Gail's Glimmerings

Saturday, May 30, 2026

World Ocean Day is Coming! June 8th, 2026

World Ocean Day, 6/8/2026

Click here for the free worksheet:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/World-Oceans-Day-is-June-8th-Ocean-Fun-FactsInteractive-Notebook-Activity-3815482

Exploring the Ocean Blue: Fun Facts about the oceans of the Earth. Share some of these amazing facts with family and friends!

1. Coral has been used to repair bones in humans!

2. Blue Whales can weigh as much as 30 elephants and are as long as three Greyhound buses! Its heart is about the size of a Volkswagen!

3. Basket Starfish has the most arms of any sea life... 80,000!

4. The highest wave ever recorded hit near Lituya Glacier in Alaska in 1958. It was 1740 ft. high!

5. Wondering how many marine species exist? According to World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS), at least 212,906!

6. Scientists say the jellyfish is older than the dinosaurs, dating back at least 650 million years ago!

7. Did you know that a dolphin sleeps with one eye open and with only half its brain.

8. The highest tides occur in the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia,Canada, reaching 53 ft. high!

9. The Ring of Fire located in the Pacific Ocean is the largest zone of active volcanoes on the sea floor. 75% of the world's volcanoes are here!

10. There are 25,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean!

11. On April 17, 2013, a bottle washed up on the shores of a beach in the country of Croatia. It had been thrown into the sea in Nova Scotia, Canada....4000 miles away! Scientists say it probably traveled 5x that in its 28 years at sea!

12. Great Britain(2013) is building the world's largest wave farm. It will power about 30,000 homes.

13. A fish thought be be extinct for 60 million years was caught alive by fisherman off the southern coast of Africa in 1938. Called a coelacanth, the fish has been around for 300 million years.

14. If you measure the tallest mountain from the sea floor up, Mt. Everest isn't the record holder.! The highest mountain would be Mauna Kea, in Hawaii. It is 33,474 ft from the ocean floor but only 13, 680 ft. above sea level.

15. Need light? An electric eels can make enough electricity to run about 10 light bulbs!

16. The longest mountain range on Earth is found in the Atlantic Ocean,from Antarctica to Iceland!

17. There is so much salt in the ocean that if all the salt was dried and collect, it would cover all the continents with 5 ft. of salt!

18. There is enough gold in the world's oceans for each person on the planet to have almost nine pounds of gold!

19. You can see the world's largest reef, the Great Barrier Reef,in Australia,(1616 miles long) from outer space!

20. The earth has an estimated 315,000 miles of coastlines...that's enough miles to go 12 times around the Equator!

Your Turn:

1. Illustrate one of the factoids. Write a sentence explaining your drawing.

2. What are three reasons the oceans of the world are important to us?

3. Scientists say there are FIVE oceans covering our planet. The Southern Ocean has been added. It is also known as the Antarctic Ocean. Name ONE fact about each of the other 4 oceans.

4. Have you ever visited an ocean?____________ Pretend you are at the ocean. Write a paragraph describing what you see, hear, smell and feel.

5. Why do you think there is a World Ocean Day?

Teachers:
Additional Links of Interest:
https://worldoceanday.org/

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/earth/oceans.html

https://www.kids-world-travel-guide.com/ocean-facts-for-kids.html

http://www.marine.usf.edu/pjocean/packets/f98/f98u1le1.pdf (lots of information including reasons why oceans are important)

World Oceans Day is June 8th. Learn about the Oceans of the world with this web quest: 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. Can be used as part of a unit on oceans, for Earth Day, World Ocean Day or as an activity for a Friday, before a vacation break or as an end of the year activity. This can be a one day class resource or used for a couple of days depending on whether the activities(creative writing/art work/online simulation games, etc.) are used with the students: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Oceans-Exploring-the-Ocean-Blue-A-WebquestExtension-Activities-705943

I also have a Reader's Theater Script on Jacques Cousteau you may find of interest(part of my Ms. Bie Ografee Talk Show series of plays): https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Jacques-Cousteau-A-Readers-Theater-Script-2458467

Photographs from Gail Hennessey(Cannon Beach/Pacific Ocean in Oregon and Cape May, NJ)

Thursday, May 21, 2026

End of the Year Activities

As you count down to the end of another school year, here are a few resources you may find of interest. If you are teaching summer school or have children at home and just want some things to keep the learning going during the summer months, these selected resources may be of interest.

