I taught for 33 years and I have my MST in the teaching of Social Studies. In 1988, I was awarded the Elementary Social Studies Classroom Teacher of the Year Award from both the New York State Council for the Social Studies and the National Council for the Social Studies. My shop contains mostly social studies materials including web quests, and reader's theater scripts on famous people in history, science and literature.
I taught for 33 years and I have my MST in the teaching of Social Studies. In 1988, I was awarded the Elementary Social Studies Classroom Teacher of the Year Award from both the New York State Council for the Social Studies and the National Council for the Social Studies. My shop contains mostly social studies materials including web quests, and reader's theater scripts on famous people in history, science and literature.
This 10 question webquest on the Renaissance is packed with lots of information.Extension activities, comprehension questions, fun facts and resource links and key.This activity can be done as a one day lesson to learn about the Renaissance or several days if you wish to use the extension activities. Skills include:reading for information and using research/computer skills.
Go on the Expedition to explore the Louisiana Purchase with Meriwether Lewis and William Clark and the rest of the group. The informative webquestions will give students lots of information about the famous expedition.Several extension activites/resources are also included. Skills include:reading for information and using research/computer skills.
Use this Interactive Notebook Activity to share information about the famous Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree’s history! There are several extension activities for kids to do with the information.
NOTE: My interview with Ed Pauze, head gardener and the person who selects the tree each year can be found in the December issue of Highlights for Children.(2022)
NOTE: The 2023 selected tree is from my area. It was found in a yard of a family living near Binghamton University in Vestal, NY. :-)
PLEASE consider FOLLOWING my Store. Thank you. Gail Hennessey
Check out these resources to use for this time of year:
During the holidays is a great time to share with kids the many traditions which have been shared with different cultures. Learn the history behind some popular holiday traditions from around the world with this webquest: Holiday Traditions from Around the World: A Webquest
2. A Christmas Carol is probably the most popular holiday story. Have your students learn about Charles Dickens,one of the most famous writers of all times! 8 informative web questions. Additional activities/links,too. It is said Dickens used an amazing 4.6 million different words in his writing! Charles Dickens, A Webquest
3. Which president didn’t allow a Christmas tree because he was an environmentalist? Which president organized a snowball fight in the White House for kids(using cotton balls). Which president hired a camel to entertain kids at Christmas time? Learn 12 informative facts about the Holidays at the White House: Holiday Traditions at the White House
4. Need a fun/informative activity to celebrate the New Year after vacation? There are nine questions, lots of interesting customs of how people celebrate New Year’s around the world, comprehension questions, extension activities and the key. Great activity for reading for information and research/computer skills. ( Diwali, Chinese New Year, Songkran and Rosh Hashanah included): New Year’s Eve Traditions: A Webquest
Use this fun factoid activity on chocolate with your students on a Friday, for Valentine’s Day, a sub or when you are looking for a one-day activity. In additional to facts, there are question for the students to answer. A possible Interactive Notebook Activity to use with your students.
Check out this Valentine Freebie, part of my larger resource. There are 4 web questions, 5 fun facts, 7 Red Game Statements and a Teacher page with extension activities.
Check out the complete resource: Valentine’s Day is February 14th. The symbol of the holiday is a heart. What do you know about the human heart and the Valentine’s Day holiday? Grab a red pencil and use this web quest to find out some very interesting facts about the human heart and the holiday of Valentine’s Day!
There are 9 web questions, a 20 All things Red Activity, lots of fun facts and 9 extension activities.
A fun/informative Interactive Notebook Activity for kids to do during the winter months. Learn lots of interesting facts about snow.
•One inch of water is about six inches of wet snow or 12 inches of fluffy snow.
• The world's largest snowflake was 15 inches wide and 8 inches thick. It fell in Fort Keogh, Montana, on January 28,1887.
• Snow can be colors other than white, including blue, orange, green, yellow, and purple. Actually, snowflakes are clear.
Lots more factoids...
Several extension activities included, too.
Share with students these fun facts about the history of Valentine's Day and facts about the human heart. Includes several extension activities.
