Learn about the State of the Union Address(to be held 2/7/2023)

 

THE STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS: FACTOIDS

by

Gail Skroback Hennessey

The founding fathers stated in the Constitution that the President "shall from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.” It wasn’t spelled out HOW the president was to do this or even when such an update should be given. The State of the Union Address has taken many forms since the birth of our nation. It has come to be an annual speech given by the President of the United States and is done in the month of January. In 2022, the address will be given on March 1st.

Click here for the downloadable version:  https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/State-of-the-Union-Address-FREEBIE-FUN-FACTS-3605645

Did You Know?

1. Originally called the “Annual Message”, it was Franklin Delano Roosevelt who first used the phrase the "State of the Union" address. Interestingly, the words “State of the Union” appear in the U.S. Constitution.

2. Although there aren’t assigned seats for the State of the Union Address, usually Senators sit on the sides and members of the House sit in the middle of the House chamber.

3. Benjamin Harrison didn’t give a State of the Union Address as he was only president for 31 days. He caught a cold during his Inauguration Day ceremonies and died soon after. He was the first president to die while in office.  The only other president to not give a State of the Union Address was James Garfield. He was assassinated.

4. One member of the President’s cabinet does not attend the State of the Union Address. This “designated survivor” is taken to a secret location until the end of the speech.

5. President James  Polk announced during his speech that gold was discovered in California!

6. The State of the Union Address is given to the Congress at the U.S. Capitol.

7. During his last State of the Union Speech, President Harry S. Truman announced that a hydrogen bomb had been developed.

Your Turn:

1. If the President can not continue in his/her office, who is next in line in the Succession Act?___________ Do you know who is next in the list if this person can not take over the duties as the President?_________________
2. What would be ONE issue that you would focus on as President? Why? ________________________________________
3. Find 10 nouns in the Did You Know? list. ____________________________________________ Find 10 verbs in the Did You Know? list. ______________________________________________
4. Why do you think there is a member of the cabinet  picked as the “designated” survivor? ___________________________
5. Write ONE fact you know about the U.S. Capitol Building.___________________________

Teacher Page:

1. Ask the students if they have any prior knowledge about the State of the Union Address. Next, have the students read over the fact sheet and do the You Turn.

2. Regroup and discuss

3. You may want to share with students the Order of Presidential Succession: https://www.usa.gov/presidents#item-35877

Check out this resource to have students learn more about the history of the State of the Union Address. There are 10 web questions, 9 Did You Know? Facts, 6 comprehension questions, a student page(handout to give for homework or extra credit for the night of the State of the Union Address), a teacher page with a couple of extension activities and the key to both the web quest and the comprehension questions.  This would be a great opportunity to bring the news into the classroom with the 2018 State of the Union Address scheduled for January.  https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/State-of-the-Union-Address-A-HistoryWebquest-3599380

Presidents' Day: Fun Facts to Share with Kids

PRESIDENTIAL TRIVIA

NOTE: Click here for a free downloadable version: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/PRESIDENTIAL-TRIVIA-FREEBIEInteractive-Notebook-Activity-2212314

1. Dogs, cats and birds  have often found a home in the White House. 

2. There have also been some unique pets such as John Quincy Adams’ pet alligator,Martin Van Buren two tiger cubs and James Buchanan’s elephant. President Coolidge had a wallaby and a pygmy hippo and Theodore Roosevelt had a lion, hyena, five bears, a piebald rat, and a zebra. Only Presidents Arthur, Fillmore and Piece had no pets.

3. President Washington was an avid spelunker,enjoying exploring caves. 

4. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was the only president to be elected  four times.The constitution was later changed to allow only two four-year terms.

5. President Theodore Roosevelt named the Executive Mansion or President’s House, the White House.

6. Only President George Washington did  not live in the White House. It was opened in 1800.

7. The Star-Spangled Banner became the National anthem under President Herbert Hoover.

8. President William Henry Harrison only served one month after taking the oath of office, dying from pneumonia.

9. President Van Buren is said to have started the expression OK, signing paper with his “Old Kinderhook” nickname.

10. Left handed President James Garfield  could write with both hands at the same time and in different languages such as Greek and Latin.

11. President John K. Kennedy was the first president who had been a Boy Scout in his youth.

12. President George W. Bush was appointed President in 2000 by Supreme Court after the election results gave him more electoral votes but his opponent, Al Gore won the popular vote. John Quincy Adams, Rutherford B. hayes and Benjamin Harrison also won the presidency without the majority of the voters. 

