7th Grade Informational Text Handouts

This 4-page pre-reading handout provides students with important background information for understanding William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. This resource includes a two-page handout on the history of the Roman Republic. The resource also included is a comprehension check and answer key so that teachers can assess whether students have understood important details from the handout.

Learning about the history of the Roman Republic will provide students with the contextual information necessary for understanding certain lines in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. You could have students read this handout for homework before starting the play; or you could have students read the handout aloud together in class before giving them the comprehension check worksheet.

If you like this pre-reading handout, you'll definitely want to check out my 160-page Complete Teaching Unit on Julius Caesar. The complete unit features colorful and engaging worksheets on every scene in Shakespeare's play. Because the complete unit is both professionally designed and academically rigorous, it is especially well-suited for courses like Honors English and AP Lang.

Wishing you an amazing experience with teaching this complex play. If you have any questions along the way, please don't hesitate to get in touch. And don't forget to check out the Complete Teaching Unit on Julius Caesar....

Happy teaching,

Adam Jernigan, Ph.D.

adamjernigan@gmail.com

P.S. Remember to “follow” my store to receive email updates on new products by Rigorous Resources. New products will be 50% OFF for the first 24 hours!

Feel free to check out these complete units on Shakespeare's masterpieces:

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Romeo and Juliet

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Julius Caesar

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Macbeth

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Othello

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Hamlet

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Much Ado About Nothing

INTRO TO SHAKESPEARE: Biography, Globe Theater, Language, & Meter

Share with your students some of the factoids of contributions of African Americans. There are several extension activities you can have the students do, too.

Covering Black History Month? Check out these resources:

• Check out my twelve fact-packed Black History Month Webquest/Extension Activities: Black History Month: A Webquest

Read my Reader’s Theater Script on Bessie Coleman:Bessie Coleman, Aviator! A Reader's Theater Script

Check out my fact-packed Webquest on Martin Luther King/Extension Activities: Martin Luther King, A Webquest

Check out my Reader’s Theater Script on Harriet Tubman: Harriet Tubman, A Reader's Theater Script

Check out my Reader’s Theater Script on Rose Parks: Rosa Parks, A Reader Theater's Script

Check out my web quest on First Lady Michelle Obama: First Lady Michelle Obama, A Reader's Theater Script

Share with students interesting facts about Flags.

Check out my Flag Webquest!
https://www.TeachShare.com/Product/Our- American-Flag-A-Webquest-Extension-Activities-726295
Learn about the History of the Star Spangled
Banner and Francis Scott Key:https:// www.TeachShare.com/Product/Francis-Scott-KeyThe- Star-Spangled-BannerA-Webquest-1401231

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Use this fun factoid activity on chocolate with your students on a Friday, for Valentine's Day, a sub or when you are looking for a one-day activity. In additional to facts, there are questions for students to answer.

Please consider following my store. Thanks.

Gail

Gail's Website!-my website for teachers/kids has lots of free materials in geography, career surveys, news, bell ringers, short reads,factoids(such as this one) and more.

FAKE NEWS! We hear this phrase almost every day. Teaching Digital Critical Literacy is more and more important. Use this freebie to open a discussion on techniques to determine whether a story students read or hear is real or fake.

This is part of my resource on FAKE NEWS, Developing Digital Critical Literacy with Kids(INA): Click here to learn more: https://www.TeachShare.com/Product/FAKE-NEWS-Developing-Digital-Critical-Literacy-with-Kids-INA-3074653

Check out my FREE April Fool's Day Pranks for additional examples of News/ FAKE News for your students to review. https://www.TeachShare.com/Product/APRIL-FOOLS-FREEBIEReally-2474186

Additionally, my resource on the history of April Fool's Day has LOTS of materials  which could also be used to develop digital literacy with your students. https://www.TeachShare.com/Product/April-Fools-Day-ReadingFun-Facts-and-Activities-632947

Space Day is the first Friday in May. It was started in 1997 to highlight space and to spark an interest in science among young people. John Glenn promoted the day as International Space Day. Possible Interactive Notebook Activity.

Use this Space Interactive Notebook Activity any time of the year, for a unit on space, for a Friday activity, before a vacation or on Space Day!

