Constitution Day is September 17th each year(except for 2017) when the day falls on a Sunday and will be celebrated on September 18th. This play would be a great addition to your lessons about the U.S. Constitution. Part of my Ms. Bie Ografe 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, students will learn about the writing of our important government document, the Constitution. Other plays in the Ms. Bie Ografee’s Talk Show Series: Dr. Seuss, Charles Dickens, Johnny Appleseed, Albert, 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.

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.

Use this reading(close exercise where students slot the term in the blanks) for students to learn about the National Road(also called the Cumberland Road or the National Pike Road). There are several comprehension questions and fun facts. Additionally, there are lots of extension activities especially writing in the content area. I have also included several links for teachers. And, I have developed a board game for students to play about what it was like being a pioneer traveling the National Road. The Close reading and review would be one period. If you do some of the extension activities including the Traveling Along the National Road game, the resource could take a couple of days.

Use this reading passage to show students that everything has a history, even pretzels! The resource includes a reading passage, a Did You Know? section of fun facts about pretzels. For example: Baldies are what saltless pretzels are called! There is also a short map skill activity to show students the location of where pretzels originated. There are comprehension questions and a teacher page with extension activities and links. This resource is a fun Friday activity, before a vacation, substitute day or just a day you wish to show kids that everything has a history! Other resources in my Everything has a History: 1. The first in my series, Everything Has a History. Why not show your students that even candy has a history with this fun/informative web quest! Learn facts including marshmallows date back to 2000 BC and King Tut’s Tomb contained licorice. I also have included several additional resources and extension activities. Great for a Friday, a day before a vacation activity or just when you’d like to share with kids that…everything has a history! History of Candy: A Webquest 2. Everything Has a History…even chewing Gum: History of Chewing Gum! 3. Check out my History of Shoes! Everything Has A History, even SHOES! 4. Check out my History of Peanuts! Learn about the history of the PeanutLearn about the History of the Peanut 5. TULIPS: With spring, comes the sprouting of tulips. Tulips have a very interesting history. Sharing information about the history of the tulip is a great way to show kids that EVERYTHING has a history. Reading passage, Did You Know? fun facts, comprehension questions, Map-skill activity, Teacher page with extension activities and key.Tulips: Reading Passage/Activities

Overview of different Native American tribes,famous Native Americans in history, and contributions of Native Americans in arts, government, language and more!The Trail of Tears, shelters, contributions(i.e: hockey, lacrosse, ideas in government, words in English), Sacagawea, Sequoyah, Jim Thorpe, Sitting Bull, Squanto, Native American Heritage Month, the importance of the buffalo, and more.Great for activity with unit on Native Americans or for November’s Native American Heritage Month.

Country in Focus: Switzerland! Did you know that the first chocolate bar was made in Switzerland? Learn more about this mountainous country with this informative webquest on Switzerland! Lots of extension activities, too. Other resources in my Countries in Focus: Studying China. This web quest would be a positive addition to a unit of study! Want to introduce your students to the country of China during Chinese New Year? This web quest gives students an overview to the country including map skill questions, learning about the panda bears, the Great Wall of China, The Terra Cotta Solders and lots more. Extension activities and links as well as the key are also included. The 12 page resource has 10 informational web questions.China, Country in Focus, A Webquest Russia: This webquest of 10 questions will enable young people to learn lots of information on the country of Russia! Extension activities, resources, fun facts,key. Skills include:reading for information and using research/computer skills. Russia, Country in Focus, A Webquest Australia: Want to introduce your students to different countries of the world? My Country in Focus series, highlights a country with a web quest, some fun facts and some extension activities. There is also a mapskill activity. Try Australia. I also have a Country in Focus on Switzerland,India and Iceland. It would be a great one day activity for before a vacation, for an enrichment activity or for a substitute. Iceland. Want to introduce your students to different countries of the world? My Country in Focus series, highlights a country with a web quest, some fun facts and some extension activities. The first in the series is Iceland. It would be a great one day activity for before a vacation or for an enrichment activity. Iceland, Country in Focus, A Webquest India:Country in Focus,is a web quest, with additional fun facts and extension activities. Did you know that it was ancient India which gave the world the idea of the zero? The game Chutes and Ladders comes from an Indian board game. More people speak English in India than in the United States? Skills include:reading for information and using research/computer skills. India, Country in Focus-A Webquest Greece: Use this informative web quest as an introduction to the country of Greece. Greece, A Country in Focus-A Webquest Brazil: 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.

