3rd+Grade+US+Places

A few years ago, CNN made a list called "15 places kids should see by the age of 15".....Click HERE to see the list.

Below is my list of places we will be studying! I decided, after much thought, that I wanted to make my list **__//"12 places Mr. McGee wants his students to see at some time in their life!"//__**

Below are the 10 places. TAKE YOUR TIME, read, enjoy, learn. There are orange bricks that separate the places. You'll see, its just like a big divider after each place on my list.

The photo below is Independence Hall...just think of the history. Thats where our country was born!! Its found on chestnut St. in Philly. It was built from 1732-1756, it took a long time! Do you see at the top of the building, above the clock, there is a place for a bell? Well I bet you can guess which bell used to be there!!! On July 8, 1776, the bell was rung and it was meant to "call" all Philadelphia residents to the hall, so they could hear the very first reading in public of the Declaration of Independence.
 * __Place #1: Philadelphia, PA__**

The Liberty Bell: Ben Franklin is probably Philadelphia's primary mascot. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, James Madison – they got to be president, but calling them "beloved" is a stretch. Philly loves Ben Franklin, as evidenced by something being named after him every 10 feet – Franklin Square, Ben Franklin Parkway, Ben Franklin Bridge, Franklin Field, Franklin Mills, the Franklin Institute ... our hardcore soccer fans even call themselves the Sons of Ben. It's hard not to love Franklin, who was an abolitionist before it was cool, ran the Onion paper in the 18th century, was central to setting up a new form of government, played the wine glasses, proved that lightning was electricity, and essentially invented the modern American library, hospital, postal service, public college and reformatory prison. This guy's life is fascinating; find out more about him at the Benjamin Franklin Museum, which recently reopened after a long renovation. (thanks to the guardian.com for the info) Philadelphia Timeline Philadelphia Fun things to do Philadelphia Independence Hall Benjamin Franklin Museum

HERE WE START





__//**Place #2: Boston, MA.**//__ Below is FENWAY PARK. This is where the Red Sox play their home games. Its a beautiful stadium that I have personally been to 4 different times, and each time I just love being there. Think of all the history that happened there, all the famous players who have played games there. Its also used for concerts, and many famous music groups have played there. The location is amazing- its built right in the middle of the city. It can hold 37,499 people and was opened in 1912.







Boston Timeline Boston 30 fun things to do Boston The Freedom Trail



//__** Place #3 New York City **__// The pics below show 2 AMAZING places in NYC. First is the Statue of Liberty, which was a gift to us from France. Views from the Statue: http://www.nps.gov/stli/photosmultimedia/webcams.htm

Live view: http://www.earthcam.com/usa/newyork/statueofliberty/

The second photo is the One World Trade Center, or Freedom Tower. It is the 4th tallest skyscraper in the world, and the largest in the Western Hemisphere. It is 1776 feet tall. It opened in November of 2014 and cost: $3.9 Billion to build. It stands on the northwest corner of the place where the original Twin Towers stood.

Here is some info on visiting the Statue of Liberty: http://www.nps.gov/STLI/planyourvisit/index.htm

Here are some fun things to do in NYC: https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=what%20is%20there%20to%20see%20in%20nyc



Below, the Statue of Liberty along with Ellis Island. 



__//**Place #4 Walt Disney World in Orlando Florida**//__ Disney has been open since 1971. It is the most visited vacation resort on Earth, with 52.5 million people going every year.