Have a wonderful summer and, again, thanks for all the support for my resources this year.

Best,

Gail

I will be updating my website(http://www.gailhennessey.com ) and my blog throughout the summer. Stop by....

Why not try a play on a famous person in science, English literature and history? All plays are also sold separately.

Famous Writers:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FAMOUS-WRITERS-A-Bundle-of-Resources-7529557?st=0871124c6f0c01d42ed25f68dfb6b4f6

Famous Women in History: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/WOMENS-HISTORY-A-BUNDLE-of-10-READERS-THEATER-SCRIPTS-4409951

Famous People in Science 1: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Trailblazers-in-ScienceFIVE-STEM-Biographical-PlaysBUNDLE-of-RESOURCESPart-2-7618483?st=0c2ec42bf0e224835a99503796f4ede2

Famous People in Science 2: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Trailblazers-in-ScienceSIX-STEM-Biographical-PlaysBUNDLE-of-RESOURCES-2961301?st=0c2ec42bf0e224835a99503796f4ede2

Jules Verne:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Jules-VerneA-Readers-Theater-Script-7808900?st=894468ecd89430e38332f2c8134ba79b

Everything has a History:

Candy: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Candy-History-of-Candy-WebquestEND-OF-YEAR-ACTIVITY-516787?st=c354c2714cfd10be7993b535242c1fe5

Bundle: Everything has a History: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/History-Everything-has-a-History-A-Bundle-of-Resource-4448553 (each sold individually, too)(History of Pretzels, Shoes, Spring, Peanuts, Soccer, Chewing Gum, Why Study History, Candy)

Landmarks of the world:

1. World Landmarks(Webquest): https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/World-Landmarks-WebquestEND-OF-YEAR-ACTIVITY-1516428?st=4465c5d9b4c9a17cfa73cd3c9466774a

2. US Landmarks(Webquest): https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/US-LANDMARKS-A-WebquestEND-OF-YEAR-ACTIVITY-1425419?st=3af63008876f619a3c14df01ddaf82b5

Test Your Knowledge Challenges:

World Capitals: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/World-Capitals-Test-Your-Knowledge-Challenge-Activity-9253008

US Landmarks: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/US-Landmarks-Test-Your-Knowledge-Challenge-Activity-9270184

Maps and Geography: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Maps-and-Geography-Test-Your-Knowledge-Challenge-ActivityBack-to-School-9239435

Women Trailblazer: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/WOMEN-Trailblazers-Test-your-Knowledge-Challenge-Activity-9195084

Learn about countries of the world: (France is coming by June)

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Countries-of-the-WorldA-Bundle-of-Webquests--4725632?st=db4836f9555e5e9aebe13f2d8f89b508 All sold individually, too.

MATH and STEM Biographies:

Hypathia: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Womens-HistoryHypatiaFirst-Woman-MathematicianReading-4018160?st=cef0c737e6a3d1e56bdb4a408b8e68ee

Ada Lovelace: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Ada-Lovelace-Woman-MathematicianWorlds-First-Computer-Programmer-7890823?st=831c01a079373b92f1b8124a69047f75

Katherine Johnson: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Katherine-Johnson-ScientistThe-Computer-that-Wore-SkirtsPlay-2961216

4. Marie Curie: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Marie-Curie-Scientist-A-Readers-Theater-Script-2494460?st=8eadfa1c7180c652a00a169dbf679dfb

Other Informative and Fun Activities:

1. Explore the Arctic(Webquest): https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Arctic-Learn-about-the-ArcticWebquest-END-OF-YEAR-ACTIVITY-2889672?st=770d65a470a61a290c40d91014842be0

2. Explore Antarctica(Webquest): https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Antarctica-A-WebquestEND-OF-YEAR-ACTIVITY-2389374?st=413ddfd31672899926c3692c85fa1410

3. Mummies of the World(Webquest): https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/MUMMIES-A-WebquestExtension-Activities-1915946?st=09047d34eade1d717aa89b77c411dafb

Thursday, May 14, 2026

World Bee Day is May 20th

World Bee Day is May 20th.