13. The teddy bear was named after President Theodore Roosevelt. 

14 .President Richard Nixon was the first president to resign his presidency over a scandal called Watergate.

15.President Taft became chief justice of the Supreme Court after leaving the White House, saying he preferred this job to that of being President of the United States 

16. Gerald Ford was the only president of the United States to not be elected by the people. He was appointed vice president by President Nixon and later assumed the office of president when President Nixon resigned.

17. President John Quincy Adams liked to swims naked in the Potomac River ...in the early morning.

YOUR TURN:
1. Pretend you are the President of the United States. Write a diary entry about a day in your life. Who did you meet in the Oval Office? What issue do you address? Etc.

2. Which president would you like to meet and why? What would you ask of this President?

3. What are FOUR characteristics you feel that someone who is President should possess? Why are these characteristics important?

TEACHER PAGE:
Extension Activities:
1. Try this free web quest on the Presidents of the United States: 
http://www.gailhennessey.com/index.shtml?presidentcyberhunt.html

2. Have students illustrate a Presidential Factoid.

3. Have students share some of their responses from YOUR TURN.

You may wish to check out these resources:

The Election Process! (A Webquest/Extension activities)Students will learn about the election process including who the candidates are, requirements to run for office, requirements to vote, the Succession Act, the Electoral College and more. There are 12 web questions, a Did You Know?Comprehension Questions, Teacher page with extension activities, key, links. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Presidential-Election-2016-A-WebquestExtension-Activities-2695264

Do YOU Know Your Presidents is a series of three challenges. Each challenge worksheet has 25 questions(with 3 choices). The first challenge is the easiest with the third, the hardest.There is also a Presidential Did You Know? https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Presidential-Facts-To-Challenge-Your-Students-2586425

Did You know that President John Quincy Adams had an alligator? Martin Van Buren had two tiger cubs and President McKinley's pet parrot could whistle, "Yankee Doodle". Did you know that President Franklin D. Roosevelt served HOT DOGS to the King of England? Did you know that President Garfield could write with both his right and left hand at the SAME time? Presidential Webquest/Extension Activities: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Presidents-A-Presidential-Webquest-338700

Learn about the White House with 10 informative web questions, comprehension and discussion questions and several extension activities.NEW:Check out all my resources(summaries) in one place: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Learn-about-the-White-House-Webquest-359868


I also have internet activities for students to learn about the IMPEACHMENT process and its history, INAUGUARATION DAY and its history and the history of the STATE of the UNION ADDRESS.

Gail Hennessey

Photograph from Pixabay

LOTS of Fun Chocolate Facts for Valentine's Day

  

Chocolate Fun Facts

by

Gail Skroback Hennessey

Do you love chocolate? If you do, you may want to hide a few bars away for a future date. Seems that chocolate may be running out and, in the not so distant future. Researchers says that chocolate, which comes from cacao beans, may be a thing of the past in less than 40 years! The reason, the warming of our planet is making for less and less places for the bean to thrive. Additionally, the demand for chocolate is growing, especially in places such as China where people are  developing a “sweet” tooth. More and more people are also especially sweet on dark chocolate, which requires more cocoa than other types of chocolate. Still another problem is that a fungus is attacking the cacao beans as they grow on the trees. Let’s hope that we can solve the chocolate problem, so we can all continue to enjoy its yummy taste! 

Click here for the free downloadable version of this Interactive Notebook Activity:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Chocolate-Fun-FactsInteractive-Notebook-Activity-3570232

Chocolate Factoids:

1. Now THIS is a chocolate bar. Weighing 12,770 pounds when made, it earned the title of world's largest! A ton is 2000 pounds. Approximately, how many tons of chocolate was this bar? _______________

2. To make one pound of chocolate, you need about 400 cocoa beans.

3. Did you know that one of the things sold in Ben Franklin’s printing shop was chocolate? Write TWO facts you know about Ben Franklin:_____________and___________

4. Do you like white chocolate? Actually, it doesn’t have any cocoa and really isn’t chocolate!

5. Montezuma, the Aztec emperor, is said to have had 50 cups of a chocolate drink every day. He drank out of a golden goblet.

