I continue to add to my new series, Let’s Meet… people from the Ancient World includes several women who have made contributions in history. Now, I am beginning a series, Let’s Meet…people in the Middle Ages.This particular reading is on Hildegard of Bingen. Hildegard was a Prophet, abbess, composer, religious leader, writer of the Middle Ages. Her play may be the FIRST known musical! Her writings are still read today. The short reading shares(in the first person) a recounting of the person’s life(in this case Hildegard). There are several Did You Know? fun facts, comprehension questions, a map skill activity for the area of the world the person lived, a teacher’s section with extension activities, the key and additional links.

Studying Egypt? Want to share with kids some fun mummy facts? Check out this Amazing Mummy Facts FREEBIE. I also have an internet activity on mummies of the world, a reading on Hatshepsut, a reading on Ramses, a unit of study(with notes, links, activities AND an internet Activity) and a review activity on vocabulary on Ancient Egypt.

Studying the Ancient Romans? Looking for a Friday Activity to introduce students to countries of the world? Part of my Country in Focus Series, this web quest covers the country of Italy and the ancient Romans. Students will learn about the contributions of the people from Italy, famous people, places to visit and more. There are 11 web questions, a map skill activity on Italy, a Did You Know? fun fact section, comprehension questions and a Teacher Page with Looking for an internet activity that includes 10 extension activities, additional links and the keys.

Leif Eriksson Day is October 9th. There are different spellings for his name. Studying the Vikings? Looking for a Reader’s Theater Script in Social Studies? Check out this script on the Vikings and Leif Ericsson and his father, Erik the Red. Part of my Ms. Bie Ografee Talk Show Series of plays, Leif Ericsson and his father, Eric the Red are guests on Ms. Bie Ografee’s Talk Show. They share information about their lives and the Vikings. There is a Did You Know? section of fun facts, reading comprehension questions and a teacher section with lots of extension activities, links and the key. Other plays in the Ms. Bie Ografee’s Talk Show Series: The Constitution(A Visit with James Madison, “Father of the Constitution”),Dr. Seuss, A Visit with Josh Crabtree, A Tory during the American Revolutionary War, Charles Dickens, Johnny Appleseed, Albert Einstein, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Bessie Coleman Sacagawea, George Washington Carver, Thomas Edison, Martin Luther King, Sequoia, Michelangelo, DaVinci, Tuskegee Airmen, Susan B. Anthony, Marco Polo, Christopher Columbus, an interview with a groundhog, an interview with a leprechaun, an interview with Simon, victim of the Black Death, An Interview with Agent 355, a female agent in the Culper Spy Ring(Revolutionary War), Interview with a 49er from the California Gold Rush , Albert Einstein, Rachel Carson, Katherine Johnson and more. I also have related resources on the Middle Age, a play on Christopher Columbus, the Black Death and Marco Polo and an internet activity(web quest) on the Age of Discovery.

Use this informative Reader’s Theater Script to learn about the Black Death, a disease that killed almost 1/2 the population of Europe(1347-1351). The fun/informative play uses the format of Simon, a victim of the Black Death being a guest on Ms. Bie Ografee’s talk show. A studio audience asks questions about his experiences during the time(the medical beliefs,cause, the effects the Black Death had on Europe, etc.Great for study on the Middle Ages or science unit on bacteria/contagious diseases.

A DBQ activity uses primary sources. Sources can include diaries,posters, music, news articles from the time, anything written by those who participated in or witnessed an event in history. Students review the given documents and use many cognitive skills in processing what they see and read. After gathering information using the documents, students develop an essay answering a question, in this case, “Describe Life on the Home Front During World War 2”, citing several of the documents reviewed. A teacher page includes the Key and suggestions for a rubric to grade the DBQ. If a teacher wishes to use the activity as a web quest, suggestions are also given. I also have a similar activity on Life of a Japanese-American Child living in an Internment Camp during WW2.

Learn about microorganisms including bacteria, fungi, protists and virus with this informative web quest. Students will also learn about famous people who work with microbes, including Louis Pasteur, Alexander Fleming, Joseph Lister, Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek and Edward Jenner. Students will also learn about helpful and harmful microbes. The web quest also mentions the coronavirus, has a Did You Know? section, comprehension questions and a Teacher Page with extension activities and links. There are 12 webquestions in the resource.Contact me at Q/A if you’d like a student version.

