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Gail Hennessey's Teacher Emporium

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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.

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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.
Learn about Leopards!  A Webquest
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Learn about Leopards! A Webquest

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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
Ramses the Great, Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt: A Reading Passage
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Ramses the Great, Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt: A Reading Passage

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Have students learn about Ramses the Great, pharaoh of ancient Egypt 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 Ancient Egypt. This is part of my new series(LET’S MEET…) of short biographies in ancient History. I am currently adding more titles including Hammurabi and Hatshepsut. Check out these resources: 1. Covering ancient Egypt? I taught ancient Egypt for 32 years and would love to share some my notes, activities and resources I used with my students. There is also a 9 question webquest: Egypt: Unit of Study 2. Play on King Tut(Lots of information on mummies and the most famous mummy of all!) King Tut: A Reader’s Theater Script 3. Review activity: Mystery Message solved using key vocabulary words about Egypt: Egyptian Secret Message 4. Mummies aren’t just found in ancient Egyptian culture. Mummies have been found all over the world! In fact, the oldest man-made mummies are found in the country of Chile! Mummies can be naturally created or man-made. This web quest includes the different types of mummies and has 12 web questions including information on Bog Mummies such as Tollund Man, the Inca Mummies,the Taklamakan Desert Mummies of China, Otzi, the frozen mummy, the Chinchorro Mummies of Chile, the Egyptian mummies… and more. There are comprehension questions, a Did You Know? section, a teacher section with extension activities, additional links and the key. Great for a Friday activity, at Halloween time, or if you are studying ancient Egypt. MUMMIES: A Webquest 5. Let’ Meet…Hatshepsut, A Reading Passage.With this biographical reading passage, students will learn about the first female Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. There is a Did You Know? section, comprehension questions and a teacher page with extensions and links.Hatshepsut: A Reading Passage
Mesopotamian Puzzler!
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Mesopotamian Puzzler!

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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. Check out these resource: 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 Check out this fun/informative Reader's Theater Script on Hammurabi, one of the greatest lawmakers in history. Great for reading for purpose and developing reading fluency. The play includes comprehension questions, Did You Know Fun Facts, a teachers's page with extension activities and links. Interviews with Ancient History(Book of 20 biographical plays on famous people in ancient history) Check out my resource on the Phoenicians! You may find this resource helpful: Let's Learn about the Phoenicians!
Johnny Appleseed(John Chapman): A Biographical play for Kids!
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Johnny Appleseed(John Chapman): A Biographical play for Kids!

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Part of my Ms. Bie Ografee Talk Show Series. This biographical Reader’s Theater Script is on John Chapman, better remembered as Johnny Appleseed. Chapman said of himself,“by occupation,(I was) a gatherer and planter of apple seeds”. This pioneer nurseryman helped to introduce apple trees to Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Unlike many people, John Chapman was an American hero, DURING his lifetime. He is know for his kindness toward other people and all living creatures, his efforts in conservation and the many apple trees he started during his life. There area 8 Audience Questioners in the complete resource. There are 12 Did You Know? fun facts about apples, 9 comprehension questions, a teacher page with 9 extension activities, the key and additional links of interest. Great for a Friday biography day, during a study on pioneers or a unit on apples! Johnny Appleseed Day is celebrated : March 11th and/or September 26th. Other plays in the Ms. Bie Ografee’s Talk Show Series: Dr. Seuss, 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. Gail Hennessey / Check out my website for teachers/kids for lots of geography activities, short reads, factoids on different topics, news, career surveys, bell ringers and more.
Martin Luther King: A Biographical Play(Reader's Theater Script)
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Martin Luther King: A Biographical Play(Reader's Theater Script)

