Thanks to Education World for use of my Mrs. Waffenschmidt illustration.

Thanks to Education World for use of my Mrs. Waffenschmidt illustration.
Click on icon to go to my website: http://www.gailhennessey.com

Sunday, April 21, 2024

Arbor Day, 2024

                                                          





* Feedback appreciated

TREES!  
Interactive Notebook Activity
 by
Gail Skroback Hennessey

Arbor Day, 2024 is April 26th 
It’s a time to celebrate trees!

Can you think of THREE ways in which TREES are important to us?




Did You Know?

1. The Botanical Gardens Conservation International  announced that there are 60,065 different species of trees in the world.(2017)

2. The most endangered tree species according to the Botanical Gardens Conservation International is the karma gigs. Found in the country of Tanzania, there are only six trees left. Where in the world is Tanzania?

3. The tallest tree in the world is the Hyperion. The tree is 379.4 ft.(115.6m) tall and is located in California’s Redwood National and State Parks. The tree is taller than the Statue of Liberty (305.6ft or 93.1m) and the famous Big Ben(316 ft or 96 m) found in London, England.

4. The largest tree in the world is the General Sherman. The giant sequoia stands 275 ft.(or 83.8 m). Twenty people holding hands would be needed to circle the base of this tree!

5. For many years, the oldest individual tree in the world has been a bristlecone pine named Methuselah.It’s location is a secret but it is located in the White Mountains of California. It is estimated to be about 4,,848 years  old. In 2013, another bristlecone was found to be about 5,066 years old. This tree may now be the world’s oldest tree.The unnamed tree is located in the same forest. What would YOU name the tree? http://www.livescience.com/29152-oldest-tree-in-world.html

6. There is a clonal tree in the country of Norway which has a root system estimated to be about 9552 years old! It is called Old Tjikko. A clonal tree grows when their branches touch the ground and start new roots.

7. The beautiful cherry trees, found in  Washington, D.C., were a gift from the people of Japan. Back in 1912, 3000 trees were gifted by the mayor  of Japan. Interestingly, in 1981, the United States gifted cuttings of some of the cherry trees back to the people of Japan, after many of their trees were destroyed in a flood.

8. Did you know that Guinness World Records says the manchineel tree is the “most dangerous tree” in the world? Just getting the sap of the tree on your skin can cause blisters. Getting the sap in your eye could actually cause blindness! This tree is found in tropical regions of North and South America.  Can you name 2 countries found on North America? Can you name 2 countries found on South America

9. There is a tree called the Great Banyan Tree, found in the country of India that is called the “widest tree in the world”. If you look at the “tree” it looks like a forest as the “tree” covers 3.5 sq. acres of land in the Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden. Its branches reach the ground and sprout new growth. Is the Banyan tree a “clonal tree”?

10. Did you know that one tree can inhale about 48 pounds of carbon dioxide a year?

11. Some people like to grow trees in a small dish. Called bonsai, the word means “tree in tray”. Growing living trees in this way is an art form from Japan. China also developed a similar type of art, too. Name ONE Fact about the country of Japan.  Name ONE fact about the country of China.

Your turn:
1. What do you think these quotes mean? Illustrate on of the quotes.
A. “The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn”.  Ralph Waldo Emerson
B.“A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people. ” 
2. List 7 products we get from trees.
3. Write a diary entry about a day you took a walk into the woods. What did you see? Hear? Smell? Feel?
4. Draw a picture of a tree. Write three ways in which trees are important.


