A biography is a true story about a person's life.
Mrs. Yollis' class is currently reading biographies about
people who have made significant contributions to our world!
Artists, inventors, statesman, composers,
doctors, inventors,
aviators, astronauts, and pioneers in many fields
are among the amazing historical figures about whom we are reading!
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After reading about your biography subject,
please leave a comment as if you are that person!
1. Be sure to include a few facts you learned from your library book or the online encyclopedia. DO NOT PLAGIARIZE! (Use your own words!)
2. Watch the comments to see if you can converse with another biography subject!
3. BOLD your facts using HTML code.
2. Watch the comments to see if you can converse with another biography subject!
3. BOLD your facts using HTML code.
Family members and friends:
You are invited to choose your own biography subject and join in the conversation!
You are invited to choose your own biography subject and join in the conversation!
My fellow Americans,
ReplyDeleteAs you most certainly know, I was the first president, and many of you refer to me as the Father of our Country. This indeed makes me feel divine.
I would like to personally thank and show my esteem for my good friend Thomas Jefferson for writing the Declaration of Independence. Huzzah!
Although I never lived in the White House, I heard it is delightful and ample. Instead, I lived in the national capital of New York City and later in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
It was little bit hard for me to be the General during the Revolutionary War. This British were really tough to beat.
I must take leave because I have to powder my wig, and I have a dentist appointment.
Farewell my good citizens,
G. Washington
Dear President Washington,
DeleteIt is your rival, Queen Elizabeth I. As you know I am the first Queen of England. We should have won the Revolutionary War, but we didn't. Everyone in England will be celebrating Queen Elizabeth's II. Jubilee in July. A Jubilee is a celebration of her Monoarchy. Mon-o-ark-ie.
Sorry I have to go fight the Armada.
Sincerely,
Queen Elizabet I.
Dear Sirs and Madams,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and I am heartily glad to see you all! I am a world famous classical composer and I'm sure that you have heard about me! Did you know, that I was a child prodigy and traveled all over Europe? I hate to brag, but Pope Clement awarded me with an honorary knighthood when I was only 14 years old! I could read music before I could read letters and composed more than 600 works in less than 35 years! Unfortunately, I have to go now. The newest fashions from Paris came in and my dear wife Constanza and I can't be seen in old clothes!
Adieu for now,
Your humble, but very gifted servant, Mozart
Dear Mozart,
DeleteMy name is Peter Tcaikovsky, and I am also a famous composer all over the world. I am so honored to chat with you. Your music inspired me so much that I was trying to play it on my families piano when I was four years old. I started composing music in the time known as the Romantic period. By the time I was thirty seven years old, I had written three operas,three symphonies, one ballet, and lots of other musical pieces. One of my talents was discovering new instruments.I even used church bells and real cannon bombs to get the right sounds. Boy it was both crazy and fun! Did you know that I did the music for the most famous ballet performances? They are The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, and Swan Lake. Sorry I can't chat with you longer. I have to buy tickets to the Swan Lake ballet performance.It will be exciting to hear my music compositions live at the theater.
I bid you farewell,
Peter Tchaikovsky [Atrina]
Dear Mozart,
ReplyDeleteI'm Johann Sebastian Bach, and I am glad to be speaking to you today. I am also a world famous classical composer. My older brother did not just show me how to play the organ he taught me how to fix it, too! I have been honored by a statue in Leipizig, Germany.
Your buddy,
Bach
Dear George,
ReplyDeleteHi it’s Thomas Jefferson. Thank you for mentioning me, and the Declaration of Independence. I wrote the Declaration of Independence before I ever became the 3rd President of the United States. Did you know, that I was the first President to ever live in the White House? In fact, it was still being built when I lived there. The White House has a library inside it, so I did not have to go far to find a good book to read. Both my wife and I loved to read, so we spent much time in the comfy library chairs reading and discussing our books together. When my wife died, I was very sad. I was so sad that I became ill and did not leave my room for three weeks. I missed her every day of my life.
