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

Sunday, March 23, 2025

April Fool's 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 18, 2025

Are you Ready for Shakespeare Week?(March 21-27, 2025)

 



William Shakespeare
In Great Britain, Shakespeare Week is celebrated in the middle of the month of March!
The anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death is April 23rd. It is called National Shakespeare Day. Trinity Church, in Stratford -upon-Avon, where Shakespeare was born rings bells on this day and the mayor of the town leads a procession to the grave of Shakespeare where flowers are placed.

What do YOU know about this world famous writer?


Did You Know?

An estimated 1700 words which we use all the time were first used in the plays of Shakespeare.

Words such as eyeball, hurry, lonely, frugal, majestic and generous are just a few. Shakespeare also used lots of expressions that are common today. Examples include: “Knock,knock, Who’s there?”, “green eyed monster”, “vanish into thin air”, “wild goose chase”, “makes your hair stand on end”, “so-so”, “good riddance”, “tongue tied”, “night owl” and “eaten out of house and home”.

Another interesting fact about Shakespeare you may not know is he is the reason there are millions and millions of starlings in North America! Native to Europe and parts of Asia, the story goes that a person named Eugene Schiffelin really loved the work of Shakespeare. He was called a “bardolator”. He decided to bring the songbird to the United States. In fact, he was part of a group that wanted to bring all the birds mentioned in Shakespeare’s works, to North America, that weren’t native to this continent. The year was 1890. The place was Central Park, in New York City. Schieffelin released 60 starlings in the famous park. Today, there are over 200 million of the birds flying over the skies of North America!

Did you Know?

1.Shakespeare wrote the words found on his tombstone. At the time, it was common to remove buried bones in a cemetery to make room for new bodies. Shakespeare’s tombstone has a curse to anyone who would dare to move his bones. Shakespeare's bones were never moved! See his tomb(and read the curse) located inside the Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon. http://poetsgraves.co.uk/shakespeare.htm

2. Did you know that pencils were a new invention when Shakespeare was born?
In one of his most famous plays,”Romeo and Juliet”, Shakespeare uses the word love 150 times.

3. It is thought(based on a 17th century portrait of him), that Shakespeare wore a gold hoop in his left ear.

4. During the time of Shakespeare, plays were only performed in the afternoon.

5. Women were not allowed to participate in plays during the time of Shakespeare so all the roles were performed by men.


Your Turn:
1. Illustrate an expression of William Shakespeare. See examples below in 3.  Place three of his expressions into sentences.

2. What are 2 character traits you think a writer needs to have?

3. Select one of the quotes of Shakespeare and illustrate it. Write a short paragraph explaining what you think the quote is saying.
A. "Better three hours too soon than a minute too late."
B. "It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves."
C. " I would challenge you to a battle of wits, but I see you are unarmed."
D. "What's done can't be undone."
E. "Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none."

4. Create a compliment using Shakespeare's words. Go to this link: 

https://folger-main-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2022/08/QuotesScripts_Compliments.pdf


5. See the grave of William Shakespeare and what he had written on it: http://poetsgraves.co.uk/shakespeare.htm Interestingly, recent scans seem to suggest that Shakespeare's skull is missing from his grave! Why do you think someone may have stolen it?


Check out my Reader’s Theater Script on William Shakespeare.  Shakespeare is a guest on a talk show and the studio audience asks questions about his life. Part of my Ms. Bie Ografee's Talk Show Series. Comprehension/Did You Know?section, LOTS of extension activities/links/key. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/William-Shakespeare-A-Readers-Theater-Script-2299401


Note: Other Reader's Theater Scripts on Famous Writers:





Note: Illustration from wpclipart.com Photograph of Shakespeare’s home was taken by Gail Hennessey


*37 plays are what most believe Shakespeare wrote in his lifetime.
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Friday, March 7, 2025

St. Patrick's Day is Coming. What do you know About Ireland?

