WHAT do you know about SNOW?

   SNOW FACTOIDS!

Get the free downloadable version at this link:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Snow-Factoids-An-Interactive-Notebook-ActivityFREEBIE-2259165

Snow Facts

by 

Gail Skroback Hennessey

Fun/Informative Interactive Notebook Activity!

1. One inch of water is about six inches of wet snow or 12 inches  of fluffy snow.

2. The world's largest snowflake was 15 inches wide and 8 inches thick. It fell in Fort Keogh, Montana, on January 28,1887.

3. Snow can be colors other than white, including blue, orange, green, yellow, and purple.  Actually, snowflakes are clear.

4. Air pollution caused orange snow to fall over an area of Siberia, Russia, in 2007.

5. Mount Baker,in the North Cascades, of  Washington State, holds the record for the most snowfall. 1140 inches fell during 1998-1999.

6. The record for the most snow in one storm, within 24 hours, was in Silver Lake, Colorado. Back in 1921, Silver Lake received  76 inches of snow.

7. Heilongjiang Province, China,holds the record for the world's largest snow sculpture. In 2007, a snow sculpture 656 ft. long and 116 ft. tall was made.

8. Snow flakes have SIX sides.

9. On average, a snowflake falls to earth at 3.1 mph.

10. One snowflake contains about 10 quintillion water molecules(that's the number 10 with 10 zeroes).

11. Did you know that Valdez, Alaska, averages 326 inches of snow a year? That makes it the snowiest state.

12. Wilson A. Bentley studied snowflakes for much of his life and is probably the most famous snowflake researcher. He was nicknamed "Snowflake Bentley. 

13.According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the world record for the most snowmen built in one hour is 2,036. The record set, on February 28, 2015, involved 1406 people. 

14. If you have  "chionophobia", you have a fear of snow.

15. Bethel, Maine, has the record for the largest snowman ever built. A 122 ft. snow-woman was built in 2008.

Extension Activities:

1. Illustrate one of the factoids.

2. Pretend you are a snowflake. Tell about a day in your life. What did you do? What did you see? Feel? Etc.

3. Do a paper cutting of a snowflake. Write a poem using each of the letters of the word snowflake.

4. Locate 10 NOUNS and 10 VERBS in the factoid statements.

5. Pronouns are NOUN substitutes. Can you spot 7 PRONOUNS  in the Factoid statements?

Check out this resource: 

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. This resource has four snowmen reading passages:

1. Famous sculptor, Michelangelo, was hired to make a snowman for a wealthy person in Florence, Italy.

2. A snow man is used each April,to help predict the weather during a festival in the country of Switzerland.

3. One of the earliest written comments about snowmen dates back to 1690. Two snowman were left to guard Fort Schenectady, in New York, during a blizzard with very tragic consequences!

4. The world's record for the largest snowman, Olympia, was constructed in 2008. 13 million pounds of snow were used to make the amazing snow-woman! As of 2015, the record still stands.

Each short reading passage includes following directions to identify answers. There are also several extension activities and a Did you Know? section.

Snow Reading Passages/Extension Activities: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/SNOWMEN-Four-Reading-Passages-2252375

Note: Illustration from Wpclipart.com

Happy New Year 2023!

 

Click here for the downloadable version: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/New-Years-Eve-Customs-from-Around-the-World-FREEBIE-2215707

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Bonne annee(French)

Frohes neues Jahr(Germany)

Felice anno nuovo(Italian)

Gott nytt ar(Swedish)

Feliz ano nuevo(Spanish)

Shana tova(Hebrew)

Hauoli makahiki hou(Hawaiian)

Gelukkig nieuwjaar(Dutch)

Did you know that there are 24 different time zones? That means people around the world celebrate New Year’s Eve at different times. When the fireworks are going off in Australia, it’s still morning in New York! 

There are  lots of different customs done by people to celebrate the New Year. There are also several different types of New Year’s celebrations.  Get your noise makers and let’s learn about how people  around the world celebrate the New Year!

Fun World New Year Factoids!

In Russia, divers place a New Year’s tree into Lake Baikal, the world’s deepest lake.

Did you know that in Denmark, people like to through old broken dishes at the front door of friends, at New Year’s Eve?

Did you know that eating 12 grapes as the clock strikes midnight is considered good luck in Spain?

Hogmanay is a custom celebrated in Scotland at New Year’s. The word means “last day of the year”. One of the activities is “first footing”, being the first person to visit a neighbor or friend in the new year. Usually, a gift is brought, too.

