Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Fotobabble Biographies!

We used our iPads to photograph our biography dioramas and artifacts. We complemented our artwork with some audio using the a web tool called Fotobabble.

Some of the Fotobabbles were too wide, so Mrs. Yollis showed everyone how to adjust the HTML code. It was easier than it looked!

Photo by Bennett

 We hope you enjoy our presentations! Presenting information without stammering or saying useless sounds like ummmm was difficult. We practiced many times before we recorded. 


  LOUIS BRAILLE by Shayna NEIL ARMSTRONG by Bennett HELEN KELLER by Mallory JANE GOODALL by Kiernan JACKIE ROBINSON by Daniel Mr. Robinson was the first black man to play in Major League Baseball (MLB). STEVE JOBS by Heather ELIZABETH BLACKWELL by Aashi WRIGHT BROTHERS by Peter BENJAMIN FRANKLIN by Bryce JOHN AUDUBON BY NATE SALLY RIDE by Savannah RONALD REAGAN by Ryan AMELIA EARHART by Collin MONET by Abbey NORMAN ROCKWELL by Chloe PABLO PICASSO by Grace HARRIET TUBMAN by Jenna ANSEL ADAMS by Katelyn ABRAHAM LINCOLN by Ali SUSAN B. ANTHONY by Keira THOMAS JEFFERSON BY Parsa What did you learn from our presentations? What is something you noticed about the dioramas or the artifacts? What did you think of our audio recordings?


  1. Dear Thomas Edison,

    My name is Amelia Earhart, and I accomplished many challenges such as being the first woman to be in an airplane across the Atlantic.

    I am so pleased with your inventions. Without the light bulb, how would we be seeing right now? I have many questions for you, but I am most interested in what got you thinking about being a famous scientist?

    I also enjoyed looking at Helen Keller's diorama. I loved how she put a water pump with her standing next to it showing us how she learned what water was. What was the pump made out of?

    Your Flying Friend,

    Amelia Earhart (Collin)

    1. @ Amelia,

      You asked me what got me started on science. I got started on science when my mom gave me science books to read. She gave me science books because I asked too many questions in school. I was taken out of school because of that.

      Thank you for saying that humans today would not be seeing without the light bulb. What got you started of flying?

      When I spotted Harriet Tubman's diorama, it caught my eye. I liked how she did creative decorations. Did you like Harriet's diorama?

      Your bright light friend,

  2. Dear Ansel Adams,

    Your photographs are superior! They would probably make Mother Nature proud!

    I was wondering, why did you want to take pictures of nature when there so many other things out there?

    The thing I liked most about your diorama was the camera and life-like bird. I had to look twice to make sure it was not a real bird!

    Because you are a photographer, I have a question for you:

    How do you take pictures of things that are constantly moving?


    1. Dear Mallory,

      Thank you for the compliments. I take pictures by pressing the focus button, and you should press it before you take any kind of photo!

      I cherished Helen Keller. She did amazing things. Not only was she blind, but also deaf.

      Your picture taking friend,
      Ansel Adams
      [aka Katelyn]

  3. Paplo Picasso [Grace]June 4, 2013 at 1:30 PM

    Dear Harriet Tubman,

    I loved your diorama because of the way that you were crossing the river in the background and that you were in a forest.

    I think you were so brave to abolish slavery.

    I believe that during the Civil War, you served as a nurse, scout, and spy for the Union Army, is that true?

    What was the scariest or hardest part of slavery? Who were the other people that helped conduct the Underground Railroad?

    Pablo Picasso

  4. Dear Norman Rockwell,

    I love your style of art.

    What inspired you to start painting? I started taking pictures when I was five. I moved to Yosemite National Park, and gave tours with people. I have loved nature since I was a baby.

    I also have a question for Harriet Tubman. How did you free all those slaves?

    Your Friend,
    Ansel Adams

  5. Claude Monet (Abbey)June 4, 2013 at 1:38 PM

    Dear Thomas Edison,

    Wow! It's expressive that you created light bulb! In your Fotobabble I saw you in your lab building the famous light bulb. Thomas, what kinds of materials did you use to make the light bulb? How ever you did it, it was amazing! We still use light in the twenty-first century in our homes, school, and in local places. How long did it take to work? Did you ever want to give up?

    Claude Monet (aka Abbey)

    1. @ Claude Monet,

      I sometimes did want to give up, but I never gave up. It took me over one thousand filaments to do it. It lit for 13 hours. A filament is a burnt piece of string. My dear friend Henry Ford put on a celebration for me for the 50th anniversary of the lightbulb. What is cubism?

