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.
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.
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.
What exactly is impeachment? In U.S. History, only three presidents have been impeached. Those presidents were Andrew Johnson , Bill Clinton and Donald Trump(impeached twice) None were convicted during a trial and finished out their terms of office. President, Richard Nixon, was going to be impeached but he resigned, pressured by members of his own Republican party, before he was impeached.
Use this webquest to introduce students to the issue of impeachment, how the founding fathers determined the use of impeachment in the U.S. Constitution and the history of impeachment.
There are 11 web questions on this topic(including the Order of Succession and the Checks and Balances between the three branches of government). There is also a short Did You Know? section and several comprehension questions. The Teacher Page includes the key and several extension activities,
What is this event in the USA called an “Inauguration”? Taking the oath of office, a big parade and evening balls, Inauguration Day is a very busy day for the incoming President! There are 11 web questions, a Did You Know? section, comprehension questions and extension activities.
This resource would be a great activity for around Inauguration Day to learn all about the history and festivities surrounding our country’s inauguration procedures. It could be used as a Friday activity or when you are studying US Government and for Presidents’ Weekend. UPDATED for 2025.
Want a fun activity to review vocabulary terms for a unit on the Renaissance? Looking for an enrichment activity in history? Try my Renaissance Secret Message Review activity. The activity involves students working individually or in groups to review vocabulary terms/famous people of the Renaissance. 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 Renaissance is revealed! The teacher page includes additional information to share about the “secret message”.
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.
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.
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.
Want a fun activity to review vocabulary terms for a unit on ancient Greece? Looking for an enrichment activity in history? Try my Ancient Greek Secret Message activity. The activity involves students working individually or in groups to review vocabulary terms on the Ancient Greeks. 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 ancient Greeks 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 Greeks! If you prefer to offer a vocabulary box, I have included this as well.
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.
Check out this fun/informative Reader’s Theater Script on First Lady Edith Wilson. When her husband became ill, some say Edith did many of the responsibilities of the Presidency. Called the Acting First Man, Secret President and Presidentress of the United States, learn about this first lady with this Reader’s Theaters Script. The play uses the format of To Tell the Truth, 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 Edith Wilson.
Using PRIMARY Sources in the Classroom. 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.
The topic of this Primary Source(DBQ )is Life of a Japanese-American Child Living in an Internment Camp during World War 2.
A teacher page includes the Key,additional links and suggestions for a rubric to grade the DBQ.
This resource could also be used as a web quest.
Check out my other DBQ Activity: Life on the Homefront During WW2:
Life on the Homefront during WW2
Introduce students to the country of Japan with this reading passage. It also includes several comprehension questions, a map activity and a Teacher page with extension activities and additional links.
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.
World Water Day is March 22nd. Use this freebie to give to students which includes several fill in the blanks and You Turn ideas.
Check out these related resources:
Studying the ocean? Looking for a resource for Earth Day or World Ocean Day? Introduce your students to Jacques Cousteau with this informative Reader’s Theater Script. Oceanographer, photographer, scientist, inventor, writer and filmmaker, Cousteau spent his life studying the oceans and the marine life that lived in the oceans. Part of my Ms. Bie Ografee Talk Show Series where Jacques Cousteau is a guest on her talk show and answers questions of her studio audience. There are 10 audience questioners, a Did You Know? section, comprehension questions, a teacher section with extension activities, links and the key: Jacques Cousteau, A Reader’s Theater Script
Exploring the Ocean Blue: A Web quest, will introduce students to our oceans. There are nine informative web questions. Fun Facts, comprehension questions,extension activities and links are also provided as is the key. Exploring the Oceans, A Webquest
Learn about Earth Day and our planet Earth, with this informative web quest! In 2018, the theme for Earth Day is “Environmental and Climate Literacy”. Although this resource could be used for Earth Day, it really could be used throughout the year. There are 15 web questions as well as comprehension questions and a Did You Know? fun fact section. The teacher page includes extension activities, the key, and additional links. Earth Day, A Webquest
PLEASE CONSIDER FOLLOWING ME. CHECK OUT MY TES STORE FOR LOTS OF BIOGRPAHICAL PLAYS ON FAMOUS PEOPLE IN HISTORY, SCIENCE AND LITERATURE AS WELL AS MANY INTERNET ACTIVITIES AND SHORT READS IN THE AREA OF SOCIAL STUDIES.
