People Who Made a Difference

1. People Who Made a Difference Mrs. Falk’s 2nd Grade Class February 2013

2. Abraham Lincoln By Quinten Hitchcock Would you think that a person who went to school for only one year could be president? The Lincoln family moved to Illinois in 1830. Lincoln ran for president in 1860 and won. Lincoln was a lawyer in Springfield. He became president on March 4, 1861. He was our country’s leader during the Civil War. The famous speech he made was called the Gettysburg Address. Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves. Abe was shot at the play. Abe was born 240 years ago. Abraham Lincoln was known as an honest hardworking president.

3. Alexander Graham Bell By Wyatt Hassinger Alexander Graham Bell was a famous inventor. Alexander is known for inventing the telephone. He was a teacher also. He taught the deaf. Once he taught a person to speak who was deaf and blind. Alec experimented with thin steel reeds and their vibrations. His first words on the telephone were “Mr. Watson. Come here. I want you.” The telephone made Alec rich and famous. He continued his experiments and invented the hydrofoil. This boat was the fastest boat for 10 years. Alexander Bell‘s inventions changed the world. He died at age 53.

4. Benjamin Franklin By Mark Adkins Would you believe that Ben Franklin had so many jobs? Well, he did! He started a library and even owned a printing shop. My hero saved many people. Ben Franklin started a family too. He had three children named William, Francis, and Sarah. Ben was always inventing and experimenting. He made a chair that turned into a ladder. He made a lightning rod and proved electricity and lightning were the same thing. Ben Franklin was very busy. He helped during the Revolutionary War. He helped write the Declaration of Independence. He even helped write rules for the United States government. This became the Constitution of the United States. When Ben was 84 he died. He helped people make America free.

5. Bessie Coleman By AliyahLevin My hero, Bessie Coleman, wanted to go to school instead of picking cotton. She worked hard and finally went to school at the University of Oklahoma. She loved to read and read numbers. She died at 1940 and was born in 1892. Bessie Coleman wanted to fly an airplane. She never gave up her dream. She became the first African American woman to get a pilot’s license. Bessie teaches us to never gave up!

6. Booker T. Washington By Braxton Osborne What do you want to do more than anything? Booker T. Washington wanted to go to school. He had to get a job in a coal mine. Booker T. Washington was a great teacher. My hero was a slave but that did not hold him back. Booker was a great leader and started his work in a coal mine. The Civil War was over and he was no longer a slave. He had to help his family survive. He taught himself the alphabet and studied at night. Booker’s family was poor. Booker was so poor he had to raise money to go to a very big school. Booker got enough money to go to school. When he was sixteen, Booker traveled 500 miles to go to school. He later became a teacher of other African-American students. He gave speeches to tell how everyone could get along. Booker was born in 1856 and died 1915. Booker was famous for making speeches to tell how everyone could get along. He will be remembered as a great teacher and leader.

7. Christopher Columbus BY Michael Razo When he saw land, that is when Columbus was a very happy man! Christopher sailed in and ships sailed out of the busy harbors at Genoa, Italy. His father was a weaver. Christopher Columbus was different and wanted to sail. In the 1400s, people wanted to go to the Indies. It didn’t take Columbus long to get ready. He bought three ships the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. Then, on August 3, 1492, Christopher set sail. They gave the sailors thread, spears, parrots, beads, caps, and bells. They were trying to find Japan where they could get gold. Then, at 2 a.m. on October 12, they sawland. Columbus looked for gold, but he didn’t find much gold. He sent island people to Spain. Christopher Columbus was a great explorer. Maybe he wasn’t the first to find America, but he let Europe know about the New Land.

8. Daniel Boone By Joel Mesich Do you think you could survive the wilderness? If you were Daniel Boone it would not be a problem. Daniel Boone is my hero. Daniel Boone was a great hunter. Daniel Boone would sneak out every night and went to hunt. Daniel traveled and helped settle the wilderness in Kentucky. He rode a horse through the Cumberland Gap. Indians captured him, but he always escaped. The Indians wanted to keep their hunting ground. They could not win. My dad learned about Daniel Boone in school. My uncle is named Boone. Daniel Boone helped people settle new lands in the United States.

