Mrs. Yollis' school has National Geographic's Giant Traveling Map of South America for the week. In past years, they've had Asia, North America, and Africa.
Mrs. Yollis contacted a friend of hers on Twitter who lives in South America. She asked her amiga (Spanish for female friend) to share a little about her native country of Argentina. This fabulous comment from Greta Sandler lead to lots of excitement and learning about Argentina.
Mrs. Yollis contacted another friend who lived in Argentina, Silvia Tolisano. Here is a wonderful comment from Mrs. Tolisano, also known as Langwitches. She commented about what she liked about her South American country!
These comments prompted more learning about South America!
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| Yollis' Argentinians gather around the COUNTRY'S border. Colored arrows were placed on points of interests. Green arrow ~ Buenos Aires, the city where Greta Sandler lives and teaches ELS students. Red arrow ~ Iguazu Falls, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of South America! Blue arrow ~ Laguna del Carbon, lowest point in South America. |
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| Here is the location of Iguazu Falls.It is located on the border of Argentina and Brazil. |
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| We pointed to this special water feature on the giant map. |
Mrs. Yollis found a beautiful video of this awesome waterfall in Argentina. Iguazu Falls is something to see!
Do you know any other facts about Argentina?
Research Iguazu Falls and share! What river is falling?
Do you have any questions for Ms. Sandler or Mrs. Tolisano?
Do you have any questions for Ms. Sandler or Mrs. Tolisano?
Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing way to learn. What's better than a giant map that you can walk all over? Not to mention, having a blog so that you can have someone from Argentina write in is amazing!
What were some of the things that you learned about Argentina?
Look forward to hearing from you!
Sincerely,
Mr. Avery
@ Mr. Avery,
ReplyDeleteThanks for leaving us a comment! Hope you had a nice vacation and are ready for a full year of learning in 2012!
The maps are an amazing learning tool. It's a great way to spark real interest in geography. And then, to be able to link my students with someone living there...what a world we are living in!
¡Adios!
Mrs. Y♥llis
Dear class,
ReplyDeleteI am so happy that you are studying and exploring South America! It is my favorite continent.
I grew up in Argentina and love the country. I even have a necklace with the map of Argentina hanging around my neck! :) My favorite city is Buenos Aires, the capital. It is a beautiful place.
I also like to travel around the country. It is the second largest country in South America. One of my favorite places I visited is in the South, in Patagonia. I visited a very special glacier, called "Perito Moreno". You can take a look at all the pictures I took, while I traveled
http://www.flickr.com/photos/langwitches/sets/72157620472050693/
The ice was so blue, I had never seen something like it before.
Have you ever seen a glacier before? Where would you have to travel to in the United States to see a glacier? Would you find it all the way in the South, like in Argentina?
Looking forward to hearing back from you.
Greetings from Florida.
Mrs. Tolisano
Dear Mrs.Yollis,
ReplyDeleteWe love the South American map. Did you know that Angel Falls has hydroelectric power. Are we ever going to the map again?
Sincerely,
Rexon, Jakob
@Mr. Avery,
ReplyDeleteThat waterfall is very strong and very beautiful. We learned that in Argentina the lowest point is Laguna Del Carbon, which is 344 feet below sea level. The capital of Argentina is Santiago. The largest country in South America is Brazil. We also learned that the longest river is the Amazon river which is 4,000 miles long. That's a lot!
Did you know that Bolivia has two capitals and French Guiana doesn't have any capital?
Sincerely,
Sarah and Jordyn
@ Ms. Sandler,
ReplyDeleteWe both love your comment! Trey knows a little bit Spanish. He knows a little about Argentina, because his dad has been to Argentina. We have seen your city on the map.
In California a lot of people go to the beach in the summer too. Most of the people go swimming because it's so hot. Trey found a green rock that glows in the water, and he found a tooth that was maybe a dolphin tooth.
What was it like for you to not see your students for a long time?
Sincerely,
Parsa and Trey (Mrs. Yollis)
@ Ms. Sandler,
ReplyDeleteI loved all your comments about South America. My dad went to South America with my mom when they where about 24 years old. I am probably going to go to South America to see the World Cup when I am 16.