Sincerely,
Thomas Jefferson
[Madison]
Dear Thomas Jefferson,
DeleteI find it fascinating that you wrote the Declaration of Independence before your presidency. Surely, your exceptional leadership skills led you to the White House.
Did you know that we shared the same address? 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue was my home from 1933-1945. I lived there with my husband, Franklin, and my Uncle Teddy resided there before us as well!
While I was the First Lady I wrote a daily newspaper column, gave lectures, and fought for equal rights for minorities. After my husband passed away, I continued my passion for human rights. I also helped to draft a different Declaration, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Thank you for your contributions to our country.
Sincerely,
Eleanor Roosevelt
(Whitney Rexon's mom)
Dear Mrs. Roosevelt,
DeleteThank you for leaving a great comment! Was the White House completed when you lived there? Wouldn't it be great to tour the White House in modern times and see how much it has changed? Have to run now and do some repairs to Monticello.
Sincerely,
Thomas Jefferson/Madison
Dear Mr. Jefferson,
DeleteThank you for your reply. Yes, the White House was completed, but had many renovations prior to my residency. My uncle Theodore made major renovations. He added bathrooms for his children on the second floor, he replaced most of the gas lights with electric lighting, installed a new elevator, and decorated the dining room with heads from Teddy's hunting trips!
One time, my cousin Quentin took his pony into the elevator, up to the second floor to cheer up his brother! That was really funny!
My uncle also added the separate East Wing to the house. The East Wing was used for social gatherings and eventually became the Family Theater.
I'm sorry I have to go now, but I must go horseback riding with my Uncle Teddy and Ronny Reagan!
Sincerely,
Eleanor and Theodore Roosevelt
(Whitney and Rexon)
Dear friends and family relatives,
ReplyDeleteI'm Mr. Hershey and I will tell you about myself. I'm the creater of the Hershey chocolate company. I was given the chance to create a chocolate bar that would not melt for the Army. Also my employees helped me build a town with a school, park, hotel, and a hospital.
Sincerely,
Trey
Dear Mr. Hershey,
DeleteI am Levi Strauss, and I too started my very own company. I am the designer of the ubiquitous Levi jeans. Although my jeans were not used for the army, they were helpful to many workers during the Gold Rush. The rivets in my jeans allowed miners to have a sturdy place to help hold their tools without the pockets ripping off.
Sincerely,
Levi Strauss (Alexandra)
Guten tag Mrs. Yollis and class,
ReplyDeleteI thoroughly enjoyed reading your post. It was very intriguing.
My name is Ludwig van Beethoven, but you may call me Beethoven. You must know that I am one of the greatest composers to have ever lived. I have composed many of the most complicated and beautiful symphonies in the world.
I have received many honors such as a memorial in my birth city of Bonn and a statue in Vienna, Austria. Also, in 1977, a recording of my fifth symphony was sent into space on the Voyager 2.
Do excuse me, but I have to go play for Mozart and then pick up my new ear drums!
Auf wiedersehen,
Beethoven
Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,
ReplyDeleteI was born on April 3rd, 1934 in London, England. When I was two years old, my father gave me a stuffed toy chimpanzee. I named him Jubilee and seventy six years later he still sits on my dresser! My love for Jubilee started my early interest in animals. In 1960, when I was only 26 years old, I traveled to Tanzania to study wild chimpanzees. My name is Jane Goodall, and I am considered the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees.
When I first went to Tanzania, I thought that I would be staying for three years, but I ended up staying for more than twenty years. In the beginning, the chimpanzees would flee if I came within five hundred feet of them. After a year, a group of them allowed me to move within thirty feet of their feeding area. That's when I started to give them bananas to gain their trust in order to study their behavior. I even imitated their behaviors, ate their food, and spent a lot of time in the trees.
I was very patient when studying the chimpanzees and it payed off. Before my work, other researchers thought that chimpanzees were violent and aggressive animals who were incapable of communicating or using tools. I was able to show that they are actually loving parents who form friendships, are able to communicate with other chimpanzees by using a simple language, and are capable of using simple tools.
