My Book-Mrs. Paddington and the Silver Mousetraps
Anti-Bullying Resources
Bell Ringers!
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Mrs. Portulaca Purpilopilis
and the Purple Adventure Goggles
Facts to Wow your Friends!
Teaching Ideas!
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Gail Hennessey
by The JavaScript Source
HAPPY HOLIDAYS and ALL THE BEST in the New Year, 2023!
New:Check out my interview with Feathered Quill(Oct/22)at this link:Feathered Quill Interview with Gail
LEARN about the host country of the 2022 World Cup,Qatar!Qatar, The Host Country of the World Cup(2022), A Freebie
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!
1. Aviation Fun Facts: Remembering a Historic Day in History: Wright Brothers Fly over Kitty Hawk, NC!(Dec. 17th): Aviation Freebie
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(author of A Christmas Carol):Charles Dickens, A Freebie
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 Webquest
I 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! https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Candy-History-of-Candy-Webquest-516787 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 Scripte
Additionally, 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:11/24/2022:
The first "parastronaut" has been named by the European Space Agency. British medic, John McFall, lost a leg due to a motorcycle accident and will begin the two-three year study to see if someone with a physical disability can be part of a future space mission. McFall said of his selection,"ESA has the commitment to send an astronaut with a physical disability into space... This is the first time that a space agency has endeavored to embark on a project like this. And it sends a really, really strong message to humanity."
Photograph from MSNGoldfish in the wild can get lots bigger than most people think. Called "The Carrot", a whopper of a goldfish was caught by a man in France. The goldfish weighed 67 pounds, about the size of a 10 year child. The goldfish was released after several photograph were taken. Goldfish in the wild can live up to 25 years! 
Photograph from CNN
The school nurse has probably checked your head for lice at some point. Seems this pesky problem has been around for a LONG time. Israeli Archeologists have uncovered an ivory comb,dating back 3700 years that may have the oldest known sentence, written in a type of alphabet. Found in Lachish, Israel, the sentence says,"May this tusk root out the lice of the hair and the beard."" Interestingly, the oldest example of head lice was a louse egg found on the hair of a Brazilian mummy which was about 10,000 years old!
Photograph from CNNWOW! Imagine surfing a 115 ft. tall wave. Sebastian Steudtner, of Germany, has broken the record for the tallest wave ever surfed. He did this at Nazare, Portugal, known for their record waves.
Photograph from ForbesScientists observing bees say that they PLAY. Studying bumblebees in action, researchers from Queen Mary University of London, England, found bumblebees seem to like rolling wooden balls around. The bumblebees studied were not given any incentive (rewards) for doing this. The insects just seemed to have fun doing it!
Photograph from CTVnews
For the first time, Disney has introduced a short film that highlights its first plus-sized character. Bianca, of Reflect, is a ballerina, who deals with developing self-esteem.
Photograph from NPRDiwali, the Festival of Lights, begins on Monday, October 24th and last for five days.It's a happy time of year and is the biggest holiday in the country of India.Practiced mainly by people of the Hindu faith, many other people enjoy taking part in the festive holiday season, too. During the holiday, there will be gift giving, lighting lamps(Dipa lamps) special sweet treats including Laddus (sweet wheat balls with nuts and fruits inside) and Karanjis (flour fried dumplings with coconut and sugar), praying, getting together with family and friends and fireworks to help welcome the new year. Learn a bit about the country of India by clicking here:Learn about the country of India
Illustration from PixabayThis year a record was broken for a pumpkin grown in North America. Travis Gienger, of Minnesota, grew a pumpkin that weighed in at 2560 pounds! Hard to believe but that is NOT the biggest pumpkin ever grown. That honor goes to Stefano Cutrupi, of Italy, who set a new world record for a pumpkin the fall of 2021. Cutrupi's pumpkin smashed the scale at 2702 pounds replacing a pumpkin record of 2624 pounds grown by Matias Willemijns of Belgium.
Photograph of the World's largest pumpkin from guinnessworldrecords.com
PAST NEWS STORIES
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.
