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Big Annie brings the Christmas Toys

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Big Annie: A Flatboat Captian on the Mississippi River

Activities related to the story of Big Annie, a flatboat captain who, despite all odds, brings Christmas toys from New Orleans up the river to the children of Natchez.

Learn about the cultures, historical times and wildlife along the Mississippi River. Come sing along with the MobiStories version of Big Annie by Sandra Robbins Heave Ho! Pull the boat Big Annie!

Let your mind float back down the river to time. Back to a time when Big Annie could be heard singing along the banks of the Mississippi River...

Big Annie

Big Annie: An American Tall Tale

Big Annie

Big Annie is a flatboat captain on the Mississippi River who uses her amazing strength, to pull a boatload of toys through a terrible storm one Christmas Eve long ago.

Big Annie was written by Sandra Robbins and illustrated by Oku Oseki.
Your child can listen to the sounds of New Orleans jazz and feel the pulse of American work songs while listening to the story of Big Annie read to them in the Mobistories. This multi-sensory approach to this Christmas Eve Tall Tale will engross your children in a heartwarming story of one woman, fighting against all physical odds to bring toys to the children of Natchez Mississippi on a day many years ago.

You and your children will soon be helping Big Annie along by singing: "Heave Ho! Pull the boat Big Annie."
Big Annie is a downloadable Digital Book for Kids
An engaging tale about a boat captain and how she gets toys to the children in time for Christmas Day. Excellent jazzy music accompanies the narration.

A great addition to your holiday library.

Big Annie's Boat

Heave Ho! Pull the Boat Big Annie

Tug Boat from Big Annie

Several kinds of boats were mentioned in the story of Big Annie.

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Big Annie's Flatboat

Pull the Boat Big Annie

Big Annie's Flatboat>

Photo Credit: Flatboat
on WPClipart


Flatboats, keelboats, barges, and arks were the main types of boats that traveled the Mississippi River before steam powered boats were invented. Flatboats were very good at going downstream. They are designed for floating with the current. Once a flatboat reached New Orleans its job was done. Goods going upstream were carried by keelboat. It must have been difficult for Big Annie to paddle and pull the flatboat upstream against the current.

Keelboats required 8 to 20 man crews to row or pull the boat up the Mississippi River. Because the riverbanks are covered with trees, it is rare for there to be enough wind on the river to use sails.

Until 1850 most of the vessels traveling the Mississippi River were flatboats carrying cargo down the river to New Orleans and beyond.
Build a Model Flatboat
Boatmen first traveled the Natchez Trace in 1785 after carrying their cargo on large flatboats down the Mississippi River to New Orleans to sell.

The flatboats could be as long as 60 feet and had space for an animal stable and storeroom in the rear and a cabin divided into rooms by canvas partitions in the middle.

Three men were needed to navigate a flatboat using long paddles attached to either side of the cabin roof and the rear of the boat.
Flatboats and Keelboats
by Gale Research

What are Flatboats?

What kinds of Flatboats could be found on the Mississippi River?

Mississippi National River and Recreation Area - Online Learning: Surf the Mississippi (U.S. National Park Service)
Describe a flatboat. How was it propelled and steered? What were its uses?

Flatboats are strong, box-like boats with flat bottoms, perpendicular sides, and upturned ends.

They sometimes were covered throughout their entire length.

They were constructed to float with the current (they were water-powered) and were steered by large oars or sweeps placed at the ends.

Most flatboats never returned after descending the river; often, they were dismantled and used or sold for lumber at their downstream destination.
Vessel Types on Minnesota's Inland Waters
Flatboats

* Private flatboats: Used to transport people and their belongings, commodities, or produce to downstream markets, mills, or settlement opportunities.

Flatboat with Tent

* Excursion or Pleasure barges: Flatboat barges, some outfitted with canopies, deck furniture and other features needed for accommodating excursionists on day trips or for special events. Such vessels were pushed by steamboats. Showboats (floating theaters) and circus boats, of unknown hull design but pushed by steamers, appeared sporadically on the Mississippi River as far north as St. Paul between 1855 and 1915.