Just about three weeks ago, I went to a Brazilian steakhouse. At the steakhouse they had chicken hearts (I did NOT want to try that). They also had Tri-tip steak and cinnamon covered pineapple.
I also went to an Argentinean restaurant named Lala's. At Lala's they had different pastas, steaks, and salads.
What are some typical foods for Argentina?
What is you favorite tourist place in Argentina?
Sincerely,
Aidan and Etai
@Greta,
ReplyDeleteYour comment was great!
Here are two facts about the Andes:
• It is the second highest mountain in the world!
•Aconcagua is the tallest mountain in
the west hemisphere.
From,
Kelly and Atrina
@ Mr. Avery,
ReplyDeleteDid you know the Atacam Desert is located in Chile? It is one of the driest places in the world.
If you were going to go to South America, where would you go?
Warmly,
Jake and Matthew
Dear Mrs. Yollis and Class,
ReplyDeleteFirst, I would like to begin by saying how incredibly inspiring your blog has been for my teaching partner and I. We first saw your blog while learning about the power of blogging with students. My partner teacher is currently working on her Masters Degree and her focus has been on Technology and the power of learning authentically by making the kinds of connections displayed SO beautifully in the work within your classroom blog.
As a matter of fact, it was the work that you and your students have done that inspired us to seek out permission to pilot the very first elementary blog in our system!!!
We have just begun the process, and look forward to exploring your blog with our students while we learn how to craft effective posts together, and to comment effectively and meaningfully. As a matter of fact, I JUST, moments ago, uploaded your AMAZING student video, along with a link to your inspirational blog!
I just wanted to say "THANK YOU" so very much for inspiring us. We look forward to checking in on your blogs with our students ... and ... maybe even connecting in some way once we are further into our journey.
Sincerely,
Laurie Renton and Tannis Emann :)
Hello Mrs. Yollis and class,
ReplyDeleteFirstly, what an amazing map! I have never been able to use a map of the size you had for South America.
I know Argentina has some similarities to Australia as it lies the same distance south of the equator as Australia. This gives us areas of similar climates although there may be many differences.
What really interested me in the post was looking at Iguazu Falls. They are one of the greatest in the world and always reminded me of Victoria Falls in Africa.
Did you know the Iguaza Falls featured in the fourth Indiana Jones movie?
In the movie, Indiana Jones and others with him went over the falls in the quest to return a crystal skull. Argentina wold be an amazing country to visit.
@RossMannell
Teacher, NSW, Australia
Dear Mrs. Yollis and 3rd graders,
ReplyDeleteHola! My name is Tom Spence. I was a teacher in LVUSD for many years (Willow, Bay Laurel and Sumac) and was the Principal at Round Meadow for the past three years.
Now I am the Primary School Principal at a school in Bogota, Colombia called Colegio Nueva Granada. Mrs. Culpert told me about the cool, huge map of South America that was at your school last week. What a great way to learn about a continent! And what a terrific continent South America is! I have loved living here and learning about new people, language, and cultures.
What have you learned about Colombia?
Here are a few facts that you may or may not already know:
-Colombia is Latin America's 5th largest country.
-Colombia's nickname is "Gateway to South America" because it is located on the northwestern part of the continent where South America connects with Central America (Panama).
-Colombia is a beautiful country with many different kinds of landscapes: The Andes Mountains run right through the middle of Colombia which includes volcanoes and snow-topped peaks. Colombia is the only country in South America which has tropical beaches on both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean sea. There are also lots of warm, tropical jungles in the northwest as well as vast rain forests in the Amazon Basin in the south. There are also deserts in the north and grasslands in the east.
-Some of Colombia's larger, well-known cities include: Bogota, Medellin, Cali, Cartagena, and Santa Marta.
-The capitol city of Colombia is Bogota, which is where my family and I live. It is large (over 7 million people) and it sits in a valley high in the Andes Mountains (over 8500 feet elevation). It is the third highest capital city in the world (La Paz, Bolivia and Quito, Ecuador are the two highest - both also in S.A.). For this reason, Bogota is very cool throughout the whole year with temperatures that are usually in the 60's. This has been an adjustment for us since we are used to Southern California's warm weather!
