I found the book A LITTLE Catechism, WITH LITTLE VERSES, AND LITTLE SAYINGS, FOR Little Children, printed for John Lawrence at the Angel in the Poultrey, 1692. I thought wouldn't it be fun to mix these old saying with some modern images. I converted the book into a set of three presentations to make it easy for a teacher to share and discuss them with the class. It is a nice way of seeing what ideas have endured the tests of time, and which ideas would now be considered a shocking idea. This is also a nice insight into what people believed in the Middle Ages.

The chronicles of crows: A Tale of the Springtime (1848) - I have included the full poem, complete with the original pictures. I then provide it with the pictures and no words, and then the words and no pictures and finally as a simple CLOZE, where the students need to complete the missing word in the second line of each part of the poem. The pictures without words are a charming Victorian border. The students could write their own Spring poems in this section and make a lovely Spring display. I have always been drawn to crows, not in any dark teenage-poet way, but because they are big, handsome, super-clever, and remind me of the chilly Michigan spring. It seemed so charming at first, with the crows working together, building their homes, laying their eggs and raising their babies in great swooping flocks. But the story takes a ghastly turn as the nearby farmers gather to get rid of the rookery. I kept thinking that the smart, sassy crows would eventually outwit the mean, brutish humans. How wrong I was. The crows are shot and made into pies, even the young ones, and the birds that survive are left to mourn, “How well we know / There is no joy unmixed with woe.” Um, anyway, happy spring, and here’s a Monday assortment of pertinent items to help you get over the sense of mortal dread sinking in your chest after that morbid Victorian warning.

Test Your Reading Skills Famous Britons – Reading Comprehension Look at the data showing when these famous Britons were alive and how long they lived for, then answer the questions on the next page: Examples Famous Briton Dates: Age when they died: Sir Isaac Newton 1642 – 1727 85 years old Alfred the Great 849 – 899 50 years old Geoffrey Chaucer c. 1340 – 1400 c. 60 years old 1. Who was born in 849? 2. Who was born in the fourteenth century? 3. Who died in 1922? 4. Who died in the seventeenth century? 5. Who was born in 1642? Complete with answers

Test Your Research Skills The Olympic Games 1 Match the city with the year to show when and where the summer Olympic Games have been held, then write out the list in chronological order:

Test Your Reading Skills Example questions... The Great British History Quiz! Tick below to say which is the correct answer: 1. When was the Battle of Hastings? a) 1492 b) 1066 c) 1812 d) Last Tuesday 2. How many wives did King Henry VIII have? a) 4 b) 5 c) 6 d) none - he was too shy to ever ask for a date 3. Who came to the throne after Queen Elizabeth I died in 1603? a)King Charles I b) King Ethelbert the Unready c) King James I d) King Ethelred the Unsteady The worksheet also includes an answer sheet.

City Quiz Series Iron Gate, Derby, UK Example questions... 1. Name two different ‘gates’, opposite the old Derbyshire Building Society. 2. Which ‘A’ road is Iron Gate? 3. How much is a cream doughnut and a cup of tea in Birds Restaurant? 4. Name a shop that sells musical instruments. The worksheet includes a page of answers for teachers.

City Quiz Series A Visit to Derby Industrial Museum at the Silk Mill 4 Example questions Find out… 1. … if children ever worked at the Silk Mill. 2. … the full postal address of the museum. 3. … the phone number of the museum. 4. … when the museum is open on Bank Holidays.

City Quiz Series A Visit to Derby Industrial Museum at the Silk Mill 3 Example Questions 1. a) What can I do at the Midland Railway Study Centre? b) Do you need to make an appointment? 2. What type of train does the train cab come from? 3. a) Where does the train start and what is its final destination? b) Where does it stop on the way? c) How long is the journey? d) What is the maximum ‘mph’ (miles per hour) of the train?

City Quiz Series A Visit to Derby Industrial Museum at the Silk Mill 2 Example questions 1. Name the large church near the Silk Mill. 2. Look at the wrought iron gates near the entrance to the Silk Mill. Find the face. Is it happy, sad or angry? 3. Find the blue information board outside the Silk Mill. When were these places built…? a) the first wooden mill built on this site b) the Silk Mill c) the mill as we see it today This worksheet comes complete with a teacher's answer sheet.