My Book-Mrs. Paddington and the Silver Mousetraps
Anti-Bullying Resources
Bell Ringers!
Updated regularly
Mrs. Portulaca Purpilopilis
and the Purple Adventure Goggles
Facts to Wow your Friends!
Teaching Ideas!
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7/2020:Mrs. Paddington and the Silver Mousetraps won a 1st place Purple Dragonfly Book Award in the Picture Books 6 & Older category. Thank you, Story Monsters!
3/24/20:Excited to have my latest children's book, Mrs. Paddington and the Silver Mousetraps, chosen as a 2019 Story Monster Approved winner!
OCTOBER FREEBIES!
2. FREEBIE ON APPLE FACTS: This interactive notebook on Apples has several activities and 17 interesting fun facts about apples. Apple Fun Facts
3. Mummy Facts:Mummyy Facts
4. Halloween. This possible Interactive Notebook activity is a fun activity to use around Halloween! There are 12 Fun Facts about the holiday with several activities to do with the students.Halloween Freebie
5. FALL means PUMPKINS.The world record in 2017 seems to have stayed the same. A man in the state of Washington has grown a pumpkin that tipped the scale at 2363 pounds! Pumpkin Fun Facts
6. Ancient Egypt and mummy go together like peanut butter and jelly! Halloween is also a great time to discuss mummies. This resource includes lots of mummy facts as well as extension activities and great resources!Mummy Fun Facts
7. Doing a Fall unit on apples? Looking for an activity during a study of pioneers? Doing a unit on folk hero? Doing a biography on Johnny Appleseed? This interactive notebook on Apples has several activities and 17 interesting fun facts about apples.APPLE Fun Facts
8. Vikings: Vikings!Leif Eriksson Day is October 9th.
9. Antibullying: Antibullying Freebie
10. International Peace Day: September 21st. International Peace Day
11. World Rhino Day( 9/22) Freebie:World Rhino Day Fun Facts
OCTOBER Highlights!
2. Vikings( A Visit with Leif Erikkson and Eric the Red)Reader's Theater Script: Leif Erikkson Day is October 9th. Part of my Ms. Bie Ografee Talk Show Series of plays, Leif Ericsson and his father, Eric the Red are guests on Ms. Bie Ografee's Talk Show. They share information about their lives and the Vikings. 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.Vikings, A Play
3. Orange Game: Looking for a Friday activity? Something for your students to do with a substitute or following testing time?Check out my ORANGE Game. There are 24 statements and several extensions. This resource challenges kids about their knowledge of all things ORANGE. Great for a fall activity! I also have other Color Games: RED, GREEN, BLUE , PURPLE and YELLOW. Orange Game
4. Columbus: A Reader's Theater Script:Learn about Christopher Columbus with this informative play. There are 10 questioners asking questions of Columbus. Additionally, comprehension questions and discussion questions are included.Columbus, A Reader's Theater Script
5. Beautiful illustrations! In this story, "Purple and the Pumpkin Race",Purple, Zing and Squirty are exciting about participating in the annual pumpkin race. After they carve out their pumpkin to sail, the race begins. Sounds like lots of fun but something goes very wrong! Purple Turtle and the Pumpkin Race
6. Halloween Webquest: With 12 informational web questions, this resource is just the thing to use as a learning tool about the holiday of Halloween. Bats, Owls, pumpkins, the human skeleton, the origin of Halloween, superstitions, and famous stories in literature, are covered. There are comprehension questions, lots of fun facts, extension activities(including writing in the content area), and additional links for teachers:Halloween, Webquest
7. ALL Mummy Webquest: Kids love mummies. Great for Halloween time(or for a unit of study on ancient Egypt) Learn all about mummies of the world. Included: Bog Mummies, Otzi, Chinchorro Mummies, Taklamakan Desert Mummies, Egyptian Mummies and more. 12 informative text questions/comprehension questions/extension activities, key, fun facts:Mummies, A Webquest
8. King Tut: Learn about King Tut. Learn lots of cool facts about mummies and the discovery of King Tut's tomb. Comprehension/discussion questions/ extension activities,Great for informative text/listening standards.Great for a unit on ancient Egypt, around Halloween or as a fun/informative Friday activity.King Tut, A Play
9. Pumpkin Webquest: Did someone say pumpkin pie?This 10 web question web quest has several comprehension questions(lots of extension activities). Great for LA classes, a fall activity, or for a substitute lesson!Pumpkins, A Webquest
10. Hispanic Heritage Month is September-October: Check out this web quest on Hispanic Heritage:Hispanic Heritage Month, A Webquest
11. This Reader's Theater Script introduces kids to fairy tale writer,Hans Christian Andersen. His story, The Ugly Duckling, some say was actually about him. Great activity for Anti-Bullying Month in October to go along with reading of this fairytale.Comprehension questions, discussion questions, extension activities and resources are includedHans Christian Andersen,A Play
12. Fall is the time for flu and Covid is still in our lives. Students will learn about microorganisms including bacteria, fungi, protists and virus with this informative web quest. Students will also learn about famous people who work with microbes, including Louis Pasteur, Alexander Fleming, Joseph Lister, Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek and Edward Jenner. Students will also learn about helpful and harmful microbes. The web quest also mentions the coronavirus, has a Did You Know? section, comprehension questions and a Teacher Page with extension activities and links. There are 12 webquestions in the resource. Microbes, A Webquest
13. Johnny Appleseed, A Reader's Theater Script: Johnny Appleseed, a Play
Part of my Ms. Bie Ografee Talk Show Series. This biographical Reader's Theater Script is on John Chapman, better remembered as Johnny Appleseed. 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.