9. Eleanor Roosevelt By Krystal Kramer Would you think that someone who was shy could be a president’s wife? Eleanor Roosevelt went to school in England. She married Franklin Roosevelt. She was born in New York City. Her husband, Franklin was elected president in 1932. She saw many unfair things. Many children were working in factories for lots and lots of hours. The factories were stinky and unsafe. Eleanor worked hard to change things. Even though she was shy, she gave speeches. Eleanor Roosevelt helped poor people. She visited people in the hospital. She worked to create jobs. She helped people. She helped change the world!

10. Florence Nightingale By Mackenzie Ray I wonder how it felt to check on patients while carrying a lamp? My hero was Florence Nightingale. She was a nurse in the Crimean War. She started by visiting people in the hospital and then decided she wanted to be a nurse. Her nickname was “Lady with the Lamp”. She helped people in the Crimean War, and ishow she got her nickname as she visited soldiers each night. She lived to be 90 years old. She was born in 1820 and she died in 1910. She was born in Florence, Italy. Florence will be remembered for helping people stay alive from being sick. In 1851, at age 21 her parents agreed to let her study nursing in Germany. She surrounded herself with papers, notebooks, and cats. Two of her books were published in 1861, Notes on Nursing and Notes on Hospitals. Two years later, in 1861 she advised the United States Secretary of war on setting up army hospitals for those injured in the American Civil War. She also advised on improving health conditions in India. Thank you Florence Nightingale for all those you helped and cared for during your life, you were a great person.

11. George Washington Carver By Tristen Rouser Do you like peanut butter? George Washington Carver discovered new things to make with peanuts. He taught people how to become better farmers. George was born a slave. The Carvers were kind to him. He had a talent for growing and planting garden. George went to college to learn about plants. George Washington Carver taught farmers to rotate crops. He showed them how to grow new crops. He made buttermilk, chili sauce, metal polish, instant coffee, mayonnaise, and shaving cream. George Washington Carver was famous for making things out of peanuts. Carver becomes the first African American to graduate from Iowa Agriculture College. Booker T. Washington invited Carver to teach at Tuskegee Institute. President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave Carver a medal for his discoveries in science. Carver was a thinker. He figured out over 300 uses for peanuts. George was born in 1864 and died in 1943. He wanted to make people happy.

12. George Washington By GohanCerros George Washington was very tall. He liked to ride a horse. George grew up in Virginia. His dad died so he did not have money to go to school. He learned to be a surveyor and measure land. When he was older he became a soldier. He was asked to lead a new army against the British. He helped fight with the colonies for freedom. After the war, George Washington became the first president of the Unites States. He led our country and became known as the father of our country. His picture is on the dollar bill. Thank you, George Washington.

13. Harriet Tubman By ZaMayiaBrown My hero Harriet Tubman fought for good causes. She wanted to end slavery. She was born a slave. She was brave. Her name is AramintaRoss, but she was called Harriet like her mother. Harriet wanted to be free. She escaped through the Underground Railroad. She wanted to help other slaves to be free too. She knew it would be dangerous to help if she was caught. She helped over 300 people get to freedom. Harriet lived to be 93. She died in 1913. She was born in 1820. Harriet was a brave woman!

14. Helen Keller By Hailey Harrison I wonder how it felt to be blind and deaf. My hero’s name is Helen Keller. She was blind and deaf. Annie Sullivan was her teacher. Helen learned how to read braille and to speak. She had to feel people’s mouth to know what they were saying. Annie taught Helen Keller how to eat and brush her hair. Helen Keller learned to communicate with other people. She and Annie became a team. Helen graduated from Radcliffe College. She traveled around the country teaching about the blind. Helen died in 1968. She is a hero because she never gave up and taught people that everyone can learn!

15. Louis Pasteur By Ethan Miller My hero is the father of microbiology. Louis Pasteur studied salt crystals. Louis also made a vaccine for rabies. Louis gave the rabies vaccine to a boy. This vaccine saved the boy. Louis also found that heat can kill germs. This is called pasteurization. This process is still used to make our milk safe. Louis died in 1895 when he was 72 years old. Louis was born 166 years ago. Louis Pasteur was a great scientist. His work has saved many lives.

