Spring is Here: Show Kids that EVERYTHING has a History...Even Tulips!

 

Click here for a user friendly download of this resource: 

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/TULIPS-A-Sign-of-SpringFREEBIE-4458064

With spring, comes the sprouting of tulips.  Personally, I love purple tulips. Although I try year after year to grow them in my gardens, the chipmunks seem to find them and haul the bulbs away! 

Tulips have a very interesting history. Sharing information about the history of the tulip is a great way to show kids that EVERYTHING has a history.

In 1634, tulips caused people to go a bit crazy, in the country of Netherlands. The bulb, looking like a onion was as prized as diamonds. It got so nobody was planting the pretty posies, they were just buying and selling the bulbs. People used tulips to purchased homes, food, clothing and even horses. Government officials kept a record of tulip purchases. Tulipmania is what this time was called. One tulip could be worth over $35,000!(Yes, you read that correctly)

Fun Facts about Tulips:

1. To have a tulip in your home was a way to impress others!

2. Interestingly, the tulips with the most value, really were infected with a virus and were feathered and not solid colored tulips.

3. It is believed the tulip came from Asia and the area of Turkey,1000AD. Its name, is thought to come from the word dulban or tuliban(meaning turban), because the flower looks like an upside down turban. In Turkey, tulips were very much prized and in fact, for a time, it was forbidden to buy or sell the bulbs outside of the capital city. Such crimes could mean exile!

4. The tulip capital of the United States is Holland, Michigan.

5. During World War 2, people ate tulips and made tulip bread. Neither were very tasty but when you are hungry, taste isn't that important.

Your Turn:

1. Do you know which two flowers are more popular than the tulip?If, not, take a guess!________________ and ______________

2. What is your favorite flower?  Why do you favor this flower over other flowers?

3. What do you know about the country of Turkey? Write ONE fact:__________________

4. What do you know about the country of Netherlands? Write ONE fact:________________

5. Write a haiku about tulips. A haiku has 3 lines and each line has the following syllable pattern. 5-7-5. Not sure how many syllables are in a word? Place your hand under your chin. Count how many times your chin drops as you say the world. For example: ELEPHANT. It has 3 syllables. Don't worry about sentence form, think descriptive words. The Haiku comes from the people of Japan. Write TWO facts you know about the country of Japan. 

Extension Activities:

1. Read a fairytale about tulips: http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/spring/short-stories/the-fairy-tulips.html Have students write a summary of the story. Have students write their own story about a tulip.

2. http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/plants/tulips.html More Tulip facts. Illustrate one of the facts about tulips.

Sharing information about the history of the tulip is a great way to show kids that EVERYTHING has a history. The resource includes a reading passage, Did You Know? fun facts, comprehension questions, Map-skill activity, Teacher page with extension activities and key. Click here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Spring-A-Reading-Passage-History-of-TULIPS-2426247

April Fools' Day is Coming! Are You Ready?

 

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:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/April-Fools-Day-ReadingFun-Facts-and-Activities-632947

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:

Click here for FREE download: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/APRIL-FOOLS-FREEBIEReally-2474186

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

World Water Day is March 22nd!

 

 

World Water Day!

March 22, 2021

Possible Interactive Notebook Activity

Click here for the free downloadable version: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Water-Fun-FactsWorld-Water-Day-Interactive-Notebook-Activity-3700405

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 2021, the theme for world Water Day is “Valuing Water”. The organization says the focus for the day is  “exploring nature-based solutions to the water challenges we face in the 21st century.”

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/

4. https://www.factsjustforkids.com/water-facts.html

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)

Using the News in the Classroom: Walrus spotted off the coast of Ireland!

 

In the News:

A walrus, the size of a cow, found itself off the coast of Ireland, the first ever confirmed spotting of a walrus in Ireland! Native to the Arctic, scientists think the walrus was on an iceberg and fell asleep as the iceberg drifted further and further south. Thousands of miles from home, the walrus is thought to be young because of the size of its tusks. It was spotted by a young girl who was walking with her dad, along Valentia Island, in County Kerry, Ireland. At this time, there aren’t any plans to step in to do anything to assist the walrus to get back home.

Did You Know?

