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

Thursday, March 31, 2022

Happy Birthday, Hans Christian Andersen(April 2nd)



Happy Birthday, Hans Christian Andersen!(April 2nd)
Photograph of Hans Christian Andersen taken by Gail Hennessey in Copenhagen, Denmark

It is said  that Hans Christian Andersen based his story, The Ugly Duckling, 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.

Perhaps, use Hans Christian Andersen's Birthday to read the Ugly Duckling as a great starting point to discuss bullying. 
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. https://www.kids-world-travel-guide.com/denmark-facts.html
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:
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. 

Illustrations: wpclipart


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Thursday, March 24, 2022

April Fools' Day is Coming!

 






APRIL FOOLS’ DAY! 
April Fools’ Day is coming. I remember when I was young eager to tell my father that his shoes were untied so he’d look down and I could say,”April Fools' Day”.
I remember kids calling the local zoo and asking for Mr. Peacock(or other resident of the zoo). Whispering to someone that they had a rip in their pants was also a popular thing to say to someone. Gluing a coin to the floor and seeing someone bend down to pick it up was another prank done on April Fools' Day.

 April Fools’ Day is an opportunity to show kids that history is all around us, even holidays such as April Fools’ Day have a history! April Fools' Day is a great opportunity to discuss and identify FAKE NEWS.  It is also a great opportunity to discuss bullying and the difference of doing silly pranks as opposed to mean-spirited or hurtful ones. It’s a day I encouraged students to do an act of kindness for someone else.

READ ABOUT THE HISTORY OF APRIL FOOLS’ DAY
 All Fools’ Day as April 1st was once called, is a custom that came to the American colonies from the French and British. Although the actually start of April Fools’ Day is not certain, many say the day of doing pranks dates back to the 16th century France. At this time, the new year was celebrated on April 1st and not January 1st. When a new calendar, called the Gregorian Calendar, was introduced, the new year fell on January 1st. Without television, radio, internet, etc., and with many people not being able to read, some people didn’t get the news of the new day for ringing in the new year for a couple of years! Other people just refused to change their celebration day for the new year. These people became the joke of others for whom tricks were played. Things done included sending these people on foolish errands, or to try and tell them things which weren’t true. 

The idea of April Fools’ Day soon spread to other countries. In England, pranks are only done in the morning and it’s considered bad luck to attempt an April Fools’ trick on someone after noon time. And, if you are the victim of someone’s joke, you are called a noodle! In India, in addition to pranks, people put colors on each other to celebrate the start of spring. If you go to the country of Portugal, watch for flying flour, which is what people like to throw on April Fools’ Day! In France, people call each other Poisson d’Avril which means April Fish instead of April Fools! Why a fish? That’s because a young fish is thought to be easily caught, not knowing better. A common activity on this day in France is to put a paper fish on someone’s back.

Some famous April Fools’ Day Pranks:
1. A famous April Fools’ Day activity occurred in 1998 when Burger King said they had a new “left-handed Whopper” which had the ketchup, pickles and other condiments on the left side of the bun to help left handed eaters. Many came in to order “left” Whoppers on that day!
2. In 1957, a news show aired a video on a spaghetti harvest in the country of Switzerland. People were pulling strands of spaghetti dangling down from trees. People actually called the news show asking how they could purchase a spaghetti tree!
3. In 1996 the Taco Bell Company said they had bought the famous Liberty Bell and were renaming it the Taco Liberty Bell! Many people called the National Historic Park in Philadelphia, PA, saying they were angry about the sale of the Liberty Bell to a food restaurant!



I have an April Fools' Day resource. In addition to the reading passage on the history of the holiday, there are 15 famous April Fools’ Day pranks. There is also an activity with 8 “What do You Think?(Prank or True). For example: Scientists are working on Smell-O-Vision, televisions that can produce thousands of smells so, for example, if you are watching a cooking show, you may be able to smell the onions!(answer: Once done as a hoax back in 1965, some scientists are currently experimenting with this idea…so true)
There are also 8 comprehension questions and 7 extended activities. Click here:


PS: I have seen April Fool's Day and April Fools' Day. Reference books say that April Fools' Day is more correct.

Use this time to start a discussion on FAKE NEWS: This resource works well with my April Fool's Day Resource: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FAKE-NEWS-Developing-Digital-Critical-Literacy-with-Kids-INA-3074653




More April Fools' Pranks to Share:

1. The oldest recorded April Fools’ Day prank may date back to 1698!  People in London, England, were told that lions would be washed in the moat(ditch) around the Tower of London.  Several people went to see the washing of the lion. Arriving at the Tower of London, there were no lions to be seen in the moat getting lathered up with soap. The date of the event: April 1st!

2. Thomas Edison was featured in an April Fools’ Day prank dating back to 1878. The New York Graphic Newspaper announced on its front page that the famed inventor had developed a machine that could take soil and change it into cereal and vegetables. It could also turn water into wine and produce biscuits. No one would ever need to go hungry again. Newspapers around the country announced the invention giving Edison much praise. The invention would change the world! The date of the article said it all…April 1st.