6. Originally, hot cocoa was served without sugar and was a very bitter drink.

7. An amazing 23 million Hershey kisses candies are made every day.

8. Milton Hershey had tickets for the maiden voyage of the Titanic but cancelled due to a meeting. Do you know anything about the Titanic? _________________

9. At one time, people in Meso-America(Central America) used cacao beans as money. What might be two problems using cacao beans as money?____________ and ___________

10. “Chocolate” comes from the word, “xocolatl, a Mayan word for “bitter water”.

11. If you have a cough, you may wish to try eating chocolate to get rid of a cough. Seems to work!

12. Chocolate is very dangerous for dogs and cats!

13. For a time in 2013, the country of Belgium made a stamp which had a chocolate flavor.

14. The candy M and Ms were developed as a treat for soldiers during World War 2. The hard shell kept the chocolate from melting too quickly.

15. The chocolate chip cookie was first baked by Ruth Wakefield. The year was 1930. In exchange for a lifetime of chocolate, she gave her recipe to the Nestle’s Company.

16. Did you know that two countries in Africa produce half the world’s chocolate? Those countries are Ghana and the Cote d’Ivoire.

17. On Columbus’ fourth visit, he is credited with bringing back  to Europe the first cocoa beans(1502-1504)

Your Turn:

1. What do you think this saying means? "Life is like a box of chocolates...you never know what you're gonna get.”( From the movie, Forrest Gump.)

2. What is your favorite chocolate treat? Write a descriptive paragraph describing your favorite chocolate treat to a Martian who has never experienced the treat.

3. Illustrate one of the chocolate factoids.

4. Using a world map, locate the countries mentioned in this information.

5. Find 7 nouns. Find 7 verbs. Find 4 pronouns.

Teacher Page:

1. Before reviewing the facts on chocolate, ask the students to share any prior knowledge they may have on chocolate.
2. Have students review the factoids on chocolate and do the Your Turn section. Put the handout away and ask the students to write 5 facts they remember from the list.

3.  Review the responses to the Your Turn section.

Check out these resources:

The first in my series, Everything Has a History, check out my History of Candy Internet activity. 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

Candy and chocolate are very popular on Valentine’s Day. Check out this resource. Valentine’s Day is February 14th. The symbol of the holiday is a heart. What do you know about the human heart and the Valentine’s Day holiday? Grab a red pencil and use this web quest to find out some very interesting facts about the human heart and the holiday of Valentine’s Day!There are 9 web questions, a 20 All things Red Activity, lots of fun facts and 9 extension activities: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Valentines-Day-A-WebquestExtension-Activities-1659788

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Gail-Hennessey  My TpT Store

Illustration from: wpclipart.com

Happy Valentine's Day!

 

Valentine’s Day and the Heart Factoids

Possible Interactive Notebook Activity

by

Gail Skroback Hennessey

Click here for the free downloadable version: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Valentines-Day-Interactive-Notebook-ActivityFREE-3002203

1. At one time, Valentine’s Day was also the day to celebrate Groundhog Day! 

2. Ever wonder why lace is associated with Valentine’s Day? Seem the word comes from a Latin word, “laques”meaning “net.” Someone tries to capture  someone’s heart on Valentine’s Day.

3. Because blood is red and people once thought the heart was the center of feelings, red became the color of Valentine’s Day.

4. The first Valentine’s Day card dates back to 1415. It was in that year France’s Duke of Orleans send a love message to his wife while a prisoner in the Tower of London. He was captured in the Battle of Agincourt.

5. It is believed that Valentine’s Day began around 270 AD in ancient Rome.

6. One of the legends of Valentine’s Day says that the Roman emperor, Claudius 11, banned marriage during war time.  A priest named Valentine(some say a Bishop) continued to marry and was arrested and jailed for his “crime”.  While in prison, he sent the jailor’s daughter a note and signed it “from your Valentine.” He was eventually sentenced to death on February 14th.

7. Did you know that over 8 billion candy hearts are made each year for Valentine’s Day?

8. In 1537, King Henry VIII, of England, made February 14th, an official holiday.

9. On Valentine’s Day, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell patented his idea of the telephone!

10. Valentine’s Day is celebrated in Italy, Denmark, Canada, Mexico, France, Great Britain, Australia and the United States.

11.Back when most people couldn’t write, people often signed their name with an X. Another person would witness their “signature”. The person would then kiss their X . Today, people sign notes with Xs to stand for kisses.