Christmas trees are made into bonfires to celebrate New Year’s Eve in the Netherlands. This custom is done to symbolize getting rid of the old and welcoming the new year.

In Switzerland, don’t be surprised if you see people drop a bit of cream onto the floor on New Year’s Eve. It is thought that this will bring good luck in the new year.

In the South American country of Venezuela, people like to write a wish on a piece of paper and then burn it so that the wish may come true in the new year.

In the country of Italy, many people like wearing RED underwear at New Year’s believing the color will bring good luck in the new year. In other cultures, especially several countries in Latin America, wearing YELLOW is considered good luck.

In Mexico, don’t be surprised if you see people carrying empty suitcases around their house or street on New Year’s Eve. The custom is done if you would like to travel in the new year.

The custom of having a ball drop from Times Square, in New York City, on New Year’s Eve began in 1907. Some people in the south, believe eating black eyed peas will bring prosperity in the new year.

In Austria, people like to waltz when midnight strikes in the new year.

Did you know that throwing a bucket of water outside a window at midnight on New Year’s Eve is done in Puerto Rico? It is to get rid of bad spirits.

In Ireland, people bang bread on the walls and doors of their homes at midnight. This is done to scare away evil spirits and to bring good luck.

Finding an almond in rice pudding on New Year’s Eve means good luck in the new year. This custom is found in Sweden and Norway.

People in the Philippines believe that round things bring good luck and often wear cloths with polka dots on New Year’s Eve. Another custom is to have all the lights on in the home on New Year’s Eve so that it will insure a good new year.

Did you know that April Fool’s Day involved New Year’s Day? People used to celebrate the new year around March 25-April 1st. When the calendar changed the new year to January 1st, pranks were played on those that continued to celebrate the New year on April

Questions:

1. Which 3 customs did you find the most interesting? Why 

2. How do you celebrate New Year’s Eve?

3. New Year's Eve is a time to make a resolution for the New Year. What is a goal which you'd like to try and work to accomplish in the 2018?

4.Illustrate one of the customs listed above.

5. Using a world map, locate the different countries mentioned in this list. Write ONE fact that you might know about each of these countries.

6. Rewrite 5 customs from the list and make mistakes in spelling or grammar. Exchange your list with another student for them to be a "proof reader" to find the errors.

Check out my fun/informative web quest on the history of New Years.

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! https:// www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/New-Years-Eve-Webquest-on- its-history-and-customsExtension-Activities-1584695

Gail
Check out my TpT Store(webquests/Reader’s Theater Scripts): https:// www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Gail-Hennessey

Note: I have other factoids including the following: pumpkins, turkeys, Diwali, mummies, Women’s History Month, Presidential Trivia, Chinese New Year and more...

Note:Illustration from openclipart.org

Charles Dickens! The author of A Christmas Carol(and more)!

 

 

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. 

Today, a person who is very tight with money, is often called a scrooge, after, the main character in A Christmas Carol. Did you know that several other words and phrases were coined by Charles Dickens?

Words such as abuzz, flummox, butterfingers,boredom,messiness,squashed,bah humbug,and tousled were popularized by Dickens. The author is also credited with using phrases such as “the creeps”, “round the clock” and “whiz-bang”.

Interesting Facts about Charles Dickens:

1. In addition to a canary(named Dick), dogs(including Mrs. Bouncer), Charles Dickens had two pet ravens. Both were named Grip. The first was stuffed and now resides in the Philadelphia  Free Library. 

2. A paw of a Dickens’ cat, Bob, became a letter opener after it died. You can see the letter opener on display at the New York Public Library. 

3.Someone said that if you counted all the words which Dickens used in his writing, it was an amazing 4.6 million different words! 

4. Charles Dickens may have had epilepsy. He also may have had obsessive-compulsive behavior making him comb his hair hundreds of times a day or to touch something several times for good luck.

5. Phrases including “Merry Christmas!” and “Bah! Humbug” became popular after reading Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

6. Did you know that Charles Dickens created 989 characters for his different books?

7. Hans Christian Andersen was a good friend of Dickens. Interestingly, after 5 weeks of being a guest of Dickens’ home, Andersen was encouraged to leave when Dickens wrote on the mirror in Andersen’s room, “Hans Andersen slept in this room for five weeks, which seemed to the family like AGES”.

