Well, we're not really going to Europe. However, we will be taking our shoes off and walking through Europe next week. How will we be exploring Europe in our socks? We have National Geographic's Giant Traveling Map of Europe for the week!
We've had several Giant Maps over the past seven years. Here is some information about how we've used maps in the past. There are even some videos we made!
This 26' x 26' map will be available for touring in our Multi-Purpose room.
To make the most of our European visit, we are investigating Europe in many ways. First, we tried to name as many countries as we could. We did not do very well with that!
Next, we looked at our Visitor Count ClustrMap on our blog.
What do you notice about our visitors and the CONTINENTS they visit from?
CONTINENTS: North America, South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, and Australia/Oceania. (We know that Antarctica exists and is the seventh continent. However, no visitors exist from Antarctica, so we left it off.)
Next, Mrs. Yollis clicked on our ClustrMap of Europe.
What do you notice about our European visitors? Where are they mostly from? Do you know any of these bloggers?
We noticed that we have numerous visitors from the United Kingdom.
What countries make up the United Kingdom (U.K.)?Which United Kingdom country visits us the most?
Below are some screenshots of the visiting countries from the world.
Which European countries visit us the most?
Pick one of our European visitors and research the country using World Book Online.
What are some important bodies of water or land features?
What are some important landmarks? What makes the landmark special?
We want to "visit" some of our blogging buddies next week.
What are some important places to visit in England?
What are some important water or land features?
We've also connected with some Irish students.
What are some important places to visit in Ireland?
What are some important water or land features?
Are you from Europe? Please drop us a comment.
Where do you live in Europe? You do not need to give too much personal information. You can just tell us the closest urban center to your school. We look forward to "visiting" you next week in Europe!
What do you want to see in Europe?
Add some informational text about a European country!
The Eiffel Tower was built in 1889 by a bridge designer named Gustave Eiffel in Paris, France. He wanted to show how steel and iron could be used to build tall buildings. Eiffel paid for the tower himself which cost about $1 million. About 2 million people visited the tower in the first year, so he made his money back quickly. The tower is 984 feet tall above ground. It's the world's tallest structure. The Eiffel Tower is one of the most popular sights seeing places in Paris.
ReplyDeleteI hope one day my family and I can go on a trip to Paris and visit the Eiffel Tower.
Warmly,
Kayla
@ Kayla,
DeleteI have been to Paris, France, and I went to the top of the tower. It was pouring rain, so it was not the best conditions for viewing! :-(
Is the Eiffel Tower really the tallest structure in the world? Please check that fact. I thought the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is the tallest structure. It measures 2,722 feet (829.8 m). Maybe the Eiffel Tower is the world's largest *iron* structure or some other adjective.
I can't wait to go to Paris on Monday! ;-)
Your Parisian pal,
Mrs. Y♥llis
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteEurope is the second smallest continent in the world. The are forty-nine countries in Europe. The population is over 700 million!
My favorite country in Europe is France. France is the largest country in Western Europe. It is bordered by six other countries. France's population is about 60 million people.
The Eiffel Tower is a famous landmark in Paris, France. The tower was 984 feet (300 meters). Gustave Eiffel wanted to show steel and iron could be used for large structures. It was 2 million dollars for the for the iron and steel. People came to visit and he got paid.
Your Friend Who Loves France,
Asha
P.S. The Eiffel Tower was named after Gustave Eiffel. Look at the last name.
@ Asha,
DeleteIf Europe is the second smallest continent, what is the smallest continent?
Will you be visiting all of the European countries next week? You mentioned that France is your favorite country. What borders France?
As I told Kayla, I visited Paris, France, when I was younger. The Eiffel Tower was a highlight for me, even though it was raining on the day I was there.
Your Parisian pal,
Mrs. Y♥llis
Dear Mrs.Yollis and Class,
ReplyDeleteMy ancestor doll is from Austria which happens to be part of Europe. I would like to share some facts with you about Austria. Austria is surrounded by Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Yugoslavia, Czech Republic, and Slovakia. Austria doesn't have their own language so, they speak German. This is how you say hello, goodbye, please, and thank you in German:
hello= hallo
goodbye= auf wiedersehen
please= bitte
thank you= danke
That is how you say those words in German. Now, I will tell you some war history. Austria and Germany declared war against France and England that actually started World War 1. The war lasted 4 years from 1914-1918. Wow! Can you believe how long World War 1 lasted? Fortunately, Austria lost because they had a long history of starting wars about a 1,000 years ago. It is good that Allies won the war. There were millions of soldiers on both sides. Millions of soldiers were wounded or killed.