      The materials I used to make my diorama was bread ties, shoe box, a piece of wood from a game, light bulb, soldering gun, and a battery.

      What do you do after you finish a art work?

      Mr. Edison ( Sean )

  6. Dear Sally Ride,

    I liked how your spaceship is in the background of the moon. You look like you are hot in that suit of yours!:-P I'm proud of you that you were actually the first lady on the moon! I admire you very much.

    Sally Ride, when did you leave earth and when did you step on the moon?

    Your freed slave,
    Harriet Tubman

  7. Dear Benjamin Franklin,

    I admire you. I think that you would have made a excellent president. I have many questions for you, but all of them got beat by this one. Where were you when you were trying to prove lightning is electricity.

    When Steve Jobs invents the iMac please reply to me.


    The Wrights

  8. Elizabeth Blackwell (Aashi)June 4, 2013 at 5:52 PM

    Dear Susan B. Anthony,(Keira)

    It was very bold of you to fight for women's rights.
    I don't exactly know how you did this, but just by listening to it it sounds like an extra hard work.

    I've heard that you voted even though women weren't allowed, and for that you had to go to jail. Is that true?

    I shall be awaiting your comment. :)

    Your friend,
    Elizabeth Blackwell

  9. Dear Claude Monet,

    Bonjour! I find inspiration in you. All of your paintings are fabulous and my favorite is the Water Lilies at the Bridge.

    Do you know Pablo Picasso?


    The Wright Brothers

  10. Dear Mrs. Yollis' class,
    I thoroughly enjoyed the dioramas and Fotobabbles. What fun! You have all learned so much and express yourselves so well. I learned a lot from you, too.
    I also enjoyed reading all your comments. You are definitely a smart bunch of kids!
    Great job!

  11. Dear Thomas Jefferson,

    You were the 3rd President of the United States. I was the 40th president of the United States. There were 37 presidents between our terms.

    Your face is on the rare two dollar bill. Wow! It must be great to have your face on currency. Sadly, I do not have my face on money, but I have a freeway and a library in California.

    Your friend,

    1. Dear Ronald Reagan,

      I know it must feel bad not to have your face in currency, but you have a freeway and a library named after you!

      Life in my days was hard to survive because our medicine was not that good as the medicine that you have, so you are in luck. Sadly, most of my daughters and my wife died. What made you want to be president?

      Thomas Jefferson (Parsa)

  12. Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,

    Thank you for incorporating the Fotobabbles into this post. It really brought the dioramas to life!

    Also, I have enjoyed the comments each of you have left. They are clever and creative.


  13. Jackie Robinson/Wright BrothersJune 5, 2013 at 12:05 PM

    Dear Helen Keller,

    Jackie Robinson and I feel that being deaf and blind is horrible and harsh, but you fought your way through it! How did you hear your teacher or do your schoolwork? Also, were there any hard times you had in your life?


    Jackie Robinson and The Wright Brothers

    aka Peter and Daniel

  14. Bennett and PeterJune 5, 2013 at 12:31 PM

    Dear Amelia Earhart,

    Bennett and I think that you are an exceptional flyer. Flying across the Atlantic Ocean is magnificent. Amelia, you are so inspiring to many other fliers. When did you crash in the Atlantic Ocean? How?

    Your flying buddies,

    Bennett and Peter

  15. Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,

    I was very impressed by the range of people featured in your biographical dioramas. I recognised many of the names and knew something about each I recognised.

    Which names? Edison, Braille, Armstrong, Keller, Goodall, Jobs, Wright Brothers, Franklin, Audubon, Ride, Reagan, Earhart, Monet, Rockwell, Picasso, Lincoln and Jefferson.

    A thought came to mind as I looked and listened to the biographies. What were they like as children? Can you imagine an art class with Monet or Picasso? What about studying science with Goodall, Edison, Armstrong or Ride?

    It can be hard to realise famous people were once children. It’s a pity we don’t have Temporal Google HangOut, i.e. a time machine HangOut. Imagine having a session with one of the people you featured when they were your age. :)

    Ross Mannell
    Teacher (retired), N.S.W., Australia

  16. Dear Mrs. Yollis and class,

    These are fabulous products! So creative! I am thrilled that you were able to narrate your products with FotoBabble, and write comments from the perspective of the famous person.

    I love this idea!

    Kind regards,
    Mrs. Watanabe


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:-) Mrs. Yollis