8. A “new”treat called the lollypop was featured in several of Dickens’ books.

Activities: 

 1. Illustrate a quote of Charles Dickens and write a brief paragraph  explaining what you think the quote is saying:

A. “The pain of parting is nothing to the joy of meeting again.” 

B. “I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” 

C. “Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” 

D. “No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it to anyone else.” 

E. “There is always something for which to be thankful.” 

2.Reading an installment book was popular during the time of Charles Dickens? You had to wait for the next part of the book to be released to the public. In the USA, people had to wait sometimes weeks for the ship to bring the next installment of one of Dickens’ books from England! Would you have enjoyed reading an installment book? Why, why not?

3. Dickens got lots of his ideas for his characters from people he met in his life. Who might be 3 people you'd use in a story that you have met? Why would you use these people in your story?

Resources of Interest:

1. Read samples of some of Charles Dickens’ books at this link: http://realreads.co.uk/category/authors/charles-dickens/ Of the book summaries, which do you think you’d like to read the most, and why? 

2. Short Video on the life of Charles Dickens:https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=yfp-t&p=childhood+of+Charles+dickens+for+kids#id=1&vid=902af18becc093cd49fd0b056aebc4a3&action=click

Resources of Interest:

1. My webquest on Charles Dickens includes 9 fun/informative questions to learn about Dickens. Additional activities/links,too. 

 https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Charles-Dickens-A-Webquest-200480

2. In addition to a webquest, I have a Ms. Bie Ografee Reader’s Theater Script on Charles Dickens. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Charles-Dickens-A-Readers-Theater-Script-3286350

Illustrations from Wpclipart and Pixabay

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, 2022

                                                 

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree

Possible Interactive Notebook Activity

* Click here for Free download: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Rockefeller-Center-Christmas-Tree-Interactive-Notebook-ActivityFREEBIE-2906947

NOTE: Check out my Q/A with Eric Pauze, the man that selects the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in the December issue of Highlights for Children.

1. In 2022, a Norway Spruce tree from the state of New York was selected as the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. It is 82 ft. tall.

2.  The tallest Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree was 100 ft. tall (1999).

3. Trees usually arrive in New York city by flatbed truck(with a sign saying it was the Rockefeller Center Tree). In other years, a tree has come to the city by a barge and one was actually brought in by helicopter! 

4. The history of the tree dates back to the Great Depression. At the construction site, workers erected a 20 ft. tall tree.  The balsam fir was decorated with paper garland, some tin cans and strings of cranberries. Some references say some blasting caps and gum wrappers were also used to decorate the tree. 

5. The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree goes up the Wednesday after Thanksgiving. It is taken down at the end of the twelve days of Christmas, on January 7th. 

6. The singing of “Joy to the World” has been a tradition following the tree lighting ceremony, since 2011.

^{7. Since 2004, the Christmas tree has been topped with a star weighing 550 pounds and measuring 9.5 ft in diameter. There are 25,000 crystals and a total of one million facets in what is called the Swarovski Star. It was designed by Michael Hammers, a German artist.}

^{8.  Only one Rockefeller Center Tree was not from a state in the USA.  In 1966, Canada donated a tree.  Trees have come from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Connecticut.}

^{9. Did you know that there are  five MILES of electrical wire strung with light bulbs used to decorate the tree? There are 50,000 colored LED lightbulbs.}

^{10 . Since 1971, the tree has been RECYCLED after the holiday season. The tree has been turned into mulch and donated to the Boy Scouts of America. Mulch was also used  for nature trails in the city. The U.S. Equestrian team in New Jersey has been given the trunk to be used as an obstacle jump. Since, 2005, the tree is milled and given to Habitat for Humanity to be used in housing construction. Houses in New York, Louisiana and in the countries of India and Brazil have been constructed from the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree!} 

^{11. To be considered for the Rockefeller Center Tree, the tree must be at least 75 ft. tall and 45ft. in diameter.} 

12. For most of the holiday season, the tree is lighted from 5:30 am to 11:30 pm. On Christmas Day, the tree shines brightly for 24 hours.

13. According to the head gardener,Erik Pauze, no one has tried to harm the tree. There is a fence around it and there is 24 hour security to make sure no one tries to harm the tree.

14. Did you know that the tree isn’t watered?The cold temperatures and nature help to keep the tree fresh.

15. People can submit photographs of trees for consideration to become the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree.  A helicopter is also used to search the northeast for the perfect tree.