Other resources you may find of interest:

1. The Eagle Has Landed. Man Walks on the Moon, A Reader’s Theater Script. After 76 days, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, the astronauts for the historic Apollo 11 mission to the moon, made history on July 20, 1969. After the Columbia reached the moon’s orbit, Armstrong and Aldrin went into a smaller module, the Eagle. They began a descent onto the surface of the moon and successfully landed on the moon where both men would become the first humans to actually walk on the moon. The date was July 21, 1969! Just think, from the first powered flight in 1903, it was just 66 years before we had humans walk on the moon! Part of my Ms. Bie Ografee Talk Show Series, Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins are guests of Ms. Bie Ografee and her studio audience ask the guests questions about their historic trip to the moon. In addition to the play, with 10 audience questioners, there are Did You Know Fun Facts, comprehension questions, a teacher page with extension activities and the key to the comprehension questions: https://www.TeachShare.com/Product/Moon-Landing-Man-Walks-on-the-Moon-A-Readers-Theater-Script-4538523

2. Learn about astronaut John Glenn with this web quest! John Glenn, Astronaut!

Use this handout to have students learn about endangered species. In 2023, Endangered Species Day is May 19th.

Check out these resources on Endangered Species:(Webquests)

1. https://www.TeachShare.com/Product/Rhinosaurus-Rotund-Rhinos-A-Webquest-698938
2. https://www.TeachShare.com/Product/Polar-Bears-A-Webquest-604797
3. https://www.TeachShare.com/Product/ElephantsOn-SafariA-Webquest-610125
4. https://www.TeachShare.com/Product/Leopards-Leaping-Leopard-Webquest-848064
5. https://www.TeachShare.com/Product/Giraffe-Learn-all-about-Giraffes-Internet-Activity-2924515

Using the news in the classroom to introduce topics in history. A Phoenician trading ship was discovered off the coast of Spain and it is hoped that since the ship is only about 6 ft. down, marine archaeologists plan to bring the ship to the surface this year. Freebie includes fun facts about the Phoenicians and several activities as well as the news story.

So glad to see so many of you have downloaded this resource. I hope you find it of interest. I found my visit to the "Mayflower Barn" on a trip to England(about 40 minutes by train from London) so very interesting. William Penn is buried in the church yard outside of the Quaker Meeting Building.

Please consider following me. Click on the green star by my picture. Thanks!

Ever wonder what became of the Mayflower? The ship sailed with 102 Pilgrims over the Atlantic to North America, in 1620. If you are expecting to find it docked to some pier, or in a museum, you’d be wrong. That’s because the Mayflower most likely ended up as scrap wood and may have ended up in an old Quaker Barn in Great Britain! This Reading Passage is a possible Interactive Notebook Activity with Did You Know? facts and several Your Turn questions.

Other possible resources of interest:

1.Want a fun and informative activity to teach your students about the history of Thanksgiving?This webquest has ten informative text questions on the history of Thanksgiving(including the Macy's Day Parade). TURKEY facts,too! Thanksgiving and Turkeys: A Webquest

2. Learn about the Mayflower and the Pilgrims with this informative web quest!There are ten informative text web quests,extension activities,fun facts. Skills include:reading for information and using research/computer skills. Mayflower and Pilgrims: A Webquest

3. 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. Interestingly, several in his family also had unusual names. He had a sister named Patience, another named Fear and a brother named...Wrestling! Learn lots of interesting information about the Pilgrims and the Thanksgiving feast, of 1623, with this fun format.

Using the format where Love Brewster is a guest on Ms. Bi Ograffee's Talk Show, the studio audience asks Love questions about the voyage on the Mayflower, the first winter and the first Thanksgiving at Plymouth. The play includes comprehension questions, a Did You Know? Section, a Teacher Page with extension activities, links and the key:Reader's Theater Script on Love Brewster, A Pilgrim at Plymouth Colony

FAKE NEWS! We hear this phrase almost every day. Teaching Digital Critical Literacy is more and more important. Use this freebie to open a discussion on techniques to determine whether a story students read or hear is real or fake.

This is part of my resource on FAKE NEWS, Developing Digital Critical Literacy with Kids(INA): Click here to learn more: https://www.TeachShare.com/Product/FAKE-NEWS-Developing-Digital-Critical-Literacy-with-Kids-INA-3074653

Check out my FREE April Fool's Day Pranks for additional examples of News/ FAKE News for your students to review. https://www.TeachShare.com/Product/APRIL-FOOLS-FREEBIEReally-2474186

Additionally, my resource on the history of April Fool's Day has LOTS of materials  which could also be used to develop digital literacy with your students. https://www.TeachShare.com/Product/April-Fools-Day-ReadingFun-Facts-and-Activities-632947

Share with students these fun facts about the history of Valentine's Day and facts about the human heart. Includes several extension activities.