I think I have shared a lot of facts now.
From,
Aryana
@ Aryana,
DeleteI LOVE how you used html coding to BOLD your high level verbs. Well done!
Thanks for sharing some German words with us! Danke! :-)
I also thank you for sharing you information about WWI. (When writing WWI or WWII, use the Roman numbers. Remember I is used for 1)
Besides Austria, which European countries do you want to visit next week?
Auf wiedersehen,
Mrs. Y♥llis
Dear Mrs.Yollis,
DeleteDanke for commenting back! I was at my grandparents house when I made this comment and, my grandpa's dad is from Austria. I was over there and remembered that my great grandpa, Adolph was from the continent, Europe. I thought that I could write a comment about Austria. That is exactly what I did. I am so glad that you enjoyed my comment! I will keep posting more.
Auf wiedersehen,
Aryana
P.S. Here is a pronunciation key for the German words:
hallo = hollow
auf wiedersehen = off weedersane
bitte = bitay
danke = donkay
I hope you know your German words better now.
Auf wiedersehen again,
Aryana
Dear Mrs. Yollis and her pupils,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Daniel, and I am the Danish soldier that Nicholas brought to school today. Since you are learning about Europe, I thought I teach you a little about my country. I am from Denmark, so I am a Dane.
Denmark is mostly on the Jutland Peninsula. Who knows what a peninsula is?
Surprisingly, Denmark includes Greenland. Yes, it's true! Greenland, the world's largest island, is a large island, that belongs to the Danish people. Few Danes choose to live there.
What informational text can you share about Europe?
Do NOT copy sentences from World Book Online. That is plagiarism, and I will have to arrest you!
Vi ses, (That's Danish for good bye!)
Daniel the Dane
Nicholas' ancestor
Dear Daniel,
DeleteDenmark includes 443 named islands.
Hans Christian Andersen scribed many stories including, "The Ugly Duckling" and "The Snow Queen." Did you know that the movie Frozen originated from "The Snow Queen" ?
I discovered that the Danish Royal Family is probably the oldest monarchy in Europe. My relatives claim that we have royal blood.
Royally Yours,
Nicholas
Dear Daniel the Dane,
DeleteA peninsula is a piece of land surrounded by water on three sides, but it is also connected to mainland. The Alps is the largest mountain system there is in Europe. Europe is the smallest continent not including Australia. Australia is smaller than Europe. There is up to forty nine countries in Europe. Visiting Europe is a dream of mine. I imagine myself strolling along the streets in Europe, sipping hot chocolate and eating croissants.
Sincerely,
Ruby
Dear Ancestor and class,
ReplyDeleteA peninsula is a piece of land with water on three sides and it is connected to land on one side.
I discovered some fascinating facts about Denmark today. Legos were invented in Denmark, and the very first Legoland was constructed in Denmark.
The Danish flag is the oldest flag in the world dating back to 1219.
Denmark is connected by land to Germany, and it is joined to Sweden by a miles long bridge called the Oresund Bridge.
I hope to make the acquaintance of my family in Denmark.
Does anyone know what the colors of the flag are?
Does anyone know how many miles is the Oresund Bridge is if it is 7,845 meters long?
Sincerely,
Nicholas
@ Nicolas,
DeleteYou are correct, a peninsula is a piece of land surrounded by water on three sides. Well done!
I also like how you used html code BOLD your high level verbs. Well done, again!
You mentioned that Denmark is joined to Sweden by the Oresund Bridge. How long is that bridge in miles? in kilometers? I will walk across it tomorrow when we are in Europe!
