Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Video: Mrs. Yollis' Class Visits North America!



National Geographic has a wonderful educational program called the Giant Traveling Maps.

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Ingrid Hanzer, a member of National Geographic's Grosvenor Council, sponsored the map for the school. She spoke to Mrs. Yollis' class about the importance of learning about geography.



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The students had opportunities to explore the giant map of North America.




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They used cones to create mountain ranges and blue plastic chains to trace the path of important rivers.




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They visited the map several times and were able to film their experiences!

Enjoy!











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Last year, Mrs. Yollis visited Asia!



What do you think of North America?

Did you learn anything new? 

36 comments:

  1. Dear Mrs. Yollis' class,

    Every week I read your current blog and always learn something I didn't know. This week, I especially enjoyed seeing all the kids traveling on the map of North America.

    Until next week,

    Mrs. Madnick

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dear Mrs. Yollis' class,

    What a great movie!

    I really enjoyed the music as I thought it had an "American" flavor. The narrators voices were terrific, very clear and there was a lot of expression in the voices which made the presentation interesting to listen to. I really noticed the editing of this movie. I liked the banner identifiers for each topic, the font that was used and the animation as well. Editing is so important to the kind of impact that the movie makes for the audience.

    You are learning so much more than great facts about North America!

    It was nice to see the map again. I just love the week when Chaparral hosts these giant maps. I can't wait for next year!

    Thanks for all your hard work.

    Mrs. Harding

    ReplyDelete
  3. Dear Mrs. Yollis and Class,

    I really enjoyed your video of the Giant Map of North America. I liked how you all pointed out the mountain ranges, Alaska and Hawaii, the Oceans and the Four Corners Region. I hear the weather man on TV often referring to the Four Corners Region. Now I know what that is!
    Katie I saw you swimming in the Atalantic Ocean! WOW!

    From, Jill (Kate's mom)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dear Mrs. Yollis' Class,

    What an exciting adventure to travel around North America with all of you. I learned so much! It reminded me of a video that I saw during the Vancouver Olympics that discussed Canada and America's unique relationship. I am including the URL here for you to view.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrA4V6YF6SA

    Both movies were informative, interesting, well narrated and fun. You all have a tremendous future in film making and instructional video creation.

    Best,
    Barbara
    (Jaxon's mom)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Dear Mrs. Yollis' class,

    I thought you all really did an amazing job on your North America movie. I especially enjoyed all the narrators animated voices! It made the movie exciting to listen to. I thought it was very clever how you put the "swimmers" in the ocean and had the students walk in the direction of longitude and latitude.

    Thank you for sharing such a great educational movie.

    From,
    Meegan (Scarlet's mom)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Dear Mrs. Yollis' class,

    I thought you all really did an amazing job on your North America movie. I especially enjoyed all the narrators animated voices! It made the movie exciting to listen to. I thought it was very clever how you put the "swimmers" in the ocean and had the students walk in the direction of longitude and latitude.

    Thank you for sharing such a great educational movie.

    From,
    Meegan (Scarlet's mom)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Dear Mrs Yollis and students,
    I just loved your huge map of North America. What a wonderful way to see and study North America as I feel you do get a much better view of mountains and lakes when things are much larger. I must admit I have learnt alot more new information about North America. You all have done a beautiful job on your video and one very important thing that I have learned is that I must and will have to come out to North America to see every thing that was pointed out in your video. Well done happy travelling from down under AA.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Dear Mrs Yollis,
    your students did a wonderful job on studying the map of North America. I really enjoyed the video and did not know that North America had so many lakes. Hopefully one day I be able to see the lakes which you talked about in the video.
    From your friend down under Bianca.

    ReplyDelete
  9. @ Mrs. Madnick,

    Once again, you have mastered the comment! You are becoming one of our most loyal readers. Thank you!

    @ Principal Harding,

    Thanks so much for your kind comments about our video. Everyone tried very hard to use their best narrator voice! The combination of the map and the online encyclopedia made learning so much fun! We look forward to our next map project!

    @ Mrs. Jepson,

    Thank you for stopping by and leaving us a comment about our movie! It was fun learning about our continent by walking, learning, and ...swimming!