Use this informative Reader’s Theater Script to learn about the Black Death, a disease that killed almost 1/2 the population of Europe(1347-1351). The fun/informative play uses the format of Simon, a victim of the Black Death being a guest on Ms. Bie Ografee’s talk show. A studio audience asks questions about his experiences during the time(the medical beliefs,cause, the effects the Black Death had on Europe, etc.Great for study on the Middle Ages or science unit on bacteria/contagious diseases.

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 first in my series, Everything Has a History. Why not show your students that even candy has a history with this fun/informative web quest! Learn facts including marshmallows date back to 2000 BC and King Tut’s Tomb contained licorice. Great for a Friday, a day before a vacation activity or just when you’d like to share with kids that…everything has a history! Webquest/ Did you Know?/Comprehension Questions/ Sweet Quiz, Extension activities.

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…

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. Comprehension questions, a Did You Know? Section and a Teacher Page with extension activities. I also have a webquest on Abraham Lincoln. I also have a play on Mary Todd Lincoln.

This resource is part of my new series, “Let’s Meet…” famous people in ancient history. With this biographical reading passage, students will learn about the Alexander the Great, the famous Military Leader of the Ancient World. There is a Did You Know? section, comprehension questions and a teacher page with extensions and links. More than a military leader, Alexander the Great’s lasting contribution to the world was the spreading of Greek culture to all he met. My Let’s Meet… series is growing. Currently, I also have the following in the series: Hatshepsut, Ramses, Socrates, Hammurabi, Aesop and Hannibal .

Share this STEM reading resource with your students. This particular reading is on Ada Lovelace, thought to be the world’s first computer Programmer. The short reading shares(in the first person) a recounting of the person’s life(in this case Ada Lovelace) There are several Did You Know? fun facts, comprehension questions, a map skill activity for the area of the world the person lived, a teacher’s section with extension activities, the key and additional links. Great for a STEM reading on a women mathematician, a Friday activity, for Women’s History Month, Pi Day, a substitute lesson and more. STEM Woman Mathematician Reading Passage

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. 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. Only about 5,000 rhinos are left in the wild.Use this informative web quest to learn about this endangered species. 9 web questions,lots of extension activities,comprehension questions/links. Skills include:reading for information and using research/computer skills. Rhinos, 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. Maybe, you are looking for a cooperative lesson activity.Try 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

Explore World Landmarks introduce kids to some popular world landmarks. About one page of reading, discussion questions and extension activities all help students learn some informative facts about famous world landmarks in the world. In this activity, students learn about the Eiffel Tower, probably the most famous landmark in France! Also have the Taj Mahal, Ayers Rock(Uluru) and coming soon, The Great Wall of China in this World Landmark series.

Explore World Landmarks are great to introduce kids to some popular world landmarks around the world. Great for a Friday activity, for social studies/LA classes or when you are going to have a substitute. About one page of reading, discussion questions and extension activities all help students learn some informative facts about famous world landmarks in the world.Ayers/Uluru Rock. Grades 4 and up. Also have a reading on the Eiffel Tower, Great Wall and the Taj Mahal.

Did you know that Andersen said that the story, The Ugly Duckling, was a story about him? He was bullied as a kid, called “scarecrow” because he was tall and skinny. Once to avoid kids chasing him, a young Andersen climbed a tree(and then got stuck!). His father had to get him down, only making for more taunts! This reader’s theater play introduces kids to fairy tale writer,Hans Christian Andersen. Grades 4 and up.Comprehension questions, discussion questions, extension activities and resources are included. This play could be used as a start of a discussion on bullying…

No matter your political leanings with the upcoming Presidential election, Hillary Clinton has made history becoming the first woman ever to lead the presidential ticket of a major political party(the Democratic Party). Check out this Reader’s Script on Hillary Clinton where kids learn about Hillary’s childhood and career to the present. TRIVIA: Hillary wanted to be an astronaut and at the age of 14 wrote a letter to NASA. She was very disappointed to learn that girls could NOT be admitted to the astronaut program(that would change in 1978).Grades 4 and up. Comprehension questions,discussion questions and activities as well as links for more information are also included: 6/8/16- I uploaded a revised version on this play to include Hillary Clinton making history by becoming the first woman ever to lead the presidential ticket of a major political party(the Democratic Party).