16. Neil Armstrong By Garrett Donohue Do you think somebody would be afraid to land on the moon? Neil Armstrong was the first one to land on the moon. Neil was born in Wapakoneta, Ohio on August 5, 1930. Neil was 16 when he started flying. He signed up to be a pilot. Flying was his dream. When he was 20 he became a fighter pilot in the Korean War. He was the youngest pilot in his squadron. Neil had one of the fastest aircrafts. Neil Armstrong dreamed of becoming an astronaut. His dream came true and he was sent into space. In 1969, he traveled to the moon. Neil Armstrong said, “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.’’ The astronauts were in space for 8 days. Armstrong and his crew collected samples of the moon rock. The surface was powdery but firm. They explored in different places on the moon. Neil did not ever go in space again. But he did ride around in his jet plane. Armstrong made one of the most exciting journeys ever!

17. Orville and Wilbur Wright By Joseph Jaskiewicz Can you imagine not having an airplane? You can thank Orville and Wilbur Wright for their invention. Did you know that the Wright family made bikes? You better believe it! They were called the Wright Special. They invented the first airplane with an engine. They did not get it to fly the first time, but they tried until they got it right. They flew the airplane at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Wilbur was born on April 16, 1867. Orville was born on August 19, 1871. Wilbur died May 30, 1912 and Orville died on January 30, 1948. The Wright brothers kept making airplanes better. Thanks to them we can fly hundreds and hundreds of miles.

18. Pocahontas By Allia Rivera There are many stories about Pocahontas. She was a real person. She helped John Smith and John Rolf. Pocahontas helped the Englishmen learn to hunt and grow food. The English needed help from Pocahontas. She won their hearts with her kindness. Pocahontas had a big family. She died when she was 22 years old. Pocahontas will be remembered for helping the first English colony in America.

19. Sacajawea By Tianna Allen My hero played an important part in history. Sacajawea helped Lewis and Clark by showing other Native Americans that they were peaceful. Sacajawea will be remembered by having 23 monuments built in her honor. She showed strength, courage, and independence. She helped open the west. Sacajawea knew where to find and how to cook roots, nuts, berries, and other plants that explorers could eat. Sacajawea knew her way through the mountains. She spoke French and knew a lot about the Lewis and Clark Expedition. We can thank Sacajawea for being part of our countries history. She died in 1884. She lived to be 96 years old.

20. Sojourner Truth By Abby McPike Do you think Sojourner Truth freed slaves? Yes, she did! She wanted equality for everyone. Her son was a slave. Then she went to court to speak for her son’s freedom. He then became free. She moved to New York to work as a servant. She was not happy there. She joined a church and was blamed for the death of one of the leaders. She again went to court and was awarded money for her innocence. She traveled and spoke against slavery. She thought women should have rights. She wrote a book and gave speeches that all people should be free. Abe Lincoln signed her book. Sojourner Truth was born in Harley, New York in 1797. She died in Battle Creek Michigan, in 1883 at the age of 84 years old.

21. Thomas Edison By Lucas Hadley What would it be like if we did not have a light bulb? Well, a person worked hard and made sure we had light. He made the first light bulb. He put the light in the lantern. The light had gas in the bulb. My hero is Thomas Edison. He invented a lot of things. He invented the phonograph. A phonograph is like an iPod because it plays music and records voices. He worked until the age of 80. He died in 1931. Many of Edison’s inventions can be seen today! He invented the first talking movie, the copy machine and a microphone. Thomas Edison will be remembered for the inventions he created.

22. Thomas Jefferson By Brian Witten My hero wrote the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson wanted our country to be free. Thomas was a great writer. He was the third president of the U.S. His biggest accomplishment as president was the Louisiana Purchase. He bought the land from France and doubled the size of the United States. Thomas Jefferson died exactly 50 years after the Declaration of Independence was adopted.

23. A special Thank You to Mr. Martinez’s 5th Grade Class for helping make this project possible. We would also like to thank the people that help us each day at Crisman School. Through our biographies, we have learned that there are heroes all around us. We have discovered that we can all be a hero!