12. Have you heard the expression, “to wear your heart on your sleeve”? This saying dates back to the Middle Ages when men and women would draw a name and wear their  “valentine” on their sleeve for a week.

13. Did you know that the human heart is about the size of a fist?

14. In a lifetime, a person’s heart pumps about 1 million barrels of blood! That’s about 2,000 gallons each day or 5 quarts a minute!

15. Arteries are blood vessels that carry blood from the heart throughout the body. Veins are blood vessels that carry blood back to the heart.

16. People used to believe that your heart stopped when you sneezed. That’s why people started saying “bless you”. Actually, the heart does NOT stop. It just isn’t pumping blood as well. 

17. The heart is a MUSCLE. It is found in the MIDDLE of your chest, between your two lungs. 

Extension Activities:

1. Have students write a paragraph stating any prior knowledge they have about Valentine's Day.
2. Illustrate one of the facts.
3. Make a chart showing 3 of the countries which celebrate Valentine’ Day. Write 2 facts about each country.
4. Pretend you are a human heart. Write a day in your life. What are you doing today? What are you thinking? Include 2 facts about the human heart in your story.

All things RED!

Test you “red” knowledge:

1. Name a jewel that is the color red:__________________________

                      2.   Who is the famous cartoon dog of this color?__________________________

3.                   3.   A story about a girl and a wolf: ____________________________

4.                   4.   Name a traffic sign which is red: ___________________________

5.                   5.   Name a red bird: _______________________________________

6.                   6.   Name a red insect: _____________________________________

7.                   7.   Name two red fruits: ______________________________________

         8.   Name three red vegetables:__________________________

9.            9.  Which large planet has several big red    spots__________________________ Teacher Page:

1. Have students watch this short video and write 3 facts learned about Candy Hearts:  http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/valentines-day-ideas/a26945/candy-heart-facts

2.  Show the nutritional information of Candy Hearts:

Calories

60

Fat

0g

Carbs

15g

10 Candy Hearts contain 60 calories.

Have students bring in a candy wrapper and discuss the nutritional information.

3. Have students review the heart diagram at this link: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/anatomy/heart/labelinterior/label.shtml

4. Check out my webquest on Valentine’s Day and the human heart: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Valentines-Day-A-WebquestExtension-Activities-1659788

5. Check out my activity, The Red Game(also included in my Webquest activity): https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Valentines-Day-The-RED-GameActivity-1666108

6.  Show kids that everything has a history with my web question on the History of Candy: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Candy-History-of-Candy-Webquest-516787

Black History Month is in February

  

Black History Month Is in February!

Black History Month:

Dr. Carter G. Woodson, organized a two week period in February,in 1926, to highlight contributions of African Americans. In 1976, the month of February was established as Black History Month.

The month of February was selected as it was the month in which both Frederick Douglass(abolitionist) and Abraham Lincoln (Emancipation Proclamation)were born.  Black History Month is also celebrated in Canada in February and in October in Great Britain.4. Since 1976, (President Gerald R. Ford),every president has deemed the month of February “Black History Month.”

*  Click here for the free Interactive Notebook download:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Black-History-Month-FactoidsInteractive-Notebook-Activity-2222275

Did You Know?

The first African American invited to the White House(by President Theodore Roosevelt) was Booker T. Washington. The educator was also the first African American to be honored on a U.S. postage stamp.

Dr. Mae C. Jemison was the first African American female astronaut. She went into space, in 1992.

Guion Bluford was the first American American to travel into space.

In 1821,Thomas L. Jennings was the first African American to receive a patent for an invention.(dry cleaning process)

George Washington Carver developed 300 products from the peanut, 118 from the sweet potato and 75 for the pecan! 2. Carver also invented PEANUT BUTTER.

The first American American to be appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court was Thurgood Marshall, in 1967.

The first African American elected to the U.S. Senate was Hiram Rhodes Revels.( 1870-1871)

Bessie Coleman was the first American American woman to get a pilot’s license and the first American to hold an international pilot’s license.

Olympian Jesse Owns broke 4 world records for track and field, at the 1936 Olympics, in Berlin, Germany. 

In 1909, African-American explorer Mathew A. Henson and Robert E. Peary made the first successful expedition to the North Pole.(for the USA).

In 1940,Dr. Charles Drew found a way to preserve blood and started the first blood bank.

Garrett Morgan invented a traffic light and a gas mask.