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

2. Show kids that everything has a history with my web question on the History of Candy: History of Candy: A Webquest

August 12th is World Elephant Day. Save the Elephant Day is April 16th. Use this information to share facts about elephants with kids. There are also several extension activities as well as links you may find of interest.

Possible Interactive Notebook Activity.

Check out my Elephant Safari Webquest: Elephants! A Webquest

Using the News in the Classroom. A Flamingo which escaped from a zoo in Kansas was recently spotted in Texas, 13 years ago! Use this news story to introduce kids to the flamingo. Possible Interactive Notebook Activity.

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Feedback is always appreciated.

Great for an INTERACTIVE NOTEBOOK. Have students review the factoids and do some of the extension activities.

Great for a study on China or during Chinese New Year. In 2024, Chinese New Year begins on February 10th and is the Year of the Dragon.

You may find these resources of interest:

1. Part of my Country in Focus series: A great resource that helps develop skills such as reading for information and using research and computer skills. This web quest gives students an overview to the country: map skills, info on panda bears, Great Wall, Terra Cotta Solders-more. Extension activities/key (12 page resource with 10 informational web questions).China, A Country in Focus: A Webquest

2.Want a fun activity to review vocabulary terms for a unit of study on China? Looking for an enrichment activity in history? Try my Chinese Puzzler: Secret Message Review Activity. The activity involves students working individually or in groups to review vocabulary terms connected with China. Then,a following direction activity is next where students place letters from the different terms into boxes found at the end of the activity page. Once all the boxes are filled, a "secret message" about China is revealed! The teacher page includes additional information to share about the "secret message"! If you prefer to offer a vocabulary box, I have included this as well.Chinese Secret Message Review Activity

3. Learn about the Great Wall of China with this informative reading. Also included are 10 Did You Know? facts about the Great Wall, ten comprehension questions, a teacher page with extension activities, additional links and the key.Great Wall of China Reading/Activities

4. Unit on China: Did you know that enough dirt was used to create the Great Wall of China to circle the earth with an 8 ft. high wall? Did you know that ice cream was probably first invented by the Chinese(frozen milk/rice)? Did you know that the yo-yo was invented by the Chinese or that the number 9 and the color red are considered good luck in China? I taught a unit on China for 32 years and would love to share some my notes, activities and resources I used with my students.Let's Explore China!

Check out others in the Exploring World Landmarks Reading Passage Series: Eiffel Tower, Uluru Rock/Ayers Rock and the Taj Mahal.

Other FREEBIES:

1. BOOK Fun Facts(great for National Library Day, 4/15 and Library of Congress Day, 4/24: Book Fun Facts

2.Earth Day Freebie: Earth Day Freebie

3. Women' s History Month Freebie: Women's History Month Freebie

4. Black History Month Freebie: Black History Month Freebie

5. Pumpkin Facts: Pumpkin Fun Facts

6. Amazing Mummy Facts: Amazing Mummy Facts

7. April Fools’ Day Freebie: April Fools’ Day Freebie

8. King Tut Day Freebie: King Tut Day Freebie

9.Amazing Presidential Fun Facts: Presidential Factoids

Perhaps,you'd like to follow my TeachShare Store. Click by the green star by my photograph. I send monthly notes and have specials from time to time.

I found my visit to the "Mayflower Barn" on a trip to England(about 40 minutes by train from London) so very interesting. William Penn is buried in the church yard.

Please consider following me. Click on the green star by my picture. Thanks!

Highlights for December:

1. Holiday Traditions around the World(Webquest)Holiday Traditions from Around the World

2. Learn about Charles Dickens(author of A Christmas Carol)(Webquest): Charles Dickens! A Webquest

3. All about New Year Traditions around the World(Webquest):New Years Around the World(Webquest)

4. Holiday Traditions at the White House(Interactive Notebook Activity)Holiday Traditions at the White House

5. History of Candy(Webquest) Show kids that everything has a history...even Candy!History of Candy!A Webquest

Inauguration Day(Webquest). Learn all about the day!All about Inauguration Day! A Webquest

Ever wonder what became of the Mayflower? The ship sailed with 102 Pilgrims over the Atlantic to North America, in 1620. If you are expecting to find it docked to some pier, or in a museum, you’d be wrong. That’s because the Mayflower most likely ended up as scrap wood and may have ended up in an old Quaker Barn in Great Britain! This Reading Passage is a possible Interactive Notebook Activity with Did You Know? facts and several Your Turn questions.