^{16. From 1942-1944, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree was not lighted due to World War 2.}   

^{17. In 1980, for a few minutes, there was a human ornament on the tree as someone attempted to climb it! The man was quickly arrested.}

^{YOUR TURN:}

^{1. Pretend you are the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. Tell about a day in your life. What do you see? What do you hear? What do you feel? Etc.}

^{2. Design a new tree topper for the tree.}

^{3. Illustrate one of the facts.}

^{4. Which THREE facts were most interesting to you?}

^{5. Write sentences for the vocabulary words recycled, diameter and equestrian.}

^{6. Look up Habitat for Humanity, World War 2 and the Great Depression. Write 4 facts learned.}

^{7. Write a story pretending to be the owl that found itself traveling from Oneonta, NY, to NYC. What did you see? Here? Feel? Etc.}

Check out these resources to use for this time of year:

1. 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 from around the world with this webquest: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Holiday-Traditions- from-Around-the-WorldWebquest-2864257

2. A Christmas Carol is probably the most popular holiday story. Have your students learn about Charles Dickens,one of the most famous writers of all times! 8 informative web questions. Additional activities/links,too. It is said Dickens used an amazing 4.6 million different words in his writing! https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Charles-Dickens-A-Webquest-200480. I also have a Reader's Theater Script on the life of Charles Dickens. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Charles-Dickens-A-Readers-Theater-Script-3286350

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: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Holiday-Traditions-at-the- White-House-Interactive-Notebook-Activity-2219599

4. Need a fun/informative activity to celebrate the New Year after vacation? 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. ( Diwali, Chinese New Year, Songkran and Rosh Hashanah included): https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/New-Years-Eve-Webquest-on-its-history- and-customsExtension-Activities-1584695

Gail

Photograph from: http://publicdomainclip-art.blogspot.com

Fun Facts about the Pilgrims

  

Pilgrim Factoids
Possible Interactive Notebook Activity
by
Gail Skroback Hennessey

1. Over the years, many people took samples of Plymouth Rock. Today, it is now 1/3 the size it was during the time of the Pilgrims.

2. The sailors on the Mayflower didn’t care for the Pilgrims and called them “flib-gabbety puke stockings” because so many of the Pilgrims got seasick.

3. Would you wear the same clothes for 66 days? The Pilgrims did! 

4. The Pilgrims didn’t have forks on the table at Thanksgiving. Forks weren’t popular until the 18th century.

5. There weren’t any ovens to make pumpkin pie and sugar was in short supply. The Pilgrims also didn’t have cranberry sauce to eat at Thanksgiving.

6. Historians believe that in addition to turkey, the Pilgrims ate lots of venison, cod, clams, sea bass and lobster at their Thanksgiving feast.

7.  Did you know that there wasn’t any milk at the first Thanksgiving? There weren’t any cows brought over on the Mayflower!

8. Here is a list of some of the unusual names of some of the Pilgrims:  Oceanus, Resolved, Peregrine, Wrestling, Love, Remember, Humility  

9. The Mayflower traveled at a speed of 2 mph and traveled 2750 miles from England to North America.  The voyage took 66 days.

10. During the first winter, most of the Pilgrims lived aboard the Mayflower. Half the Pilgrims did NOT survive the first winter.

11. Of the 102 passengers, there were 34 children on the Mayflower’s voyage.

12. The Wampanoag Indians were guests at the first Thanksgiving.

Extension Activities: 

1.  Each family on-board the Mayflower could only bring one trunk of possessions with them.  What would be 7 things you’d  pack?

2. Some historians think when the Mayflower was no longer sea-worthy, its lumber may have been used in the construction of a barn. Read the story here: http://www.gailhennessey.com/index.shtml?barn.html  You can also get a free download at this link: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Mayflower-What-Might-Have-Become-of-the-Mayflower-A-Reading-Passage-1438415

3. See a list of the Passengers on the Mayflower in 1620: https://www.geni.com/projects/Great-Migration-Passengers-of-the-Mayflower-1620/8

4. Illustrate a factoid about the Pilgrims.

5. What would be the two most difficult things for you if you were a pilgrim living in the 1600s?

Link for Teachers:

http://www.plimoth.org/learn/just-kids/homework-help

Additional Resources:

Additional Resources of Interest:

1. 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: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Pilgrims-A-Readers-Theater-Playfirst-Thanksgiving-2137703

2. The Mayflower was named after a flower called the "Trailing Arbuttus". This flower is an evergreen with a white flower and pink center. Learn more about the Mayflower and the Pilgrims with this fun webquest. Extension activities, additional information and links, and the key are provided: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Mayflower-and-Pilgrim-Webquest-403880

3.Want a fun and informative activity to teach your students about the history of the first Thanksgiving?This webquest has 11 informative text questions on the history of Thanksgiving and turkeys. Hope you find it of value to use with your students: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Thanksgiving-and-Turkey-Webquest-403849  

Every Wonder What Became of the Mayflower? Could it have been Turned into a BARN??????

