of primary source documents and photographs to help students critically analyze people and events.
Observance days are listed in the order they will arrive during the school year.
Please note: All links to outside resources are free to public use. Any links those sites may have to resources for purchase are not reviewed or endorsed by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.