Warmly,
Mrs. Y♥llis
P.S. I liked meeting your Danish ancestor! :-)
Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,
ReplyDeleteThe place that I want to visit is the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. The Tower is 324 meters( 1,063 ft) tall, it is about the same height as an 81 story building. The tower has three levels for visitors, with restaurants on the first and second. The third level observatory's upper platform is 276 m (906 ft) above the ground,the highest accessible to the public in the European Union. It is the tallest tower in the world and I hope I will go visit there one day with my family.
You're blogging friend,
Liron
@ Liron,
DeleteThe Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, is certainly a destination that many tourist would like to see!
As you might have read in the comments above, I visited the Eiffel Tower. Although it was raining when I was there, I enjoy finally seeing the structure for myself.
Like you, Kayla said the Eiffel Tower is the tallest tower in the world. I do not think that is true. It once was the world's tallest tower, but not now. Please do some research with Kayla and find out about the world's tallest structure and the world's largest tower.
Looking forward to hearing what you two discover!
Your teacher,
Mrs. Y♥llis
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteI am Alexandrina and I am from Portugal.
Here are the facts that I know about Portugal.
Portugal is located in Western Europe. Our country's capital is Lisbon. The most commonly grown crop is grapes, which produces wine. The landscape is mostly flat, but it includes some mountain ranges. Lots of people in Portugal moved to Brazil, which is why people in Brazil speak portuguese
I hope you learned a lot about Portugal!
Sincerely,
Alexandrina (but really Tabitha)
@ Alexandrina (but really Tabitha),
DeleteI have been to your wonderful country! I was there about two decades ago. I went to Lisbon and I stayed in Lagos in the southern part of the country.
It is interesting to think about how the Portuguese language could end up being the language spoken in Brazil! When did Portugal begin to explore and colonize in South America?
Nice to meet you, Alexandrina!
Warmly,
Mrs. Y♥llis
Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,
ReplyDeleteMy ancestors are from Russia, on my mom's side, and Asia (China) on my dad's side. My ancestor doll is from China, which is not a part of Europe. It is a part of Asia.
Russia, however, is a part of Europe and Asia. Most of Russia is in Asia. China actually shares a border with Russia. The capital of Russia is Moscow, which is in Europe.
Russia produces large amounts of oil. It is, in fact, one of the world's largest oil producers. Russians drive on the same side of the road as we do, the right side.
These are just a few facts about Russia, which, if you look at its land only, is the largest country in the world.
Sincerely,
Ty
January 7, 2015 at 6:14 PM
Dear Ty,
DeleteYou are correct. Russia is the largest country in the world. What is the largest country that is completely within the border of Europe?
I am the second largest country in the world.
Russia is the largest country in the world, but what is the smallest country in the world?
Do you know what the smallest country in Europe is?
Learning about geography is fun!
Love,
Canada
Dear Canada,
DeleteYou are a very large country! It appears to me that France is the largest country that is within the borders of Europe. It is 211,209 square miles. I see that Vatican City is the smallest country in Europe and the world. It is only .17 square miles! Most people think it is part of Italy.
What is the smallest country in the world outside of Europe?
Sincerely,
Ty
@ Ty,
DeleteYes, I am a very large country! As I said, only Russia is a larger country than me.
Vatican City is so small! It is not even ONE square mile!
What is the smallest country outside of Europe?
Your friend,
The country of Canada
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteWhen we go to Europe, I would like to visit Paris, France. When my mom was pregnant with me, she visited the Eiffel Tower. She said that when she ascended the stairs, I kicked her a lot in the stomach that day, so I think I must have enjoyed it. Here are some facts about Paris:
1. There are 1665 stairs from the ground level to the top of the Eiffel Tower.
2. The Eiffel Tower is the most visited paid monument in the world.
3. The Eiffel Tower is the tallest building in Paris.
4. It is the most famous building in Paris.
When I visit Paris, I would like to discover new foods, explore the museums, view the Mona Lisa and would love to observe a "futball game" which in the United States is called soccer.
Sincerely your Europe Blogging Buddy,
Sean
@ Sean,
DeleteWow! Paris is quite the popular destination!
Double wow: Your mom walked up the 1, 665 stairs?
What are some facts about the Mona Lisa? Who was the artist? How old is the painting?
What countries or waterways border France?