Other possible resources of interest:

1.Want a fun and informative activity to teach your students about the history of Thanksgiving?This webquest has ten informative text questions on the history of Thanksgiving(including the Macy's Day Parade). TURKEY facts,too! Thanksgiving and Turkeys: A Webquest

2. Learn about the Mayflower and the Pilgrims with this informative web quest!There are ten informative text web quests,extension activities,fun facts. Skills include:reading for information and using research/computer skills. Mayflower and Pilgrims: A Webquest

3. 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. Interestingly, several in his family also had unusual names. He had a sister named Patience, another named Fear and a brother named...Wrestling! Learn lots of interesting information about the Pilgrims and the Thanksgiving feast, of 1623, with this fun format.

Using the format where Love Brewster is a guest on Ms. Bi Ograffee's Talk Show, the studio audience asks Love questions about the voyage on the Mayflower, the first winter and the first Thanksgiving at Plymouth. The play includes comprehension questions, a Did You Know? Section, a Teacher Page with extension activities, links and the key:Reader's Theater Script on Love Brewster, A Pilgrim at Plymouth Colony

Great for around Thanksgiving time or for a unit of study on the Pilgrims.

Reading Passages:

George Washington and the Camel

Calvin Coolidge and the “Pennsylvania Avenue Zoo”

John Quincy Adams Takes a Swim

Thomas Jefferson and the Mammoth Cheese

Sojourner Truth

Santa Fe Trail: Wind WagonThomas

Revolutionary War Heroine: Catherine “Kate” Moore

Barry(Battle of Cowpens)

Enheduanna, First Known Poet in History

Artemisia(Female Naval Commander during the Battle of Salamis)

Hanno: Phoenician Explorer

Ramses the Great

Hatshpsut

Hammurabi

Alexander the Great

Aesop

Socrates

Hannibal

Hypatia: First Woman Mathematician

Aglaonike(Greek astronomer)

Agnodice(First Female Doctor of Ancient Greece)

Julius Caesar

Archimedes

Sparticus

Diocles

Joan of Arc

Phillis Wheatley

Mary Anning

Caroline Herschel

Sophie Brahe: Astronomer and Horticulturist

Hildegard of Bingen(Middle Ages)

Aida de Acosta(First Woman to Fly a Powered Aircraft)

Women’s Suffrage: The Silent Sentinels

History of Pretzels

History of Marshmallows

History of Tulips

Snowmen in History

History of April Fools’ Day

Great Wall of China

Eiffel Tower

Ayres Rock(Uluru)

Taj Mahal

Travel to Iceland

Travel to Greece

Travel to Japan

Share with students these fun facts about the history of Valentine's Day and facts about the human heart. Includes several extension activities.

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

2. Show kids that everything has a history with my web question on the History of Candy: History of Candy: A Webquest

So glad to see so many of you have downloaded this resource. I hope you find it of interest. I found my visit to the "Mayflower Barn" on a trip to England(about 40 minutes by train from London) so very interesting. William Penn is buried in the church yard outside of the Quaker Meeting Building.

Please consider following me. Click on the green star by my picture. Thanks!

Ever wonder what became of the Mayflower? The ship sailed with 102 Pilgrims over the Atlantic to North America, in 1620. If you are expecting to find it docked to some pier, or in a museum, you’d be wrong. That’s because the Mayflower most likely ended up as scrap wood and may have ended up in an old Quaker Barn in Great Britain! This Reading Passage is a possible Interactive Notebook Activity with Did You Know? facts and several Your Turn questions.

Other possible resources of interest:

1.Want a fun and informative activity to teach your students about the history of Thanksgiving?This webquest has ten informative text questions on the history of Thanksgiving(including the Macy's Day Parade). TURKEY facts,too! Thanksgiving and Turkeys: A Webquest

2. Learn about the Mayflower and the Pilgrims with this informative web quest!There are ten informative text web quests,extension activities,fun facts. Skills include:reading for information and using research/computer skills. Mayflower and Pilgrims: A Webquest

3. 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. Interestingly, several in his family also had unusual names. He had a sister named Patience, another named Fear and a brother named...Wrestling! Learn lots of interesting information about the Pilgrims and the Thanksgiving feast, of 1623, with this fun format.