 

Perhaps you will find this resource of interest to use with your students during the Thanksgiving holiday.

What Became of the Mayflower?

by

Gail Skroback Hennessey

Note: Click here for the user friendly version: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Mayflower-What-became-of-the-Mayflower-A-Reading-Passage-2880794

    Ever wonder what became of the Mayflower? The ship sailed with 102 Pilgrims over the Atlantic to North America, in 1620. If you are expecting to find it docked to some pier, or in a museum, you’d be wrong.  That’s because the Mayflower most likely ended up as scrap wood and may have ended up in an old Quaker Barn in Great Britain!
    It was common practice many years ago, in England, to use unseaworthy ships’ timber to build new things.  Dutch Elm disease had killed many of the trees in 17th century Great Britain and lumber was very scare.  To preserve the number of oak tress from being cut for lumber, wood was priced quite high by the government. That made any available timber, such as that in old ships, very desirable. Since the Mayflower wasn’t an important ship to the people of Great Britain, this is the fate that most likely happened to the Pilgrims’ Mayflower.
    In the early 1900s, a Quaker Historian , named Rendel Harris, found a document stating that the Mayflower had been determined to be unseaworthy. The year was 1624. The ship’s owners then sold the oak ship for its timber to make some money. While attending a funeral at the Quaker Meeting House in Jordans, England, Harris heard someone say the barn had been built from wood of the Mayflower.  That got Harris hunting through documents such as wills and deeds to try and find out whether this was true.
    The age of the barn’s timber dates back to the time of the Mayflower and the barn was said to have been built by one of the owners of the Mayflower.  If you go to the barn, you will notice that the main beam in the barn has a huge crack in it, just like the Mayflower got on its maiden voyage during a bad storm. The size and weight of the hull used in the barn’s construction matches that of the Mayflower and at one time, the letters ER HAR were evident, perhaps, referring to “Mayflower, Harwich, the ship’s home port.
    One thing is certain, if you tilt your head upside down, you can see that a hull of an old ship was used to build the roof of the barn...whether it was the Mayflower, that can’t be certain.

DID YOU KNOW?

1. 102 passengers in addition to the crew were aboard the Mayflower when it sailed from England to America. The year was 1620.
2. It took 66 days to cross the Atlantic.
3. A baby, named Oceanus Hopkins, was born on the voyage.
4. A crack in a main beam which happened during a bad storm was repaired with a giant screw(perhaps from a printing press or other equipment which was aboard the Mayflower)
5.  Before leaving the ship, the Mayflower Compact was signed, establishing a temporary government for the Pilgrims.
6. By the time of the first Thanksgiving, 52 Pilgrims had died during the harsh winter.

Your Turn!
1. Why were old ships used in construction in Great Britain?
2. Why wasn’t the Mayflower “saved” as an historic ship?
3. What would be 3 fears you would have had as a Pilgrim on the Mayflower voyage?
4. What would be 2 things you might have done to pass the time on the voyage?
5. Create sentences using the highlighted vocabulary words.

Other possible resources of interest on this topic:

1. Learn more about the Mayflower and the Pilgrims with this fun webquest. Extension activities, additional information and links, and the key are
   provided: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Mayflower-and-Pilgrim-Webquest-403880
2. Love Brewster is a guest on Ms. Bi Ograffee's Talk Show. The studio audience asks Love questions about the voyage on the Mayflower, the first winter and the first Thanksgiving at Plymouth. The Reader’s Theater Script includes comprehension questions, a Did You Know? Section, a Teacher Page with
   extension activities, links and the key:https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Pilgrims-A-Readers-Theater-Playfirst-Thanksgiving-2137703

NOTE: I visited the “Mayflower Barn” in England and took the photographs.

Gail


http://www.gailhennessey.com-my website for teachers/kids