Have students learn about the Tour de France and history of the Bicycle with this FREE handout or Interactive Notebook Activity. Please check out my other resources at my TES Store. Thank you. Gail Hennessey

Need a webquest activity in science? Maybe, you are looking for a language arts activity for students to skim to find answers and use informational text to develop a creative writing task. Maybe, you are looking for a cooperative lesson activity.Try my Leaping Leopard’s Webquest! Grades 4 and up. The webquest has 7 webquestions and 8 extension activities(and links to more information) You might be interested in web quests on additional animals: 1. The polar bear is in trouble! Warming temperatures has cause a decrease in the sea ice-something the polar bear needs to survive. The polar bear needs our help! Learn about this amazing mammal with this fun and informative webquest Additional extension activities and resources are also provided. Polar Bears, A Webquest 2.Use this informative web quest to learn about the endangered species, the Rhino. 9 web questions,lots of extension activities,comprehension questions/links. Skills include:reading for information and using research/computer skills. Rhinos: A Webquest 3. Did you know that elephants can be right or left tusked, kind of like humans are with their hands? Did you know that the elephant has the largest brain of the animal world? And if you think elephants like peanuts…they really do not! I think your students would have fun learning about the elephant with this web quest! I have included extension activities, additional trivia and the key. Elephants, A Webquest

Have students learn about Hammurabi, the important lawmaker of ancient times with this reading passage. Additional, there are several Did You Know? facts and comprehension questions. The teacher page gives additional links and the key. This could be used as a homework assignment, enrichment or as a bell ringer activity during a study on the area of Mesopotamia. Let’s Meet Series also has readings on Ramses, Hatshepsut, A Charioteer, Gladiator, Aesop, Archimedes and others. Gail Check out these additional resources: Mesopotamia, means “Land between Two Rivers”.This area is called the cradle of civilization and is where archaeologists have found the remains of the oldest historic people(dating back around 3000BC)People called the Sumerians, Babylonians, Chaldeans, Akkadians and Assyrians, all called the region of Mesopotamia home. These people left behind many ideas which we still have in our world today. This unit of study includes notes, map work, a webquest, activities and resources to help you teach your students about the people of Mesopotamia: Mesopotamia, First Historic People Unit Want a fun activity to review vocabulary terms for a unit on ancient ancient Mesopotamia? Looking for an enrichment activity in history? Try my Ancient Mesopotamia Puzzler activity. The activity involves students working individually or in groups to review vocabulary terms on Mesopotamia. Then,a following direction activity is next where students place letters from the different terms into boxes found at the end of the activity page. Once all the boxes are filled, a “secret message” about Mesopotamia is revealed! The teacher page includes additional information to share about the “secret message”. If you prefer to offer a vocabulary box, I have included this as well: Mesopotamian Puzzler!

One of the oldest lasting examples of graphic communication is the Bayeux Tapestry.It dates back to 1083. The short reading comes with comprehension questions, too.

This resource is part of my new series, “Let’s Meet…” famous people in ancient history. With this biographical reading passage, students will learn about Hannibal, the famous general of ancient times. Studying the Phoenicians? Studying Ancient Rome and the Punic Wars? This resource would be a great addition! There is a Did You Know? section, comprehension questions, map activity and a teacher page with extensions and links and the key. My Let’s Meet… series is growing. Currently, I also have the following in the series: Hatshepsut, Ramses, Socrates, Hammurabi and Aesop .

If you ask students to list a couple of famous women in history, I would think Harriet Tubman, Amelia Earhart and Rosa Parks may be mentioned. As a teacher of world history, too often there is a giant VOID when it comes to famous WOMEN in ancient History. My new series, Let’s Meet… people from the Ancient World includes several women who have made contributions in history. This particular reading is on Hypatia, thought to be the first female mathematician. The short reading shares(in the first person) a recounting of the person’s life(in this case Hypatia). There are several Did You Know? fun facts, comprehension questions, a map skill activity for the area of the world the person lived, a teacher’s section with extension activities, the key and additional links. Others in the series currently include: Alexander the Great, Hammurabi, Hannibal, Hatshepsut, Ramses, Aglaonike and Aesop.