    @ Ms. Palmer,

    It was a grand adventure being on that map! We're glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the link to the Vancouver Olympic video. We'll give that a watch tomorrow.

    Thanks for noticing our potential as film makers!

    Sincerely,
    Mrs. Yollis
    :-)

    ReplyDelete
  10. @ Mrs. Knight,

    Thank you for watching our North America movie and leaving such a nice comment! Walking the lines of latitude and longitude really help students understand how coordinates work. It's very powerful!

    Glad you enjoyed our work!

    @ AA,

    We are so glad you enjoyed our North America movie! It is such an exciting learning tool for the students and we were lucky to get it. Yes, someday you must come over. There is much to see. I, too, will someday visit your great continent! :-)

    @ Bianca,

    I'm glad that you enjoyed our movie about North America. Yes, the Great Lakes are just that...big! Thanks for a terrific comment!

    Your friend,
    Mrs. Yollis

    ReplyDelete
  11. Dear Mrs. Yollis and students,

    I really enjoyed watching this informative video. It was so wonderful listening to the young voices doing the narration, while learning new things about North America. It is always so much fun to view your videos. You make learning so easy and pleasant.

    Thanks,
    Soosan

    ReplyDelete
  12. Dear Mrs Yollis,

    I loved going to the map of North America! I also loved the video, and my favorite part is when they were in Alaska. I liked that because they were wearing snow jackets! I hope there is another map coming, so we can do something like that again!

    Best Wishes,
    Natalie

    ReplyDelete
  13. Dear Mrs. Yollis,

    I loved the movie when we were in your class. Some of the activities in the movie were things that we did when we saw the North America Map. One of my favorite parts was when some people were wearing jackets in Alaska. My other favorite part was when Sydney was holding a cardboard Panda bear. I adored watching the North America video!

    Best Wishes,
    Marisa (in Mrs. Ranney's class)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,

    Thank you for such a great North America movie. I remember what an exciting week it was for everyone when the map was here. I am truly impressed that you not only enjoyed learning about the map, but that you were able to put together such a terrific movie at the same time. The quality of the movie definitely shows all of the hard work you all put into it!

    Thank you for sharing it with us.

    Mrs. Adler

    ReplyDelete
  15. Dear Mrs. Yollis,

    The movie was fantastic! I learned so many cool facts. For example, I didn't even know that there was a four corners region with the states of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. The funny thing is that I said the line.

    From,
    Gal

    ReplyDelete
  16. @ Soosan,

    Thanks for leaving a comment about our informative video. We worked very hard on our narrations, too! What I love about making movies is that the students come back and watch the video and can review what they've learned.

    I also notice that they memorize all the lines from the movie, and that also helps with learning. :-)

    @ Natalie,

    We're very glad you enjoyed our video. Yes, several students brought in snow jackets so it would appear very cold up on Mt. McKinley! :-)

    We're hoping to get Africa or South America for next year. I can't wait!

    @ Marissa,

    It was fun being together on Friday morning. It didn't feel like 48 people were in the room!

    We're glad you enjoyed our movie. Yes, even Panda got to leave California and vacation in beautiful Hawaii. Did you notice he's wearing a hula outfit he bought at a luau?

    @ Mrs. Adler,

    That week with the map was so much fun! It really brings geography to life when you can walk and explore! Thanks for your compliment about our movie! :-)

    @ Gal,

    I agree with your assessment of our movie! :-)

    That's funny that you didn't remember about the Four Corners until you got your line! Remember, Nick was the one who put his left hand in Utah, his right hand in Colorado, his right foot in New Mexico, and his left foot in Arizona. He was in FOUR states at the same time!

    Best regards,
    Mrs. Yollis

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hi Mrs. Yollis!
    This is Kaley and you commented onto my blog so I thought of visiting your blog and commenting onto yours! North America is where I live, in Canada and it is beautiful! do you live in the united States? If you do then that is cool! Your blog is quite unique!!!

    ReplyDelete
  18. @ Kaley,

    Thanks so much for visiting our blog! I know you! You had that great trivia post about Canada...and I believe..I landed a pretty good score! :-)

    Yes, we live in North America. We live very close to Los Angeles,in the United States. Have you ever been to America? If so, where did you go?