1. Walrus can swim up to 21.7 mph, averaging about 4.3 miles per hour.
2. The life span of a walrus is about 40 years.
3. Marine mammals with front and rear flipper are known as PINNIPEDS.
4. Carnivorous, walrus especially like eating shellfish such as clams, mussels and other crustaceans.
5. The eyesight of a walrus is poor in murky waters, so they rely on their whiskers to help in food detection.
6. Both male and female walrus have tusks. 
7. The tusk, up to 3 ft. long, used like hooks, are helpful in getting out of the water and onto ice. The tusks  also are used to break through the icy waters to make breathing holes and are used as protection.

8.  Walrus are native to the Arctic waters.

9.  An air sac found in a walrus’ throat allows it to float while sleeping.

10. Nicknamed the “Giants(Kings) of the Arctic), a walrus can tip the scales at about 3000 pounds.

11. The biggest population(group of walrus is called a “herd”) of walrus is found in Foxe Basin, Nunavut, Canada. (about 5000 live here).

12. Especially when in the water, walrus can stay awake for over 3 days but on land can sleep for up to 19 hours!

13.  Meaning “tooth walking seahorse” in Latin, the walrus’ genus name is Odobenus.

14. About 450 sensitive whiskers make up the “moustache” of a walrus.

15. Walrus can slow their heartbeat down in colder temperatures and can dive to depths of almost 300 ft. and stay underwater for up to 30 minutes.

Your Turn:

1. Write a diary entry pretending to be the walrus and tell how you got to Ireland, thousands of miles away from home. 

2. Illustrate one of the facts about walruses.

Illustration from pixabay.com

Learn About Leprechauns! Fun activity for around St. Patrick's Day!

 

Great for a unit on folk stories/folklore , Ireland 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. A Reader's Theater Script, A Visit with a Leprechaun!

Did You Know? 

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

2. The National Leprechaun Museum in Dublin, Ireland, is dedicated to the folklore and mythology of Ireland.  

3. The legend of leprechauns dates back as far as the 8th century.

4. In Irish folklore, there are only male leprechauns. 

5. The origin of the word leprechaun may have been “lobaircin”, meaning “small bodied fellow.” 

6. Leprechauns love to dance the jig and wear out  shoes very quickly. Leprechauns are cobblers, or shoe makers. They always carry a tiny hammer for shoe making.

7. “Faeriefolk” live underground, deeply burrowed in caves. The entrances to their caves are usually hidden by rabbit holes or under old tree stumps. 

8. There is a place in Ireland, Carlingford, where someone says they once spotted leprechauns. The Slieve Foy Loop Trail, near the Carlingford Mountains, is protected land. Signs remind hikers to walk softly as it is a heavily populated leprechaun area!

9. The only park of its kind in the world dedicated to leprechauns. is found in Portland, Oregon. Actually, it is also the world’s smallest park, only 2 ft. wide. It was officially named a city park back in 1976. Called Mill Ends Park, it was actually where a light pole was supposed to go but never did. There is a tiny tree in this teeny park. 

Check out this resource: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/LeprechaunsSt-Patricks-DayIreland-A-Readers-Theater-Script-2315668   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.

Learn about the country of Ireland!

Learn about the country of Ireland: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/St-Patricks-Day-Ireland-Webquest-and-Activities-517483

Pi Day is Coming. Are YOU Ready?

 

Click here for FREE downloadable version: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Pi-Day-Interactive-Notebook-ActivityFREE-4438204#show-price-update

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:

https://mathgeekmama.com/math-resources/pi-day-goodness/

Sources for Teachers:

https://www.factretriever.com/pi-facts

https://www.piday.org/million/ one million digits of pi 

http://www.historyof.net/history-of-pi.html

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.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Albert-Einstein-A-Readers-Theater-Script-3152167?st=e281932f9fc3d8d1edbec860b960d5d5

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Galileo-Galilei-A-Readers-Theater-Script-4571171?st=7a610be060f0a313df53b11c12ea5db5

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Marie-Curie-Scientist-A-Readers-Theater-Script-2494460

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Sir-Isaac-Newton-A-Readers-Theater-Script-3538657?st=cead1bec0af66c2899e350ac55f8a5a0

Illustration from openclipart.org