Your geography-loving teacher,
Mrs. Y♥llis
@Sean,
DeleteWhen I was pregnant with Troy, I went to Paris, too! I also went to England, Germany and Austria on that trip. Troy's dad and I found out just a few days before our trip that I was pregnant with Troy. I was just telling Troy the other day that he has been to Europe...he just couldn't possibly remember it. :)
Mrs. Yollis mentioned the waterways surrounding France. We took a waterway to get to France from England. I wonder if you could guess which one?
Sincerely,
Lisa (Troy's mom)
Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,
ReplyDeleteOne country that happens to be located in Europe is Italy. 61.3 million people populate Italy.
Italy’s capital of Rome is also known as the ‘Eternal City’ and is the largest city in Italy. The countries of France, Vatican City, San Marino, and Switzerland border Italy. In fact, Vatican City and San Marino are very small independent states that exist inside Italy.
If you enjoy skiing, you’ll want to ascend the highest mountain named Monte Biano (AKA Mont Blanc) in the Alps. There are three active volcanoes situated in Southern Italy called: Vesuvius, Etna, and Stromboli. Many earthquakes occur because of them.
Since the city of Venice is built on canals, you have to trek around in boats called gondolas. The Italian flag represents the Italian’s virtues of hope (green), faith (white), and charity (red).
One day, I would like to visit Italy and float on a gondola and devour real Italian pizza.
Sincerely,
Derrick
@ Derrick,
DeleteGrazie for the fabulous comment full of informational text about Italy!
Ty mentioned Vatican City when he was talking to the country of Canada. Do you know how small Vatican City is? You will be surprised!
I have heard that Venice has canals. I have also heard that it is sinking. Is that true?
You had some great information about Italy. I enjoyed learning about the flag. I did not know that green stood for hope, that white stood for faith, and that red represented charity. Did you do your research using World Book Online?
Ciao!
Mrs. Y♥llis
Dear Mrs. Yollis,
ReplyDeleteI hanker to visit Saint Basil's Cathedral, which is located in Moscow. Moscow is the capital of Russia, and is one of the world's largest cities!
Moscow is positioned in Western Russia on the Moscow River. Moscow is shaped like a wheel. In the center of Moscow is the Kremlin, the huge group of buildings where the Russian government congregates.
Inside of the Kremlin, there are majestic cathedrals and palaces with gold-colored domes. Moscow has orchestras, theaters, museums, and art galleries.
Sincerely,
Ruby
@ Ruby,
DeleteHoly mackerel! Your verbs are fabulous! To hanker is a verb I have not heard in a long time. Where do you learn new words?
You mentioned visiting Saint Basil's Cathedral. I would love to see that structure one day. That is quite a building! Do you know what they call the style of architecture on the roof?
You mentioned that the city of Moscow is shaped like a wheel. Do you mean it has a city center and the streets shoot out from that center? I'd love to see what that looks like on Google Earth or in person!
Where did you learn about Russia and her buildings?
Your friend,
Mrs. Y♥llis
I am in the capital city of the Czech Republic. Can you find out the name of my city? It is also referred to as "The City of a Hundred Spires". The Czech Republic is in Central Europe and has borders with 4 countries. Can you find them on the map? One of those countries is Slovakia. Czech Republic and Slovakia used to be one country called Czechoslovakia until New Year's Day in 1993.
ReplyDeleteDid you know that the only public location where Mozart performed that is still standing is the Estates Theatre in Prague? It is a beautiful theatre. I went there to see a ballet.
@ Damianne President,
DeleteThank you so much for your comment from the Czech Republic! We will be on the map tomorrow and I will have your answer!
Thanks for being a part of our learning community!
Warmly,
Mrs. Y♥llis
Dear Mrs Yollis,
ReplyDeleteItaly is a great country and I'd love to learn about it.
Here are some facts about Italy:
1. Italy is in southern Europe
2. Italy is a boot-shaped peninsula
3. it is a country known for its pizza and I'd love to visit Italy, and devour the pizza
and heres a hyperlink to the place were I got the facts.
Sincerely,
Nic
@ Nic,
DeleteI echo your feelings about Italy. (What a good verb, no?)
Your hyperlink was correct! That is difficult html code to pull off. Well done!
