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, November 3, 2024

Are you Ready for Election Day 2024?

  

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
By
Gail Skroback Hennessey
Click here to download this freebie:

Every four years, American citizens vote in an election for the next President of the United States. The next Presidential Election is in 2024. Each state has a number of “electoral votes”, depending on the state’s representatives to Congress (based on population of the state) and each state’s two senators. Additionally, the District of Columbia has 3 electors. That means there are a total of 538 electors. The presidential election is actually a state by state election. A citizen casts his/her vote and the candidate that wins for each state gets either ALL or most of that state’s electoral votes. To win, you need at least 270 electoral votes. The Electoral College(not really a building) votes in December where the electors cast their votes for president. Although the electors USUALLY vote the way of their state election, there have been a couple of times when an elector does not.

If a candidate wins by large majorities in some states, he/she may have more popular votes but may not win the 270 electoral votes to be declared the next president. It has happened FIVE times, most recently in the 2016 election, where a candidate (Hillary Clinton)with the most popular votes (majority of voters picked that candidate) lost the election due to electoral votes.






DID YOU KNOW?
1. Did you know that George Washington was elected UNANIMOUSLY? It was

the only time this has ever happened in a Presidential election!

2. In the election between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson(1800),there was actually a TIE for electoral votes and the House of Representatives determined the winner of the election.

3. Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected FOUR times and was the only president

to have served for so many terms of office. Fearing a monarchy, the Constitution was changed(1951) limiting a presidential term to two terms(8 years).This was the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution.

4. It would take a while to determine the winner of the 2000 election between George Bush and Al Gore. The state of Florida originally went for Gore giving Gore the WIN in the Electoral votes BUT then there was a recount of Florida ballots. The Supreme Court stepped in and said the election went to George Bush.

5. In 2016, Hillary Clinton had over 3 million more votes (48.2 percent to 46.1 percent)than Donald Trump. However, Trump had more electoral votes(306 to 232) and was thus, the winner of the presidential election.

6. Grover Cleveland was the only president to serve two non-consecutive (not in a row) terms Elected in 1884, he lost his re-election bid in 1888. He ran again in 1892 and won his second term.

7. Did you know that only 13 presidents have been elected to serve two terms (and serve out their complete term)?

8. Did you know that astronauts at the International Space Station CAN and DO vote in the elections using secure email from space?

9 .At one time the person with the most votes became the president and the person with the second highest amount of votes became Vice President. Can you think of how this might cause problems? After 1804, this rule changed.

10 . Name calling by candidates is nothing new. Stephen A. Douglas called Abraham Lincoln, “two-faced”. Lincoln replied, “If I had another face, do you think I would wear this one?”

11. The first woman to run for president was Victoria Woodhull (1872), before women could even vote(1920). Her Vice Presidential running mate was abolitionist and orator, Frederick Douglass.

12. The only person to be Vice President AND President and never have been elected by the people was Gerald Ford!

13. Most electoral votes are given in total to the winner of the state voting. However, the states of Nebraska and Maine split up the electoral votes among the candidates. THAT is why your vote matters. In New York, there are 29 electoral votes. Even if the winner of the state wins by a few votes, ALL 29 electoral votes go to the winner.

14. The electoral voting for President, by the Electoral College, takes place in the month of December, the first Monday after the second Wednesday!

15. Women got the right to vote in 1920. Native Americans didn’t get the right to vote until 1924(and some states prevented Native Americans from voting until the 1940s.)

16. In the 2016 presidential election, 54.87 % of voters came out to cast a ballot! (129,085,410 of the 235,248,000 eligible voters)

17. In 2020, former president Donald Trump did NOT recognize the election results

and did not CONCEDE (acknowledged he lost) to President Joe Biden. This is the first time that this has ever happened.

18. In 2024, the Republican candidates are Donald Trump and JD Vance. The Democratic candidates are Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.

