Today in History - The First Leap Year - February 29, 45BC

The first leap year happened on February 29, 45BC. This packet gives students a basic knowledge about the first Leap Year and how having a leap year became common practice through reading comprehension and writing activities. This Today in History packet is a great way for students to engage with this topic.

What is included:

• There is one poster that portrays an image of the event and the key fact from the packet.

• There are four penmanship pages for students to use. They are differentiated for different student needs. There are two manuscript copy work pages, one with primary lines and one with regular lines, for students to write the key fact. Likewise there are two cursive handwriting pages in the same format.

• There are two reading passages and comprehension questions. Again, these are the same passage, just differentiated for different levels. An easier passage with multiple choice questions is included for students who need more support. The more difficult passage includes a written response question page.

• There are two writing prompts in this packet. One is to write a few sentences on what was learned from the packet. The other is to write a creative story or scenario related to the event.

• There is a card at the end of the packet that can be used for a classroom timeline display. There is a card premade and a card that students can draw their own image on.

How to Use the Today in History Packets:

• Morning Work - When students enter the class they can work on the reading passages, handwriting activities and creative writing activities.

• Independent Work - This packet can be used as independent work for students to learn about this topic.

• Display Items - There are posters for classroom display and a card for building a classroom timeline.

Skills Assessed:

• Reading Comprehension

• Creative Writing

• Handwriting and Penmanship