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

Thursday, February 10, 2022

Presidents' Day: Fun Facts to Share with Kids


PRESIDENTIAL TRIVIA






1. Dogs, cats and birds  have often found a home in the White House. 

2. There have also been some unique pets such as John Quincy Adams’ pet alligator,Martin Van Buren two tiger cubs and James Buchanan’s elephant. President Coolidge had a wallaby and a pygmy hippo and Theodore Roosevelt had a lion, hyena, five bears, a piebald rat, and a zebra. Only Presidents Arthur, Fillmore and Piece had no pets.

3. President Washington was an avid spelunker,enjoying exploring caves. 

4. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was the only president to be elected  four times.The constitution was later changed to allow only two four-year terms.

5. President Theodore Roosevelt named the Executive Mansion or President’s House, the White House.

6. Only President George Washington did  not live in the White House. It was opened in 1800.

7. The Star-Spangled Banner became the National anthem under President Herbert Hoover.

8. President William Henry Harrison only served one month after taking the oath of office, dying from pneumonia.

9. President Van Buren is said to have started the expression OK, signing paper with his “Old Kinderhook” nickname.

10. Left handed President James Garfield  could write with both hands at the same time and in different languages such as Greek and Latin.

11. President John K. Kennedy was the first president who had been a Boy Scout in his youth.

12. President George W. Bush was appointed President in 2000 by Supreme Court after the election results gave him more electoral votes but his opponent, Al Gore won the popular vote. John Quincy Adams, Rutherford B. hayes and Benjamin Harrison also won the presidency without the majority of the voters. 

13. The teddy bear was named after President Theodore Roosevelt. 

14 .President Richard Nixon was the first president to resign his presidency over a scandal called Watergate.

15.President Taft became chief justice of the Supreme Court after leaving the White House, saying he preferred this job to that of being President of the United States 

16. Gerald Ford was the only president of the United States to not be elected by the people. He was appointed vice president by President Nixon and later assumed the office of president when President Nixon resigned.

17. President John Quincy Adams liked to swims naked in the Potomac River ...in the early morning.

YOUR TURN:
1. Pretend you are the President of the United States. Write a diary entry about a day in your life. Who did you meet in the Oval Office? What issue do you address? Etc.

2. Which president would you like to meet and why? What would you ask of this President?

3. What are FOUR characteristics you feel that someone who is President should possess? Why are these characteristics important?

TEACHER PAGE:
Extension Activities:
1. Try this free web quest on the Presidents of the United States: 
http://www.gailhennessey.com/index.shtml?presidentcyberhunt.html

2. Have students illustrate a Presidential Factoid.

3. Have students share some of their responses from YOUR TURN.

You may wish to check out these resources:

The Election Process! (A Webquest/Extension activities)Students will learn about the election process including who the candidates are, requirements to run for office, requirements to vote, the Succession Act, the Electoral College and more. There are 12 web questions, a Did You Know?Comprehension Questions, Teacher page with extension activities, key, links. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Presidential-Election-2016-A-WebquestExtension-Activities-2695264

Do YOU Know Your Presidents is a series of three challenges. Each challenge worksheet has 25 questions(with 3 choices). The first challenge is the easiest with the third, the hardest.There is also a Presidential Did You Know? https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Presidential-Facts-To-Challenge-Your-Students-2586425

Did You know that President John Quincy Adams had an alligator? Martin Van Buren had two tiger cubs and President McKinley's pet parrot could whistle, "Yankee Doodle". Did you know that President Franklin D. Roosevelt served HOT DOGS to the King of England? Did you know that President Garfield could write with both his right and left hand at the SAME time? Presidential Webquest/Extension Activities: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Presidents-A-Presidential-Webquest-338700

Learn about the White House with 10 informative web questions, comprehension and discussion questions and several extension activities.NEW:Check out all my resources(summaries) in one place: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Learn-about-the-White-House-Webquest-359868


I also have internet activities for students to learn about the IMPEACHMENT process and its history, INAUGUARATION DAY and its history and the history of the STATE of the UNION ADDRESS.

Gail Hennessey

Photograph from Pixabay
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LOTS of Fun Chocolate Facts for Valentine's Day

  



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

Candy and chocolate are very popular on Valentine’s Day. Check out this resource. Valentine’s Day is February 14th. The symbol of the holiday is a heart. What do you know about the human heart and the Valentine’s Day holiday? Grab a red pencil and use this web quest to find out some very interesting facts about the human heart and the holiday of Valentine’s Day!There are 9 web questions, a 20 All things Red Activity, lots of fun facts and 9 extension activities: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Valentines-Day-A-WebquestExtension-Activities-1659788



Illustration from: wpclipart.com
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Tuesday, February 8, 2022

Happy Valentine's Day!