  






Ireland and St. Patrick’s Day
Did You Know? 
by
Gail Skroback Hennessey


1. The National Leprechaun Museum in Dublin, Ireland, is dedicated to the folklore and mythology of Ireland. 
2.  In Irish folklore, there are only male leprechauns. Leprechauns are cobblers(shoemakers) and they usually carry a tiny hammer wherever they go!
3.  Ireland was the very first country in the world to tax plastic bags.(2002) 
4. Muckanaghederdauhaulia is the name for the longest place name in Ireland. 
5.  A burial tomb found near Dublin, Newgrange, may be older than the pyramids of Egypt,and was built about 4000 BC. 
6. The Irish monk, St. Brendan, may have reached North America before Columbus, in the 6th century. 
7.  Halloween has its origins in Ireland. It dates back to Samhain, an Irish festival. 
8. Famous people from Ireland include the lead singer for U2(Bono), Jonathan Swift (author of Gulliver’s Travels), writer C.S. Lewis(Chronicles of Narnia) and poet, William Butler Yeats 
9. Did you know that corned beef and cabbage, a favorite food on St. Patrick’s Day doesn’t have any corn? The term refers to a large type of salt(called “corns”) used to marinate the beef. 
10. Hurling is a very popular sport which originated in Ireland.
11. There are NO snakes in the country of Ireland. 

12. Since the Bronze Age, Ireland has had their own type of Olympics Games. They are called the Tailteann Games. 

13. Leprechaun Day is May 13th.(YES…there is such a day!)

14. The Flag of Ireland has the colors green, white and orange. 
The harp is the musical symbol of Ireland.

15.  The language of Ireland is called Irish(Gaelic). There isn’t a word for “yes” or “no” in Irish.

16. People who visit Blarney Castle, in Ireland, often try to kiss the Blarney Stone. The legend says kissing the stone gives you the gift of being a great speaker. It’s a difficult thing to do as you have to  hang upside down to reach the stone!

17. The first St. Patrick’s Day in the United States was celebrated in the city of Boston, 1737.

18. Ireland is called the Emerald Isle because Ireland has lots of green fertile land.

Your  Turn:
  1. Illustrate one of the facts.
  2. Write down the 3 most interesting facts you learned.
  3. Create a postcard pretending you are visiting Ireland. Include 3 facts in the information you are writing to a friend or relative. Draw/ color a picture to go with your postcard.
  4. Would you wish to kiss the Blarney Stone? Why or why not?
Teacher’s Page:

1. Before giving the students the factoid handout, ask the students to share prior knowledge about the country of Ireland and St. Patrick’s Day.

2.  Show the students a map of Ireland: http://www.mapsofworld.com/physical-map/ireland.html  Have students make 4 questions using the map to exchange with another group.

3.Have small groups of students review information on the country of Ireland and share 5 facts with the rest of the class.

4. Learn some Irish: 
A. Phrase: Thank you
Irish: Go raibh maith agat
Pronunciation: Guh row mah aguth (row as in cow)

B. Phrase: You're welcome
Irish: Tá fáilte romhat
Pronunciation: Thaw foil-cheh roath

C. Phrase: Hello
Irish: Dia dhuit
Pronunciation: Djee-ah gwitch

5. St. Patrick's Day is coming-a wonderful opportunity to introduce your students to the country of Ireland. Did you know that Ireland is called the Emerald Island because of its green fertile lands? Did you know that the Celtic knot is a very famous symbol of Ireland? Other well know symbols of Ireland include the harp, leprechauns and shamrocks. Learn more about Ireland with my fun and informative web quest on Ireland includes 12 questions and lots of extension activities: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/St-Patricks-Day-Ireland-Webquest-and-Activities-517483

6. Another resource about Ireland to consider:This fun/informative play has Ms. Bie Ografee's guest being McSean, a leprechaun. McSean is asked questions by the studio audience about the country of Ireland and the long Irish folklore about leprechauns. Great for a unit on folk stories/folklore or as an activity around St. Patrick's Day. The play has 11 questioners, a Did You Know? section, comprehension questions, a teacher page with extension activities and links as well as the key: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/LeprechaunsSt-Patricks-DayIreland-A-Readers-Theater-Script-2315668

7. The Green Game: Need a fun activity where kids have to find answers that have the word GREEN in it or are the color GREEN? Great for St. Patrick's Day or for a Friday. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/St-Patricks-Day-The-GREEN-Game-1666115
NOTE: This resource is INCLUDED in my Ireland Webquest/Activity Resource:

8. Test Your Knowledge Challenge Activity. Learn about Ireland and St. Patrick's Day with this 
"Challenge" activity. There are 25 informative/ fun questions where students test their knowledge on Ireland and the history of St. Patrick's Day. A couple of extension activities are included, too. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Ireland-and-St-Patricks-Day-Test-Your-Knowledge-Challenge-Activity-9196311



Gail 
Feedback appreciated! 
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Tuesday, March 4, 2025

Book Fun FACTS-World Book Day is Coming!

