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!
Mrs. Waffenschmidt
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Gail Hennessey
by The JavaScript Source
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!
Welcome to My Website for Educators!
Try doing an act of kindness for someone, today!
PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT AND SIGN MY GUESTMAP. I'D LOVE TO SEE WHERE MY VISITORS CALL HOME! Click on the GLOBE ICON on the left to open the map.
"Remember no one can make you feel inferior without your consent."
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!
December FREEBIES!
2. Snow Factoids: SNOW Factoids
3. Happy New Year! New Year's FACTOIDS, Customs from Around the World
4. Rockefeller Center Tree: Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Freebie
5. Learn about Charles Dickens, the author of A Christmas Carol!
Charles Dickens!
Highlighted Resources for DECEMBER:
1. Holiday Traditions from Around the World Webquest: 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. 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.Holiday Traditions from Around the World, A Webquest
2. Charles Dickens :With this being the time of year for the story, A Christmas Carol, it's a great opportunity to learn about its author,Charles Dickens. One of the most famous writers of all times,Dickens also wrote Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities, David Copperfield and more. My webquest includes 8 fun/informative questions to learn about Dickens. Additional activities/links,too: Charles Dickens, A WebquestI also have a Ms. Bie Ogrefee Reader's Theater Script on Charles Dickens: There are 11 questioners in the play as well as a Did You Know? section of fun facts, comprehension questions and a teacher page with extension activities, additional links and the key. Charles Dickens, A Reader's Theater Script
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 with this possible Interactive Notebook Activity: Holiday Traditions at the White House
4. Learn about the History of New Year's with this fun/informative web quest. 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. Included are also other holiday New Year's celebrations including Diwali, Chinese New Year, Songkran and Rosh Hashanah. The resources also mentions how April Fool's Day originated over when to celebrate New Year’s! New Year's Eve Traditions from Around the World, A Webquest
5. History of Candy: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(Webquest)
6. The Wright Brothers first flight was December 17th . Did you know that people actually thought that the airplane would have not real purpose? Less than 10 people showed up for the Wright Brothers attempt to make history on that December 17, 1903, morning. This informative web quest will help students learn about the Wright Brothers and their first flight. Extension activities as well as additional links for information are also provided as is the key. Wright Brothers, A Webquest I also have a Reader's Theater Script on the Wright Brothers:Wright Brothers, A Reader's Theater ScriptAdditionally, I have a Reader's Theater Script on Female Pilots during WW2, Amelia Earhart, Bessie Coleman and the Tuskegee Airmen. I have a reading passage on Aida de Acosta.
7. 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. Students in grades 4 and up will have fun acting out their parts and learning some interesting facts about First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln whose birthday was December 13th. Discussion questions, comprehension questions and activities are also included: Mary Todd Lincoln, A Reader's Theater Script
8. If you live where there is snow, you have probably built a snowman. The snowman has been around for quite a while. In fact, the earliest drawing of a snowman was found in a book dating back to 1380! The book, "Book of Hours" was found in a library in the country of the Netherlands. Read about a famous sculptor hired to make a snowman, a snowman which helps predicts the weather in Switzerland and two more stories about snowmen! Four short reading passages that have to do with snowmen with questions and extension activities: Snowmen, Four Reading Passages
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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!
LOOK!
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:12/04/2021:
Walking along Black's Beach in San Diego,CA, a man came upon what he thought was a strange looking jellyfish. In fact, it was a Pacific footballfish, a very rare deep sea creature that usually lives at depths of 2000 to 3300 feet below the surface of the Pacific Ocean. With sharp needle like teeth, the football fish can top the scales at about 110 pounds and grow to 3 ft. long. Its very large mouth is helpful in catching any prey!
On Wednesday, 11/24, NASA's launched a spacecraft, using Elon Musk's company, SpaceX, with the purpose of crashing into an asteroid! The mission of DART(Double Asteroid Redirection Test) is to see whether smashing into an asteroid can redirect its orbit that might be heading toward an impact with Earth. NOTE: NO asteroid is currently on target to hit Earth. The spacecraft will take about 10 months to reach the asteroids Didymos and Dimorphos with hopes of hitting into Dimorphos, the smaller of the two asteroids, at a speed of approximately 15,000 mph. Cameras will photograph the crash from a small satellite released from the spacecraft. Dimorphos is about the size of the Great Pyramid of Egypt.
Leave your shoes at home? A school in Perth, Australia, says that next year, as a pilot program, kids in elementary school will not need to wear shoes in school. It is thought that walking barefoot helps to to develop a young child's feet, knees, ankles and hips. Others says that there is no evidence that walking barefoot, especially in a school, is beneficial.
What do you think? Would you walk barefoot in school if you were allowed to do so? Photograph from pixabay
The first of its kind whale sanctuary is coming to North America. To be located in Port Hilford Bay, Nova Scotia, the Whale Sanctuary Project, will be approximately 110 acres and hopes to open in 2023. Orca and beluga whales that were used to perform at marine parks will be released into this new sanctuary area. Learn more: Whale Sanctuary
Photograph Photograph from ecowatch.com
Remi Ouvrard, of France, reached an altitude of 13,176 feet above the earth while STANDING atop a hot air balloon! Ouvrard did this as a charity event to raise money for neuromuscular diseases. Harnessed in place and with oxygen, in case he needed it, Ouvrard stood atop the hot air balloon for 1 and 1/2 hours. Just in case you are wondering, Ouvrard broke the world record for standing atop a hot air balloon!
Photograph from thetimes.co.uk
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:
Appleseeds,Scholastic's Super Science,Scholastic's Science World,Highlights for Children,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.