 



Valentine’s Day and the Heart Factoids
Possible Interactive Notebook Activity
by
Gail Skroback Hennessey



1. At one time, Valentine’s Day was also the day to celebrate Groundhog Day! 

2. Ever wonder why lace is associated with Valentine’s Day? Seem the word comes from a Latin word, “laques”meaning “net.” Someone tries to capture  someone’s heart on Valentine’s Day.

3. Because blood is red and people once thought the heart was the center of feelings, red became the color of Valentine’s Day.

4. The first Valentine’s Day card dates back to 1415. It was in that year France’s Duke of Orleans send a love message to his wife while a prisoner in the Tower of London. He was captured in the Battle of Agincourt.

5. It is believed that Valentine’s Day began around 270 AD in ancient Rome.

6. One of the legends of Valentine’s Day says that the Roman emperor, Claudius 11, banned marriage during war time.  A priest named Valentine(some say a Bishop) continued to marry and was arrested and jailed for his “crime”.  While in prison, he sent the jailor’s daughter a note and signed it “from your Valentine.” He was eventually sentenced to death on February 14th.
7. Did you know that over 8 billion candy hearts are made each year for Valentine’s Day?

8. In 1537, King Henry VIII, of England, made February 14th, an official holiday.

9. On Valentine’s Day, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell patented his idea of the telephone!
10. Valentine’s Day is celebrated in Italy, Denmark, Canada, Mexico, France, Great Britain, Australia and the United States.

11.Back when most people couldn’t write, people often signed their name with an X. Another person would witness their “signature”. The person would then kiss their X . Today, people sign notes with Xs to stand for kisses.

12. Have you heard the expression, “to wear your heart on your sleeve”? This saying dates back to the Middle Ages when men and women would draw a name and wear their  “valentine” on their sleeve for a week.

13. Did you know that the human heart is about the size of a fist?

14. In a lifetime, a person’s heart pumps about 1 million barrels of blood! That’s about 2,000 gallons each day or 5 quarts a minute!

15. Arteries are blood vessels that carry blood from the heart throughout the body. Veins are blood vessels that carry blood back to the heart.

16. People used to believe that your heart stopped when you sneezed. That’s why people started saying “bless you”. Actually, the heart does NOT stop. It just isn’t pumping blood as well. 

17. The heart is a MUSCLE. It is found in the MIDDLE of your chest, between your two lungs. 

Extension Activities:
  1. Have students write a paragraph stating any prior knowledge they have about Valentine's Day.
  2. Illustrate one of the facts.
  3. Make a chart showing 3 of the countries which celebrate Valentine’ Day. Write 2 facts about each country.
  4. Pretend you are a human heart. Write a day in your life. What are you doing today? What are you thinking? Include 2 facts about the human heart in your story.
All things RED!
Test you “red” knowledge:


1. Name a jewel that is the color red:__________________________
                      2.   Who is the famous cartoon dog of this color?__________________________
3.                   3.   A story about a girl and a wolf: ____________________________
4.                   4.   Name a traffic sign which is red: ___________________________
5.                   5.   Name a red bird: _______________________________________
6.                   6.   Name a red insect: _____________________________________
7.                   7.   Name two red fruits: ______________________________________
         8.   Name three red vegetables:__________________________
9.            9.  Which large planet has several big red    spots__________________________page2image10520 page2image10680Teacher Page:

1. Have students watch this short video and write 3 facts learned about Candy Hearts:  http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/valentines-day-ideas/a26945/candy-heart-facts

2.  Show the nutritional information of Candy Hearts:
Calories
60

Fat
0g

Carbs
15g

10 Candy Hearts contain 60 calories.
Have students bring in a candy wrapper and discuss the nutritional information.

3. Have students review the heart diagram at this link: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/anatomy/heart/labelinterior/label.shtml

4. Check out my webquest on Valentine’s Day and the human heart: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Valentines-Day-A-WebquestExtension-Activities-1659788

5. Check out my activity, The Red Game(also included in my Webquest activity): https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Valentines-Day-The-RED-GameActivity-1666108

6.  Show kids that everything has a history with my web question on the History of Candy: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Candy-History-of-Candy-Webquest-516787

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Friday, February 4, 2022

Black History Month is in February

  

Black History Month Is in February!

