Space Day 2020 is MAY 1st!

Space Day is May 1st. Held the first Friday in May, the day to recognize space and spark young people in science, was in 1997. In 2001, astronaut John Glenn promoted the day as International Space Day.

*Click here for the free downloadable version: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Space-Day-FREEBIE-Possible-Interactive-Notebook-Activity-4542631

1. Write THREE facts you know about space.

2. What are three character traits you would give an astronaut and why?

3. What would be your biggest fear as an astronaut?

4. If you could bring ONE personal item with you on a space mission what would it be and why?

5. Do you think there may be life on other planets?

6. Write TWO questions you’d ask an astronaut.

7. Illustrate one of the Did You Know? factoids.

Did You Know?

• Dennis Tito, became the first  space tourist in 2001.He paid $20 million to spend 8 days at the International Space Station.

•  Snoopy, the Peanut character, is the safety mascot of NASA astronauts.

• Wan-Hu, a Chinese man that lived around 1500 AD, may have been the first in space. 47 Rockets were attached to a chair with two large kites. He was never seen again!• The word astronaut is Latin for “star sailor.
• The first person to walk in space was Russian, Alexei Leonov(1965).
• The first American to walk in space was Ed White(1965).
• President Nixon called Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin while they were taking photographs of the flag on the moon. Nixon said of the telephone call that it “was the most historic phone call ever made from the White House”. 1969
• Scientists hope that there will be a manned mission to MARS by 2025.
• Venus is the hottest planet. Although Mars is closest to the sun, its atmosphere can’t regulate temperatures. Venus is about 450 degrees C. on its surface.
•  Pluto was demoted from being a planet(2006). It is called a dwarf planet. Ceres, Haumea, Makemake and Eris are the four other recognized dwarf planets.
• The first man-made object in space was launched by the Russians in 1957. It was called Sputnik. It was the beginning of the “Space Race” between Russia and the USA.
• Famous Halley’s Comet returns to our solar system every 76 years. It will be visible in 2061.
• A Latin word, “alien” means “stranger” or “foreign”.
• The planet Saturn has officially 53 moons. Another 9 haven’t been confirmed as moons.
• Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system.
• About 4.24 light years away, the sun is the closest star to the Earth.
• Stars don’t really “twinkle”. The light of stars is distorted by the Earth’s atmosphere making the appearance of twinkling.
• A group of solar systems is called a galaxy. We live in the Milky Way Galaxy.
• It is estimated that there are 500,000 pieces of junk floating around in space! 
• The first person to believe that the Earth revolved around the Sun was Nicolaus Copernicus. People at the time believed the EARTH was the center of the universe and the sun revolved around the Earth.

Resources of Possible Interest:

• https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Moon-Landing-Man-Walks-on-the-Moon-A-Readers-Theater-Script-4538523 Reader’s Theater Script on the Moon Landing of 1969
• https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/John-Glenn-Astronaut-A-Webquest-2914006 Webquest on John Glenn

Check out this resource: https://www.nasa.gov/stem/forstudents

Illustrations from WPClipart and NASA

Earth Day 2020

Earth Day is coming!

Click here for free downloadable version: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/EARTH-DAY-FREEBIE-Possible-Interactive-Notebook-Activity-2466543

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”.

10. 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. 

http://www.wired.com/2014/12/nasa-best-earth-from-space-2014/#slide-6

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.fun-interesting-facts.com/interesting_facts_about_earth.html 

http://www.softschools.com/facts/holidays/earth_day_facts/156/

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. Scientists plan to measure Mt. Everest to see if the mountain shrank a bit after the 2015 earthquake in the country of Nepal. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/04/09/nepalese-team-measure-mount-everest-amid-concerns-peak-has-shrunk/. 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. 

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Mt-Everest-Trekking-up-Mt-Everest-WebquestExtension-Activities-649400

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

Gail 

Arbor Day is Coming. Trees...Interactive Notebook Activity

* Feedback appreciated

TREES!  

