Groundhog Day is Coming!

  

**** Download for free: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Groundhog-Day-Freebie-5189943

Are you READY for Groundhog Day?

Groundhog Day is February 2nd. It's a time when people look to a groundhog to find out whether or not we will be having six more weeks of winter. The idea dates back hundreds of years when people looked to hibernating animals such as badgers, hedgehogs and bears to see when they might wake up from their winter sleep.

According to the tradition, if the animals saw its shadow, winter would last several more weeks. If it didn't see its shadow, spring would be soon arriving.

When Europeans, especially the Germans, came to the United States, they brought the tradition. The groundhog became the animals of choice as it hibernated and looked something like the European hedgehog. Groundhog Day started back in the 1880s with the first official celebration on February 2, 1887. The most famous groundhog weather forecaster is Punxsutawney Phil, of Punxsutawney, PA. On February 2nd, Punxsutawney Phil , who lives at the Punxsutawney Library is taken to Gobbler Knob and placed in a heated burrow underneath a simulated tree stump on the stage near where hundreds have gathered. At 7:25 if Punxsutawney Phil comes out to make his weather prediction. If he sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. If he doesn't see his shadow, spring is on its way!

Did You Know? 

1. The groundhog, also called woodchuck, is a relatives of the squirrel. Learn some additional Fun facts about groundhogs at this link: https://animalsake.com/facts-about-groundhogs

2. Groundhog day is also celebrated in Canada on Feb. They have several weather forecasting groundhogs including Wiarton Willy, Shubenacadie Sam and Balzac Billy.

3. Did you know that Groundhog Day is an official university holiday at the University of Dallas(Irving, TX)? Celebrations are held in honor of the groundhog.

4. The very first mention of a Groundhog Day in the United States was found in a diary entry of James Morris. The year was 1841.

Extension activities:

1.Pretend you are a weather forecasting groundhog. Tell about your big day. What did you hear? What did you see? How did you feel being in the limelight?

2.Learn about the country of Germany: https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/countries/germany/#germany-munich-city-scene.jpg

3. Read more about the groundhog. Draw/color a picture and write 5 facts learned about the groundhog( in complete sentences): http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/groundhog/ 

4. The Groundhog isn't the only creature in nature that is used to help forecast weather. Can spiders predict a sunny day? My mother-in-law told me that if you see spiders hanging up their wash(making webs) early on a summer morning, it's a sign of a beautiful summer day. See chimney smoke going straight up on a winter's day? Another sign of nice weather. But, if you see ants building mounds, it's a sign of rain. Same with birds roosting on electrical wires, another sign of coming rain. There are lots of weather folklore. Being observant to nature, can help you predict the day's weather, without a weatherman. Illustrate a weather folklore: http://www.weatherwizkids.com/weather-folklore.htm 

Check out my Groundhog Day, Reader's Theater Script: Learn about the groundhog and the history of Groundhog Day with Ms. Bie Ografee's guest, Sarsaparilla, the Groundhog:https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Groundhog-Day-A-Readers-Theater-ScriptVisit-with-a-Groundhog-2309751

Follow me at my TpT Store: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Gail-Hennessey

Photograph from wpclipart.com

Happy Birthday, Ben Franklin!

 

Ben Franklin’s birthday is January 17, 1706. He had lots of sayings on how to live one’s life. For example,” If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him.” He also said, “ An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.” Learn about this famous “founding father” of our country with this webquest!

Webquest:

1. Ben Franklin was a inventor, scientist,writer,statesman and librarian. Believing we could save fuel by using natural light of the sun, Ben first suggested an idea we use today. _______________________Find the answer at:

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/inventors/page/f/franklin.shtml

2. Ben Franklin signed FOUR important documents in U.S. History. Name these four documents:_____________, ________________, _____________and _________________Franklin didn’t patent any of his ideas because he didn’t wish to make any money from his ideas. List THREE of his inventions:_________,__________ and ___________.Find the answers at this link: http://www.ducksters.com/biography/ben_franklin.php 

3. Often called the “ First American”, Ben Franklin became a printer, inventor, writer and eventually became ambassador to which country during the Revolutionary War?____________What musical instrument did Franklin invent?___________________ Franklin also started the first________________ and first___________________ in Philadelphia. Find the answers at this link: http://www.ducksters.com/biography/ben_franklin.php

Fun Facts about Ben Franklin

1. While swimming, young Ben used a kite to pull him along the water!

2. Young Ben used some money his parents gave him and went to the store to make a purchase.  He noticed a  young boy blowing a whistle and  asked if  he could buy it.  When he got home, his family laughed that he spent much more than he should have done. Later in life when Ben saw people overpaying for things, he said, “They  give too much for their whistles.”

3. As a young man, Ben  became a vegetarian and lived on potatoes, raisins and bread. With the extra savings and time, Ben purchased books and said he had more time to read.

Test your Knowledge on Ben Franklin: 

1. Ben Franklin is found on which US currency?

A. One dollar bill

B. Ten dollar bill

C.  Hundred dollar bill 

2. In addition to inventing bifocals, a device to reach for items using a  long wooden pole with a grasping claw at the end and an odometer, Franklin invented:

A. electricity

B. lightning rod

C. electronic calculator

3. Ben started the first volunteer fire department , the first free hospital and the

A: first public library in Philadelphia 

B. first pizza restaurant in Philadelphia

C. first public school in Philadelphia

Extension Activities:

• Illustrate a quote of Ben Franklin: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/b/benjamin_franklin.html 

• Have one student be Ben Franklin and another be the interviewer. Have students give a short news interview for the class by asking and answering 3 questions.

• If you could go back in time and meet Ben Franklin. What would be a question you would ask of him?  Explain why this question would be something you’d like to have Franklin answer.

* Discuss character traits such as honesty, helpfulness, trustworthy, etc. Ask the students to find 3 character traits about Ben Franklin. Find evidence from the activity to support the traits given to Franklin.  Have students make a list of 3 character traits they feel they have and why they selected the traits.

Check out the complete resource(9 web questions,more fun facts and additional extension activities): http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Benjamin-FranklinA-WebquestExtension-Activities-1645550

SNOW FUN FACTS

 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