In 1977, I established the Jane Goodall Institute which is an international wildlife and environmental conservation organization that helps people get involved in making a difference for all living things.
Today I no longer work in the jungles of Africa. Instead, I travel about 300 days a year to inspire people to take action on behalf of endangered species, especially chimpanzees. I encourage all of you to do what you can to make our world a better place for our environment, animals, and people.
Warmly,
Jane Goodall
(Marsha, Leila's mom)
Dear girls, boys, and Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteHelen Keller here! I am famous for having physical disabilities, but I graduated from Radcliffe College. When I was about 1 year old I had a very high fever no doctor could do anything about it. Luckily, I was fine in about a week, but not really. My parents found out that the fever left me blind, mute, and deaf. When I was about 10 my parents got me a teacher, Anne Sullivan, to help me through life. When I was all grown up I went to the hospital to help the wounded men in the army.
Now, please excuse me I have to go pick up my glasses from CVS Pharmacy.
Sincerely,
Helen Keller
(Sasha)
Dear Mr. Hershey,
ReplyDeleteYour candy bar was a success for me and the army! Even a President has a sweet tooth and will eat a Hershey bar. I also have a huge sweet tooth for jelly beans! I even keep jelly beans in Air Force One and in the Oval Office of the White House.
Your 40th President,
Ronald Reagan (Sammy)
Dear President Reagan,
DeleteIt is indeed an honor for me to see your fine comment here on Mrs. Yollis' Classroom Blog. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for appointing me as the first woman on the Supreme Court. I proudly served on the Judicial Branch from 1981-2006.
Now that I am retired, I have more time for myself. However, I was back at the White House for a special visit in 2009. President Obama bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom to me! What an honor!
By the way, I saw one of your old movies on T.V. last week here at the ranch. Great work!
Respectfully yours,
Justice Sandra Day O'Connor
Dear Ronnie,
DeleteI can't believe that you kept jelly beans in Air Force One! Some say I kept Hershey's Special Dark in my office.
I became the 26th President at 42 years old. As a child I loved boxing, books, and nature.
How long were you President?
Maybe we could box sometime.
From,
Your friend Teddy
Calling Houston from Apollo 11 , we have landed safely on the moon, and I am floating right now. I was the first one out of the ship so that means I am the first human to step foot on the moon. The moon is a lot bigger than I expected it to be , and it is AWESOME!
ReplyDeleteSorry got to go my friend is floating away.
From,
Neil Alden Armstrong
Dear Neil Armstrong,
DeleteIt is quit fascinating that you have rockets at modern times. Back when I was young,the best transportation was by horse. That is why I rode through the streets of Lexington and Concord on horseback.
I heard that they sent a recording of Beethoven's symphony #5 and sent it to the moon so if there was life there they can hear Beethoven .
Did you get to hear Beethoven?
Do you know how big the moon is?
What was your favorite part about it?
How many people went with you?
Sincerely,
Aidan
Welcome friends! It is a wonderful sight for me to see so many of you talking amongst yourselves! My husband, George has worked so hard to create peace and harmony in these 13 colonies that have now grown so large! Thomas Jefferson, you must come for tea now that the Declaration of Independence is behind us all. It is wonderful that you and George could put your bright minds together to create such a wonderful document that continues to live on through the ages. Peace and harmony to all, Martha Washington
ReplyDeleteDear Martha,
DeleteMaybe we should take a trip to Washington DC this summer to see the White House, since we never got to live there. While we are there we can also visit the Washington Monument, that is named for me. By the way, did you notice my face on the one dollar bill? These Apple computers sure are handy to type on. Back in my day we only used a quill and ink to write with! It sure would have been nice to have a computer when we wrote The Constitution.
Your husband,
George
Dear Mrs. Yollis and her wonderful class,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Leonardo da Vinci which means Leonardo of Vinci, a town in Italy. I am a great painter and inventor. I painted the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, and created the first helicopter.