Teacher Page:
1. Have students learn about bonsai trees with this reading passage. Write 4 facts learned: http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/virtual/bonsai/bonsai01.html
2. Show students the Great Banyan Tree: http://unbelievablefactsblog.com/post/75501683200/the-great-banyan-treeb  Write a poem about the tree.
3. Have students illustrate one of the Did You Know? facts.
Links for additional information teachers:
Resources of Interest on this Topic:
1. Learn about the history of Arbor Day and all about trees with this web quest. There are 11 web questions, a Did You Know? section, comprehension questions and a teacher section with keys, additional links and lots(11 extension activities).This could also be something to use with EARTH DAY, when you are studying TREES and, of, course, for ARBOR DAY!
2. A Biologist and marine zoologist, Rachel Carson’s books shared her love of nature, especially the ocean and its inhabitants. Her book, Silent Spring, sparked concern in how chemical pesticides were harming our environment. Carson helped to start the environmental movement in our country, which led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This Reader's Theater Script on Rachel Carson could be used as a STEM biography any time of year or especially during the time of Earth Day.https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Rachel-Carson-A-Readers-Theater-Script-3071478




Illustration from wpclipart.com
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Monday, April 8, 2024

Earth Day is Coming!

 



PLANET EARTH:
FUN FACTS
by
Gail Skroback Hennessey

Did You Know?



1. Scientists say that it takes about 500 years for plastic to decompose.

2. The Ring of Fire located in the Pacific Ocean is the largest zone of active volcanoes. 75% of the world’s volcanoes are here!

3. There is enough salt in the oceans that if you could collect all of it and spread it, it would cover all the continents in 5 ft. (1.5m) of salt.

4. Scientists say the earth travels at 66,700 mph through space or 18.5 miles per second!

5. The name "Earth" is the only planet named for an Angle Saxon word("erda") and not from Greek or Roman mythology.

6. In 1961, the first man in space, Russian Yuri Gagarin, was the first to call Earth, “the Blue Planet”.

7. Scientists say that the average person makes about four pounds(1.8kg) of garbage every day!

8. Did you know you are heavier in certain places on Earth? There is less gravity near the coast of India and more gravity in the southern part of the Pacific Ocean.

9. The earth isn’t round. It is an oblate spheroid, or “pear shaped”.

10. It is estimated that the earth weighs about 6, 588,000,000,000 million tons.

11. 25,000,000 plastic bottles are thrown away every hour in the United States. You read correctly!

12. Don’t throw away the tinfoil of a Hershey’s Kiss. About 133 sq. miles of tinfoil are used to wrap 20,000,000 of the sweet treats every day!

13. Yellowstone National Park, was the world’s first national park. It was established in 1872.

14. The Peace Bell, rung at the United Nations every Earth Day, was made from coins collected by kids in Japan to promote peace on Earth.

15. Scientists say that the jellyfish is older than the dinosaur and dates back at least 650 million years.

16. One recycled aluminum can saves enough energy for a television to run for three hours.

17. Scientists say there are more living organisms in just ONE tablespoon of soil than all the people living on the earth(and that’s over 7.4 billion people)

18. One inch of topsoil, the very most fertile layer of soil, takes over 500 years to create.

19. Seen from outer space, the Great Barrier Reef(off the coast of Queensland, Australia), is called the “single largest animal being of the world”.

20. Mt. Trashmore, in Virginia Beach,VA, is a hill 60 ft(18 m high) 800 ft, long( 240m) made from trash.(That’s why it’s called Mt. Trashmore!)


TEACHER PAGE:
Extension Activities:

1. Illustrate one of the Did You Know? facts.

2. Have kids select a photograph of the earth from space and write a paragraph as to what they see. 
3. Discuss Haiku(3 line poem with 5-7-5 syllable pattern). Write a Haiku about Earth day or something about the earth(trees, ocean, river, trash, etc.)

Links for teachers: 
http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/ very cool! See the world population continue to grow every second!


Check out these resources:
1. NOT JUST FOR EARTH DAY.Learn about the history of Earth Day and, our planet, EARTH, with this informative web quest. There are 15 web questions as well as comprehension questions and a Did You Know? fun fact section. The teacher page includes extension activities, the key, and additional links. Great for a Friday activity! https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Earth-DayWebquest-on-the-Blue-Planet-1790891


2. Learn about Mt. Everest, Nepal and the Yeti with this fun web quest! Activities,interesting facts and comprehension review,too.Skills include:reading for information and using research/computer skills. 