Looking for a reading passage and activities on Sir Edmund Hillary? If, so, check out this resource which is part of my Let’s Meet Series. Done in the first person, students will learn about the life of Sir Edmund Hillary, mountaineer, humanitarian and explorer. Also included are Did You Know? Fun Facts, Comprehension Questions, a Map Activity and a Teacher Page with extension activities. The reading passage activity could also be a lesson for a substitute or for a Friday activity. Check out my resource on Mt. Everest, too. In 1923, English mountaineer George Mallory was asked,”Why do you want to climb Mt. Everest?” HIs response, “Because it’s there.” Thousands has been trying to summit the world’s highest mountain peak since this time. Learn about Mt. Everest, Nepal and the Yeti with this webquest! Lots of extension activities,interesting facts and comprehension questions are included. arts. Check out my Let’s Meet Series: I have a number of similar reading passages on famous people in this series, “Let’s Meet…” including: Phillis Wheatley(poet), Sojourner Truth(abolitionist, Women’s Rights Activist, Author), Mary Anning (paleonotologist) ,Joan of Arc(military leader),Caroline Herschel(Astronomer), Hildegard of Bingen(writer/composer), Artemisia(Female Naval Commander during the Battle of Salamis), Sophie Brahe(Astronomer), Enheduanna(first known Poet),Hanno(Sea Explorer of the Phoenicians), Agnodice(First Female Doctor of Ancient Greece), Hypatia(First female mathematician), Aglaonike(astronomer), Alexander the Great(famous general), Aesop(Fable Writer of Ancient Greece), Hannibal(famous general), Ramses(Great Pharaoh), Hatshepsut(Female Pharaoh) and Socrates(Philosopher of Ancient Greece). Other Reading Passages: George Washington and the Camel Calvin Coolidge and the “Pennsylvania Avenue Zoo” John Quincy Adams Takes a Swim Thomas Jefferson and the Mammoth Cheese Sojourner Truth Santa Fe Trail: Wind WagonThomas Revolutionary War Heroine: Catherine “Kate” Moore Barry(Battle of Cowpens) Enheduanna, First Known Poet in History Artemisia(Female Naval Commander during the Battle of Salamis) Hanno: Phoenician Explorer Ramses the Great Hatshpsut Hammurabi Alexander the Great Aesop Socrates Hannibal Hypatia: First Woman Mathematician Aglaonike(Greek astronomer) Agnodice(First Female Doctor of Ancient Greece) Julius Caesar Archimedes Sparticus Diocles Joan of Arc Phillis Wheatley Mary Anning Caroline Herschel Sophie Brahe: Astronomer and Horticulturist Hildegard of Bingen(Middle Ages) Aida de Acosta(First Woman to Fly a Powered Aircraft) Women’s Suffrage: The Silent Sentinels History of Pretzels History of Marshmallows History of Tulips Snowmen in History History of April Fools’ Day Great Wall of China Eiffel Tower Ayres Rock(Uluru) Taj Mahal Travel to Iceland Travel to Greece Travel to Japan Price

Want a fun activity to review vocabulary terms/famous people of the Age of Exploration? Looking for an enrichment activity in history? Try my Age of Exploration Secret Message activity. The activity involves students working individually or in groups to review the Age of Exploration. Then,a following direction activity is next where students place letters from the different answers into boxes found at the end of the activity page. Once all the boxes are filled, a “secret message” about the Age of Exploration is revealed! The teacher page includes additional information to share about the “secret message”. It’s a fun way to reinforce important terms/people of the Age of Exploration! If you prefer to offer a vocabulary box to the students, I have included this as well… Perhaps these additional resources may be of interest: Try my web quest on the Age of Exploration! This fun and informative webquest will be a great resource to use with your students(grades 4-8) There are 14 questions and lots of extension activities and links. There are also comprehension questions to use after the completion of the web quest. The resource addresses several common core standards in social studies. Note: Columbus,Magellan, Prince Henry, Henry Hudson, Vasco Da Gama, Marco Polo, Juan Ponce de Leon, Sir Francis Drake, Amerigo Vespucci are covered. Also Latitude/longitude, sea monsters,navigational tools, timelines,St. Brendan, Zheng He, Vikings are mentioned in extension activities. Age of Discovery, A Webquest Learn about Christopher Columbus with this informative play. There are 10 questioners asking questions of Columbus. Additionally, comprehension questions and discussion questions are included. Use with a unit on the Age of Discovery or during October for Columbus Day. Christopher Columbus, A Webquest Use this informative Reader’s Theater Script to learn about Marco Polo. Marco Polo helped to start the Age of Discovery with his book on his adventures to China. The fun/informative play uses the format of Marco Polo being a guest on a talk show and the studio audience asks questions about his life. Part of my Ms. Bie Ografee’s Talk Show Series:Marco Polo, A Reader’s Theater Script