14. History of Candy! Show kids that everything has a history!History of Candy, a Webquest
15. The Middle East is in the news. You may find this webquest on contributions and geography of this region of interest. Middle East, A Webquest
16. FAKE NEWS. FAKE NEWS: The term FAKE News seems to be used a lot these days! A recent survey found that many young people(and adults for that matter) can't seem to determine which is a real news story from a fake news story. We need to develop digital critical literacy with our students. This Interactive Notebook activity also has extension activities: Fake News! Teaching Digital Literacy!
1. World Capitals: World Capitals, Test Your Knowledge
2. US Landmarks: U.S. Landmarks, Test Your Knowledge
3. Maps and Geography: Maps and Geography, Test Your Knowledge
4. Women Trailblazers: Women Trailblazers, Test Your Knowledge
Bundle on Countries of the WorldAll sold individually, too.
MATH and STEM Biographies:
1. Hypathia: Hypathia, Woman Mathematician
2. Ada Lovelace: Ada Lovelace, Woman Mathematician
4. Katherine Johnson: Katherine Johnson, STEM Biography
4. Marie Curie: Marie Curie, Stem Bio
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Use my THINGY letters to have kids write spelling words, vocabulary words or as an art activity! Have students try and guess what some of the THINGY Letters are.(also have Black/White option):ClipArt: Alphabet Thingy Letters!
Check out my series of Children's Books from Aadarsh Publishing!
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Stop Bullying!
To any young people visiting my website. Please,if you are being bullied, seek help...SPEAK TO AN ADULT today!And, if you SEE something that looks like bullying-SAY something to an adult!
Check out my Pinterest page to see all my resources in one easy place!Click here to learn more:Gail's Social Studies Emporium(and More)
IN THE NEWS:9/14/2025:
A unique pink bumpy snailfish has been found swimming in the deep waters off the California coast. The beautiful blue eyed fish, discovered at 10,700 ft, in what is called the Monterey Canyon, even has a beard! Researchers from Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute first discovered the new species in 2019. Interesting, the snailfish have something like suction cups on their body that helps them cling to surfaces such as rocks or even other creatures, if they want a ride!
Photograph from MBARI Scientists at Kings College, London, Great Britain, have come up with an unusual use of sheep wool. They made toothpaste! No, you aren't brushing with the actual wool but a protein found in it called Keratin.Not only does the toothpaste clean your teeth, it works to build up teeth that have lost enamel, repairing teeth. Keratin is found in your nails , hair, rhino horns, even feathers! It is hoped that the Keratin toothpaste will be on the market in a couple of years.
Photograph from Kings College LondonThis week, the world's first robotic olympics were held in Beijing, China. Sixteen countries participated including the United States. Twenty-six events included soccer, boxing, kung fu and a 100 meter hurdles highlighted robotics and AI. There were over 500 bipedal robots competing. Some non-olympic events included sorting medicine and cleaning. There was even an opening ceremony where robots marched and wavered flags. Some incidents occurred including a robot colliding with a human, another robot's head popping off and some falling or not finishing their event. Still, it was an interesting display of technology!
Photograph from SmithsonianDo you know what a haboob is? It is a huge dust storm. This week,Phoenix, Arizona, had such a massive dust storm. With gusts of wind up to 94 mph, a moving wall of dust dropped visibility to zero. The dust covered an area of 50 miles! Trees were uprooted, electric poles were toppled causing mass electric power outages. It lated about one hour.
Photograph from AZcentralDo you like to skateboard? Brooke Johnson ,29, has become the first woman to skakeboard across the entire United States. Covering a distance of about 3100 miles, Brooke did not use anything but her skateboard to proper across the USA. Starting in CA, she just reached VA this weekend after 119 days. She raised more than $50,000 for spinal cord research.
Photograph from: DailyPressPAST NEWS STORIES
TAKE A PEEK at THESE ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES:
Mrs. Waffenschmidt
About Gail:
I retired from teaching after 33 1/2 years in the classroom. Of that time, I taught Grade 6 Social Studies teacher for 31 1/2 years.I earned my BA in early secondary education with a concentration in social studies from SUNY Oneonta, New York, and my MST in social studies education from Binghamton University in New York. In 1988, I was awarded the Outstanding Elementary Social Studies Classroom Teacher of the Year Award from the New York State Council for the Social Studies. Additionally, in 1988, I was also awarded the Outstanding Elementary Social Studies Teacher of the Year Award by the National Council for the Social Studies. I am the author of 8 books for teachers and over 35 books for children(Purple Turtle Series by Aadarsh Publishing and Odd History Series by Red Chair Press).
My work has appeared in most children's publications including:
Highlights for Children,News-O-Matic,Appleseed,,Scholastic's Super Science,,Scholastic's Science World,Jack and Jill,National Geographic World, Ranger Rick, Cobblestone, Faces, Muse Magazine,Contact Kids, US Kids,Action Magazine(Scholastic),Girls' Life,Boys' Life,American Girl, Instructor,Creative Classroom,Middle Years,Time for Kids,Scholastic News,Scholastic News Zone, Time for Kids , Ask Magazine, Dig,Calliope, Cobblestone, FACES, Studies Weekly, Glo Adventurer, and more.
Mail Gail:
Gail Hennessey