I love your facts. However, be sure to write in paragraph form rather than numbering your sentences. :-)
Because Italy is boot shaped, it is very easy to spot. What major body of water surrounds Italy? Be careful, it is hard to spell!
Ciao!
Mrs. Y♥llis
Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,
ReplyDeleteLast summer my family and I visited Cancun, Mexico for the very first time. First of all, I would love to go back someday as I think it was one of the best, funnest trips we've taken. We were there for a total of 5 days but I feel that we did so much. We were there for my mom's cousins' wedding and experienced so much more. Aside from seeing many landmarks and the beautiful beaches, we went swimming with the dolphins, golfing, and my favorite part was visiting the town center as we decided to go shopping one day. We went into town to buy some gifts and souvenirs and also learned a little about the culture while shopping. We saw many young girls and boys selling stuff which was very new to me. Life inside the towns seemed so different than life in our resort but I loved every part of it.
Can't wait to go back again one day and see more.
Warmly,
Kayla :]
Dear Mrs.Yollis and Class,
ReplyDeleteI want to tell you about Greece. Did you know Greece isn't called Greece? It is officially called Hellenic Republic. Ancient Greece gave the world democracy. The best olive oil comes from Greece. The Ancient Greeks started the Olympic Games to honor the god Zeus. The Olympic Games continue to this day.
The Greek culture is known for having great food such as, Feta Cheese, Kalamata olives, and Pasticio.
This is how you call your grandparents in greek:
Grandmother in Greek is " Yia Yia"
Grandfather in Geek is " Pa Pou "
These are my Greece facts. I hope you learned something new!
From,
Aryana
@ Aryana,
DeleteWow! You gave us so much wonderful informational text about Austria and now Greece! Well done!
The world has received many wonderful gifts from Greece! Do you ever eat olives or feta cheese? I LOVE them!
The Olympics are enjoyed throughout the world. How often are they held? Where will the next Olympics?
Your Olympic-loving teacher,
Mrs. Y♥llis
Dear Mrs.Yollis,
DeleteThank you so much for commenting back! My dad helped me because his Yia Yias (grandmother) and Pa Pous (grandfathers) came from Greece. I like olives and feta cheese a little bit. I just have to grow into it a little more. The Olympics are held every four years and, the next Olympics is in 2016. The next Olympics is located in Rio De Janeiro. I am so glad that you are interested in Greek culture!
Adío! (bye)
Aryana
Dear Mrs. Yollis and class
ReplyDeleteMy mom was born in Hungary. Hungary is located in Europe. The capital of Hungary is Budapest. Budapest is united by the cities Buda, Pest, and Óbuda with Margaret Island.
Sincerely,
Aiden
@ Aiden,
DeleteWhat a terrific verb, united..
You mentioned that your mom was born in Hungary. When did she move to America? Have you learned any Hungarian?
I have a friend who is also from Hungary. She speaks fluent Hungarian, and she used to be a member of a traditional Hungarian dance troupe. Have you ever visited Hungary? If so, what are the similarities and differences between Hungary and America?
Your geography-loving teacher,
Mrs. Y♥llis
Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,
ReplyDeleteThe place I would like to visit in Europe is Italy. I want to visit Italy because I love Italian Ferrari's. Ferrari's are an Italian luxury sport car made in Maranello Italy. It was founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929. His company, named Scuderia Ferrari, sponsors drivers and manufactures race cars. His company is noted for participating in Formula One racing, where it has had great success. There is a museum in Maranello Italy that displays road and race cars. I would love to visit there one day.
From, Joshua
@ Joshua,
DeleteItaly is a European country that I would like to visit too.
For me, I love the music, the food, and the artwork. For you, it is the Ferrari, which I would say is a piece of art! You must have loved seeing all the cars that were at our school for the holiday Toys-for-Tots charity. Did you see they had a Ferrari?
Your Italian-loving teacher,
Mrs. Y♥llis
Dear Mrs. Yollis' Class,
ReplyDeleteWe live in the County of Wicklow.
It's nickname is 'The Garden of Ireland'
because it is pretty.
Wicklow is on the east coast of Ireland.
We live 39 kilometres south of Dublin.
Dublin is our capital city.
There are 4.5 million people living in Ireland.
There are 3.9 million people living in California.
Ireland is 84,421 km squared.
