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

In less than 30 years, the numbers of giraffe have drastically decreased by almost 40 percent. That makes giraffe in more danger of extinction than the elephant. In 2016, the conservation group, The International Union for Conservation of Nature, listed the giraffe on its Red List of species which are endangered. Specifically, the giraffe has been moved from “least concern” to “vulnerable”.The main cause for their dwindling population is destruction of their habitat. Additionally the group says that illegal hunting of giraffe and civil unrest in the areas where giraffes roam are also causes for their declining numbers. Learn about the giraffe with this web quest! The resources also includes Did You Know? fun facts, a teacher page with extension activities, additional links and the key. Check out this additional resources about animals: 1. Learn about the rhino with this fun and very informative webquest. There are 9 web questions and lots of extension activities and resources. There is also a comprehension activity and key. Great for a Friday activity, before a vacation or if you are studying endangered species! Grades 4 and up. One class period unless you opt to do additional extension activities: Rhinosaurus! A Webquest 2. Did you know that a polar bear can swim up to 100 miles non-stop? Did you know that a polar bear doesn’t hibernate like other bears do in the winter? The polar bear is in trouble! Warming temperatures has cause a decrease in the sea ice-something the polar bear needs to survive. Learn about this amazing mammal with this fun and informative webquest. Additional extension activities and resources are also provided: Polar Bears! A Webquest 3. 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. Learn about the leopard with my Leaping Leopard’s Webquest! Grades 4 and up. The webquest has 8 webquestions and 8 extension activities(and links to more information): Leopards! A Webquest 4. Learn about the elephant: 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 any LAND mammal?(The sperm whale has the largest brain of all…) 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 My website for teachers/kids: Lots of geographic activities, short reads, bell ringers, news, career surveys, factoids on different topics and more: Gail Hennessey’s Website for Teachers/Kids

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

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.

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.

Whenever different cultures meet, ideas are exchanged. Did you know that skiing was started by the people of Norway? Did you know that the kite and fireworks were invented by the people of China? The idea of Trial by Jury and the idea of Democracy come to us from the Ancient Greeks. Chocolate came from the Aztecs people and the ancient Mesopotamian people first came up with a number system based on 60. 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 with this webquest.

With this biographical reading passage, students will learn about the Socrates, the famous Philosopher of Ancient Greece. Nicknamed the “Great Questioner”, this reading introduces students to Socrates. There is also a Did You Know? section, comprehension questions and a teacher page with extensions and links. This resource is part of my new series, “Let’s Meet…” famous people in ancient history. More titles are being added later in the week. Currently, I also have reading passages for Hatshepsut, Ramses the Great and Hammurabi.

Kids will have fun learning some very cool facts about pumpkins. Another record breaking pumpkin was grown for 2018! Possible Interactive Notebook Activity. Great for a fall activity. THIS resource has been updated for 2018. Download the newest version.

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

Want a fun activity to review vocabulary terms for a unit on ancient Egypt? Looking for an enrichment activity in history? Try my Ancient Egyptian Secret Message activity. The activity involves students working individually or in groups to review vocabulary terms on Egypt. 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 Egypt is revealed! The teacher page includes additional information to share about the "secret message". 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. 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 4. 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

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. 1. You may be interested in this Reading Activity on Thomas Jefferson and the Mammoth Cheese:Thomas Jefferson and the Mammoth Cheese 2. You may be interested in this web quest on the Library of Congress: Library of Congress, A Webquet on our Nation’s Library 3. You may be interested in this web quest on the Lewis and Clark Expedition:Lewis and Clark, A Webquest on the Famous Expedition Other plays in the Ms. Bie Ografee’s Talk Show Series: Thomas Edison, George Washington Carver,Marie Curie, A Female Spy during the Revolutionary War(Culper Spy Ring), Jacques Cousteau,Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Sacagawea, Sequoia, Michelangelo, DaVinci, Tuskegee Airmen, Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Blackwell, Interview with Simon-victim of the Black Death,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…

Have students learn about Hammurabi, the important lawmaker of ancient times 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 Mesopotamia. Let’s Meet Series also has readings on Ramses, Hatshepsut, A Charioteer, Gladiator, Aesop, Archimedes and others. Gail Check out these additional resources: 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 Unit 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: Mesopotamian Puzzler!

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!

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, in this case, “Describe Life on the Home Front During World War 2”, citing several of the documents reviewed. A teacher page includes the Key and suggestions for a rubric to grade the DBQ. If a teacher wishes to use the activity as a web quest, suggestions are also given. I also have a similar activity on Life of a Japanese-American Child living in an Internment Camp during WW2.

Learn about Abraham Lincoln with this fun/informative web quest.Did you know that President Lincoln started our national Thanksgiving holiday? And, you may not know that Abraham Lincoln didn’t like the name Abe and that even his wife called him by the name Lincoln.A quote of Lincoln: "And in the end it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years. There are several discussion questions in addition to 10 informative text web questions. You may find these additional resources of interest: 1. President Andrew Johnson had a pet white mouse. President William McKinley had a pet parrot who was trained to whistle, “Yankee Doodle”. President James Garfield was the first president to be left- handed AND could write with both hands(and different languages at the same time-Greek and Latin). George H W Bush liked eating pork rinds as a snack. President George Washington was a spelunker, a person that likes searching in caves. John F. Kennedy said, “And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” Presidential Webquest 2. Did you know that First Lady Hillary Clinton was the first First Lady to become a senator of New York? Did you know that Florence Harding was the first woman to be able to VOTE for her husband in a presidential election? Learn about the contributions of some of our first ladies with this fun and informative webquest. For grades 4 and up. First Ladies of the USA, A Webquest 3. Learn about the White House with 10 informative web questions, comprehension and discussion questions and several extension activities. The White House, A Webquest 4. Learn about Abe Lincoln with this informative web quest! President Lincoln started our national Thanksgiving holiday.And, you may not know that Abraham Lincoln didn’t like the name Abe and that even his wife called him by the name Lincoln. Skills include:reading for information and using research/computer skills. Includes extension activities for language arts. Abraham Lincoln, A Webquest 5. Use this informative Reader’s Theater Script to learn about Abraham Lincoln. The fun/informative play uses the format of Abraham Lincoln being a guest on a talk show and the studio audience asks questions about his life. Part of my Ms. Bie Ografee’s Talk Show Series. Abraham Lincoln, A Reader’s Theater Script

14 Students will learn about the election process including who the candidates are, requirements to run for office, requirements to vote, the Succession Act, the Electoral College and more. There are 14 web questions, a Did You Know? fact section and comprehension questions. The Teacher Page includes extension activities, the keys and additional links.