Interactive Notebook Activity

 by

Gail Skroback Hennessey

Arbor Day 2020 is April 22th. 

It’s a time to celebrate trees!

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

Click here for a free downloadable version: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Arbor-DayLets-Learn-about-TREESFreebie-3101335

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. ” 

Franklin D. Roosevelt

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:

http://facts.net/tree/

http://www.kidzone.ws/plants/trees.htm

http://iliketowastemytime.com/2012/10/01/oldest-tallest-and-biggest-trees-in-world

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!

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Arbor-Day-A-Webquest-3082791

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

TEACHING HOW TO SPOT FAKE NEWS

Teaching Digital Literacy

FAKE NEWS!

Seems like almost every day, this term is being used. Just WHAT is Fake News? Can you tell the difference between fake and real news?  

1. A cyclist in England snapped a photograph of some very unusual pigs. They looked like sheep with their wooly coats.  He posted the photographs on social media. Do you think what he posted was a real photograph or fake? Why? How would you go about determining whether this is a real or fake story? ___________________________________________________

2. A couple of years ago, it was announced that on a certain date, April 20th, the planet Uranus would be moving into the moon’s orbit and for ninety minutes, the moon would appear green. The very rare occurrence had a name. It was known as a “green Moon”. The news story posted on Facebook said that the last time this scientific event occurred was 420 years ago! People were encouraged to share the news story. What do you think of this story? Real or Fake? WHY?

_______________________________________________________

3. After a tragedy such as an earthquake or flooding, many people are homeless. Designed by architects in Poland, the Skysheltermay be helpful. An  accordion-like shelter, it can be airlifted easily to where temporary shelter is needed. Once on site, the “skyscraper” unfolds almost instantly and can be used as housing. There is a balloon inside which quickly can be filled with helium to raise the building. What do you think of this story? Could it be a real story or is it fake? ____________________________________________________

4. It was stated that when President Barack Obama was President, he signed an Executive Order banning the National Anthem at all sporting events in the United States? Do you think this was True or Fake news? Why?___________________________________________________

5.Why do you think people create “fake news”? _______________________

_______________________________________________________Why do you think so many people "believe" FAKE News stories?______________________________________________________

6. “Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own set of facts,” said a famous lawmaker named Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan. What do you think he was saying with this statement?________________________________________

7. For World Penguin Day(held every April 25th),the BBC announced an amazing discovery in Antarctica. Flying penguins were spotted! The announcement stated that the flying birds actually fly about 1000 miles to South America, in the winter time, to spend time in the tropics. What was used in the article to suggest this MIGHT be a true story?______________ How could you go about determining whether or not the story was true?_____________________________

For Teachers:

Check out my FREE April Fool's Day Pranks for additional examples of News/ FAKE News for your students to review. 

Additionally, my resource on the history of April Fool's Day has LOTS of materials  which could also be used to develop digital literacy with your students.Teaching Digital Literacy

See photo of the sheep pig:  

https://www.seniorsnews.com.au/news/its-bird-its-sheep-no-its-pig/3392458/ 

Article on Determining Fake News

Great chart to help students learn how to determine FAKE and REAL News: More information deterimining Real and Fake News at this site.

Note: There is a Penguin Awareness Day held each January 20th.

This is part of my resource on FAKE NEWS, Developing Digital Critical Literacy with Kids(INA): FAKE NEWS? RESOURCE: 

Illustrations from Wpclipart.com

Get the downloadable version here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FAKE-NEWS-Teaching-Digital-Critical-LiteracyFREEBIE-INA-4494790#show-price-update

Photograph of Hans Christian Andersen taken by Gail Hennessey in Copenhagen, Denmark

Happy Birthday, Hans Christian Andersen!(April 2nd)

CLICK HERE FOR DOWNLOADABLE VERSION: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Hans-Christian-Andersen-FREEBIEPossible-Interactive-Notebook-Activity-4486171

It is said  that Hans Christian Andersen based his story, The Ugly Ducking, on his own life and the bullying he experienced.  Hans was often teased as a boy. He was very tall and skinny. He was called "scarecrow" by neighborhood children. One day, he actually climbed a tree to get away from bullies who were chasing him!  Once in the tree however, he got tangled and stuck. Hans' dad had to come get him down.