 

Your Turn:

1. What are three character traits that a president should have?

2. What is an issue that you would like to see the next president work to accomplish?

3. What do you think of the Electoral College vs. the popular vote to elect a president?

4.There are some people calling for Election Day to be a national holiday, so people don’t have to worry about missing work to vote. What do you think of this idea?

5. Do you think a president should be a role model for young people? Explain your answer.

Teacher Page:

1. How the electoral College Works: https://ourwhitehouse.org/getting-the-votes- and-getting-elected-the-popular-vote-vs-the-electoral-college/

2. Check out some presidential campaign slogans: https://www.thoughtco.com/top- presidential-campaign-slogans-104625 Have students illustrate one of the slogans. Both the candidates for the 2020 have used several slogans. One used by Donald Trump has been  Make America Great Again. Kamala Harris has used We are Not Going Back and When We Fight, We Win.

3. https://www.usa.gov/election Posters on the process of electing a President of the USA

4. Have students review a map of which states have the most electoral votes and which have the least. https://electoralvotemap.com

Links for Teachers:

https://www.legendsofamerica.com/ah-presidenttrivia/ https://www.factretriever.com/us-presidential-elections-facts https://www.ducksters.com/history/us_government_voting.php





 Check out these resources during Election Time:

   1. The Election Process: A Webquest: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/ELECTION- Process-How-do-we-Elect-a-President-A-Webquest-Distance- Learning-2695264 

  1.  Inauguration Day, A Webquest: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Inauguration-Day- A-Webquest-2870347

  2. Presidential Trivia, A Webquest:https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Presidents-A-Presidential-Webquest-338700?st=ddc83951b1709e8a28272bb5aad1c595

  3. The White House: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/ White-House-Learn-about-the-White-HouseA-webquest-359868

  4. First Ladies, A Webquest:https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/First-Ladies-of-the-United-States-Webquest-604151?st=ddc83951b1709e8a28272bb5aad1c595

6. Presidential Challenge. Test Your Knowledge: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Presidential-Facts-To-Challenge-Your-Students-2586425

 

Friday, November 1, 2024

November is Native American Heritage Month

 


 


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Native American Heritage Month


Click here for the free downloadable version: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Native-Americans-Heritage-Month-Freebie-7410848


November 2024


Gail Skroback Hennessey


New York was the first state to set aside a day to honor the contributions of Native Americans. Called American Indian Day, it was established in 1916. President George W. Bush approved National American Indian Heritage Month in 1990.


Did You Know?

1. Native Americans shared their cure for Scurvy, a disease caused by the lack of Vitamin C.  They made a tea from evergreen branches and gave it to French Explorer, Jacques Cartier and his men(1536).


2. Did you know that Native Americans shared with the Pilgrims the idea of using dead fish when planting corn? It was a natural fertilizer.


3. At the first Thanksgiving, in 1621, the Wampanoag people shared foods such as squash, corn, maple syrup, cranberries, pumpkins and turkey, with the Pilgrims.


4. Have you placed the game of lacrosse? It was first played by the Native American. Interestingly, it wasn’t a “game” but a way to settle arguments. The French explorers first saw the game and named it.


5. The Native Americans played a game called “shinny”. The French called it hockey!


6. Native Americans shared toboggans and whirligigs(spinning tops) with the colonists.


7. Some ideas in the Constitution and Declaration of Independence, came from the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. The Great Law of Peace included ideas such as people have rights and limited the power of government over people.


8. Moccasins and the Parka(hooded jackets with feathers still attached to skins) were shared with colonists.


9. Native Americans were believers in conservation. They only took what they needed from the Earth.


10. During World War 2, secret messages were sent by both sides. Each side tried to crack the other’s code. The U.S.Army came up with a code that was never broken. It used the Navajo Indian language!




Activities:
1. Some words in English from Native Americans:

manatee, opossum, parka, raccoon, skunk, squash, succotash, woodchuck, moccasin, chipmunk 

Write a short story using all these words.


2. https://nativeamericans.mrdonn.org/stories/

Read a Native American short story, illustrate the story and write and summary.