  


Personally, I love to read. Books are a way to visit the Taj Mahal, the pyramids, climb Mt. Everest, travel back through history or rocket into the future, all without living home.  

To, me, the public library was an awesome idea. Just think, before a library, you had to purchase anything you wanted to read,limiting assess to those that couldn’t afford to make such a purchase.

I was saddened to read that according to a  2014 study, posted at Buzzfeed.com, one out of five kids asked said that if a friend found them reading a book, they’d be embarrassed! The study also found that of those kids responding, 54% said they prefer to watch television than read a book. How can we turn such poll numbers around?


I grew up on Nancy Drew books, I eagerly awaited the next published adventure of Nancy and her friends. I read biographies on women including Amelia Earhart, Clara Barton, Florence Nightingale, Harriet Tubman, Susan B. Anthony and more.  Kids need to see the wonderful world of books.  Perhaps, the next time you need to get gifts for your child, niece or nephew, include a book as one of you gifts.

Each child should have a library card. As educators, ask your students if they own a library card and if,not, try and encourage them to get one!

Whether you read traditional books that you can hold in your hand or ebooks, it doesn’t matter, just grab a book and read!


Book Facts:

1. Did you know that the Chinese invented paper around 105 AD?

2. Each second, 57 books are sold. Someone figured that in one day, you’d need 78 miles of book shelving to store that amount of books.http://infactcollaborative.com/things/book-facts.html 

3. Each year, the main library at Indiana University sinks about one inch from the weight of all the books!

4. Roald Dahl, author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, worked as a boy, at Cadbury, as a chocolate taste tested! Shows you never know how your childhood may shape what you do as an adult! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/oliver-tearle/fascinating-literary-facts_b_4368760.html

5. A new book by Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr.  Seuss, was found in 2013. The books is called What Pet Should I Get? and was published in 2015.

6. Another fun fact about Dr. Seuss was that he was challenged to write a book using only 50 words. The result, Green Eggs and Ham. Here are the 50 words he used: a, am, and, anywhere, are, be, boat, box, car, could, dark, do, eat, eggs, fox, goat, good, green, ham, here, house, I, if, in, let, like, may, me, mouse, not, on, or, rain, Sam, say, see, so, thank, that, the, them, there, they, train, tree, try, will, with, would, you.

7. Did you ever read, Where the Wild Things Are, written by Maurice Sendak? He originally wanted the book to be called Where the Wild Horses Are, but couldn’t draw horses and told his editor, he could draw…things.

8. The author of Frankenstein was Mary Shelley. The monster was NOT Frankenstein, he had no name. Frankenstein was the scientist who created the monster!

9.  The author of  Alice in Wonderland ,Lewis Carroll, is credited with introducing 21 made-up words to the Oxford English Dictionary. https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/top10facts/388572/Top-10-facts-about-children-s-books

10. Someone calculated that Charles Dickens used 4.6 million different words in his writings. Also, a new treat, the lollypop was featured in a couple of Dickens' books!

11. Books helped to build a road! 2.5 million books were shredded and added to the road asphalt for part of the M6 road in England.

12. The world’s first library was built by Ashurbanipal(668-627BC) in Assyria.

13. In 2012,  998 people, in Sydney, Australia, set a record for the most people balancing books on their head!

14. Did you know that people in the country of India take the title for the most reading done each week? On average 10.7 hours a week is spent reading.  http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/top10facts/508275/Top-10-facts-about-books

15. The Epic of Gilgamesh is considered the oldest written story. It comes from the people of Mesopotamia , telling the adventures of the King of Uruk( @2750-2500 BC).

16. The first book printed on the printing press was the Bible, in 1450. It was done on Johann Gutenberg’s press. The Bible is also the largest-selling non-fiction book in the world!
17. A library in Charleston, South Carolina, opened its doors in 1698, making it the first public  library in America. http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0932506.html
18. As of  2014, the handwritten,The Codex Leicester, by Leonardo da Vinci, which sold for a whopping $49.4 million dollars,in 1994, is still the most expensive book ever sold. The buyer was Bill Gates.
19. According to the Pew Research Center, 1 out of 4 Americans said they didn’t read even ONE book in the past year! http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/23/opinion/blow-reading-books-is-fundamental.html?_r=0

20. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain, was the first book written on a typewriter!