3. Learn lots of fun facts with this Exploring the Ocean Blue: A Web quest.There are 9 informative web questions. Fun Facts, comprehension questions,extension activities,links.Use as part of a unit on oceans,a Friday activity for a Friday or before a vacation.Skills include:reading for information and using research/computer skills. 
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Oceans-Exploring-the-Ocean-Blue-A-WebquestExtension-Activities-705943

4. Studying the ocean? Looking for a resource for Earth Day or World Ocean Day? Introduce your students to Jacques Cousteau with this informative Reader's Theater Script. Oceanographer, photographer, scientist, inventor, writer and filmmaker, Cousteau spent his life studying the oceans and the marine life that lived in the oceans. Part of Ms. Bie Ografee Talk Show Series(extensions/comprehension questions, Did You Know?, key) 
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Jacques-Cousteau-A-Readers-Theater-Script-2458467


5. Antarctica! Geographical web quest which introduces kids to the continent of Antarctica. There are 10 web quests(with lots of information in the questions), 14 Did You Know? facts, comprehension questions(including several "thought question"), a teacher page with a number of extension activities, additional links and key. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Antarctica-A-Webquest-2389374

6. Geographical web quest which introduces kids to the region of the Earth known as the Arctic. There are 14 web quests(with lots of information in the questions), Did You Know? facts, comprehension questions(including several "thought question"), a teacher page with a number of extension activities, additional links and key. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Arctic-Learn-about-the-ArcticWebquest-Distance-Learning-2889672


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Saturday, April 6, 2024

Are you Ready to Celebrate William Shakespeare's Birthday? (April 23rd)

 



William Shakespeare
In Great Britain, Shakespeare Week is celebrated in the middle of the month of March!
The anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death is April 23rd. It is called National Shakespeare Day. Trinity Church, in Stratford -upon-Avon, where Shakespeare was born rings bells on this day and the mayor of the town leads a procession to the grave of Shakespeare where flowers are placed.

What do YOU know about this world famous writer?


Did You Know?

An estimated 1700 words which we use all the time were first used in the plays of Shakespeare.

Words such as eyeball, hurry, lonely, frugal, majestic and generous are just a few. Shakespeare also used lots of expressions that are common today. Examples include: “Knock,knock, Who’s there?”, “green eyed monster”, “vanish into thin air”, “wild goose chase”, “makes your hair stand on end”, “so-so”, “good riddance”, “tongue tied”, “night owl” and “eaten out of house and home”.

Another interesting fact about Shakespeare you may not know is he is the reason there are millions and millions of starlings in North America! Native to Europe and parts of Asia, the story goes that a person named Eugene Schiffelin really loved the work of Shakespeare. He was called a “bardolator”. He decided to bring the songbird to the United States. In fact, he was part of a group that wanted to bring all the birds mentioned in Shakespeare’s works, to North America, that weren’t native to this continent. The year was 1890. The place was Central Park, in New York City. Schieffelin released 60 starlings in the famous park. Today, there are over 200 million of the birds flying over the skies of North America!

Did you Know?

1.Shakespeare wrote the words found on his tombstone. At the time, it was common to remove buried bones in a cemetery to make room for new bodies. Shakespeare’s tombstone has a curse to anyone who would dare to move his bones. Shakespeare's bones were never moved! See his tomb(and read the curse) located inside the Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon. http://poetsgraves.co.uk/shakespeare.htm

2. Did you know that pencils were a new invention when Shakespeare was born?
In one of his most famous plays,”Romeo and Juliet”, Shakespeare uses the word love 150 times.

3. It is thought(based on a 17th century portrait of him), that Shakespeare wore a gold hoop in his left ear.

4. During the time of Shakespeare, plays were only performed in the afternoon.

5. Women were not allowed to participate in plays during the time of Shakespeare so all the roles were performed by men.


Your Turn:
1. Illustrate an expression of William Shakespeare. See examples below in 3.  Place three of his expressions into sentences.