We see that California is 423,970 km squared,
So we estimate that Ireland would fit
5 times into the state of California
Ireland would fit into the USA
120 times approximately.
We will write more on our blog and send you the link.
That way you can see the pictures
Looking forward to your visit
Merry's Class
Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,
ReplyDeleteI have always been interested in tsunamis. A tsunami usually happens when there is an earthquake under water and the plates slip off each other and form a big gap. This causes a giant wave to form because of all the water sucking into the gap and rushing back out. The highest tsunami ever recorded was 1,740 feet (at least that is what I read on the internet)!
Sincerely,
N♦c
Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,
ReplyDeleteI have found your amazing blog through my Masters course. I just wanted to say hello, as I live in Europe - well, the UK to be precise. I live in a city called Brighton in the South East of England, on the coast. It is a very popular place with lots going on and a famous building called the Royal Pavilion that you might like to look up. I am a teacher working with pupils aged 7-11.
I have been to some of the places mentioned in the other comments - to the top of the Eiffel Tower, to the Vatican and across the Oresund Bridge from Denmark to Sweden - all great fun! I have also visited Salzburg in Austria - where the Sound of Music was filmed - and have been to a beautiful town called Burghausen on the Germany/Austria border, which has the longest castle in Europe - look it up! I have taken my sons to Disneyland in Paris and we hope that one day we will get to see the US version! I have been to the USA once - to Chicago and Wisconsin - and I have lots of friends over there.
Take care and keep up the great learning - as your teacher says, lifelong learning is the best thing :-)
Dear Mrs Yollis' Class,
ReplyDeleteWhat a lot of learning about Europe you have been doing! I am very impressed with all your fact-finding, and your responses to your teacher's questions. Your marvellous map-mat looks like a LOT of fun...
One of the wonderful things about Europe is that it's quite easy to travel around between countries by road, air, or rail. Each European country is very different from its neighbours with different languages, currencies (sometimes, although a lot have the Euro), food and drink, customs & culture. Travelling in Europe is a rich and rewarding experience - I hope your 'travels' this week will inspire you to adventure when you are older! I think I will never get tired of travelling in Europe - this summer my family are going travelling by train through France, Switzerland, Austria, Germany and Holland - maybe more! We are having great fun planning our mega-railway journey! Have a look at the rail network. Where would you go if you had a train ticket for two weeks travel?
Have fun on your journeys!
Mrs Monaghan @ A Room with a View
Dear Mrs. Yollis and Class,
ReplyDeleteI would like to visit Italy to view some exotic birds. I have learned that there are 500 species of birds in Italy, and many of them are scarce in other places. One bird I am interested in spotting is a Lanner Falcon. I researched and learned it is called a Lanario in Italian. I found a video of one soaring in central Italy. I also found a picture from National Geographic.
Photo of a Lanner Falcon
From,
Troy
Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,
ReplyDeleteI would like to visit the United Kingdom and go on the London Eye. I would also like to see Big Ben. I learned on wikipedia that Big Ben is 316 feet tall. The London Eye is 443 feet tall. Can you calculate the difference in height between Big Ben and the London Eye?
Sincerely,
Ethan
Greetings, European Travelers,
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy that you all had the opportunity to visit the giant traveling map of Europe! I think that it is very interesting that, although Europe is one of the most diminutivecontinents in land area, it is one of the greatest in population. According to World Book Online, Asia and Africa are the only continents that have larger populations.
I have journeyed through several European countries by train. A highlight of my travels was visiting Norway. That's because ancestors on both sides of my family were born there. When I was in Norway, I was able to see the house where one of my grandfathers was born and meet cousins I had never met before. They were all so kind and hospitable. We were able to join one family for supper, which, in Norway is a late evening meal that often includes sandwiches, a cheese plate, and sometimes dessert.
One of the most exciting activities for me in Norway was cruising through the fjords, which are long, narrow bodies of water that cut into the land. Fjords are usually surrounded by steep, jagged cliffs, creating a spectacular scene!
I see by your comments that many have you have learned wonderful facts about Europe! I look forward to seeing what else you have learned and what you enjoyed about the map.
Have any of you ever traveled to Norway?
Skål!
Mrs. Ranney