I show great esteem for a helper and teacher of mine, Andrea del Verrocchio. He schooled me, and then he was magnanimous (mag•nan•∂•mis) enough to include me in the painting of a work of art called Baptism of Christ. I painted an angel in the lower left corner, and it was, in most peoples’ opinion, the best part of the picture.
After that, I painted The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa. Some of the paint used for The Last Supper peeled off because I made my own paint. The Last Supper shows Jesus with the twelve apostles. The Mona Lisa shows a painting of a mysterious lady. It hangs in the Louvre. Wherever you stand, the Mona Lisa is staring straight into your eyes.
Sorry, I have to go to a class with Andrea del Verrocchio.
Sincerely,
Leonardo da Vinci (Royce)
Hello Mrs Yollis and Class,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Orville Wright and I have a lived a very exciting life. I don't want to give you the impression that school is not important, but because my mother died, I had to drop out of school and go to work. Even though I dropped out of school, my brother and I were always coming up with new inventions. Our most famous invention was developing the first controlled and powered airplane. It wasn't easy and we crashed landed more than just a couple of times. We did our test runs over sand and water, so when we crashed, we wouldn't get seriously hurt. Some important lessons that I learned is that I can accomplish more things if I worked together and never give up. My brother Wilbur was always by my side, and I could never have done it without him.
Well, I am off on another air adventure. Have you ever tried flying before? Did you enjoy it?
Sincerely,
Orville Wright (Sarah)
Dear Orville,
DeleteI am an aviator just like you. My name is Charles Lindbergh and I am famous for being the first man to fly from New York across the Atlantic Ocean to France( 3,600 miles 33 hours). I became a mail pilot then a stunt pilot then went on to be a military pilot
I have some questions:
* Did your airplane have a name?
$ Did you and your brother accomplish any other flying?
# How many attempts did it take to have control of your aircraft?
Sorry I have to go,I have to give a speech because I won The Distinguished Flying cross.
Farewell for now,
Charles Lindbergh
Hello students of Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteI hope you are all feeling well today. I hear modern medicine has really developed since I was around. I was the first female doctor to earn a medical degree in the United States. People then didn't know that women could be great doctors too, in fact, some other doctors wouldn't work with me or my friend Dorthea Dix during the Civil War when we were both nurses. My friend Dorthea later went on to help people with physical and mental disabilities. As for me, I eventually opened a medical school for women, so that other ladies like me could become doctors too!
To your health!
Elizabeth Blackwell
Dear Mrs. Yollis' class,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Juliette Low, and I was the founder of the Girl Scouts of America. I am so happy that I get to comment on your blog. I wonder how many of you have been a member of the Girl Scouts? If you are in Washington, D.C., you can find my portrait in the National Gallery.
Oh, I've got to go, the SS Juliette Low is setting sail.
Warmly,
Juliette
Dear Mrs. Yollis' class,
ReplyDeleteHello my friends. I'm Amelia Earhart, and I am pleased to meet you. As you know I was the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. I was also the first woman to fly across the Atlantic solo. I even fly across it twice.
I once went flying around the world. That would have taken a long time if I would have made it. Unfortunately, I didn't.
I have to go flying to the Long Beach Air Show now, I don't want to miss my snapshots!
Your flying friend,
Amelia Earhart {Maya}
Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Alexander Graham Bell, who contributed to the world my technologies by inventing the telephones. I used to called it the speaking machine. I was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. My two other brothers and I were home schooled by our mother. At an older age I enjoyed tutoring deaf children in Boston. My telephone company called The Telephone Bell which had a great success.
Sincerely,
Lilach(Etai's mom)
@ Ronnie (Ronald Regan)
ReplyDeleteGood afternoon Ronnie! My name is Abraham Lincoln, you could call me Abe.As you know, I am the 16th president of the United States of America. Did you know that I wrote the Emancipation Proclamation? Somehow since I’m dead I have no idea how I’m typing this comment. Where was I before, I was talking about my death …hmmm… oh yes, the Emancipation Proclamation is an executive order that I issued to free the slaves.