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Martin Luther King Jr. A Biographical Play: Learn about this important civil rights leader who worked for equality in non-violent ways. Martin Luther King envisioned a world where the color of your skin did not determine a person’s value and civil rights! He was also a excellent orator whose " I Have a Dream Speech" is probably his most famous. Using this Reader’s Theater Script, part of my Ms. Bie Ografee Talk Show series of plays, your students will have fun acting out the parts and learning about the life of Martin Luther King, as they pretend to be in the audience of Ms. Bie Ografee’s Talk Show. There are 10 audience informational questioners, a Did You Know? section of additional facts, comprehension questions, a teacher page with extension questions, vocabulary(which are highlighted in the play), additional links and the key. I also have similar plays on Harriet Tubman, George Washington Carver, the Tuskegee Airmen, Rosa Parks and Bessie Coleman. I have many other plays,too, including Sacagawea, Sequoia, Thomas Edison,Michelangelo, DaVinci, Susan B. Anthony, Simon: Victim of the Black Death, McSean: a Leprechaun, Interview with a Groundhog,Elizabeth Blackwell, Revolutionary War Female Spy, California Gold Rush Prospector and more. Please consider becoming a follower of mine. Thanks! Gail Hennessey
Rachel Carson: A Biographical Play *EARTH DAY ACTIVITY
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Rachel Carson: A Biographical Play *EARTH DAY ACTIVITY

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A Biologist and marine zoologist, Carson’s books shared her love of nature, especially the ocean and its inhabitants. Her book, Silent Spring, sparked concern in how chemical pesticides were harming our environment. Carson helped to start the environmental movement in our country, which led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This Reader’s Theater Script could be used as a STEM biography any time of year or especially during the time of Earth Day.
Charles Dickens: A Reader's Theater Script
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Charles Dickens: A Reader's Theater Script

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Part of my Ms. Bie Ografee Talk Show Series, students will be introduced to the life of Charles Dickens, one of the most famous writers of all time. There are 11 questioners in the play as well as a Did You Know? section of fun facts, comprehension questions and a teacher page with extension activities, additional links and the key. Great for a unit of study on Charles Dickens, at Christmas Time when you may be covering A Christmas Carol or as a famous biography activity. I also have an internet activity on Charles Dickens.
Trailblazers in Science(Six STEM Biographical Plays)
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Trailblazers in Science(Six STEM Biographical Plays)

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A bundle of six Reader’s Theater Scripts from my Ms. Bie Ografee Talk Show Series. The six scientists in this bundle include: 1. Elizabeth Blackwell 2. Thomas Edison 3. George Washington Carver(also in my African American Trailblazer bundle) 4. Jacques Cousteau 5. Marie Curie 6. Katherine Johnson(currently in the news as she is highlighted in the movie,“Hidden Figures”) Use these fun/informative STEM biographical plays during a unit of study in science, for Women’s History Month, Black History Month, for a Friday Biographical person day or before a vacation. The format involves an appearance on Ms. Bie Ografee’s Talk Show where audience questioners ask the guest questions about their life and contributions to science. It’s a great opportunity to have students role-play and show their acting skills. Each play is also available for purchase separately.
Sir Isaac Newton: A Readers Theater Script
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Sir Isaac Newton: A Readers Theater Script

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NEW!!! Use this play to introduce students to the life of English Scientist, Sir Isaac Newton. Great, too, for a review activity if you are doing a unit of study on gravity, motion or prisms. Part of my Ms. Bie Ografee Talk Show Series of plays, Sir Isaac Newton is a guest on Ms. Bie Ografee’s Talk Show. Newton shares information about his life and contributions he made in science with her studio audience who ask questions which he answers. I always include questions about a “guest’s” childhood and schooling. I feel it is important to see all famous people were kids,too, with many of the same issues that students today may be confronting. I also like kids to see that our past shapes our future! 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”),A Visit with Lewis and Clark, 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.
Guam!  Learn about this Pacific Island(Webquest)
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Guam! Learn about this Pacific Island(Webquest)

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Introduce students to the Pacific island of Guam, a U.S. Territory. There are 9 Webquestions, a Did You Know? fact section and a Teacher Page with extension activities and keys to the web quest and key to the Comprehension questions.
State of the Union Address( A History-Webquest)
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State of the Union Address( A History-Webquest)

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The founding fathers stated in the Constitution that the President "shall from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.” It wasn’t spelled out HOW the president was to do this or even when such an update should be given. The State of the Union Address has taken many forms since the birth of our nation. It has come to be an annual speech given by the President of the United States and is done in the month of January. In 2018, the address will be given on January 30th. Learn about the history of the State of the Union Address with this internet activity so you can WOW your friends with all you know about the history of this yearly event! There are 10 web questions, 9 Did You Know? Facts, 6 comprehension questions, a student page(handout to give for homework or extra credit for the night of the State of the Union Address), a teacher page with a couple of extension activities and the key to both the web quest and the comprehension questions.
The Arctic!(A webquest/Extension Activities)
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The Arctic!(A webquest/Extension Activities)

