Mary Anning (1799-1847) was a famous fossil hunter. Some people gave her the title, “The Greatest Fossilist the World has ever Known.” Back in her time, the study of paleontology didn’t yet exist. Some people also call Mary, one of the very first paleontologists! Part of my Let’s Meet… Series, there is a reading passage, a Did You Know? Section, a map activity, comprehension questions and a teacher page with extension activities and key. I have a number of similar reading passages on famous people in this series, “Let’s Meet…” including: 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) Socrates(Philosopher of Ancient Greece).

Want to introduce your students to the state of Alaska and are looking for an enrichment activity? This resource includes a map skill activity and 12 informational web questions. Additionally, there are lots of fun facts about the state of Alaska and a number of extension activities. The activity can be done in one class period or over a couple of days if you choose to use some of the extension activities. A great resource to help develop reading and informational skills!

Learn about Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, only the 3rd woman to be appointed to the Supreme Court and the first Hispanic American to be on the Supreme Court. Students will also learn information about the Supreme Court. A great resource for Women’s History Month, a study of the Supreme Court, Hispanic Heritage Month, a Friday activity or as a substitute lesson. Extension activities included. There are 9 Audience Questioners in this Ms. Bie Ografee Talk Show Series of Reader’s Theater Scripts. I also have a resource on the history of the Supreme Court and a Reader’s Theater Script on Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Did you know that the salute dates back to the time when knights would lift their visors to show who they were? Did you know that the carousel was originally a training tool for those hoping to become knights or that people actually placed live birds in a pie(Sing a Song of Sixpence)?This unit includes notes, lots of activities and resources on the Middle Ages!

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 December 29, 1787, George Washington had a very special surprise for guests at Mount Vernon. A Camel came for a visit! This reading passage shares information on customs and traditions of the holiday season during Colonial times and the visit of the camel. Additionally, there is a Did You Know? fun fact section, comprehension questions, a map skill activity and the teacher page with several links of interest. Part of my new series: Unusual Stories about Presidents! Check out Thomas Jefferson and the Mammoth Cheese! Another resource that may be of interest: Learn about Martha Washington with this informative Reader”s Theater Script:

Introduce young people to the country of Iran. Included is cultural, historical and current events. There are 10 web questions, a map activity, a Did You Know section? Comprehension/Discussion questions and a teacher page with 8 extension activities and the keys(map questions, web quest and comprehension questions).

Learn about the country of Brazil with this informational web quest. There is also a map skill activity and fun facts. Additionally, there is a teacher page with extension activities and additional links. Although the map skill/webquest can be completed in one session, if you opt to do the extension activity, additional days could be used.

The region of the Middle East is in the news. Introduce your students to this region of the world with this informative webquest! Additionally, I have included several extension activities.It would be a great one day activity for before a vacation or for an enrichment activity or for a unit of study on this part of the world. There are 15 webquestions.

Learn about the Crusades with this fun and informative play. Students will have fun acting out the different parts, especially those of Sir Bartholomew. There are 10 audience questioners. Part of my Ms. Bie Ografee Talk Show Series, the format is that of a talk show host with a studio audience that ask Ms. Bie Ografee’s guest questions about the time period. Included: cause, different crusades(ie: People’s Crusade, Children’s Crusade and the Third Crusade) and the important results of this period in history. There is a DiD You Know? fun facts,comprehension questions, a teacher section with extension activities and links I thought might be of interest to the teacher. There is also a key to the comprehension questions.

This resource is part of my series, “Let’s Meet…” famous people in ancient history. With this biographical reading passage, students will learn about Julius Caesar, Famous Leader of Ancient Rome and One of the Greatest Military Leaders in History. There is a Did You Know? section, comprehension questions and a teacher page with extensions and links. My Let’s Meet… series is growing. Currently, I also have the following in the series: Hatshepsut, Ramses, Socrates, Hammurabi, Aesop and Hannibal, Aristotle, Alexander the Great, Archimedes and more

Use this informative Reader’s Theater Script to learn about Harriet Tubman, ex-slave who became the most famous conductor of the Underground Railroad, a Union Spy and women’s suffrage advocate. The fun/informative play uses the format of three historians being guests on Ms. Bie Ografee’s talk show and the studio audience asks questions to the Historians to learn about the life of Harriet Tubman. Great for Black History Month,unit on the Civil War,or Women’s History Month. Comprehension questions/extension activities, key. Kids get a chance to “ham” it up and try out their acting skills!