3. Look at the Navajo Code Alphabet:  https://jmcrempsblog.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/screen-shot-2014-09-25-at-11-13-07-am.png

Write a message and have another person try and  decode it.


4. LOTS of Famous Native Americans: Research one of the following people, draw a picture of that person and write 5 facts learned about them on your drawing. Here are just a few possible people to highlight.

Sacagawea, Sequoyah, Jim Thorpe, Squanto, Sitting Bull, Pocahontas, Chief Joseph, Tecumseh, White Cloud, Geronimo, Crazy Horse, Maria Tallchief, Wilma Mankiller, Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte,


More links of interest:

https://www.legacy.com/news/culture-and-history/famous-native-americans/


https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/history/topic/native-americans





Resources of Interest:

  1. Learn about Sacagawea with this Reader's Theater Script. Sacagawea is a guest on a talk show and the studio audience asks questions about her life and contributions to the Lewis and Clark Expedition. There are 10 questioners, a Did You Know? fun fact section, comprehension questions, a teacher page with extension activities, the key and additional links. Part of my Ms. Bie Ografee Talk Show Series. Sacagawea, A Reader's Theater Script                                                                                                                                         2. Learn about Sequoyah, the only person in history to "invent a written language"! Part of my Ms. Bie Ografee's Talk Show Series. A studio audience ask questions of Sequoia. Sequoyah, the Man that Invented a Writing System: A Reader's Theater Script.                                                                                                            3. Native Americans: A Webquest: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Native-AmericansA-WebquestExtension-Activities-2121792?st=2957771651d42c1f0e3fcb3ba8121b92
Illustrations from Pixabay and WpClipart

November 4th is KING TUT DAY!

  



November 4, 1922, the day Howard Carter uncovered the tomb of Tutankhamen!






Interesting facts:
1. Lord Carnarvon was bitten by a mosquito, while in Egypt and died days later. It is said that the lights in Cairo, Egypt, went out when Carnarvon died. Also, back in London, his dog is said to have started to howl and, died.  When King Tut's mummy was unwrapped, a mark was found in the same location as the mosquito bit on Lord Carnarvon. It was around this time that the idea of a curse on those that went inside the tomb began to gain in popularity!

2. One of the discoveries in the tomb, in addition to golden statues and a golden throne, jewels and chariots, was a box of UNDERWEAR for King Tut to use in the afterlife.

3. Licorice was also found in King Tut's tomb.

4. Each of King Tut's toes were individually wrapped in gold!

5. Watermelon seeds were found in King Tut's tomb. 

6. With the discovery of the tomb, all things Egyptian became very popular. Women began to wear dresses with Egyptian patterns. Songs about King Tut were written,dances created and beauty products were advertised with Egyptian themes.  This popularity in all things  ancient Egyptian was  called "Tutmania".

7. Twenty-two pounds of gold were used to make the gold mask of King Tut.

8. Many of King Tut's artifacts can be found at Highclere Castle, home of Lord Carnarvon, about an hour from London, England. Interestingly, if you watched the series Downton Abbey, it was filmed at Highclere!


Questions:
A number of people that went into the tomb died under unusual circumstances. However, the person that discovered the tomb,Howard Carter, lived a long life. So, if there was a curse(as stated on the entrance of Tut's tomb), it didn't harm Carter. WHAT might explain why some people may have died from being in the tomb, opened for the first time in centuries?

When Howard Carter discovered the tomb, he waited weeks for Lord Carnarvon to travel by ship to be there for the opening of the tomb. He had guards stand watch at the entrance of the tomb. He did NOT go inside. He felt that since Lord Carnarvon had funded the expedition, he should be there for the "opening". Could you have waited?

Extras:

Read my article, "Mummies Share Their Secrets" at Science News for Students:https://www.snexplores.org/article/mummies-share-their-secrets

You may wish to check  out You Tube for a song done by comedian Steve Martin, "King Tut".(Review it first as there is one word which may not be appropriate). You could just share the lyrics and skip over the word.)