Ralph J. Bunche, in 1950, was the first African American to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, for his efforts to mediate an  Arab-Israeli truce.

Jackie Robinson was the first African American to play for a Major League Baseball team.

In the 18th century, astronomer and inventor, Benjamin Banneker helped design Washington, DC.

During WW 2, the first African American pilot group were the Tuskegee Airmen.

An African American named George Crum, a chef, is created with inventing potato chips. The year was 1853.

Do you own a Super Soaker? Lonnie G. Johnson, an aerospace engineer invented the water gun.

Basketball great, Bill Russell, was the first black coach for a NBA team.

Like instant mashed potatoes? Dr. William C. Davis, invented them in 1959.

One of the earliest published African American authors was Phillis Wheatley. Her “Poems on Various Subjects “ was published inn 1773.

In the 1930s, Frederick McKinley Jones invented the air-cooling units that enabled foods to be transported distances without spoiling.

Questions:

• Dr. Carter G. Woodson once said,” It is never too late to learn.” What do you think he is saying by this statement?

• Hispanic American Heritage Month is in October,Native American Heritage Month is in November, Black History Month is in February and Women’s History Month is in March. Do you think there is a need to highlight groups of people for their contributions today? Why, why not?

• It is said that an important question we should each ask ourselves is: “ What is something you have done for someone else this week?

•“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” What do you think this quote by Martin Luther King means?

Extension Activities:

• Learn about the Tuskegee Airman: http://www.softschools.com/facts/us_history/tuskegee_airmen_facts/1200/

•Learn more famous African American Inventors: 
http://www.factmonster.com/spot/bhmscientists1.html  Illustrate one of the African American Inventors with one of their inventions.

• Check out my Thirteen fact-packed Black History Month Webquest/Extension Activities: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Black-History-Month-WebquestResources-491555

• Read this article to your students: In November,2015, Samuel Burris was pardoned(after 168 years!) for helping fellow African American escape from slavery on the underground railroad. http://www.history.com/news/underground-railroad-conductor-pardoned-168-years-after-conviction?cmpid=Social_FBPAGE_HISTORY_20151103_268807190&linkId=18479533 Have students listen and write 4 facts learned from the article

* Illustrate one of the factoids. 

Other resources of interest:

Read my Reader’s Theater Script on Bessie Coleman: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Bessie-Coleman-AviatorReaders-Theater-Script-1687487

Check out my Reader’s Theater Script on Martin Luther King: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Martin-Luther-King-Jr-A-Readers-Theater-Script-6229923

Check out my Reader’s Theater Script on Harriet Tubman: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Harriet-Tubman-A-Readers-Theater-Script-6229725?st=9688ced57171cad0bec1f8fab4f3f597

Check out my Reader’s Theater Script on Rose Parks: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Rosa-Parks-A-Readers-Theater-Script-6229838?st=7f5fd5215f8b468279df2083aeb9dad0

Check out my Reader's Theater Script on Frederick Douglass:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Frederick-Douglass-A-Readers-Theater-Script-6229776?st=000a139c58952f7fb5863c3e1e42ffc6

Check out my Reader's Theater Script on the Tuskegee Airmen: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Tuskegee-Airmen-A-Readers-Theater-ScriptA-Visit-with-1926283

Check out my web quest on First Lady Michelle Obama: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/First-Lady-Michelle-Obama-Biographical-PlayA-To-Tell-the-Truth-Play-595945]

Check out my Reader’s Theater Script on Katherine Johnson:

Learn about Katherine Johnson, a physicist, space scientist and mathematician, who played a very important role with NASA’s early space missions. The movie Hidden Figures highlights the role of NASA's "computers" such as Katherine Johnson. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Katherine-Johnson-ScientistThe-Computer-that-Wore-SkirtsPlay-2961216

Check out my Reader’s Theater Script on George Washington Carver: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/George-Washington-Carver-A-Readers-Theater-Script-2533203

Check out my Reader's Theater Script on Marian Anderson: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Marian-Anderson-A-Readers-Theater-Script-1706809

Reading on Sojourner Truth:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Sojourner-TruthAbolitionist-Womens-Rights-AdvocateAuthorReading-Passage-6210333?st=fc32ff30ef0764fb64ca29d499732f4e

Reading Passage on Phyllis Wheatley: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Phillis-Wheatley-Poet-A-Reading-ActivityPhyllis-Wheatley-Distance-Learning-4351173