During the American Revolution, Tories supported the British in the war. Loyalists, the King’s Friends and Royalists were other names for those that took sides with the British. Students will learn about what it was like to be a Tory during the American Revolutionary War. Joshua Crabtree(fictitious character) is a guest on Ms. Bie Ografee’s Talk Show where studio audience ask questions . 10 questioners, Did You Know? section, comprehension questions, teacher page with extensions,key and more. Other resources: 1. Revolutionary Female Spies: American Revolution/ Revolutionary War: Studying the 13 Colonies? This resource would work great for such a unit of study. Part of my Ms. Bie Ografee’s Reader’s Theater Scripts, this play about the Culper Spy Ring and specifically, Agent 355, one of the female member of the organization! During the Revolutionary War, the Culper Spy Ring was organized to work to defeat the British. Agent 355 and other members of the spy organization were very important in the colonists being victorious in the War for Independence from England. Although Agent 355’s real name remains a mystery, she was one of the women spies who showed that patriotism has no gender! Secret codes, invisible ink, LAUNDRY used to communicate messages, what spies did during the Revolutionary war, lots of information is weaved into Agent 355 being a guest on Ms. Bie Ografee’s Talk Show with the studio audience asking her questions. Also great for an activity during Women’s History Month or any time you are looking for a fun/informative play to use with your students! Lots of extension activities, links, a Did You Know Fact section, comprehension questions and the key are also included. 2. Use this Reader’s Theater Script to learn about our 3rd President, Thomas Jefferson. Using the format of my Ms. Bie Ografee Talk Show Series, Jefferson is a guest on the show and audience members ask questions of her guest, Thomas Jefferson. In addition to lots of interesting information, there is a Did You Know? section, comprehension questions and a teacher page with extension activities, additional links and the key. The resource can be a one day activity or over several days if you decide to do some of the activities: 3. Part of my Ms. Bie Ografee series of plays, this Reader’s Theater Script is on the “Father of the Constitution”, James Madson(1751-1836), and his sharing with students the history of the writing of the Constitution. Madison who would become the 4th President of the United States(1809-1817)), played a very important role in the forming of our US Constitution. In addition to being a delegate, he introduced the first additions to the Constitution(amendments) which came to be known as the Bill of Rights. With 13 audience questioners, a Did You Know Section, comprehension questions, a Teacher Page with extension activities, key and additional links.

Covering the Ancient Greeks? This unit on Ancient Greece includes notes, lots of activities and resources I used with my students. Did you know that the ancient Greeks played with a yo-yo about 3000 years ago or that in the city of Athens, ancient Greeks sold snow cones that were mixed with honey and fruit? Also, check out my Greece(A Country in Focus Webquest).

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.

Learn about Rosa Parks with this Reader’s Theater Script. Rosa Parks is a guest on a talk show and the studio audience asks questions about her life and contributions and how her bus ride helped to change history! There are 8 questioners, a Did You Know? fun fact section, comprehension questions, a teacher page with extension activities, the key and additional links. Kids get a chance to "ham"it up and act out roles in this fun/informative play.

Probably the most famous scientist of the 20th century, Einstein was a physicist who’s most remembered for his Theory of Relativity. From 1901 to 1954, Einstein published more than 300 scientific works. This Reader’s Theater Script introduces students to Albert Einstein. Part of my Ms. Bie Ografee Talk Show series, the script includes information about Einstein’s childhood, his education, and contributions to science. There is a Did You Know? section, comprehension questions, and a teachers page which includes lots of extension activities, additional links and children’s books and the key. The format is a “studio” audience who asks questions of Ms. Bie Ografee’s guest, in this case, Albert Einstein. Additional Resources on this Topic You May Find of Interest: 1. Learn about the history of space with this informative web quest. There are 12 web questions, comprehension questions and extension activities: Space: A Webquest/Extension Activities 2. 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: John Glenn, A Webquest 3. A Ms. Bie Ografee Talk Show Reader’s Theater Script. Marie Curie: A Reader’s Theater Script 4. Trailblazers in Science: A Bundle of Six Reader’s Theater Scripts: STEM Biographies(George W. Carver, Jacques Cousteau, Elizabeth Blackwell, Thomas Edison, Marie Curie and this play(Katherine Johnson): Trailblazers in Science(Six STEM Biographies) Reader’s Theater Scripts (All these plays are also sold individually.) Please consider following me…

Another Reader’s Theater Script in my Ms. Bie Ografee series! Students will learn lots of information about the California Gold Rush with this play, A Visit with Murdoch McLeary, A Gold Prospector during the California Gold Rush. There are 9 audience questioners supplying information and asking questions of Ms Bie Ografee’s guest. There is a Did You Know? fun facts section about the time, comprehension questions, a teacher page with extension activities, additional links of interest and the key. Great as an introduction to this time period, as an enrichment or review activity or just as a fun/informative play to do with your students on a Friday or before a vacation. Check out my other plays in the Ms. Bie Ografee’s Talk Show Series: Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Sacagawea, Sequoia, Elizabeth Blackwell, Abraham Lincoln, Michelangelo, DaVinci, Tuskegee Airmen, Susan B. Anthony, William Shakespeare, Love Brewster(one of the Pilgrims on the Mayflower), interview with McSean, a leprechaun, interview with Sarsaparilla,a groundhog.More to be added…

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

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.