Black History Month:
Dr. Carter G. Woodson, organized a two week period in February,in 1926, to highlight contributions of African Americans. In 1976, the month of February was established as Black History Month.
The month of February was selected as it was the month in which both Frederick Douglass(abolitionist) and Abraham Lincoln (Emancipation Proclamation)were born.  Black History Month is also celebrated in Canada in February and in October in Great Britain.4. Since 1976, (President Gerald R. Ford),every president has deemed the month of February “Black History Month.”


*  Click here for the free Interactive Notebook download:


Did You Know?
The first African American invited to the White House(by President Theodore Roosevelt) was Booker T. Washington. The educator was also the first African American to be honored on a U.S. postage stamp.

Dr. Mae C. Jemison was the first African American female astronaut. She went into space, in 1992.

Guion Bluford was the first American American to travel into space.

In 1821,Thomas L. Jennings was the first African American to receive a patent for an invention.(dry cleaning process)

George Washington Carver developed 300 products from the peanut, 118 from the sweet potato and 75 for the pecan! 2. Carver also invented PEANUT BUTTER.

The first American American to be appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court was Thurgood Marshall, in 1967.

The first African American elected to the U.S. Senate was Hiram Rhodes Revels.( 1870-1871)

Bessie Coleman was the first American American woman to get a pilot’s license and the first American to hold an international pilot’s license.

Olympian Jesse Owns broke 4 world records for track and field, at the 1936 Olympics, in Berlin, Germany. 

In 1909, African-American explorer Mathew A. Henson and Robert E. Peary made the first successful expedition to the North Pole.(for the USA).

In 1940,Dr. Charles Drew found a way to preserve blood and started the first blood bank.

Garrett Morgan invented a traffic light and a gas mask.

Ralph J. Bunche, in 1950, was the first African American to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, for his efforts to mediate an  Arab-Israeli truce.

Jackie Robinson was the first African American to play for a Major League Baseball team.

In the 18th century, astronomer and inventor, Benjamin Banneker helped design Washington, DC.

During WW 2, the first African American pilot group were the Tuskegee Airmen.

An African American named George Crum, a chef, is created with inventing potato chips. The year was 1853.

Do you own a Super Soaker? Lonnie G. Johnson, an aerospace engineer invented the water gun.

Basketball great, Bill Russell, was the first black coach for a NBA team.

Like instant mashed potatoes? Dr. William C. Davis, invented them in 1959.

One of the earliest published African American authors was Phillis Wheatley. Her “Poems on Various Subjects “ was published inn 1773.

In the 1930s, Frederick McKinley Jones invented the air-cooling units that enabled foods to be transported distances without spoiling.




Questions:

  • Dr. Carter G. Woodson once said,” It is never too late to learn.” What do you think he is saying by this statement?

  • Hispanic American Heritage Month is in October,Native American Heritage Month is in November, Black History Month is in February and Women’s History Month is in March. Do you think there is a need to highlight groups of people for their contributions today? Why, why not?

  • It is said that an important question we should each ask ourselves is: “ What is something you have done for someone else this week?

•“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” What do you think this quote by Martin Luther King means?


Extension Activities:
•Learn more famous African American Inventors: 
http://www.factmonster.com/spot/bhmscientists1.html  Illustrate one of the African American Inventors with one of their inventions.
• Check out my Thirteen fact-packed Black History Month Webquest/Extension Activities: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Black-History-Month-WebquestResources-491555

• Read this article to your students: In November,2015, Samuel Burris was pardoned(after 168 years!) for helping fellow African American escape from slavery on the underground railroad. http://www.history.com/news/underground-railroad-conductor-pardoned-168-years-after-conviction?cmpid=Social_FBPAGE_HISTORY_20151103_268807190&linkId=18479533 Have students listen and write 4 facts learned from the article

* Illustrate one of the factoids. 

Other resources of interest:



Check out my Reader's Theater Script on Frederick Douglass:

Check out my Reader’s Theater Script on Katherine Johnson:
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. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Katherine-Johnson-ScientistThe-Computer-that-Wore-SkirtsPlay-2961216


Reading on Sojourner Truth:
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Thursday, February 3, 2022

The Winter Games Begin in Beijing, China, February 3rd!