Wanigan

* Wanigan: A sort of houseboat typically used during log drives as a cook shanty, bunkhouse, supply boat, or as a place for rivermen to dry their clothes. Scow or hull construction varied with the demands of local waterways. Many had hulls of hewn lumber. Those used in perilous waters might be reinforced with hewn "knees" or frames. Some wanigans were returned upstream by horses pulling along the riverbanks, while others were dismantled and the parts hauled upstream by sled or rail for re-assembly. Still others became floating bunkhouses near mills, were sold for use further downstream, or were placed on shore and used for sheds or cabins.

* Clamming boats: Narrow, open flatboats outfitted with racks from which to hang the clam bars or pipes used to catch clams. Some clamming boats moved downstream with the aid of a crude submerged sail or "mule". Clamming boats were common on the Vermilion, Cannon, and Mississippi rivers in the late 1800s.
Clamming Boat
Clamming Boat

An illustration of a typical boat used for clamming. Clam fishers in small boats dragged sets of hooks along the river bottom to collect the clams. Clamming for button manufacturing was big business in the late 1800s along the Mississippi River.

Big Annie learns how Boats Float

Make Big Annie's Boat Float

Big Annie learns Why Boats Float

Photo Credit: Frlatboat on Mississippi
on WPClipart


A ship with a large volume of trapped air has a lower density than that of the water it sits in - so it floats.

Set up the Sensory Table with water and have some aluminum foil nearby.

Children experiment with different shapes to see if they can make a boat that floats.

One normally very disruptive child found this activity so engrossing that he would work at it for long periods of time and was soon able to explain to others how and why different shapes worked.
Boat Building Challenge
Learning about boats as part of the Transportation Unit Study. This Challenge was developed by NOAA.

Slideshow of Flatboats

Set up a computer as a movie theater to show the slide show of the flatboats. There seems to be no audio with this show so it encourages children to use their observation skills and make up their own stories.
Flatboat Slideshow
by doccow1 | video info

0 ratings | 284 views
curated content from YouTube

Living on a Flatboat

Big Annie probably Lived on Her Boat

Big Annie

Big Annie must have encountered a lot of people along the river most days. What were those people like? What was it like to live on a flatboat at the time of the Big Annie story? The story of The Floating House will give children a little more perspective on Big Annie's life on a flatboat on the Mississippi River.
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What toys did Big Annie bring to the children of Natchez?

Big Annie Celebrates Christmas on the Bayou

If you were a child living in Natchez at the time of this story, what toys would you like Big Annie to bring you?

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Teddy Bears

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Boats

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Dolls

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Plushies

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Mississippi Riverboats

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Big Annie's Friends

Mississippi River Animals

Shack in Bayou

Shack in Bayou Giclee Print
Graphics, Dynamic
Buy at AllPosters.com



Big Annie got help from the fish and the birds.

What kinds of fish swim in the Mississippi River and what birds fly over the river? Each time you find a new one add, draw a picture of it, label it and add it to the Mississippi River Bulletin Board and watch the way Big Annie's habitat comes alive.

Learn about the Animals Big Annie may have seen along the banks of the Mighty Mississippi.
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Big Annie and Fancy Nancy have French in common

Big Annie

Big Annie and many of her friends in Louisiana probably spoke French. Fancy Nancy also loves to learn the French language. Sail on over to visit Fancy Nancy for some ideas on learning French.
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Big Annie and Old Man River

Passengers Hailing a Riverboat from a Rowboat in Mid-Stream, Early 1800s
Passengers Hailing a Riverboat from a Rowboat in Mid-Stream, Early 1800st
Available at AllPosters.com



The Mississippi River, the place that Big Annie called home, is sometimes called Old Man River.
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Big Annie Braved the Storm

Christmas Eve Storm

A Payaguas Indian Shaman Attempting to Turn Away a Hurricane, Paraguay, 1811
A Payaguas Indian Shaman Attempting to Turn Away a Hurricane, Paraguay, 1811
Buy at AllPosters.com


Learn the science behind the big storm that came the day that Big Annie brought the toys to the children of Natchez.

Talk with the children to see if any of them have experienced a hurricane. What was it like?

On a windy and rainy day,NOT during a thunderstorm, go outside and take a walk. Feel the wind pushing your body. Notice how the rain quickly soaks into your clothes. Imagine how Big Annie felt as she pulled the flatboat up the Mississippi River.
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Big Annie Pulled the Boat up to Natchez through a Big Storm

Natchez Trace

Photo Credit: Boatman's Trail
on TNGenNet, Inc.