Did You Know?

1. In  2012, a fairy tale of Hans Christian Andersen was found. It is believed to be his very first story, written as a teen. The six page story tells about a dirty candle that isn't used until a tinder box sees its inner value and lights the dirty candle's wick.

2. Charles Dickens and Hans Christian Andersen met and Andersen visited Dickens at his home. It would be the end of a friendship when Andersen overstayed his welcome. Dickens wrote, "Hans [Christian] Andersen slept in this room for five weeks – which seemed to the family AGES!

3. Hans Christian Andersen may have had dyslexia making reading and writing very difficult for him.

4. One of the first stories Hans Christian Andersen remembers his dad reading to him was The Arabian Nights.

5. The fairy tale writers, the  Grimm Brothers(Jacob and Wilhelm), became friends with Hans Christian Anderson.

6. The stories of Hans Christian Andersen were translated from his native Danish into 150 languages.

7. The Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tale Theme Park opened in Shanghai, China, in 2017.

8. Some of the popular fairytales of Hans Christian Andersen include: The Emperor's New Clothes, Thumbelina, The Little Mermaid, The Ugly Ducking and The Princess and the Pea.

9. You can see a statue  honoring Hans Christian Andersen in Central Park, New York City.

10. April 2nd, the birthday of Hans Christian Andersen is International Children's Book Day.

11. Unlike many famous people, Andersen was recognized during his lifetime for his amazing storytelling!

YOUR TURN:

1. Which fairy tale of Hans Christian Andersen to you like the best and why?

2. Write TWO facts about the country of Denmark.

3. Look at the statue of Hans Christian Andersen found in Copenhagen, Denmark. Write a paragraph pretending to be the statue. What do you see? What do you hear? What are you thinking?

4. What is your definition of bullying? Have you ever been bullied? Have you ever do something which someone else might think is bullying? If you see someone being bullied, what could you do?

Quotes of Hans Christian Andersen:

1. "Life itself is the most wonderful fairy tale."

2. "Where words fail, music speaks."
3. "Just living is not enough," said the butterfly,"one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower."

4. "To be of use to the world is the only way to be happy."

5. "The wise a man becomes, the more he will read, and those who are wisest read most."

A. Take a quote and write a paragraph explaining what you think the quote is saying.
B. Illustrate one of the quotes of Hans Christian Andersen

Mapwork on Denmark:

https://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/europe/dk.htm

1. Denmark is a peninsula meaning it is surrounded by water on THREE sides. Name the 3 bodies of water which touch Denmark.______________  _________   _____________

2. Which country touches the country of Denmark?______________

3. On which continent is Denmark located?___________________

4. Which country is across a bridge(Oresund Strait) from Denmark?___________

5. Which famous amusement park is located near Jutland?____________________

Learn more about bullying: http://gailhennessey.com/index.shtml?newbullyingresources.html

Use this free download to learn amazing book facts! https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/WORLD-BOOK-DAY-Amazing-Book-Factoids-FREEBIE-2478333

The informative play is based on the Mark Goodson Production To Tell the Truth Game Show. To Tell the Truth was a popular television show which has returned with host Anthony Anderson(of Blackish). Three guests all claim to be the real guest being interviewed by a panel. The real guest must tell the truth where the other imposters do not have to do so. Kids must be "truth detectives" to determine just who is the REAL Hans Christian Andersen.

Students in grades 4 and up will have fun acting out their parts and learning some interesting facts about fairy tale writer, Hans Christian Andersen. Comprehension questions, discussion questions, extension activities and resources are included. 

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Hans-Christian-AndersenBiographical-play-To-Tell-the-Truth-Play-348807

This play would be a great starting point to discuss bullying.