 




DID You KNOW FACTS
 ABOUT THE OLYMPIC GAMES!
by 
Gail Skroback  Hennessey

Possible Interactive Notebook Activity
Click here for downloadable version: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Famous-Games-from-Ancient-GreeceInteractive-Notebook-Activity-3567715?st=6a90cce99331c661474e126fa4336535

INTERESTING FACTS
ABOUT THE FAMOUS GAMES of ANCIENT GREECE!
2022 Winter Games to be held in Beijing, China. 

1. In ancient Greece, unmarried women participated in their own games. Held ever 4 years, the event was held to honor Zeus’ wife, Hera. The event was a running event. In 1900, women were first allowed to participate in the famous modern games.

2. The original games were a religious activity to honor the ancient Greek god, Zeus.

3. In 1900, the first TEAM sport of the modern games was added. It was football.

4. The city of London, England, has the record for hosting the Olympic Games. The city has hosted THREE times!

5. In total, the United States has hosted the most games. The USA has hosted FOUR Winter Games and FOUR Summer Games.

6. The motto of the Olympic Games is in Latin. “Citius,Altius, Fortius “ means “Swifter, Higher, Stronger”.

7. A baker named Coroebus was the first record winner of an olympic competition. The year was 776BC. He competed in a running event.

8. In 2012, both softball and baseball were dropped from the games. Wrestling, one of the original sports from the games in ancient Greece, has been dropped from the 2020 Olympics.

9. Tug-of-War, Croquet and lacrosse were once sports in the famous games.

10. The Caribbean nation of Jamaica sent a bobsled team to the 1988 Winter games in Calgary, Alberta, Canada!

11. In 2012, Saudi Arabia allowed two women to compete(judo and 80m running competition). It was the first time women from Saudi Arabia were allowed to compete. The Olympic committee said the male teams from Saudi Arabia would be disqualified if females were banned. The issue was gender discrimination.

12. Women made history at the 2014 Games when they were allowed to compete for the first time in ski jumping. Men have been doing the event since 1924.

13. The Country of Brazil is the largest country on the continent of South America. It is also the 5th largest country in the world. The 2016 Summer Olympics, were held in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. It was the very first time the famous games were held in a country on the continent of South America.

14. At the 2016 games, a group of between 5-10 athletes competed for the first time under the official flag of the olympics.They were athletes that had been forced from their countries and are called refugees.

15. The 2018 Games were held in Pyeongchang, South Korea. 

16. Due to the World pandemic of the Coronavirus, the 2020 Summer Games, which were to be held in Tokyo, Japan, were postponed to the summer of 2021.

17.  The 20924 Summer Games will be held in Paris, France.

18. The 2026 Winter Games will be held in Milan and Cortina d'Amperzzo, Italy.

Extension Activities:

1. Pretend you are an athlete at the games. In which sport would you be competing? Write a diary entry about your event. How did you feel? What did you see? Did you win? Etc.

2. List THREE important character traits needed to be an athlete competing in the famous games from Ancient Greece. List three personal characteristics you believe are most positive about you. Give an example to support each of the three characteristics.

3. Illustrate one of the Fun Facts and include a statement in complete sentences describing the illustration.

4. Using a world map, locate the different countries which have hosted the famous games: http://www.mapsofworld.com/world-olympic-map.htm Find 3 facts about five of the different countries which has had a city host the games.

Teacher Page:

  1. Before reviewing the facts about the history of the famous games of ancient Greece, ask the students to share any prior knowledge they may have on the games. Ask the students to also share any prior knowledge they have on the country of Greece. Locate the country on a world map.

  2. Have the students read over the facts.

3. Afterwards, have students write 7 facts they remember about the factoid list. Illustrate one of the factoids from the list. Write a brief paragraph about the illustration.


4. 205 countries are planning to participate in the upcoming Summer Games. https://fansided.com/2021/07/08/2021-olympics-countries-list/

Check out these resources:

1. Learn about the History of the Famous Games of Ancient Greece with this fun/informative webquest: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/History-of-the-Olympics-A- WebquestExtension-Activities-1021833

2. Learn about country of China, host country for the 2022 games: https:// www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Famous-Games-from-Ancient-GreeceInteractive- Notebook-ActivityFREEBIE-3567715

3. Learn about the country of Greece, where the famous games originated with this webquest. There are also comprehension questions and extension activities: https:// www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Its-Greek-to-Me-A-Webquest-1073827


Check out my website for teachers/kids: http://www.gailhennessey.com 




Illustration from: wpclipart.com
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