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.
Founded in 1948 by Kim II-Sung, North Korea is officially called the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. About the size of the state of Pennsylvania, it has been nicknamed the Hermit Kingdom because it is a country that few from the outside world have visited. With North Korea being in the news a lot lately, this might be a great opportunity to introduce students to the “Hermit Kingdom”.
This web quest has 8 web questions, lots of interesting facts(did you know that North Korea has their very own time zone classification or that at one time all teachers had to learn to play the accordion? There are comprehension questions, extension activities and the key.
Additional Resource of Interest:
Introduce students to the county of South Korea. There are 11 web questions, lots of Did You Know? facts, comprehension questions and a teacher page with 7 extension activities. There is also a key for both the web quest and comprehension questions and additional links for teachers. Although the activity could be done in one class period, if you decide to do some of the extension activities, this resource could be used over several days.
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Gail Hennessey
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?
The following information may be helpful for Women’s History Month.In 2024, the theme is "Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.” The theme is to highlight women who have tried to eliminate bias and discrimination in our lives.Use this handout for students to learn about the contributions of women, especially for Women's History Month. There are extension activities and thought questions for students to answers.
1. Check out this Women's History Month Webquest: There are many women who have made contributions which have shaped our world. This webquest can be done at any time during the year.Each web question contains information on the women highlighted. Extension links/activities are included as is the key. Grades 4 and up. Here are the highlighted women in this web quest: Elizabeth Blackwell, Clara Barton, Amelia Earhart, Susan B Anthony,Sally Ride, Rosa Parks, Jane Goodall, Eleanor Roosevelt, Marie Curie, Sacagawea , Sonia Sotomajor and Katherine Johnson:Women's History Webquest. https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/women-s-history-webquest-11148790
Reader's Theater Script: Revolutionary War Spies:Culper Spy Ring and Female Agent 355: Learn about women spies during the Revolutionary War! I really had fun developing this play! Female Spies during Revolutionary War: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/revolutionary-war-spies-a-visit-with-female-agent-355-culper-spy-ring-script-12076857
Bookmark Bios: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/bookmark-bios-women-in-modern-history-1700s-to-present-12012485
2. Women History: A Bundle of TEN Reader's Theater Scripts on Women in History: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/women-s-history-a-bundle-of-ten-reader-s-theater-scripts-12078379
I have lots of other Reader’s Theater Scripts on first ladies in my To Tell the Truth series.
Michelle Obama
Eleanor Roosevelt
Hillary Clinton
Lady Bird Johnson
Mary Todd Lincoln
Martha Washington
Dolly Madison
Abigail Adams
Additionally, I have READER'S THEATER SCRIPTS on Susan B. Anthony, Katherine Johnson, Rachel Carson, Marie Curie, Elizabeth Blackwell, Sacagawea, Amelia Earhart, Marian Anderson, Bessie Coleman, Joan of Arc, Sojourner Truth, Phillis Wheatley, Mary Anning, Caroline Herschel, Sophie Brahe, Hypatia, Hildegard of Bingen, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks ,Aida de Acosta and more. I also have a play on Revolutionary War Female Spies, Women who Fought in the Civil War and Women Pilots during World War 2 (WASP).
Please consider following me if you find this resource of value and I'd also appreciate as you look for resources to use with your students during the school year, that you might take a peek at my other resources(biographical plays on famous people in history, science and literature), internet activities, reading passages and more. Thank you. Gail Hennessey
Use this activity with students during Chinese New Year 20234 which starts on February 10th and is the year of the DRAGON.
Please consider following my store if you like this resource. Thank you!
Gail Hennessey