    Your friend,
    Mrs. Yollis

    ReplyDelete
  19. Dear Mrs. Yollis,

    I really liked visiting the North America Map. My favorite part about it was walking on the cities. I learned that Ottawa was the capitol of Canada.

    Sincerely,
    Nick

    ReplyDelete
  20. Dear Mrs. Yollis & Class,

    Four stars! Two thumbs up! The feel good movie of the year!

    Great job class. Hope you learned as much from making the movie as I did from watching it.

    Best,

    Eric (Ben's dad)

    ReplyDelete
  21. Dear Mrs. Yollis,

    I really enjoyed making the movie! My favorite part was the voice-overs. Good thing that one of my parts got deleted because it's fun doing it a second time! I never wanted it to end.

    I'm curious, did you do your voice-over at the end of the day, recess, lunch, or before school?

    Your student,
    Kayla =)

    ReplyDelete
  22. Dear Mrs. Yollis,

    Exploring the North America map was very fun. These are the parts that I thought were fun. I think it was when we made a blue chain to go along the Mississippi River, and when we put different colored cones on mountain ranges like, the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains.

    I learned a couple facts about North America while we were at the map. First, I learned that the Mississippi River flows into the Gulf of Mexico. The last fact I learned is that Utah, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico are the four states that are called the Four Corners.

    Did you learn any facts about North America?

    Sincerely,
    Kendall

    ReplyDelete
  23. Dear Mrs. Yollis,

    I LOVE the North America video! I liked it when we all went on the 50 states of The U.S.A and Alaska and Hawaii were trying to get people to notice them. The Mississippi Watershed with the chain was fun to do.

    From,
    Charlie

    ReplyDelete
  24. Dear Mrs. Yollis' Class,

    I have really enjoyed watching your fantastic video about our amazing continent. Your narration was splendid! I liked the whole thing, but here are some of my highlights:

    -I didn't realize that most of the Caribbean islands are volcanic.
    -I liked how you were all bundled up when visiting Denali.
    -Your demonstration of the lines of latitude and longitude made it easy to understand.
    -Finally, I love the blue lines that show how immense the Mississippi watershed is!

    You are very fortunate to have the giant map come to your school.

    I do have one question though, what continent is Hawaii part of? It seems so far away to be a part of North America.

    Your friend,
    Mr. Salsich

    ReplyDelete
  25. @ Nick,

    It was very fun walking the map and learning new things. Many people enjoyed visiting Ottawa...the capital of Canada. Do you remember any other capital cities?

    @ Mr. Cohen,

    Thanks for that stellar review! It is the feel good movie of the year! :-)

    @ Kayla,

    Making movies is very fun, I agree. Your comment made me smile because you said that you were glad I accidentally deleted your comment. At first I wasn't sure what you meant...but it was because you wanted to do more voice-overs. Funny!

    You asked me when I did my voice-over. It was not at recess, lunch, or before school. I did mine when I was editing at my house! :-)

    @ Kendall,

    Thanks for a super comment! I like how you not only said that you thought the map project was fun, but you gave specific examples of what you liked. That is the sign of a superior writer. Thank you!

    You asked me if I learned anything new. Yes, I thought the Appalachian started in Georgia, but the World Book said they started in Alabama. I also did not realize that most of the Caribbean Islands are volcanic.

    @ Mr. Salsich,

    Thank you for such a rave review! We really enjoyed making the movie. Did you recognize the music from iMovie? :-)

    Thank everyone for such great comments!

    Mrs. Yollis

    ReplyDelete
  26. @ Mr. Salsich,

    Thank you for your wonderful comment about our movie!

    You asked what continent Hawaii is part of and I know the answer. Hawaii is part of North America. It is the 50th state of the United States.

    I got a chance to visit there, and even danced at a luau in a grass skirt! Maybe you saw me in the movie? :-)

    Hawaii is about 3,000 miles from the contiguous United States.


    Aloha!
    Panda

    ReplyDelete
  27. Dear Mrs. Yollis,

    Your class did a great job pointing out all the interesting places in North America. The blue chain flowing down the Mississippi River into the Gulf of Mexico was a great idea. I enjoyed watching all the students spread across North America.