2. What are 2 character traits you think a writer needs to have?

3. Select one of the quotes of Shakespeare and illustrate it. Write a short paragraph explaining what you think the quote is saying.
A. "Better three hours too soon than a minute too late."
B. "It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves."
C. " I would challenge you to a battle of wits, but I see you are unarmed."
D. "What's done can't be undone."
E. "Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none."

4. Create a compliment using Shakespeare's words. Go to this link: 

https://folger-main-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/08/QuotesScripts_Compliments.pdf. More activities at this link: https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeare-for-kids/#:~:text=Shakespearean%20insults%2C%20compliments%2C%20and%20quotations%20Help%20kids%20to,language.%20Click%20each%20link%20to%20download%20the%20PDF


5. See the grave of William Shakespeare and what he had written on it: http://poetsgraves.co.uk/shakespeare.htm Interestingly, recent scans seem to suggest that Shakespeare's skull is missing from his grave! Why do you think someone may have stolen it?


Check out my Reader’s Theater Script on William Shakespeare.  Shakespeare is 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/Did You Know?section, LOTS of extension activities/links/key. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/William-Shakespeare-A-Readers-Theater-Script-2299401


Note: Other Reader's Theater Scripts on Famous Writers:





Note: Illustration from wpclipart.com Photograph of Shakespeare’s home was taken by Gail Hennessey


*37 plays are what most believe Shakespeare wrote in his lifetime.
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Thursday, April 4, 2024

Tulip Time 2024

 








Click here for a user friendly download of this resource: 





With spring, comes the sprouting of tulips.  Personally, I love purple tulips. Although I try year after year to grow them in my gardens, the chipmunks seem to find them and haul the bulbs away! 

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.

In 1634, tulips caused people to go a bit crazy, in the country of Netherlands. The bulb, looking like a onion was as prized as diamonds. It got so nobody was planting the pretty posies, they were just buying and selling the bulbs. People used tulips to purchased homes, food, clothing and even horses. Government officials kept a record of tulip purchases. Tulipmania is what this time was called. One tulip could be worth over $35,000!(Yes, you read that correctly)

Fun Facts about Tulips:
1. To have a tulip in your home was a way to impress others!
2. Interestingly, the tulips with the most value, really were infected with a virus and were feathered and not solid colored tulips.
3. It is believed the tulip came from Asia and the area of Turkey,1000AD. Its name, is thought to come from the word dulban or tuliban(meaning turban), because the flower looks like an upside down turban. In Turkey, tulips were very much prized and in fact, for a time, it was forbidden to buy or sell the bulbs outside of the capital city. Such crimes could mean exile!
4. The tulip capital of the United States is Holland, Michigan.
5. During World War 2, people ate tulips and made tulip bread. Neither were very tasty but when you are hungry, taste isn't that important.

Your Turn:
1. Do you know which two flowers are more popular than the tulip?If, not, take a guess!________________ and ______________
2. What is your favorite flower?  Why do you favor this flower over other flowers?
3. What do you know about the country of Turkey? Write ONE fact:__________________
4. What do you know about the country of Netherlands? Write ONE fact:________________
5. Write a haiku about tulips. A haiku has 3 lines and each line has the following syllable pattern. 5-7-5. Not sure how many syllables are in a word? Place your hand under your chin. Count how many times your chin drops as you say the world. For example: ELEPHANT. It has 3 syllables. Don't worry about sentence form, think descriptive words. The Haiku comes from the people of Japan. Write TWO facts you know about the country of Japan. 



Extension Activities:
1. Read a fairytale about tulips: http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/spring/short-stories/the-fairy-tulips.html Have students write a summary of the story. Have students write their own story about a tulip.

2. http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/plants/tulips.html More Tulip facts. Illustrate one of the facts about tulips.