Quotes about Reading and Books:

1. “Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.”  Richard Steele

2. "To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark."  Victor Hugo, Les Miserables

3. "There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island."  Walt Disney  

4. “ A book is like a garden, carried in the pocket." Chinese Proverb

5. "The things I want to know are in books. My best friend is the man who'll get me a book I [haven't] read." Abraham Lincoln

6. “A house without books is like a room without windows.” Heinrich Mann

7. "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." Dr. Seuss

8. "Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers." Harry S Truman 

Your Turn:

1. Illustrate one of the quotes.
2. Illustrate one of the fun facts about books.
3. Which quote do you like the best and why? Write a paragraph explaining what you think your favorite quote means.
4. Would you be embarrassed if a friend saw you reading a book? Why, why not?
5. What is one of your favorite books? Why do you like it so much?
6. A study by the National Literacy Trust(2019) found that only 26% of those under 18 years of age spent any time reading during a day! Do you read each day? 

Additional Resources of Interest for World Book Day.
1.  World Book Day would also be a great opportunity for kids to learn about Charles Dickens: 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

2. World Book Day-have kids learn about William Shakespeare with this Reader's Theater Script: 
Considered to be the greatest writer of the English language, learn about William Shakespeare with this fun/informative play. Shakespeare introduced about 3000 words to the English language . It is said that next to the Bible, his works are the most quoted! https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/William-Shakespeare-A-Readers-Theater-Script-2299401

3. World Book Day would be a great time to read about one of the most famous fairy tale writers, Hans Christian Andersen. Did you know that Andersen said that the story, The Ugly Duckling, was a story about him? He was bullied as a kid, called "scarecrow" because he was tall and skinny. Once to avoid kids chasing him, a young Andersen climbed a tree(and then got stuck!). His father had to get him down, only making for more taunts! This reader's theater play introduces kids to fairy tale writer,Hans Christian Andersen. Grades 4 and up.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

4. Check out my web quest on the Library of Congress, our Nation's Library! The Library of Congress, our Nation's Library has over 33 million books. There are also over 12.5 million photographs and 6 million pieces of sheet music! Learn more about the Nation's Library with informative webquest.(Grades 4/ up) Great informational text/research skill activity!   https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Library-of-Congress-Explore-Our-Nations-LibraryWebquest-604584


5. An American short story writer and poet, Poe, is remembers for such stories as Murder in the Rue Morgue ,The Tell Tale Heart and The Fall of the House of Usher. Poe’s poem, The Raven, is considered the most famous poem in American history! Edgar Allan Poe is considered to be one of the first science fiction writers and first writer of the modern detective story. Use this Reader's Theater Script to introduce students to this famous American Writer.
Part of my Ms. Bie Ografee Talk Show Series, there are 8 Audience Questioners who ask questions of Ms. Bie Ografee's guest, Edgar Allan Poe. There is a Did You Know? fun fact section, comprehension questions and a Teacher Page with extension activities and the key. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Edgar-Allan-Poe-A-Readers-Theater-Script-4345227

6. Part of my Ms. Bie Ografee Talk Show Series, students will be introduced to the life of Charles Dickens, one of the most famous writers of all time. There are 11 questioners in the play as well as a Did You Know? section of fun facts, comprehension questions and a teacher page with extension activities, additional links and the key. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Charles-Dickens-A-Readers-Theater-Script-3286350

7. Part of my Ms.Bie Ografee Talk Show series of Reader's Theater Scripts, the guest is Louisa May Alcott. A "studio" audience asks Ms. Bie Ografee's guest questions about her life and accomplishments. There are 11 audience questioners, a Did You Know? section of fun facts, comprehension questions and a teacher page with extension activities, additional links and the key. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Louisa-May-AlcottWriterSuffragette-and-AbolitionistA-Readers-Theater-Script-5290583




Note: Source of study: http://www.buzzfeed.com/jessicamisener/utterly-disappointing-facts-about-books#.krLXka6XD
Clipart from: wpclipart.com
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State of the Union Address 2025




 THE STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS: FACTOIDS


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 usually done in the month of January. In 2025, it will be in early March.


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. William Henry 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 Your 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. 

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/State-of-the-Union-Address-A-HistoryWebquest-3599380


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