3. People lined the banks of the Arkansas River. in 1906, after the Wichita Daily Eagle’s front page told of a massive wave(11 ft. high) carrying millions of frogs would get to the city of Wichita at exactly 10AM. Said to be 11 miles in length, people waited for hours for the amazing occurrence only to realize that it was an April Fools’ Day prank.

4. In 1974, people living in Sitka, Alaska, were frightened when billows of black smoke rose from Mount Edgecumbe, a dormant volcano.  Could the volcano be erupting?Turns out that someone had brought old tires into the crater and set them on fire as an April Fools’ Day prank.

5. In 2013, people were amazed to hear that Virgin was introducing a glass-bottom airplane!  Imagine, sitting in an airplane and SEEING the clouds beneath your feet. Many people were very excited about this new airplane and took to social media to spread the word. It was an April Fools’ Day prank.


YOUR TURN:

1. Illustrate one of the famous pranks.
2. Write a fake news story
3. Think of an act of kindness you can do.

4. Write 2 facts about the countries of France, England, India and Portugal


Illustrations from: wpclipart.com
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Tuesday, March 22, 2022

World Water Day is March 22nd

 


 

World Water Day!
March 22, 2021
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 2022, the theme for world Water Day is “Making the Invisible Visible”, highlighting groundwater.

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

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/

2. http://www.thewaterpage.com/water-conservation-kids.htm  Brainstorm with kids ways to save on water, then show this page and have students illustrate a water conservation tip.
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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Monday, March 14, 2022

Bird Factoids!

 



BIRD FACTS!



1. Anting is something that cardinals seem to like to do. It involves covering themselves in living or dead ants. Several other birds do this, too, and scientists aren’t sure why. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/78996/15-amazing-facts-about-15-birds


2. Did you know the goose was the first bird to be domesticated?https://www.mspca.org/pet_resources/interesting-facts-about-birds/


3. Did you know that Bassian thrush actually fart to find food? Seems their odorific farts make worms move making them noticeable to the thrush. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/78996/15-amazing-facts-about-15-birds


4. Because the New Zealand kiwi has hair like feathers, bones with marrow and nostrils on their nose, the kiwi is called an “honorary mammal. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/78996/15-amazing-facts-about-15-birds


5. What makes the common parakeet unusual is that they are the only birds that scientists have found to have contagious yawns.https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/78996/15-amazing-facts-about-15-birds


6. The most common bird in the world…the chicken. https://owlcation.com/stem/Top-Ten-Interesting-and-Fun-Facts-About-Birds https://didyouknowscience.com/interesting-facts-about-birds/ Also interesting, is that scientists say the closest relative of the chicken is Tyrannosaurus Rex. https://www.mspca.org/pet_resources/interesting-facts-about-birds/


7. Can you name the only bird that can swim but can’t fly? It’s the penguin. The penguin is also able to walk upright, something no other bird can do! https://www.mspca.org/pet_resources/interesting-facts-about-birds/


8. The ostrich is the biggest bird, some as large as 9 ft. Tall! Did you know their brains are smaller than the size of their eyes? https://factsadda.com/25-interesting-facts-about-animals-and-birds/  https://backyardbirdingblog.com/fascinating-bird-facts/


9. Birds can’t sweat and cool their bodies down by inhaling air!.https://didyouknowscience.com/interesting-facts-about-birds/


10. See a creature with feathers? Then, it’s a bird. They are the only creatures that have feathers.https://didyouknowscience.com/interesting-facts-about-birds/


11. Only about 2 inches in length, the bee hummingbird is the world’s smallest bird. Did you know that only hummingbirds can fly backwards?http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/animals/bird.html


12. The Wandering Albatross has the biggest wingspan of any bird(up to 11.8 ft.).https://www.factretriever.com/bird-facts

 

13. Did you know that wild turkeys can run up to 25 mph https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/adventure_pass/weird-but-true/birds/#/WBT1600x900192.png


14. Coalminers often used canaries to detect poisonous levels of carbon monoxide gas. Miners knew that if the canary passed out, they were in danger, too. The phrase “Canary in a Coal mine” derives from this history.https://www.factretriever.com/bird-facts


15. Did you know a group of owls is called a parliament?(also a study or wisdom). A group of flamingos is a flamboyance. See a group of ravens? That’s an unkindness, murder or conspiracy. A bunch of chickens is called a peep. A gathering of geese is a gaggle. A bunch of larks is an exaltation.https://www.mspca.org/pet_resources/interesting-facts-about-birds/


16. Turkey vultures have an interestingly way to get back at their enemies. As a defense measure, turkey vultures vomit their last meal on them! https://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/youngbirders/coolbirdfacts/#/birdfact2


17. The bird with the largest tree nest is the bald eagle. The largest found was about 10 ft. Wide and weighed about 4000 pounds. https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/adventure_pass/weird-but-true/birds/