1. Walt Disney bought the 43 square miles of Central Florida swampland for Disney World for $5 million, or about $185 an acre.  Alan Solomon Chicago Tribune One of the many attractions at Disney World is the German Pavilion at Epcot, which was finished by Walt Disney's brother, Roy, after Walt's death, though it was scaled back. 2. Walt Disney died of complications of lung cancer on Dec. 15, 1966, before the first shovel of dirt was moved on construction of Disney World. 3. 10,000. That was the number of people in attendance for Disney World's soft opening on Oct. 1, 1971. But the grand opening later that month — which included performances by Julie Andrews, Bob Hope and Glen Campbell — was televised nationally. Today, the Magic Kingdom alone averages about 47,000 visitors a day. 4. Disney World has closed three times, all in anticipation of hurricanes: Sept. 15, 1999, for Floyd; Sept. 4-5, 2004, for Frances; and Sept. 26 of that same year for Jeanne. 5. It took less than 30 minutes to evacuate thousands of guests from the theme parks on Sept. 11, 2001. 6. After the Sept. 11 attacks, the Federal Aviation Administration put a flight restriction over the Disney World resort. It extends out in a three-mile radius from Cinderella's Castle and up to 3,000 feet. 7. An estimated 1.65 million pairs of eyeglasses have made their way to Disney World's lost-and-found bins since 1971. Every year, the park finds an average of 6,000 cellphones, 3,500 digital cameras and 18,000 hats. 8. Wondering about the weirdest things ever found? How about a glass eye, a prosthetic leg and a potty trainer — all of which were claimed. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">9. A married couple from Boynton Beach, Fla., Alex and Donna Voutsinas, realized years later that they were coincidentally photographed together at Disney as children. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">10. The Walt Disney World resort is about the size of San Francisco, and only about 35 percent of its more than 27,000 acres has been developed. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">11. Mickey has more than 290 outfits, from a scuba suit to a lighted tuxedo. Minnie? She has more than 200, from cheerleading attire to evening gowns. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">12. Stretched end-to-end, the hats with Mickey ears sold at Disney World would span about 175 miles. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">13. Cinderella's Castle is made out of fiberglass, and it stands 189 feet tall. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">14. Disney World's biggest theme park, Animal Kingdom, encompasses 403 acres. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">15. The latest creatures at the Animal Kingdom are the blue people of "Avatar." A new section, with interactive 3-D rides, is planned to open between 2015 and 2016 at a cost of about $400 million. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">16. The Animal Kingdom features more than 3,000 species in its 4 million trees and plants. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">17. Inside the upper levels of Cinderella's Castle is an apartment that Walt Disney intended to use when he and his family were in Florida. It was left unfinished when he died, until Disney announced in 2006 that it would be turned into a deluxe suite, which is awarded randomly to a family every day. It comes complete with 24-karat gold tile floors and a "magic mirror" that turns into a television. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">18. The Land ride at Epcot isn't just for entertainment. More than 30 tons of fruit and vegetables are grown there every year for Disney restaurants. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">19. If you were to stay in a different room every night at the Disney World resorts, to sleep in them all would take you 68 years. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">20. More than 500 of the young trees around Disney World properties started out as acorns from the "Liberty Oak," the focal point in Liberty Square in the Magic Kingdom. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">21. Disney World employs more than 62,000 as part of its "cast," making Walt Disney World the largest single-site employer in the United States. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">22. What does Epcot mean? Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">23. How did Epcot work out? As envisioned, it would be a working community of about 20,000 people, who would live with futuristic "push-button" technology in their daily lives. But after Walt Disney's death in 1966, brother Roy O. Disney scaled back the social experiment into a world's fair with a vision into "tomorrow." <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">24. The original idea for Epcot did come to fruition, in a way. Disney built the town of Celebration, which at the 2010 census housed about 7,500 people. The town, which was constructed beginning in 1996, used to be operated by Disney but is now mostly autonomous. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">25. It's the late voice actor Jack Wagner you hear telling you to stand clear of the doors on the Disney World monorail. You can also hear his recording aboard the tram at the Orlando International Airport. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">26. Disney's infrastructure has more than 270 buses, making it the third-largest bus system in the state, behind Jacksonville and Miami. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">27. The newest roller coaster at any of the Disney World parks, Expedition Everest at the Animal Kingdom (aka the Yeti ride) is the tallest of any of the parks' at just a shade under 200 feet. Space Mountain at 180 feet is puny by comparison. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">28. Ever notice the water tower wearing the giant Mickey ears at Disney's Hollywood Studios? If you made actual Mickey ears for it, the "Earffel Tower" would wear a size 342¾. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">29. There's only one harpist at the Disney World Parks. You can hear him nightly, over dinner at Victoria & Albert's, the restaurant at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">30. If you look closely at the mosaic mural on the fourth-floor lobby of Disney's Contemporary Resort, you can see a five-legged goat facing the monorail track. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">31. Disney World decorates more than 1,500 Christmas trees at holiday time. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">32. There are more than 81 holes of golf on five courses on the property. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">33. If you dress up folks in all the shirts sold at Disney World in one year, you'd have enough for every resident of the state of Montana (pop. 974,989.) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">34. When Disney World opened, adult admission to the Magic Kingdom cost $3.50. Today it costs $85. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">35. In 1976, 50 replicas of the Liberty Bell were made out of the original's cast, and one was donated to each state. Since Philadelphia had the original, it agreed to give its replica to Disney, making Florida the only state with two replica bells. (The other Florida replica is in Melbourne.) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">36. Before it became strictly a theme park, Disney's Hollywood Studios (originally called Disney-MGM studios before a legal falling out) was designed to be a working studio. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">37. The first film made at Disney's Hollywood Studios was "Ernest Saves Christmas." <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">38. Television shows were filmed at Disney's Hollywood Studios, too. "The Mickey Mouse Club" featured soon-to-be stars Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Ryan Gosling and Christina Aguilera. No shows are filmed there today. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">39. Jane Eisner, wife of former Disney CEO Michael Eisner, came up with the "I'm going to Disney World!" campaign, Michael Eisner wrote in his 1998 memoir. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">40. Disney World flew its flags at half-staff on the day Apple co-founder Steve Jobs died. Jobs was Disney's largest single shareholder (7 percent), and he was on the board of directors.