I hope many of you will someday get the chance to visit South America. Some of the places I hope to visit in the next year or two are: Machu Picchu, Peru, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, and Buenos Aires, Argentina.
If you have any questions, feel free to drop me an email: tspence@cng.edu
Feliz Ano Nuevo!
Mr. Spence
Bogota, Colombia
Dear Mr. Spence,
DeleteGreat LONG comment!
Wow! You were at many schools, and you were even the principal! Is it hard being a principal?
Here is a link with more facts about Colombia.
We have some questions:
∆ Do you speak Spanish or English?
∆ Do you know how to surf?
∆ Have you ever traveled to any other countries in South America?
Sincerely,
Royce and Sammy
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ReplyDelete@ Langwitches,
Thank you for taking the time to share about your favorite continent! I can see why you like it so much, there are many incredible physical features and tourist destinations to see.
Your pictures from Perito Moreno were fantastic!
Langwitches Glacier Photos
We looked through them in class and were amazed at the depth of blue!
I once saw a glacier up in Juneau, Alaska. It was called the Mendenhall Glacier. The ranger had chips of the glacier that we could hold. The ice was crystal clear, and some in the distance were that pretty blue.
My students will be commenting back when we return to school on Monday.
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@ Laurie Renton,
Thank you for your high praise about our classroom blog! I hope you do get permission to set up an elementary school blog. As you can see, the learning opportunities are endless! Let us know how your blog is progressing and we can connect in some way!
Happy blogging!
Mrs. Y♥llis
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ReplyDelete@ Mr. Mannell, (Australia)
Yes, the National Geographic Giant Traveling Map project is an amazing learning tool for students and teachers. I coordinate the program for my district and we've had Asia, Africa, and North America. These maps really spark an interest in geography.
That is an interesting point that Argentina and Australia are along the same latitudes. We walked the lines of latitude but will check it out in our atlases.
All I can say about Iguazu Falls is WOW! Every time I watch that video I am stunned. Such powerful beauty. I hope to visit this magnificent water feature some day. :-)
Thanks for the fun fact about Indiana Jones! I didn't know that!
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@ Mr. Spence, (Colombia)
I'm thrilled that Mrs. Culpert contacted you! We were in Bogota, Colombia many times last week! :-)
My students will be commenting back to you when we return to school on Monday.
I'm curious, what kinds of interesting animals have you seen in Colombia?
¡Muchas Gracias!
Mrs. Y♥llis
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Dear Mrs. Langwitches,
ReplyDeleteI saw your glacier photos and they are awesome! I would like to visit Argentina and see "Perito Moreno" now!
I think your pictures are stunning and I did not know that glaciers can be that blue!
I saw glaciers once before when my family took a cruise to Alaska. They were very big and beautiful but their color was white and a little green. My mom got up early every day to take pictures of them.
Alaska is in the very North of the USA and we do not have any ice or glaciers in the South. It is too warm there!
Have you visited California?
Love,
Kelly
Dear Trey and Parsa!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment!
Hope your dad liked my country Trey!
Sounds like you have a great time in the summer!
I love California. I lived in San Francisco for a few years and I miss your country so much!
I don't like being far from my students! I love teaching and definitely miss my students when we are on breaks. We start our school year on February 28th, so I'll be meeting my new group that day. Can't wait!
Keep up the great work!
Greta
@ Mrs. Sandler,
DeleteGreat comment!
San Francisco is 350 miles away from us. Did you cross the Golden Gate Bridge? What did you do in San Fransisco?
Sincerely,
Parsa and Trey
Dear Aidan and Etai
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment!
I'm planning to see the World Cup too! Soccer is the most popular sport in Argentina. Have you heard of Messi? He's our best player!
Brazilian and Argentinian restaurants sound great! I love going to an American restaurant we have in Buenos Aires, it's called Kansas Grill.
Some typical foods here are empanadas, they are like stuffed bread. The filling can be meat, chicken, ham and cheese, etc...