Sharing information about the history of the tulip is a great way to show kids that EVERYTHING has a history. The resource includes a reading passage, Did You Know? fun facts, comprehension questions, Map-skill activity, Teacher page with extension activities and key. Click here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Spring-A-Reading-Passage-History-of-TULIPS-2426247
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Sunday, March 17, 2024

WATER FACTOIDS: World Water Day is March 22nd

 


World Water Day!
March 22, 2024
Possible Interactive Notebook Activity

Water actually has a day when people focus on just how important water is to all of us. World Water Day is March 22nd. In 2024, the theme for World Water Day is Water for Peace.
Did You Know?
1. Our planet is about 75% water.  Yet, less than 2% is able to be used by humans. Can you think of two reasons why most water is NOT available for human use?_____________ and  ____________

2. A jellyfish is almost 95% water!  A human body is made up of about 66% water.

3. Shutting off the water while brushing teeth saves about 4 gallons of water. For some people on the planet, that is a week’s supply of water. What are two ways to conserve(save) water?____________ and _____________


4. The water you are drinking is the same water that the dinosaurs drank!

We don’t have any “new” water on the planet. It just keeps getting recycled. Can you name the three stages of the water cycle?____________   __________   ______________

5. Scientists say that in a 100 year time period, a molecule of water spends 98 years in the ocean, 20 months as ice and just 2 weeks in rivers and lakes. It spends only about 1 week in the atmosphere.

6. In 1996 , NASA announced that water, in the form of ice, was found on the moon, near the South Pole. 

7. Did you know that hot water freezes more quickly than cold water? This is called the Mpemba Effect. Scientists aren’t sure why this is the case.

8. Water is the only substance on the Earth that has three stages. Can you name them?____________  ________   _________

9.. Water is made up of just two elements, hydrogen and oxygen.

10. Pure water doesn’t have any smell or taste. Other than for drinking, can you think of three uses of water?___________  ______________  ___________ 

11. Can you name the room in a house that uses the most water?____________

Your Turn:
  1. Illustrate one of the facts.
  2. Pretend to be a water drop and write about a day in your life.
  3. What are three ways you can conserve water in your daily life?
Teacher’s Page:
Before doing the activity, ask the students to share prior knowledge on the topic of water. Give the students the Did You Know? Fact Sheet. Regroup and discuss.

Additional Activities:
1. Teachers may find some information at this link of value to use with kids: http://savethewater.org/education-resources/water-facts/
3. Learn about the water cycle: http://www.kidzone.ws/water/



Check out these related resources:
  1. Studying the ocean? Looking for a resource for Earth Day or World Ocean Day? Introduce your students to Jacques Cousteau with this informative Reader's Theater Script. Oceanographer, photographer, scientist, inventor, writer and filmmaker, Cousteau spent his life studying the oceans and the marine life that lived in the oceans. Part of my Ms. Bie Ografee Talk Show Series where Jacques Cousteau is a guest on her talk show and answers questions of her studio audience. There are 10 audience questioners, a Did You Know? section, comprehension questions, a teacher section with extension activities, links and the key:  https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Jacques-Cousteau-A-Readers-Theater-Script-2458467
2. Exploring the Ocean Blue: A Web quest, will introduce students to our oceans. There are nine informative web questions. Fun Facts, comprehension questions,extension activities and links are also provided as is the key. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Oceans-Exploring-the-Ocean-Blue-A-WebquestExtension-Activities-705943

3.  Learn about Earth Day and our planet Earth, with this informative web quest! In 2018, the theme for Earth Day is “Environmental and Climate Literacy”. Although this resource could be used for Earth Day, it really could be used throughout the year. There are 15 web questions as well as comprehension questions and a Did You Know? fun fact section. The teacher page includes extension activities, the key, and additional links. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Earth-DayWebquest-on-the-Blue-Planet-1790891
Key:
1.   salty and frozen 5.evaporation, condensation and precipitation 9.  liquid, solid and gas 11. cooking, energy, farming, fun 12. bathroom(toilet,shower,bathtub,faucet) 
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