Place #5 Chicago, Illinois

CHICAGO IS HOME TO...

 * 237 square miles of land
 * An estimated 2.7M residents
 * More than 200 theaters
 * Nearly 200 art galleries
 * More than 4,700 restaurants
 * 77 community areas containing more than 100 neighborhoods
 * 26 miles of lakefront
 * 36 annual parades
 * 19 miles of lakefront bicycle paths
 * 552 parks

Lincoln Park Zoo is one of only 3 Major zoos in our country that is FREE!! Click here: http://www.chicagotraveler.com/kids-things-to-do.htm to see a site that lists fun Chicago things for kids to do.

Click here: https://www.google.com/search?q=chicago+attractions+free&oq=&aqs=chrome.2.69i58j0i66l3j5i66l2.102462j0j4&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=91&ie=UTF-8#safe=strict&q=what+to+do+in+chicago to see some general info on Chicago.

Keep this in mind... The Willis Tower is the 2nd tallest building in the US, and for $19 you can go to the top. Be ready to wait in line though. Don't expect to get ketchup on your hot dog! If you want it, you'll have to PAY for it from McDonalds! If you get real Chicago style pizza, expect deep, thick crust, meaty, cheesy deliciousness!





View from Willis Tower!



CHICAGO FIRSTS

 * Mail Order Business, 1872
 * Roller Skates, 1884
 * Steel-framed Skyscraper, 1885
 * Elevated Railway, 1892
 * Cracker Jacks, 1893
 * Cafeteria, 1895
 * Car Race, 1895
 * Zipper, 1896
 * Municipal Cultural Center, 1897
 * Window Envelope, 1902
 * Rotary Club, 1905
 * American Nobel Prize-winner, 1907
 * Comprehensive Municipal Plan, 1909
 * U.S. Meat Slicer, 1909
 * Automated Bread Factory, 1910
 * Zoot Suit, 1920s
 * Malted Milkshake, 1922
 * Pinball Game, 1930
 * Planetarium in W. Hemisphere, 1930
 * Hostess Twinkie, 1930
 * All-Star Baseball Game, 1933
 * Blood Bank, 1937
 * Spray Paint, Late 1940s
 * Controlled Atomic Reaction, 1942
 * Daytime TV Soap Opera, 1949



Place # 7 Las Vegas, Nevada







This site has info for kids... @http://www.vegaskids.info/

For your Hoover Dam Project: a. Your name and a title b. Correct spelling and punctuation c. At least 6 facts about the Hoover Dam d. At least 2 great pictures of the Dam

Make sure you include the years it was built and how many people benefit from the electricity that is produced.



Place #9 Grand Canyon National Park, AZ

Grand Canyon pics

Grand Canyon's Page

See all the different tours

Facts for kids

Some more good stuff

ANIMAL CARDS- AMAZING SITE!!!!!!!!

This is totally unrelated, but there is something called "The Grand Canyon of PA", click to learn more.

