September 12, 2012

Four Famous Places to Visit

Mount Rushmore, South Dakota
 

This famous landmark has the faces of four Presidents carved into the mountain.
 
Designed by Danish sculptor Gutzon Borglum who worked with a crew of 360 people, the sculpture was begun in 1927 and completed in 1942. Can you figure out how many years that is? Each face is about 60 feet tall. It is believed that President Washington symbolizes independence; President Jefferson symbolizes democracy; President Lincoln symbolizes equality; and President Roosevelt symbolizes the United States role in world affairs. President Roosevelt is also responsible for the formation of our National park system.

 
The Statue of Liberty, New York
 
 
This symbol of freedom was a gift from France.
 
The Statue of Liberty is also a tribute to the friendship between France and the United States during the American Revolution. The statue is 111 feet, 1 inch tall and is made of 225 tons of copper.
 
 
The U.S. Capitol Building
 
 
The Capitol is home to the U.S. Congress.
 
The famous dome is made of cast iron topped by the bronze Statue of Freedom. The capitol is open for tours. Visitors can see many famous works of art, statues, and historic parts of the building.
 
 
The Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco
 



 
This bridge crosses the Golden Gate strait which connects the Pacific Ocean to the San Francisco Bay.
 
This bridge is the 9th largest suspension bridge in the world. It was designed by Joseph Strauss, Irving Morrow, and Charles Alton Ellis. The bridge was completed in 1937.
 
 

September 6, 2012

America the Beautiful

The United States of America is our home country and the beginning of our Around the World Adventures. Here is a map of the United States showing our fifty states:

Image obtained from: http://www.rightsofthepeople.com/education/government_for_kids/images/icons/us_map.jpg


Betsy Ross designed a beautiful flag for our nation. Her flag had thirteen stars - one for each of the colonies. It looked like this:
Image obtained from: https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSaVaE1PdD7CIgGcpEJMrDu5cI10ecsQ3cyTv7Alb0E8s1M2pybJw



Today our flag has the stars arranged in rows. There is a star for each state. Our flag still has thirteen stripes symbolizing the original thirteen colonies.
 
Image obtained from: http://www.flagline.com/images/us-flag-flying.jpg

 

 

May 22, 2012

Sites to See in Australia

Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is one of the most famous performing arts centers in the world. It is located in Sydney Harbor.


Australia Zoo

The Australia Zoo, home of the Crocodile Hunter, is one of the world's largest animal conservation centers.

Great Barrier Reef
Image obtained from: https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSKB__wNchO62_S3nqnVBl0FnpTvNMAyVv_yuLRl61x7I-5M9t3Yg

The Great Barrier Reef is located in the Coral Sea off the coast of Queensland, Australia. It is the largest coral reef system in the world and can be seen from outer space.

Uluru Rock
This large sandstone rock is located in the Australian Outback. It is known for appearing to change colors during different times of the day and year.

April 30, 2012

Kookaburra!

After reading The Magic School Bus Expedition Down Under by Joanna Cole, it was important to add a picture of the kookaburra to our site. Ms. Frizzle's class searched for the kookaburra during their journey to Australia and did not find one until the last chapter. Then they were surrounded by an entire flock! Here's a picture of the kookaburra:

Here are the lyrics to the song the children in the story learned:

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree
Merry, merry king of the bush is he
Laugh, Kookaburra! Laugh, Kookaburra!
Gay your life must be

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree
Eating all the gum drops he can see
Stop, Kookaburra! Stop, Kookaburra!
Leave some there for me

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree
Counting all the monkeys he can see
Stop, Kookaburra! Stop, Kookaburra!
That's not a monkey that's me

Kookaburra sits on a rusty nail
Gets a boo-boo in his tail
Cry, Kookaburra! Cry, kookaburra!
Oh how life can be 

This song was written by Marion Sinclair in 1932. She lived in Melbourne, Australia. Can you find Melbourne on the map?

April 23, 2012

G'Day Mates

Australia is our next stop on our journey around the world. Known as the "Land Down Under", it lies completely below the equator within the Pacific and Indian oceans. It is both a country and a continent. There are lots of unique and special things to learn about Australia!


Here is a map of Australia:

Here is the flag of Australia:
The upper left corner of the flag looks like the British flag. This is because Australia used to be a colony of Great Britain. The stars on the right form the constellation known as the Southern Cross. The large star on the left has seven points - one for each of Australia's states and territories.

Here are some interesting and fun links where you can learn some more things about Australia:




March 14, 2012

German Army Uniform

Yesterday in class, some of the students were interested in seeing what a German military uniform looked like. I found a picture of a German soldier in his ceremonial dress uniform.



We can compare this to the dress uniforms of the United States Army as shown below.


March 7, 2012

Distance to Berlin and the German national Anthem

Last week, two questions came up during class regarding Germany. I did not know the answers, so I researched them in order to post them today. Here are the results:

1. How far is it to Germany from Washington D.C.?

It is 4182 miles if you could travel in a straight line.

2. What are the words to the German National Anthem?
    
     Unity and law and freedom
     For the German Fatherland
     Let us all strive for that
     In brotherhood with heart and hand
     Unity and law and freedom
     Are the foundation for happiness
     Bloom in the glow of happiness,
     Bloom, German Fatherland!

February 24, 2012

German Holiday Traditions

Learning about the holiday traditions of other cultures is one of my favorite things. Many of the traditions we enjoy here in the United States originated in Germany. Christmas Trees, Advent Calendars, and gingerbread are three examples.
Early records tell us that the Christmas trees were decorated with paper flowers, cookies and candy!

Although it is hard to know for sure, some believe Easter Egg hunts started in Germany. In Germany, some children use dried grass and twigs to make little nests for the Easter bunny to place the decorated eggs. One thing is certain, Easter egg hunts are as popular in Germany as they are here in the United States!
You can find other interesting German traditions for Easter by looking at these websites:
Eggs and Bunnies
Easter Traditions

February 19, 2012

Next stop - Germany

Our next stop takes us to the European country of Germany. Germany is a country full of beautiful sites and cities. Many of our favorite Christmas traditions started in Germany long ago. I think you'll enjoy the journey.

The weather widgets on the side bar now show Arlington, VA and Berlin, Germany.

Here is a map of Germany:


Here is the German flag:


Here are some links that may be useful for your research:




February 3, 2012

China

Hello Everyone! Our first country is China. You can on the side bar to compare the weather in Beijing, China, with the weather here in Arlington, VA. You will also find links to some websites that will help you with your Visitor's Guides. In the future, I will have a place where you can write your own favorite things you are learning about China. So get ready, everyone! Adventures await us!


Here is a map of China:


Here is the flag of China:

 
China has lots of exciting places to visit. Here are four that are special:
 
The Great Wall of China


This is the longest man-made structure on earth. It is 4,000 miles long. It was built to guard China from its northern enemies.
 
Xian's Terracotta Army
 
This is a collection of more than 8,000 life size soldiers built more than 2,000 years ago. They were discovered in 1974 by a group of farmers.
 
The Forbidden City
 
The 9,999 rooms were built to be the home and center of government for two dynasties.
 
Giant Panda Reserve
 
This was built for the care and conservation of pandas.
 
 

 
 
Here are some websites to help you with your research: