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!
NOVEMBER FREEBIES!
2. What Happened to the Mayflower: What Happened to the Mayflower?
3.Mummy Facts: MUMMY Fun Facts
4. Turkeys: TURKEY Fun Facts
5. Geography Awareness Week Ideas: Geography Awareness Week
6. King Tut Day is November 4th: King Tut Day is Coming!
7Fake News:Fake News Activity
8. FREEBIE ON APPLE FACTS: This interactive notebook on Apples has several activities and 17 interesting fun facts about apples. Apple Fun Facts
9. 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
10. 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
NOVEMBER Highlights!
2. Want a fun and informative activity to teach your students about the history of Thanksgiving? This webquest has ten informational text questions on the history of Thanksgiving(including the Macy's Day Parade). TURKEY facts, too! History of Thanksgiving and Turkey Facts, A Webquest
3. Learn about the Mayflower and the Pilgrims with this informative web quest!There are ten informative text webquests, extension activities, fun facts. Mayflower and Pilgrims, A Webquest
4. Pumpkin Webquest: This 10 web question web quest has several comprehension questions(lots of extension activities). Pumpkins, A Webquest
5. A Ms. Bie Ograffee Reader's Theater Script, an interview with Love Brewster, a Pilgrim of Plymouth Colony.Love was an actual member of the 102 Pilgrims that came to America. He was about nine years old. The play includes info on Mayflower, first winter and Thanksgiving feast. Fun facts,Comprehension questions, extension activities, links: A Visit with a Pilgrim, Reader's Theater Script
6. SAVE with this Native American Bundle Resource. Includes my Reader's Theater Scripts on Sacagawea and Sequoyah. It also includes my fun/informative web quest on Native Americans.(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 and more).Great for Native American Heritage Month(Nov). Native American Bundle of Resources. All also sold individually.
7. The adventures of substitute teacher, Mrs. Purpilopolis and her Purple Adventure Goggles. This adventure has Mrs. Purpilopolis and the Purple Adventure Goggles take students back in time to learn about the very first Thanksgiving. While wearing the purple adventure goggles, the students are witnesses to history being able to see and hear history as it is happening. Lots of factual information/discussion questions included:Mrs. Purpilopolis and the First Thanksgiving, A Mini-EBook
8. King Tut Day is November 4th. 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 on the discovery of Tut's Tomb
9. Geographic Awareness Week is in November: World Landmarks,a Webquest
Maps and Geography: Maps and Geography
Geographic Secret Messages:Geographic Secret Messages
10. 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.
11. History of Candy! Show kids that everything has a history!History of Candy, a Webquest
12. 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
13. 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:10/26/2025:
The world's record for the most drones used in a display took place this week in China's "firework capital" of Liuyang, in the Hunan province. A total of 15,947 drones and 7,496 fireworks were used to create an amazing light show of color and amazing imagery including a tree with branches with feathers falling from its top, the Great Wall of China, a little girl holding a flower and butterflies, during the twenty minute show.
Photograph from AvinteractiveGood news for the Green Sea Turtle. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has removed the species from its Endangered status to Least Concern. This is an amazing comeback for the Green Sea Turtle. Efforts such as reducing illegal trade, using different types of fishing nets and protecting nesting female turtles have helped increase their numbers in areas such as Hawaii, Brazil, Mexico and the Ascension Island. Found in 80 different countries, the largest populations are found in Australia and Costa Rica. The Green Sea Turtle is the largest species of hard-shelled sea turtle and can weigh as much as 700 pounds! The Green Sea Turtles help keep coral reefs healthy as well as the seagrass meadows in the oceans. Learn about the Green Sea Turtle at this link: Green Sea Turtles
Photograph from SunnyskiesScientists have discovered a new large white coral reef in the Mediterranean Sea in the Gulf of Naples. Found using a robotic submarine, the coral reef was found to have fossil remains containing important species."White coral" is the term for coral reefs that are predominately lacking of color.
Photograph from independent co.ukThe most visited museum in the world is the Louvre in Paris, France. It is also the world's largest museum with over 380,000 works of art. It was originally the royal palace of France, built in 1793. This weekend thieves, in the morning, were able to get inside and within seven minutes, get away with several valuable jewels from the days of French kings. Police are studying the CCTV camera footage and hope to find those responsible. Back in 1911, someone managed to steal the famous Leonardo daVinci painting, the Mona Lisa. Fortunately it was recovered two years later.
Photograph from People Magazine
THE WORLD RECORD FOR A PUMPKIN HAS BEEN BROKEN. In 2025, two twin brothers, in Great Britain, grew a pumpkin that weighted in at 2819 pounds smashing Travis Gienger's record held since 2023. Stuart and Ian Paton's pumpkin grew for 131 days. It averaged 70 pounds of growing per day for about 15 days!
Photograph from BBCPAST 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