    Do you know how long Kate was swimming in the Caribbean?

    Regards,
    Brett (Jared's Dad)

    ReplyDelete
  28. Dear Mrs. Yollis' Class,
    Wow - you've done such a nice job with the video about North America. I really like to see the giant maps that we create being used so well. I was so impressed that I shared it with several people I work with at National Geographic. We wish all third graders knew as much as you now do about North American geography. Isn't it fun? Be sure to tell your parents all about what you learn in school - they love to hear about that stuff!
    Best to you all,
    Dan Beaupre

    ReplyDelete
  29. Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,

    What a wonderful experience for an educational foot trip across North America!

    My favorite part of the movie was the tracing of the Mississippi River with the blue chain. I've been to Itasca Lake. When I was a child, I walked across the stones that mark the beginning of the Mississippi. It's surprising that the river is quite narrow at the headwaters.

    Everyone should plan a trip to see Lake Itasca once in their lives! It's beautiful!

    From,
    Mrs. Pfau
    (Mrs. Yollis' proud mother)

    ReplyDelete
  30. Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,

    The map looks huge! The movie is really great. My sister was with me when I saw the movie, and when she said a line she told which was pretty funny because she yelled it out! I would have loved to be on the giant map.

    From,
    Ron
    (Gal's big brother)

    ReplyDelete
  31. Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,


    Wow! The movie is great! We three all loved it. When our cousin spoke we knew right away. Everyone including you Mrs. Yollis did a very good job. We chose the post about the giant map because we don't know very much about North America. There is also another reason we picked it, it is giant and cool.

    From,
    Coral, Learon, and Dean
    (Gal's cousins from Isreal)

    ReplyDelete
  32. @ Mr. Mero, (Jared's dad)

    Thank you for visiting and for your thoughtful comment. We had a fantastic time on the map. Pulling the blue chain from Minnesota all the way to the Gulf of Mexico was a real learning experience. Very visual! (Kate was out there swimming in the Atlantic for quite a while!) :-)

    @ Mr. Beaupre, (from National Geographic!)

    What a treat to get a comment from you! We loved the National Geographic map and learned so much from being on it. Having the movie is great because we can relive and review our learning! We can't wait for Africa next year! :-)

    @ Mrs. Pfau, (my mother)

    Thanks for all the support you give to me and my little bloggers! I appreciate that.

    You are correct, everyone should visit Lake Itasca and witness for themselves the headwaters of the mighty Mississippi. :-)

    Happy 80th birthday!

    @ Ron (Gal's big brother)

    Thank you for leaving a second comment on our blog! Wasn't Gal an excellent narrator?
    Next year we'll have Africa, maybe you can come by and see the map for yourself.



    @ Coral, Learon, and Dean, (Gal's cousins from Israel!)

    Welcome to our blog! Gal has been a great promoter of our classroom blog. So far, she has the most family members who have commented. Gal is a great blogger and learner!

    Did you get a chance to watch the Asia movie that is below our North America movie? That's where we went last year. Israel is one of the countries that we mention!

    We hope you'll become regular visitors for our blog!

    Sincerely,
    Mrs. Yollis

    ReplyDelete
  33. Dear Mrs. Yollis,


    Thank you for writing back. When you asked if we watched the asia movie we went back to the post and so it. That movie was great to! Were you ever in asia?

    From,
    Learon, Coral, and Dean

    ReplyDelete
  34. Dear students,

    It was great seeing and hearing you tell about the big map! I'm sure you are looking forward to learning about Africa when it arrives next year. I'm looking forward to seeing you in Africa!

    Best regards,
    Mrs. Hanzer

    ReplyDelete
  35. Dear Mrs. Yollis' class,

    I hope you enjoyed the big map of North America! My school, Yerba Buena, saw it too. We did some of the things you did, like tracing the Mississippi River. I also did a play about US Geography. I was a Pilgrim from the New England region and a valley girl from Hawaii, Alaska and the US Territories. I hope you enjoyed the map!

    From,
    Julia, Mrs. Yollis' niece in Mrs. Fleishman's 5th Grade class at Yerba Buena. ;D

    ReplyDelete
  36. A great movie about a great map! Well done, kids.

    Brother Rob

    ReplyDelete

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