Information on King Tut at this link:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zvmkhbk#zmtv3j6


Check my Resource on King Tut, A Reader's Theater Script with LOTS of information on King Tut, mummy making and the discovery of his tomb: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/King-Tut-Wrapping-with-a-Mummy-Biographical-PlayTo-Tell-the-Truth-Play-338665

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Diwali Starts this Week!

        


This year, 2024, Diwali or Deepavali, begins on October 31th and lasts for 5 days.

It's a happy time of year and is the biggest holiday in the country of India.  Practiced mainly by people of the Hindu faith, many other people enjoy taking part in the festive holiday season,too. During the holiday, there will be gift giving,lighting lamps(Dipa lamps) special sweet treats including Laddus(sweet wheat balls with nuts and fruits inside) and Karanjis (flour fried dumplings with coconut and sugar), praying, getting together with family and friends and fireworks to help welcome the new year. Deepawali means "festival of lights". 

Fun Facts:
1. Diwali celebrates the end of the harvest season.

2. President Barack Obama was the first US president to participate in a Deepavali celebration in the White House, in 2009.

3. “Shubh Deepavali” means “Have an auspicious Diwali “and is a common greeting for this holiday time. 

4. Diwali marks the Hindu New Year. It is a national holiday in India.

5. Other countries which have Diwali celebrations include: Australia, Guyana, Trinidad, Nepal(called Tihar), Singapore, Japan, Thailand(called Lam Kriyongh) and the United States.

Learn more about Diwali at these links:

Learn about India at these links:

Activities:
Make a Rangoli- Using colored rice flour and water, people decorate patterns on the ground outside their homes and place of worship. It's a way to honor the Hindu goddess Lakshimi and hope the goddess feels welcome in their homes. Use colored markers and create a colorful Rangoli pattern  See some pics:https://www.activityvillage.co.uk/rangoli-crafts


NAMASTE!

Check out my reading passage(with fun facts and additional activities)on Diwali.There are 10 fun Facts in the complete reading activity on the holiday of Diwali. There is also a short paragraph reading with comprehension questions.  The Teacher Page has lots of extension activities and the key: 
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/DiwaliDeepavaliLearn-about-Diwali-A-Reading-PassageActivity-2176182


IN THE NEWS: 2024
The five day celebration, known as Diwali, will be a bit different this year, in the capital city of India. The holiday celebrated by Hindus, Jains and Sikhs, held October 29th-November 3rd this year, will not have any festive firework displays in Delhi. Fireworks and firecrackers are very popular during this holiday. Diwali or Deepavali meaning “Festival of Lights “ is a joyous time. People pray, give gifts, light lamps(Dipa lamps), eat special foods such as weet treats called laddus (sweet wheat balls with nuts and fruits) and Karanjis(flour friend dumplings with coconut and sugar). It is a time to get together with family and friends.However, this year, the government has banned fireworks due to increased pollution concerns.

Gail


Illustration from:openclipart.org

Monday, October 28, 2024

National Chocolate Day is October 28th

 



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:


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




Illustration from: wpclipart.com

Thursday, October 24, 2024

Halloween is Coming: Fun Facts

   Halloween Fun Facts

Interactive Notebook Activity
by
Gail Skroback Hennessey



1. Fear of the number 13 is called triskaidekaphobia. Fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskavedekatriaphobia.(Yikes-try pronouncing both words!) Did you know that many hotels don't have a 13th floor?(Well, actually there IS a 13th floor but it isn't named 13th). Some airplanes don't have a row named 13 and many hospitals don't have a room 13. There WAS an Apollo 13, a space mission that blasted into space on April 11, 1970.(It was launched at 13:13!) On April 13(not a Friday), there was an explosion. Fortunately, the crew was able to come home safely. 
2. Black cats are thought to bring bad luck in the USA but it is a WHITE cat that is thought to bring bad luck in Great Britain. 
3. Ireland is thought to be the birthplace of Halloween.
4. The colors orange and black are associated with Halloween. In recent years, purple has also become popular at Halloween.
5. If you have samhainophobia, you have a fear of the holiday- Halloween! Do you have a  fears of something? What is it?___________________