Learn about the contributions made by Caroline Herschel, astronomer. Caroline was the first female to discover a comet and found eight. She also discovered 14 nebulae and went on to compile a catalog of nebulae which is still used today. In addition to the reading passage, there is a DiD You Know? section, comprehension questions , a map activity and a Teacher page with additional activities. Great for a unit on astronomy or during Women’s History month. Other readings in my “Let’s Meet…” series include: Alexander the Great, Hammurabi, Hannibal, Hatshepsut, Ramses, Aglaonike , Enheduanna, Sophie Brahe, Hypatia, Agnodice and Aesop. Check out my internet activity on Space: There are 12 web questions, comprehension questions and extension activities: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/space-the-final-frontier-an-internet-activity-11941871

After 76 days, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, the astronauts for the historic Apollo 11 mission to the moon, made history on July 20, 1969. After the Columbia reached the moon’s orbit, Armstrong and Aldrin went into a smaller module, the Eagle. They began a descent onto the surface of the moon and successfully landed on the moon where both men would become the first humans to actually walk on the moon. The date was July 21, 1969! Just think, from the first powered flight in 1903, it was just 66 years before we had humans walk on the moon! In 2019, it will be the 50th anniversary of this remarkable achievement! Part of my Ms. Bie Ografee Talk Show Series, Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins are guests of Ms. Bie Ografee and her studio audience ask the guests questions about their historic trip to the moon. In addition to the play, with 10 audience questioners, there are Did You Know Fun Facts, comprehension questions, a teacher page with extension activities and the key to the comprehension questions. Check out these additional resources: Learn about the history of space with this informative web quest. There are 12 web questions, comprehension questions and extension activities: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/space-the-final-frontier-an-internet-activity-11941871 Learn about Astronaut John Glenn’s historic flight to become the first American to Orbit the Earth. Years later, he would also become the oldest American to go on the Space Shuttle! This biographical web quest also contains several questions about the early days of space exploration. There are several extension activities and the key: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/astronaut-john-glenn-a-webquest-internet-search-activity-11453536

Did you know that a polar bear can swim up to 100 miles non-stop? Did you know that a polar bear doesn’t hibernate like other bears do in the winter? The polar bear is in trouble! Warming temperatures has cause a decrease in the sea ice-something the polar bear needs to survive. The polar bear needs our help! Learn about this amazing mammal with this fun and informative webquest Additional extension activities and resources are also provided. Perhaps, you might be interested in other animal web quests. Need a webquest activity in science? Maybe, you are looking for a language arts activity for students to skim to find answers and use informational text to develop a creative writing task. Maybe, you are looking for a cooperative lesson activity.Try my Leaping Leopard’s Webquest! Grades 4 and up. The webquest has 8 webquestions and 8 extension activities(and links to more information). Leopards, A Webquest 2… Only SIX northern white rhinos are left(2014)Only about 5,000 rhinos are left in the wild.Use this informative web quest to learn about this endangered species. 9 web questions,lots of extension activities,comprehension questions/links. Skills include:reading for information and using research/computer skills. Rhinos, A Webquest Did you know that elephants can be right or left tusked, kind of like humans are with their hands? Did you know that the elephant has the largest brain of the animal world? And if you think elephants like peanuts…they really do not! I think your students would have fun learning about the elephant with this web quest! I have included extension activities, additional trivia and the key. Elephants, A Webquest Check out my webquest on Giraffes!

NOTE: April Fools’ Day and April Fool’s Day are both used but sources say April Fools’ Day is more correct to use. Great Activity to Introduce students to REAL vs. FAKE News Identification! Want to introduce your students to the history of April Fools’ Day? This resource provides a reading for students as well as lots of interesting famous April Fools’ Day pranks such as this one that happened in Switzerland in 1957.A news show aired a video on a spaghetti harvest in the country of Switzerland. People were pulling strands of spaghetti dangling down from trees. People actually called the news show asking how they could purchase a spaghetti tree! Additionally, there are extension activities as well as a Test your April Fools’ Day IQ(can you spot the True News Stories from the Fake ones?). There are also comprehension questions for the students to answer after reviewing the resource.One class period for Grades 4 and up. This Resource Goes well with April Fool’s Day: Check out my Resource on Digital Critical Thinking(Is that FAKE News?) Is That FAKE New?

Learn about Charles Dickens!