1. Check out my webquest on Valentine’s Day and the human heart: The RED Game
3. Show kids that everything has a history with my web question on the History of Candy: History of Candy: A Webquest
Introduce students to famous people in history, STEM and Literature with my BOOKMARK BIOS.** This is the first in my series of Bookmark Bios, 20 Women in Modern Times(1700s-present) ** I will be adding 20 Women in Ancient Times, 20 Men in Modern Times and 20 Men in Ancient Times.
Check out these two FREE Bookmark Bios! The complete resource includes 20 Bookmark Bios that can be reproduced for your class, Bookmark Bio Cards for kids to do some critical thinking on the highlighted BookMark Bio and a blank template for students to research and develop their own Bookmark Bios.
**
*Depending on the grade level, I have highlighted terms that might need to be reviewed such as humanitarian , activist, environmentalist, etc.
**
Have students use this worksheet to learn about elephants. The Teacher Page has some suggested activities and additional links.
Great for a substitute or a Friday activity or use for Save the Elephant Day(April 16th) and World Elephant Day(August 12th).
I also have an internet activity on all things Elephant! https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/elephants-a-webquest-11325070
Please consider following me and check out my other resources at my TES Store.
Thanks,
Gail
Possible Interactive Notebook Activity to use with students as a springtime activity.
Show Kids that EVERYTHING has a HISTORY, even the tulip!
See the entire resource:
Sharing information about the history of the tulip is a great way to show kids that EVERYTHING has a history. The resource includes a reading passage, Did You Know? fun facts, comprehension questions, Map-skill activity, Teacher page with extension activities and key. Click here: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/everything-has-a-history-even-tulips-11268026
Using the news in the classroom to introduce topics in history. A Phoenician trading ship was discovered off the coast of Spain and it is hoped that since the ship is only about 6 ft. down, marine archaeologists plan to bring the ship to the surface this year. Freebie includes fun facts about the Phoenicians and several activities as well as the news story.
Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month(September 15-October 15th)with this fun/informative web question. There are 13 questions- famous people, customs, contributions are included. A Did You Know? section, comprehension questions, a Teacher Page with activities and key.
An English primatologist, Jane Goodall, has helped to change the attitudes people had toward animals, specifically the chimpanzee. Her method of studying chimpanzees involved living amongst them, for over 55 years. She is also known as an anthropologist, humanitarian and writer. She has worked for better treatment of animals in zoos and protection of the habitat of animals in the wild.
Students will have fun learning about the life of Jane Goodall with my Reader’s Theater Script. Part of my Ms. Bie Ografee Talk Show Series, a “studio audience” asks questions of Ms. Bie Ografee’s guest, Jane Goodall. In addition to the host and guest, there are 10 audience questioners. There are several DiD You Know? facts, comprehension questions, a map activity as well as a Teacher Page with additional extension activities and the keys.
Other Resources of Interest:
Rachel Carson (Reader’s Theater Script):
Jacques Cousteau:(Reader’s Theater Script)
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 (internet search activity) also contains several questions about the early days of space exploration. There are several extension activities and the key.
Check out this resource on Space: The Final FrontierSpace: The Final Frontier(A Webquest) There are 12 webquestions, comprehension questions and lots of extension activities.
Learn about the ancient Egyptians with these resources(which you can also purchase individually):
1. Egypt: A Unit of Study includes notes, activities, links, web quest and more.
2. King Tut: A Reader's Theater Script
3. Ramses the Great: A Reading Passage
4. Hatshepsut: First Female Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, a Reading Passage
5. Mummies of the World: A Webquest
6. Egyptian Puzzler: Review Activity using vocabulary terms on Egypt.
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 Sophie Brahe, an astronomy and horticulturist. The short reading shares(in the first person) a recounting of the person’s life(in this case Sophie). 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 , Enheduanna, Agnodice and Aesop. More are being added.
Students will learn about the holiday of Diwali with this reading passage. There is also a short paragraph with comprehension questions. The teacher page has lots of extension activities and the key. Great for use during the holiday of Diwali or during a study of India.
Learn about the contributions of our first ladies!Great for May 16th Biography Day! Need a quick Friday(or before a vacation activity)? Want to practice oral reading fluency in Language Arts?Try this fun/information Dolly Madison play. Grades 4 and up. Comprehension questions,discussion questions,activities as well as links for more information included.
I have lots of other plays on famous people in history…