6. Snickers are the most popular candy treat at Halloween. What is your favorite candy? Why?____________________________7. Over 35 million pounds of candy corn are made each year! (or 9 billion pieces of the candy). Some estimated that if you placed the kernels sold every year, end to end, the candy corn could circle the earth 4.25 times.
8. Seeing a spider on Halloween is considered good luck. It is believed to be the spirit of someone close coming to watch over you on Halloween. Name 3 creatures associated with Halloween:__________  _____________  _____________
9. There is a Pumpkin Bend, AR, a Tombstone, AZ, a Transylvania County, NC, and a Cape Fear, NC!
10. Turnips were used before pumpkins as Jack O’ Lanterns! Have you ever eaten a turnip? Do you like them?__________________________
11. Halloween dates back about 6,000 years!
12. Did you know there is actually a National Candy Corn Day? It’s October 30th. 

Activities:

  1. Illustrate one of the Halloween Fun Facts.(Use the back of this paper or another sheet of paper)
  2. Draw/color a Halloween creature such as a scarecrow or witch. Write 4 adjectives to describe your drawing. Write a paragraph describing your drawing.(Use the back of this paper or another piece of paper)
  3. Find all the nouns you can find in FACT 1. Write all the action verbs you can spot in  FACTS 1 and 2.(Use the back of this paper or another sheet of paper.
4.  Create 5 three or more letter words using the letters found in the word, “ Halloween”______________  ____________  ____________           __________________   ________________
5. Use a world map and find the country of Ireland. Write 3 facts you know about the country of Ireland.___________   ___________  ________________
6.Write an acrostic poem using each of the letters in Halloween.
H__________   A_________      L____________  L__________   O__________    W____________  E__________     E___________  N____________
7. Find SIX words that have 4 or more syllables in the Halloween Fun Fact.______________  _____________  ______________  _______________  _____________  _____________   


TEACHER PAGE:

1. Review Nouns, action verbs and syllables with students before giving the activity to the students.

2. Distribute the Halloween Fun Facts and have students do several of the activities. Regroup and discuss what they have learned about Halloween with the rest of the class.


Related Resources:
1. With 12 informational web questions, this resource is just the thing to use as a learning tool about the holiday of Halloween. Bats, Owls, pumpkins, the human skeleton, the origin of Halloween, superstitions, and famous stories in literature, are covered. There are comprehension questions, lots of fun facts, extension activities(including writing in the content area), and additional links for teachers.https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Halloween-All-Things-Halloween-Webquest-1360175

2. Mummies aren't just found in ancient Egyptian culture. Mummies have been found all over the world! In fact, the oldest man-made mummies are found in the country of Chile! Mummies can be naturally created or man-made. This web quest includes the different types of mummies and has 12 web questions including information on Bog Mummies such as Tollund Man, the Inca Mummies,the Taklamakan Desert Mummies of China, Otzi, the frozen mummy, the Chinchorro Mummies of Chile, the Egyptian mummies... and more. There are comprehension questions, a Did You Know? section, a teacher section with extension activities, additional links and the key. Great for a Friday activity, at Halloween time, or if you are studying ancient Egypt.https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/MUMMIES-A-WebquestExtension-Activities-1915946

3. Candy is on Kids' minds with Halloween.Over 35 million pounds of candy corn is made each year! Show your students that even candy has a history!Learn facts including marshmallows date back to 2000 BC and King Tut's Tomb contained licorice. Several additional resources and extension activities,too. Skills include:reading for information and using research/computer skills. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Candy-History-of-Candy-Webquest-516787

4.This informative webquest on PUMPKIN would be great for LA classes,a fall activity, or for a substitute lesson! 
There are 10 web questions, comprehension questions and 11 extension activities/links.  https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Pumpkins-A-Webquest-359886


Boarder from: wpclipart.com