Oh, I wish I could have a room filled of Jelly Beans, but my doctor said no candy wandy.
Oh no! I'm sorry my son just broke my beautiful black hat. I have to buy a new one so good day to you.
Oh, and did they build anything for you like a statue? Because they built me, the Lincoln Memorial.
Sincerely,
Abe(Parsa)
Hello Sirs and Madams,
ReplyDeleteGuten Tag, my name is Albert Einstein and it is a fact that I am one of the smartest scientist in the world. I was born March 14, 1879. My mother was named Pauline Einstein, and my father was named Hermann Einstein. I was married to Mileva Mellark for a little while, and then I realized that the one I loved was my cousin Elsa and immediately got married.
I have won numerous awards, but the most special award is the 1921 Nobel Prize for physics. The reason why I won the 1921 Nobel Prize in physics is because I predicted that light always travels at the same rate which means that when light hits something, it comes back.
You have to excuse me now, I have to predict something that will change the world.
Seriously,
Albert Einstein (Mia)
My dear citizens of America,
ReplyDeleteAmandla! Good afternoon fellow students of Mrs.Yollis' classroom. My name is Nelson Mandela and I was most famous for helping abolish apartheid.("Apartheid" was separation of blacks and whites) After 27 years in prison, I was able to inspire the country to allow blacks in government.I even became the first black president of South Africa.
Well I have to go pick up my Nobel Peace Prize now.
Sincerely,
Nelson Mandela
Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,
ReplyDeleteI don't know how, but I received a letter from James Cook from the year 1771. He speaks of American colonials at the beginning of his letter. I suppose this isn't strange as the letter was written before 1776 when England still held colonial power.
The letter writes of his voyage of discovery from 1768 to 1771. I hope he didn't mind me adding a few photos and pictures to his letter. I was able to let him know a little about the present. I see he has sometimes added more modern names of places he mentions to help you understand where he voyaged.
Here is a link to the post I created for him...
http://rossmannell.posterous.com/mrs-yollis-and-class-a-letter-to-you-from-com
I hope his letter makes sense. He seems to wanted to share his adventures with us.
@RossMannell
Teacher, NSW, Australia
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen of Mrs Yollis' class,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Benjamin Franklin and I was born on January 17, 1706, in Boston Massachusettes. I became a statesman and contributed to the writing of the Declaration of Independance. I was a renowned inventor; I invented the bifocals, the lightning rod, and swimming paddles.
I'm sorry my letter is so brief; I am off to meet my good friend Thomas Jefferson to talk about the Constitution and the Declaration of Independance. We are considering some changes at this time that could change the course of our great country, but we are getting some push back from our fisty friend, Walter Disney; he wants to add something about a mouse, a duck, a dog, and some other animals. It is very strange!?!
I hope this finds you well.
Sincerely,
Benjamin Frnnklin (Jake)
Dear Mrs. Roosevelt,
ReplyDeleteI wish I could go and see those renovations in the White House. They would be amazing. I can't believe yourcousin took a pony upstairs! Do you know what kind of pony Quentin took up? I bet the Family Theater is huge. What kind of movies did you watch in the Family Theater? I love to go horseback riding in the fabulous forest next to Monticello. I would love to go horseback riding with you, your Uncle Teddy, and Ronny Reagan.
Sincerely,
Thomas Jefferson/Madison
Dear Juliette Low, (Logan)
ReplyDeleteMy name is Peter Tchaikovsky, and I don't mean to brag, but I am a great composer of music. I am sure you've heard some of the pieces that I have composed.
I recently read your biography and found it fascinating! You must be very proud of your accomplishments as I am of mine.
I look forward to meeting you someday in the near future.
Best regards,
Peter Tchaikovsky ( Atrina)
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteWow!! We are so impressed by the quality of the students' work! You transported us through time and took us on an adventure through the kelp and rain forest. We enjoyed experiencing tangram talk, twitter time and the other amazing work the children have accomplished.
Thank you so much,
The Boyer family