In 2018, the United Nations designated May 20th as World Bee Day.

It is estimated that 75% of the veggies, fruits and nuts in the USA are pollinated by bees! Check here to see some of the foods that are dependent on pollination. https://bees.techno-science.ca/english/bees/pollination/food-depends-on-bees.php

Here are some helpful links:

Diagram: https://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/insects/bee/Honeybeecoloring.shtml

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4HwyYxm6gU

Short Bee video

https://bees.techno-science.ca/english/bees/pollination/default.php

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9zZ48jJZyk importance of bees

https://www.coolkidfacts.com/bee-facts/

https://worldbeeday.org/en/

DID YOU KNOW?

1.There are approximately 20,000 species of bees.

2. Scientists have found that bees have personalities. Some are shy, some are adventurous!

3. Bees have a navigational system, a type of natural compass which helps them stay on course by using the sun and polarized light.

4.Did you know that a bee’s wing beats about 190-230 times a second?

5. Bees can find “their hive” because each hive has a distinct smell.

6. With two stomachs, a bee places nectar in one and the food it eats in another.

7. Bees are able to recognize faces!

8. The world's largest honey bee is called the Himalayan giant(or Apis Laboriosa). It can reach 1.2 inches in length.

IN the NEWS:(May/2026) A team of firefighters in Parley's Canyon,Utah, came to the rescue of 25 MILLION bees that were in a semi trailer that broke down. The firefighters used hoses to keep the bees cool and calm in the very warm temperatures. Without the help of humans, the 480 hives in the truck would have perished.

IN the NEWS:(April/2026) 5.5 MILLION bees were found living under the ground in a cemetery in Ithaca, NY. Read the story: https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-found-5-5-million-bees-living-beneath-a-new-york-cemetery

A couple of years ago, scientists that study viruses(virology) in the country of Netherland trained about 150 bees, known for their keen sense of smell, to detect the odor of Covid. Using a conditioning technique, the bees received a reward of sugar water when they correctly sniffed out the virus. The trained bees were able to detect the Covid virus in only a matter of seconds. Learn more: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-9550297/Bees-Netherlands-trained-detect-COVID-19-infections.html

Illustrations from pixabay and Wpclipart.com

*Illustrations from http://www.fao.org/world-bee-day/en/ and WPClipart.com

Wednesday, May 6, 2026

Endangered Species Day is in May

Click here for free downloadable version: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Endangered-Species-a-FREEBIE-Handout-5554899

In 2026, Endangered Species Day is May 15th. Held the 3rd Friday in May, it is a day for creating awareness to the different creatures of the planet whose population is dwindling. It is a day to encourage people to work to save these creatures from going extinct.

NOTE: 4/26 The largest of all the species of penguins, the Emperor, has been placed on the endangered species list this past April. The penguins, only found on Antarctica, are in trouble due climate change causing less sea ice. Ice is used by the emperor penguins for breeding. With warming temperatures, the ice is melting quicker and before the babies are strong enough to make it on their own. The result has been many less penguins surviving and their numbers dropping to about 600,000 world wide. Learn more about the Emperor penguins: https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/facts/emperor-penguin

Photograph from WWF.org

Some creatures on the endangered species list include:

Blue Whale, Lemur, Javan Rhino, Mountain Gorilla, Black Rhino, Loggerhead Sea Turtle, Siberian Tiger, Komodo Dragon, Golden Lion Tamarin and the Northern Bald Ibis.

1. What are two reasons for species declining on our planet?

2. If you could save two of the creatures on the endangered species list from extinction, which two would you select? WHY?

3. What might be some factors people might use to determine which creatures to save? For example, why might people in the USA want to protect the Bald Eagle? Why might some people want to protect the mountain gorilla over the Santa Catalina Island Rattlesnake? Other creatures such as the giraffe and elephant(ie:Sumatran Elephant) are on the endangered list. Why might some people select one creature to save over another?