Asado or barbecue is very traditional here too.
My favorite turist place is the beach. I know our Patagonia is the most amazing place, but I love going to the beach. I'm in Pinamar at the moment. Pinamar is a beach city about 4 hours away from my town. I arrived today! I'm staying here for a few weeks.
Keep up the great work!
Greta
Dear Kelly and Atrina,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your comment!
I loved those facts on The Andes! I've never been there, but I'd love to go there one day.
Would you like to go there?
I know you've been learning a lot about Argentina. Is there any place you'd like to visit? Why?
I'd love to know!
Keep up the great work!
Greta
Dear Mrs Yollis and class,
ReplyDeleteI have always been amazed with your huge travelling map which you get each year. What a super way to learn by getting your feet right on top of this huge map.
I wish we had the huge travelling map here in Australia for I feel it would be a huge and wonderful experience for children and adults to learn just how wonderful our world really is.
From your pal down under,
AA.
@ Sarah and Jordyn,
ReplyDeleteI love your fun facts! They were very interesting.
I kindly disagree that the capital of Argentina is Santiago, I think that Santiago is the capital of Chile. Buenos Aires is the capital of Argentina. I also kindly disagree with another fun fact, I think that the Amazon River is the second longest river in the world. The Nile is the longest river in the world. Maybe you meant longer river in South America.
I think that Bolivia is a selfish country. I don't think it's fair that Bolivia has two capitals! I think Bolivia should give French Guyana a capital so it would be fair. Ha Ha!
Sincerely,
M♥a
@kelly
ReplyDeleteI have never been to Alaska, but it is definitely on my bucket list. I just love to travel. I have been to California several time, but only at airports on my way to Asia.
I can understand your mother getting up early to take pictures of the glaciers. They hold a very special fascination. I believe I took over 2000 pictures during the time I spent in Patagonia.
I really hope you get to visit South Argentina one day.
Greetings from Florida,
Mrs. T.
Dear Mrs. Yollis's Class,
ReplyDeleteChecking in from Buenos Aires, Argentina. We are Aidan's grandparents, Michael and Joyce, or Grandma and Grandad. We flew from LAX to Lima, Peru, then to Santiago, Chile, with our final destination being Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Spanish is spoken throughout Argentina. Argentina is famous for its beef. The beef is very healthy because the cows are not fed with any antibiotics or chemicals. The local residents of Buenos Aires are called Porteños, since the city is near the port.
We will also try to see tango dancing. This dance began here in the part of town near the ports and danced by sailors. It is a very exciting dance to watch.
Regards from Buenos Aires!
Adios!
Grandma and Grandad
Dear Grandma and Grandad,
DeleteMy whole class and I loved your comment! When my class heard your comment, we figured something out, all the places you mentioned in your comment are capital cities. I liked how you told us facts about Argentina.
My teacher said that when she went to Peru, they served guinea pig there. When you were in Peru, did you try that there?
Where are you now? Are you going to take tango lessons?
Your grandchild,
Aidan
@ Micheal and Joyce,
DeleteThat was an outstanding comment! Aidan told the class that you are retired teachers. Is that true? If so what grade did you teach?
We have some questions:
• What is your favorite thing to do with Aidan?
•What is your favorite food in South America?
Hope you have a good time in South America!
Sincerely,
Brenden and Logan :)
Dear Joyce and Michael,
DeleteOur whole class loved your comment. I liked that you told all of the places that you were in, and that you capitalized each country.
I have some questions for you:
Are you going to dance the Tango?
Can you send us a YouTube video you or other people dancing the Tango!
I hope you have a fun time in Peru, and be free to leave some more lovely comments on our blog!
Sincerely,
Sarah
Dear Joyce and Michael,
ReplyDeleteOur whole class loved your comment. I liked that you told all of the places that you were in, and that you capitalized each country.
I have some questions for you:
Are you going to dance the Tango?
Can you send us a YouTube video you or other people dancing the Tango!
I hope you have a fun time in Peru, and be free to leave some more lovely comments on our blog!
Sincerely,
Sarah