Your Grand Canyon project: YOU NEED TO USE PROPER GRAMMAR, DO NOT COPY AND PASTE ANY TEXT

a. Your name and title b. At least 5 animals that live in the Grand Canyon c. How old is the canyon d. What river created the canyon e. who lived in the canyon for thousands of years f. In what state could I find the Grand Canyon g. Size of the Grand Canyon (how deep, how wide at its farthest point, how wide at its closest point) h. choose at least 1 other "DID YOU KNOW" about the canyon

Some nearby places...

Red Rock, Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, Valley of Fire info

Pictures:

Hoover Dam

[|Lake Mead]

Red Rock Canyon

Valley of Fire

Facts:

Hoover Dam

How does the Hoover Dam work?

B of R

Salaries of Hoover Dam Workers

People that died while making the dam

Timeline of Important Events leading to the Hoover Dam's Completion


 * //__Keep this in mind...__//**

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #373737; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13.0219px; vertical-align: baseline;">**The primary purpose of the Dam is to control the waters of the Colorado River during the flood periods eliminating yearly threat of flood damage to the fertile regions below the Dam.**

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #373737; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13.0219px; vertical-align: baseline;">**Secondarily, the Dam and Lake Mead (which it impounds) provide storage of the annual runoff of the Colorado River, thereby assuring a stable water supply for irrigating hundreds-of-thousands of acres of land in southern California and southwest and central Arizona.**

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #373737; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13.0219px; vertical-align: baseline;">**In addition, while serving all its major purposes of a) flood control, b) improvement of navigation, and c) regulating the flow to provide storage for the orderly release of impounded water to supply irrigation and domestic uses, __hydroelectric power__ is generated to assist in the repayment of the Dam’s construction, with interest, and provide the financial means to provide for annual operation, maintenance and repair of the facilities.**

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #373737; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13.0219px; vertical-align: baseline;">**Millions of people receive electricity produced by the dam, but h****ow does a generator produce electricity? Read on...**

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Water flows through large pipes inside a dam and turns a large wheel called a turbine. The turbine turns a shaft which rotates a series of magnets past copper coils and a generator to produce electricity. This converts the energy of falling water into mechanical energy to drive the generator.

Here’s a more detailed explanation: The water’s force on the blades of the turbine turns a rotor – a series of magnets - which is the rotating portion of the generator where a magnetic field is created. The stator is the stationary part of the generator made of coils of copper wire. Electricity is produced as the magnets of the rotors spin past the stationary wiring of the stator. This concept was discovered by scientist Michael Faraday in 1831 when he found that electricity could be created by rotating magnets within copper coils.



Place #10 Washington, DC









Above is an example of something you can see at the National Archives...it is a letter written by a Dr. who was in Ford's Theatre when President Lincoln was shot. He was only a few weeks out of medical school and tried to save the President.

Attractions Trolley Stops National Mall Mount Vernon Monuments Washington Monument Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Lincoln Memorial White House National Mall Smithsonian Museums Vietnam War Wall Memorial Ford's Theatre Jefferson Memorial World War 2 Memorial MLK, Jr. Memorial Korean War Memorial Pentagon Memorial International Spy Museum Treasury Department for Kids National Archives National Archives Rotunda National Archives Museum US Capitol Capitol Rotunda U.S. Supreme Court U.S. Supreme Court 2 Library of Congress (visits) Library of Congress (about) LOC interesting facts Bureau of Engraving and Printing Tidal Basin National Zoo Smithsonian Information- GREAT resource Smithsonian Natural History Virtual Tour Pentagon (incl. video) Another Pentagon Video DC Geography



Place #11 Mount Rushmore, South Dakota

Believe it or not, the last picture is Mt. Rushmore before carving began.

Mt. Rushmore facts

http://www.nps.gov/moru/faqs.htm

How did it get its name? Read below to find out:

http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2009/06/mount-who-how-did-famous-park-get-its-name



Place #12 Yellowstone National Park- Wyoming, Montana, Idaho



(This is Old Faithful)

NPS

Geology

LARGE PDF of Yellowstone animals

Good list of wildlife

What is a geyser?

OLD FAITHFUL!!

Streaming view of Old Faithful



Place #18 Redwood National/ State Parks, CA