Remember Me
forgot your password?

Homeschooling Groundhog Day: Who is Punxsutawney Phil?

Punxsutawney Phil is a 120 year old groundhog. A groundhog, also known as a woodchuck, is a plant-eating member of the squirrel family known to infuriate farmers and drivers in rural areas. But Phil is seemingly no ordinary groundhog.

In 1723, the Delaware Indians settled in the Punxsutawney, PA area. Near Pittsburgh, this small town was named after the Indian word for “sandflies” that populated the area. In 1886 the Punxsutawney Spirit dubbed a particular groundhog "Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators, and Weather Prophet Extraordinary”. That first year, Phil did not see his shadow, signifying early spring.

Each year since, a groundhog called Punxsutawney Phil (the original Phil died over a century ago of course) is closely observed on “Gobbler’s Knob” so that journalists and hobbyists all over the country can report the next six weeks of weather.

There are other cities that have similar Groundhog Day mascots. For instance, Wiarton Willie is Canada’s answer to Punxsutawney Phil. In 1956, Mac McKenzie held a Groundhog Day party just for fun. The party was visited by a Toronto reporter who was dismayed to find that he did not have much of a story to report. So Willie grabbed his wife’s fur hat, burrowed into the snow, and came out with a prognostication. No one remembers what the prediction was, but a picture of Willie became a famous image in the newspaper. Brandon Bob, Grundoon, Muldoon, and Sand Dune, Balzac Billie, Staten Island Chuck, Gary the Groundhog, Shubenacadie Sam, and other groundhogs are observed in other cities around North America. Punxsutawney’s tourism board insists that these other groundhogs are imposters.

Mimi Rothschild

Mimi Rothschild is a homeschooling parent, author, children's rights advocate, and Founder and C.E.O. of Learning by Grace, Inc. She and her husband of almost 3 decades reside with their 8 children in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Rothschild co-founded Learning By Grace, Inc. because "our current system of education has broken its promise..." Learning By Grace, Inc. delivers Internet-based multimedia education to PreK-12 children in the United States and throughout the world.

Rothschild has authored a number of books about education published by McGraw Hill and others. Her Daily Education News Blog contains feature stories on alternatives in education.

Rate this Article: 1 / 5 stars - 1 vote(s)
Print Email Re-Publish

Add new Comment



Captcha

  • Latest Homeschooling Articles
  • More from Mimi Rothschild

Examsoon Cisco 640-553 practice test

By: aminalee | 04/01/2010
Exam Number: 640-553 Associated Certifications: CCNA Security Duration: 90 minutes (55-65 questions) Available Languages: English, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Portuguese, Korean, French, Spanish

In Quran: The Prophet Muhammad's wives were remarkable women

By: Prof.dr. Ibrahim Khalil | 03/01/2010
In the Quran Allah says: O you wives of the Prophet (Muhammad)! Whosoever of you is submissive, obedient unto Allah and His messenger and does right between herself and her Lord, Allah shall give her reward twice over a double reward; and Allah has prepared a noble provision for her, in Paradise, in addition to the twofold reward.

Fireplace:What You Need To Know Before You Buy

By: Greg Prather | 01/01/2010
Create a warm living environment and added value to your home with a fireplace. Create a warm living environment and added value to your home with a fireplace.

Homeschool Education - Is it a Radical Or Right Choice?

By: cyra miles | 31/12/2009
Is it really a radical choice for parents to decide to homeschool? Or should we applaud these parents for making the right choice about their children's education?

Home Schooling Program: What You Need To Know

By: Dvonn | 31/12/2009
Homeschooling, whatever it's purpose is essentially the parent taking responsibility for his / her kid's education and is a completely satisfactory process. Is homeschooling allowed in my state? - Yes, homeschooling is permitted in all 50 states there are variations in the fulfilment. The majority of the time, the super must first be informed with the intentions of homeschooling.

In Bible versus Quran: they need few days to separate from their wives

By: Prof.dr. Ibrahim Khalil | 28/12/2009
The Bible says that (aiming to get rid of their foreign wives), the congregation said: there are many people here and it is the rainy season; so we cannot stand outside. Besides, this matter cannot be taken care of in a day or two, because we have sinned greatly in this thing. This story is not mentioned therein in the entire Quran.

Is your child’s teacher qualified?

By: shashanks | 26/12/2009
While a dedicated and learned teacher can inspire his pupils to learn creative things, an ignorant mentor can mislead his students. That is why teaching is considered to be a noble profession. Just as a patient’s life depends on the surgeon operating on him, a student’s entire life is dependent on the way his teacher guides him.

Examining With Your Free Home School Book

By: Douglas M. Parks | 26/12/2009
Home study is a serious issue to getting the head start. It demands a fixed routine, perseverance and diligence to stick to the routine that the parent, tutor or yourself, has laid out for you. You just getting the head start would be good for life. You would have deadlines to meet, and projects too to do. You just have to stay focused.

Public School Graduates Reject Christ

By: Mimi Rothschild | 08/05/2007 | Homeschooling
Will your child believe in Jesus when he or she graduates from high school?...

Homeschool Students More Socialized

By: Mimi Rothschild | 08/05/2007 | Homeschooling
More than any other issue, the socialization question seems to scare away parents from homeschooling...

Home School Myths: Low Education Standards" Myth of Homeschooling

By: Mimi Rothschild | 08/05/2007 | Homeschooling
Let's be honest: When people here the term "homeschooling", one of the first images that pops into their mind is a backwards, old-fashioned, inadequate form of education...

Home School Myths: No Socialization" Myth of Homeschooling

By: Mimi Rothschild | 08/05/2007 | Homeschooling
One of the greatest myths that exist about the homeschooling phenomenon is that children who learn at home will not develop the necessary social skills needed for later in life...

Home School Myths: I Don't Have the Ability to Homeschool" Myth

By: Mimi Rothschild | 08/05/2007 | Homeschooling
Many parents are growing discontent with the services the public school systems have to offer, yet private schools are too expensive...

Sex in the Public Schools

By: Mimi Rothschild | 08/05/2007 | Homeschooling
The Washington Post states that 900,000 teenage girls become pregnant each year...

Drug and Alcohol Use in Public Schools

By: Mimi Rothschild | 08/05/2007 | Homeschooling
Drug and alcohol use in our public schools is one thread in an enormous tapestry of dangers that public school students face each year...

Decline of Academic Excellence in the Public School

By: Mimi Rothschild | 08/05/2007 | Homeschooling
To most homeschoolers, the decline of academic quality in America’s public school is not news...

Submit Your Articles Free: Signup
Article Categories




Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the Terms Of Use and Privacy Policy | User published content is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Copyright © 2005-2008 Free Articles by ArticlesBase.com, All rights reserved. (0.21, 1, w2)