Hurricane Katrina Photos
October 02, 2005 New Orleans photos showing the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Imagine what it was like for Big Annie and the people living along the Mississippi when they had no warning of a terrible hurricane.
Natchez Road, Natchez Trace Map, 1800 - 1830s. TNGenWeb Project, TNGenNet Inc.
Originally, the Natchez Road was a series of linked game trails, latter used by America’s ancient First People.
In historic times, the two major First Nations that controlled the area through which ...

Big Annie Sang a Work Song

Big Annie sang a work song to help her keep going when the times got tough, You can take that idea and relate it to the work your children are doing.

When you are working hard at a task such as scrubbing the floors, digging in the garden or even learning to read, work songs can cheer you on.

Try downloading Big Annie and singing along with it as you wipe the dishes or clean up your room. Big Annie's work song can really help.
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Work Songs for Children Inspired by Big Annie

Worksongs for Children

The Boatmen on the Volga, 1870-73
The Boatmen on the Volga, 1870-73
Repin, Ilya...
Available at AllPosters.com

This is The Way We Wash a Day
A wonderful collection of songs to sing while we go about our daily activities with young children. In olden times, singing was a part of daily life. No matter what activity or work was being done, it was always accompanied by singing. Work songs are among the oldest forms of folklore.
Woodworking With Children
This is the way we pound our nails, so early in the morning. This is the way we saw our wood, Saw our wood, saw our wood.
Work Songs
Work songs for children and adults from sailors to slaves, railroad workers to farmers, this is the source for hundreds of work songs.
Important!

MobiStories Goal

Is to improve reading literacy in an entertaining and accessible format.

Riverboat Annie

Here is a song about Riverboat Annie with dozens of pictures of riverboats like the one Big Annie may have used to bring the toys to the children of Natchez on Christmas Day so long ago.

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Big Annie and Her Neighbors of the Antebellum South

African Americans, French Creole and Native Americans

free blacks in antebellum south

Family of free blacks in antebellum south.
Photograph from the Library of Congress.
African-American Heritage - Lower Mississippi Delta Region - National Park Service
Folktales: African-American folktales, rooted in pain, suffering, religion, and joy, resulted in oral and written stories that influenced daily lives, behavior, and knowledge. Folktales convey the history, cultural values, and morals of African-Americans in the Delta.
French Creoles in Louisiana: An American Tale
A Creole is a white person descended from the French or Spanish settlers of Louisiana and the Gulf States and preserving their characteristic speech and culture.
The Treaty with the Choctaw - 1830
The signing of The Treaty with the Choctaws at Dancing Rabbit Creek in 1830 resulted in the removal of the Choctaw people to ...

More Big Annie related Activities

Big Annie
ARTSEDGE: Exploring American Tall Tales
Students study the elements of tall tales, write responses to these tales, and perform them as monologues. Grades 5-8
Mississippi Mosquitos: A Mississippi Tall Tale from American Folklore
Retellings of various types of American folklore and includes folktales, legends, ghost stories and myths from each of the fifty states. Check out characters such as Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox, Pecos Bill, Johnny Appleseed and Ethan Allen as we explore American folktales from every region.

News from 1830!

What was happening in the world when Big Annie saved Christmas?

free blacks working on an antebellum plantation

Free blacks working on an antebellum plantation at the time that Big Annie saved Christmas.

Free blacks in the antebellum period were numerous in the South but were relegated to second class citizenship and were watched carefully. Big Annie was probably not a slave.
Antebellum History Timeline
1789-1860
The Transportation Revolution
The transportation revolution involved the creation of canals, turnpikes, and steam-powered travel on the riverways.

Big Annie worked on the Fastest Transportation System in America

Big Annie In 1780, traveling North and South you could do well. A river boat traveled at about 5 mph.
Quest for Speed: Transportation and Communication Timeline
The earliest transportation within the U.S. at speed was river boats, up and down the Ohio, Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. The first flat boat to traverse the Mississippi to New Orleans was 1782. Steamships began in 1790. Robert Fulton's steamship made the 150-mile voyage between New York and Albany in 32 hours, averaging a speed of 5 miles per hour, about 1807. By 1823 Ohio had 800 miles of canals. The steampship Titanic, in 1912 on the sea, could do 20 mph (23 knots).