Using the format where Love Brewster is a guest on Ms. Bi Ograffee's Talk Show, the studio audience asks Love questions about the voyage on the Mayflower, the first winter and the first Thanksgiving at Plymouth. The play includes comprehension questions, a Did You Know? Section, a Teacher Page with extension activities, links and the key:Reader's Theater Script on Love Brewster, A Pilgrim at Plymouth Colony

Use this free handout to share information on the Vikings. Included are several extension activities to use with students to learn about the Vikings.

Leif Eriksson Day is October 9th.

* There are different spellings for his name.

Possible Resource of Interest:

Studying the Vikings? Looking for a Reader's Theater Script in Social Studies? Check out this script on the Vikings and Leif Ericsson and his father, Erik the Red. Part of my Ms. Bie Ografee Talk Show Series of plays, Leif Ericsson and his father, Eric the Red are guests on Ms. Bie Ografee's Talk Show. They share information about their lives and the Vikings. There is a Did You Know? section of fun facts, reading comprehension questions and a teacher section with lots of extension activities, links and the key.https://www.TeachShare.com/Product/Vikings-Leif-Erikkson-and-Eric-the-RedReaders-Theater-Script-3382114 My play on Leif Eriksson and his dad, Erik the Red.

This possible Interactive Notebook activity is a fun activity to use around Halloween!

There are 12 Fun Facts about the holiday with several activities to do with the students.

Please consider following me if you find this resource of value. Thanks,

Gail

Related Resources:

1. 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.All Things Halloween, A Webquest!

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. Mummies! A Webquest

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. Everything Has A History, Even Candy! A Webquest

4.Pretend you are a pumpkin sitting on a front porch on Halloween night. What do you see? What do you hear? How do you feel? Write a story about your evening. Just one sample of extension activities included. 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. Pumpkins! A Webquest

My website for teachers/kids

Gail's Website for Teachers/Kids has lots of free geography activities, short reads, factoids on different topics, news, career surveys, bell ringers and more. Please sign my guestbook. I love to see where my visitors call home!

Which president didn't allow a Christmas tree because he was an environmentalist? Which president organized a snowball fight in the White House for kids(using cotton balls). Which president hired a camel to entertain kids at Christmas time? Learn 12 informative facts about the Holidays at the White House. Also, includes information on the first White House Menorah. Several extension activities, too.

White House, Christmas traditions, Holiday Season...

Additional Resources of Interest:

1. Whenever different cultures meet, ideas are exchanged. Did you know that skiing was started by the people of Norway? Did you know that the kite and fireworks were invented by the people of China? The idea of Trial by Jury and the idea of Democracy come to us from the Ancient Greeks. Chocolate came from the Aztecs people and the ancient Mesopotamian people first came up with a number system based on 60. During the holidays is a great time to share with kids the many traditions which have been shared with different cultures. Learn the history behind some popular holiday traditions with this webquest. Holiday Traditions from Around the World

2. If you live where there is snow, you have probably built a snowman. The snowman has been around for quite a while. In fact, the earliest drawing of a snowman was found in a book dating back to 1380! The book, “Book of Hours” was found in a library in the country of the Netherlands. Read about a famous sculptor hired to make a snowman, a snowman which helps predicts the weather in Switzerland and two more stories about snowmen! Four short reading passages with questions and extension activities: SNOWMEN Reading Passages

3. With this being the time of year for the story, A Christmas Carol, it's a great opportunity to learn about its author,Charles Dickens. One of the most famous writers of all times,Dickens also wrote Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities, David Copperfield and more. My webquest includes 8 fun/informative questions to learn about Dickens. Additional activities/links,too: >Charles Dickens, A Webquest

4. Learn about the history of New Year's with this fun/informative web quest. There are nine questions, lots of interesting customs of how people celebrate New Year's around the world, comprehension questions, extension activities and the key. Great activity for reading for information and research/computer skills. Included are also other holiday New Year's celebrations including Diwali, Chinese New Year, Songkran and Rosh Hashanah. The resources also mentions how April Fool's Day originated over when to celebrate New Year’s! New Year's Eve Webquest