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The Arctic!Geographical web quest which introduces kids to the region of the Earth known as the Arctic. There are 14 web quests(with lots of information in the questions), Did You Know? facts, comprehension questions(including several “thought question”), a teacher page with a number of extension activities, additional links and key.Great for a Friday activity, before a vacation, or when you are looking for a geography resource. Also check out my ANTARCTIC resource: Geographical web quest which introduces kids to the continent of Antarctica. There are 10 web quests(with lots of information in the questions), 14 Did You Know? facts, comprehension questions(including several “thought question”), a teacher page with a number of extension activities, additional links and key.Great for a Friday activity, before a vacation, or when you are looking for a geography resource.
Medieval Puzzler: Secret  Message Review Activity
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Medieval Puzzler: Secret Message Review Activity

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Want a fun activity to review vocabulary terms for a unit of study on the Middle Ages?Looking for an enrichment activity in history? Try my Medieval Puzzler: Secret Message Review Activity. The activity involves students working individually or in groups to review vocabulary terms connected with Medieval Times. 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 the Middle Ages is revealed! The teacher page includes additional information to share about the “secret message”. It’s a fun way to reinforce important vocabulary for a unit of study on the Middle Ages! If you prefer to offer a vocabulary box, I have included this as well.
Lady Bird Johnson: First Lady(Environmentalist!)
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Lady Bird Johnson: First Lady(Environmentalist!)

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Need a quick fun Friday(or day before a vacation activity)? Teaching American History and want to introduce your students to First Ladies of the United States? Try this fun and information play based on the Mark Goodson Production To Tell the Truth Game Show on Lady Bird Johnson. To Tell the Truth was a popular television show which has returned with host Anthony Anderson(of Blackish). Three guests all claim to be the real guest being interviewed by a panel. The real guest must tell the truth where the other impostors do not have to do so. Kids must be “truth detectives” to determine just who is the REAL Lady Bird Johnson. Students in grades 4 and up will have fun acting out their parts and learning some interesting facts about First Lady Lady Bird Johnson,called one of Washington’s first environmentalists! Discussion questions,comprehension questions and activities are also included.
Lewis and Clark: A Reader's Theater Script
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Lewis and Clark: A Reader's Theater Script

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On February 28, 1803, President Thomas Jefferson got approval by Congress for an expedition to explore the lands of the Louisiana Purchase. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were asked by President Thomas Jefferson to led the expedition. On May 14, 1804, the expedition called, the Corps of Discovery began. They would return home two years later, in 1806. The expedition helped to open up the west for expansion by people seeking a better life. You may also be interested in my Lewis and Clark Expedition Webquest: Part of my Ms. Bie Ografee Talk Show Series of plays, Lewis Meriwether and William Clark are guests on Ms. Bie Ografee’s Talk Show. They share information about their expedition to explore the Louisiana Territory. 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.
Mesopotamian Puzzler: Secret Message Review Activity
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Mesopotamian Puzzler: Secret Message Review Activity

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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. I also have a unit of study on Mesopotamia with notes , activities and resources. I also have a reading on Hammurabi.
Mary Todd Lincoln
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Mary Todd Lincoln

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Teaching American History and want to introduce your students to First Ladies of the United States? Try this fun and information play based on the Mark Goodson Production To Tell the Truth Game Show on Mary Todd Lincoln. To Tell the Truth was a popular television show which has returned with host Anthony Anderson(of Blackish). Three guests all claim to be the real guest being interviewed by a panel. The real guest must tell the truth where the other impostors do not have to do so. Kids must be “truth detectives” to determine just who is the REAL Mary Todd Lincoln. Students in grades 4 and up will have fun acting out their parts and learning some interesting facts about First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln. Discussion questions,comprehension questions and activities are also included.
Phoenician Puzzler: Secret Message Review Activity
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Phoenician Puzzler: Secret Message Review Activity

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Want a fun activity to review vocabulary terms for a unit on ancient Phoenicians? Looking for an enrichment activity in history? Try my Ancient Phoenician Secret Message activity. The activity involves students working individually or in groups to review vocabulary terms on the Phoenicians. 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 the Phoenicians 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. I also have a unit of study on the “Purple People”. I have a fun activity on all things PURPLE.