In the News:5/26: Scientists have observed orangutans in Indonesia doing something for the very first time. They were filmed crossing a man-made canopy bridge. Actually five such hanging bridges were made to help endangered animals avoid a tarred road. When completed, the road divided about 350 orangutans that lived in the area.Since constructed, macaques and gibbons have been found to use the bridges but recently a camera captured a Sumatran orangutan using one of the bridges. With orangutans, native to only Sumatra and the island of Borneo, being so critically endangered, perhaps, these bridges might help keep them safe when attempting to visit their friends on the other side of the road! Photograph from Phys. Org

Extension Activities:

1. Extinct is forever. Some creatures that no longer exist on the planet include the Passenger Pigeon, DoDo bird, Tasmanian tiger, Pinta Island tortoise(the last one,Lonesome George, died in 2015)and the Caribbean Monk Seal. You may find this link of interest: https://www.rd.com/culture/animals-extinct-last-100-years/ Research an extinct creature and draw a picture, including 4 facts learned. Include what caused their extinction.

2. Watch a short video on 10 animals that MAY go extinct in the next few years: https://www.thoughtco.com/recently-extinct-animals-1092157 Write a paragraph on one of the animals.

3. This Endangered Species Coloring Book has lots of information on the topic: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2013-08/documents/cbook.pdf Write 4 facts learned from the text of information.

4. Lots of information for kids on Endangered and extinct species. https://www.activewild.com/endangered-animals-facts-for-kids/

5. Many butterflies are on the endangered list: This website has some of the most endangered butterflies: https://butterflywebsite.com/endangered-butterflies.cfm
In the USA, more than 20 butterflies and moths are endangered. https://www.saveourmonarchs.org/blog/10-endangered-butterflies What do you think is the main cause of the dwindling population of butterflies? The famed Monarch Butterfly (2019) may soon be added to the endangered species list.(2019) https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/decision-on-monarch-butterfly-endangered-species-protection-extended-2019-05-24/

6. The Endangered Species Act(1973) helped some creatures' populations increase including the California Condor and Bald Eagle. There are about 1600 creatures in the USA currently protected by this act which was signed by President Richard Nixon. Donald Trump changed the Endangered Species Act, lessening regulations. Why do you think Donald Trump did this? Who does this help if there are less regulations to protect species?

Did You Know?

1. Did you know that 50% of the endangered species of the Earth live in the rainforest, esp. the Amazon Rain forest, the world largest?

2. The Vaquita is the most endangered porpoise in the world. It is believed that less than 20 are still alive. Its name means “little cow” in Spanish.

3. Thanks to conservation efforts, the panda is no longer on the endangered list(2016).

4. Did you know that the polar bear is on the endangered list? One of the main reasons is the warming temperatures has caused a decrease in the sea ice. Polar bears use sea ice to hunt one of their favorite foods, the seal.

5. The continent of Asia has the most endangered species.

6. The IUCN Red List says that out of 62,837 species, 19,817 are currently in danger of extinction. Some are very critically endangered, others are either listed as endangered or vulnerable.

7. Many butterflies are on the endangered list: This website has some of the most endangered butterflies: https://butterflywebsite.com/endangered-butterflies.cfm

In the USA, more than 20 butterflies and moths are endangered. https://www.saveourmonarchs.org/blog/10-endangered-butterflies What do you think is the main cause for the decreasing population of butterflies? The famed Monarch Butterfly (2019) may soon be added to the endangered species list.(2019) https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/decision-on-monarch-butterfly-endangered-species-protection-extended-2019-05-24/ List 4 facts about the monarch butterfly.Draw a picture of a monarch butterfly.

8. The Endangered Species Act(1973) helped some creatures' populations increase including the California Condor and Bald Eagle. There are about 1600 creatures in the USA currently protected by this act which was signed by President Richard Nixon. Pres. Donald Trump(2019) plans to change the Endangered Species Act, lessening regulations. Why do you think Donald Trump wants to do this? Who do you think is helped if there are less regulations to protect species?

This is a great way to remember the causes for the decreasing populations of creatures on our planet:

The mnemonic HIPPO represents the five major causes of declining wildlife biodiversity:

H - Habitat Loss

I - Invasive Species

P - Pollution and Pesticides

P - Population Growth (human) and the Pet Trade

O - Over-hunting and Over-collecting