I taught for 33 years and I have my MST in the teaching of Social Studies. In 1988, I was awarded the Elementary Social Studies Classroom Teacher of the Year Award from both the New York State Council for the Social Studies and the National Council for the Social Studies. My shop contains mostly social studies materials including web quests, and reader's theater scripts on famous people in history, science and literature.
I taught for 33 years and I have my MST in the teaching of Social Studies. In 1988, I was awarded the Elementary Social Studies Classroom Teacher of the Year Award from both the New York State Council for the Social Studies and the National Council for the Social Studies. My shop contains mostly social studies materials including web quests, and reader's theater scripts on famous people in history, science and literature.
Pencils, paper, pens…We use them every day but what do you really know about them? Did you know that 2 billion pencils are made each year just in the United States? Did you know pencils were designed to have six sides to help prevent them from rolling off tables? Try this fun webquest to learn lots of interesting bits of information!
Great for the beginning of the school year or to show kids that EVERYTHING has a history…even pencils, pens and paper!
With 15 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.
Learn about the history of space exploration with this informative web quest. There are 16 web questions, comprehension questions and extension activities.
If you are studying the Phoenicians, this webquest will be a positive addition as an introduction/review to the first sea traders of the ancient world. The Phoenicians developed an alphabet which they shared to other cultures in their travels around the Mediterranean Sea. They developed the color purple and were skilled in glassmaking. Their sea traders may have traveled as far as Britain and down the coast of Africa, in a time when there were no navigational tools.
Other resources on the Phoenicians include:
I also have a bundle of resources on the Phoenicians: (does not include this new webquest).
Reading Activity on Hanno, Phoenician Sea Explorer
Reading Activity on Hannibal.
Unit of Study on Phoenicians
Secret Message Review Activity on Phoenicians
This mini-unit on Prehistoric cultures will assist the classroom teacher in presenting this topic of history to students.In addition to an overview and notes, lots of additional resources and activities are included. 12 question web quest,too! Did you know that historians say the needle was a tremendous advance for early man?Enabled clothes to be more form fitting to protect from winter cold!
Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month(September 15-October 15th)with this fun/informative web question. There are 13 questions- famous people, customs, contributions are included. A Did You Know? section, comprehension questions, a Teacher Page with activities and key.
Greenland is in the news with Donald Trump saying he wants to purchase the world’s largest island from the country of Denmark. Learn about Greenland with this fun/informative webquest. There are 10 web questions, several fun facts and a couple of extension activities. Great for a Friday activity, a substitute day or just when you want to introduce students to geography areas of the world.
I also have web quests on a number of other countries including Iceland, Greece, Italy, France, China, Brazil, North Korea, South Korea and Guam.
Learn about the history of Arbor Day and all about trees with this web quest! There are 9 web questions, a Did You Know? section, comprehension questions and a teacher section with keys, additional links and lots(11 extension activities).
This could also be something to use with EARTH DAY, when you are studying TREES and, of, course, for ARBOR DAY! Did you know that more than 30 countries in the world have a day to celebrate trees?
Other resources that would go well during this time:
1. 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. There are 9
informative web questions. Fun Facts, comprehension questions,extension activities,links: Let’s Explore the Oceans: A Webquest
2. Learn about Jacques Cousteau with this Reader’s Theater Script: Oceanographer, photographer,filmmaker, scientist, writer, inventor, Cousteau spent his life studying the oceans and the marine life that lived in the oceans. His books and films on his studies sparked much interest in our oceans and created an awareness about the need for marine conservation. 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.Jacques Cousteau: A Reader’s Theater Script
Learn about the history of Earth Day and, our planet, EARTH, with this informative web quest. 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. EARTH DAY, A Webquest"
4. A Biologist and marine zoologist, Carson’s books shared her love of nature, especially the ocean and its inhabitants. Her book, Silent Spring, sparked concern in how chemical pesticides were harming our environment. Carson helped to start the environmental movement in our country, which led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This Reader’s Theater Script could be used as a STEM biography any time of year or especially during the time of Earth Day.Rachel Carson, A Reader’s Theater Script
NOT JUST FOR EARTH DAY.Learn about the history of Earth Day and, our planet, EARTH, with this informative web quest. There are 16 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. Great for a Friday activity! There is also a bonus section on the topic of PLASTIC Straws and the Topic of Should Helium Balloons be Banned from the Sky?
These resources would go great with this resource:
1. Have students learn about the ocean:Check out my webquest on the
Oceans of the world: There are 9
informative web questions. Fun Facts, comprehension questions,extension
activities,links:Oceans: Oceans
2. Studying the ocean? Looking for a resource for Earth Day or World Ocean Day? Need a biography to use with your students? 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. His books and films on his studies sparked much interest in our oceans and created an awareness about the need for marine conservation.
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: Jacques Cousteau
3. Check out my web quest on Antarctica: Antarctica! A geographical
webquest which introduces kids to the continent of Antarctica. There are
10 web quests(with lots of information in the questions), 14 Did You
Know? facts, comprehension questions(including several “thought
question"), a teacher page with a number of extension activities,
additional links and key: Antarctica: A Webquest: Antarctica
A Ms.Bie Ograffee Reader’s Theater Script, an interview with Love Brewster, a Pilgrim of Plymouth Colony.Love was an actual member of the 102 Pilgrims that came to America. He was about nine years old. The play includes info on Mayflower, first winter and Thanksgiving feast. Fun facts,Comprehension questions, extension activities, links.
There is a Black History Month, Native Americans Heritage Month, a Hispanic American Month and a Woman’s History Month. Asian American and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month is a time to highlight the contributions of these groups of people to the culture of the United States. It is celebrated in the month of May but could be used throughout a school year whenever you are wishing to highlight contributions of famous people to our world.
Other resources of Interest:
Native Americans Heritage Month:Webquest
Black History Month:(Webquest)
Hispanic Heritage Month: A Webquest
Women’s History Month:
Use these resource to share with kids that history is all around us. I start the year with Why Study History? These resources would be a great beginning of the year or end of the year activity. An activity I used to to with my students had the students writing a paragraph on their favorite childhood toy. What was it? Why was it important to you? What did it look like? What happened to it. This got the discussion started that even THEY have a personal history. I shared my Pinkie, a stuffed dog, that was my very favorite childhood toy( which I still have).
Show kids that even chewing gum has a history with this fun/informative web quest. There are 11 web questions, a Did You Know? section, comprehension questions, a teacher page with directions, extension activities and the key.Great for a Friday, day before a vacation or just when you’d like to show kids that history is all around us!