18. The bird with the most feathers is the Whistling Swan. Someone counted that they have up to 25,000 feathers!


19. Having hollow bones help birds to fly. https://backyardbirdingblog.com/fascinating-bird-facts/


20. Peacocks can’t swim like other birds. Between their toes is no webbed skin making swimming possible.https://parenting.firstcry.com/articles/20-interesting-facts-and-information-about-peacock-for-kids/


21. Imagine clocking a distance of 40,000 miles in a yearly migration. That’s the claim to fame of the Sooty Shearwater! https://www.treehugger.com/slideshows/natural-sciences/nature-blows-my-mind-6-longest-bird-migrations/page/2/#slide-top and https://www.liveanimalslist.com/interesting-animals/longest-migration-bird.php






Photographs from Pixabay






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Tuesday, March 8, 2022

PI Day is Coming! (2022)

 




HAPPY PI DAY!
FUN FACTS:
1. Pi is the circumference of any circle, divided by its diameter. No matter the size of the circle, Pi is always the same!(3.14)

2. In 2015, Rajveer Meene, of India, memorized the first 70,030 digits of pi! It took him 17 hours and 14 minutes to recite the digits. Prior to this, Chao Lu, in 2005, was the record holder when he was able to recite the first 67,689 digits of pi.  Amazing feat of memory for both men!

3. Scientists Sir Isaac Newton and Greek mathematician Archimedes studied the numbers for Pi.
4. Scientist Albert Einstein was born on March 14, or 3/14, now Pi Day.
5. The ancient Babylonians(of present day Iraq) knew about pi more than 4000 years ago. Other cultures including the ancient Chinese and ancient Egyptians knew about pi. The oldest reference to pi dates back to 1650 BCE. It was mentioned in the Rhind Papyrus.
6. P is the 16th letter of the alphabet and pi, the Greek letter, is also the 16th in their alphabet.
7. The very first Pi Day was held in 1988, on 3/14. Why this date? The digits for pi start with 3.14. Larry Shaw, a physicist, celebrated the day by eating pie and walking in a circle. Shaw is nicknamed the “Prince of Pi”.
8. Did you know that an episode of the original Star Trek television show had Spock confused a computer by asking for the last digit in the value of pi?
9. The Ludolphine Number is named for Ludolph van Ceulen, who in the late 1500s, calculated the first 36 digits of pi.
10. In 2018, a scientist named Peter Trueb, used a computer to calculate 22,459,157,718,361 digits of pi. It took 105 days to list the numbers!
11. Pilish is a text using the numbers of pi. Michael Keith wrote a 1000 word short story using the digits of pi. For example: Tap a tree(3-1-4)
12. Write 3.14(pi) in BIG letters and hold it up to a mirror. Backwards, 3.14 looks like the word-PIE!
Many people eat PIE to celebrate Pi Day!
Do you remember singing “Four and Twenty Blackbirds”? 
Sing a song of sixpence a pocket full of rye
Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie.
When the pie was open the birds began to sing,
Oh wasn’t that a dainty dish to set before the king?
During the Middle Ages, there was a dinner course called the ENTREMET. During a banquet, it was an entertainment surprise for an important guest.
Some say that King Henry got a surprise when the pie that was served was cut open and 24 blackbirds flew out of the crust.
The birds were placed into the thick pie after it was baked. The crust would rise forming a type of pot shaped pie. This top was removed and the birds were placed inside just before serving. Note: Another pie was served for eating, thank goodness!
Some sources say that in addition to birds, live frogs, dogs and rabbits were also sometimes placed inside a surprise pie!
Your Turn:
1. Illustrate a factoid
2. Write a three word Pilish.
3. Write a fact about Sir Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein.
4. Write a diary entry pretending to be attending a party where blackbirds came out of a pie.
5. Did you know that telephone numbers are 7 digits because most people can’t easily remember more than 7 numbers. How many digits of pi can you memorize?
6. What is YOUR favorite type of pie? Write a paragraph explaining what it is the BEST type of pie.
TEACHER PAGE:
Give the Interactive Notebook handout to students and after completing the Your Turn, regroup and discuss.
Ideas for Pi Day:
Sources for Teachers:
https://www.piday.org/million/ one million digits of pi 




1. Looking for a reading about math? Check out this reading passage on Hypatia, the first known female mathematician: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Womens-HistoryFamous-WomenAncient-HistoryHypatiaFirst-Woman-Mathematician-4018160


2. 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 and their contributions. Part of my Ms. Bie Ografee Talk Show Series of Reader's Theater Scripts, there are comprehension questions, a Did You Know? section, a Teacher page with extensions/links and key. A great STEM biography! https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Katherine-Johnson-ScientistThe-Computer-that-Wore-SkirtsPlay-2961216




I also have Reader’s Theater Scripts on Albert Einstein, Sir Isaac Newton, Marie Curie and Galileo.


Illustration from openclipart.org

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