Big Annie and the Transportation Revolution

Big Annie Benefited from the Transportation Revolution

Big Annie's work was possible because President Jefferson had bought the Louisiana Purchase which opened up the Mississippi River to commercial traffic and because of the transportation revolution which involved the creation of canals, turnpikes, and steam-powered travel on the riverways.
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Mississippi River Board Game

Big Annie cruses the Mighty Mississippi

Mississippi Queen



From Gameboard Geek
In this light, fun family game, players race their paddleboats down the Mississippi, picking up passengers along the way. But onboard coal supplies are limited, so each ship's acceleration and maneuvers must be carefully planned. Perhaps most interestingly, the twists and turns of the river are unknown at the start of the game, and are only revealed as ships progress downstream.

More games related to navigating the Mississippi River:
Nautical Trivia
Are you a seasoned seaman looking for a fun way to pass the time with your friends, and prove who is the most knowledgeable of the bunch? Are you new to boating and want to learn about it in a fun and entertaining way? Look no further than Capt'n Pike's Cruising North America board game.
Captain Pikes Cruising North America - Product Reviews, Photos, Best Price Sales & Where to Buy
Choose your vessel and cruise the West Coast, Gulf Coast, East Coast, Mississippi River system and the Great Lakes while answering nautical questions about weather, navigation, boat handling, marlinspike, seamanship, local points of interest and history. Great fun for all who have owned a boat and dreamed of cruising!

Mississippi River Unit Studies

Little Toot on the Mississippi Free Unit Study
Little Toot finally finds the old steamboats just in time to urge them out of retirement to save the bayou animals from the flooding Mississippi.
Literature Based Unit Written by Esther Glenn

Rivers and Levees

Make a river outside in the dirt and experiment with using levees and not using levees
Mississippi River
Fun, creative, ideas for researching, exploring and presenting information about the Mississippi River.

Lesson Plans for Teachers related to studying the Mississippi River covering all curriculum areas. Includes connections to standards and rubics.

Clothing worn by People of the Federal Period

Clothing Worn on the Mississippi River During the 1830's

Plantation Slaves Loading Rice to a Barge on the Savannah River, 18th Century
Plantation Slaves Loading Rice to a Barge on the Savannah River, 18th Century
Buy at AllPosters.com



How did the people that Big Annie encountered along the Mississippi River dress? Clothing can tell a lot about a person's stature in the community. It can tell about the cultures they come from. It can make people feel that they belong to a certain group.
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Big Annie's Christmas Traditions

Cajun Christmas
A Perfect Anomaly - A Cajun Christmas Story
"We've all decided that we don't want a traditional Christmas this year so what do you think about having a Cajun Christmas instead?"

Learn more about Life on the Mississippi River

Books about Big Annie's River

What makes the Mississippi River so important to the lives of the people who live along it's shores and those who travel up and down it?

By reading many stories about the Mississippi River children will gain a better understanding of the story of Big Annie.
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Missouri's Oldest Town

Visitor's introductory video to French Colonial Sainte Genevieve, Missouri.

Big Annie might have delivered goods to towns like Sainte Genevieve, Missouri. Notice the goods for sale in the dry goods store. These are items that Big Annie might have transported.
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Wildlife along the Mississippi River

River Birds Montage
River Birds Montage
Available at AllPosters.com



There were amazing birds and animals along the Mississippi River that Big Annie may have seen such as this Green Heron above. Research the animals of the Mississippi River. Make a Venn Graph of those found now, those found when Big Annie traveled the river and put the animals that strattled both times in the intersecting space.
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Animal Life along the Mississippi River

Green Treefrog in Louisiana
Green Treefrog in Louisiana

Green Treefrogs are colorful little frogs that coexist well with humans. They are amphibians of the woodlands in riparian areas. Green Treefrogs are another of the beneficial predators that help organic gardeners by eating snails and other anthropods.
Food Chain and Food Webs of the Mississippi River
Create a food chain, web, and trophic pyramid using Mississippi River organisms.

Mississippi River Unit Studies

Unit Studies related to Big Annie

Big Annie
The Mississippi River Unit Study
The Mississippi River Unit Study by Kim Kargbo. Perfect for accompanying some great literature, or as preparation for a trip to see 'ole Mississippi, The Mighty Mississippi unit study will review the historical significance and present contributions of America's largest
Two systems of Measurement: Metric and English (A Study of the Mississippi River)
The purposes of this unit are to help students develop an
understanding of the metric system and understand the relationship
between the English and Metric systems.
Tall Tales- Unit Study
Paul Bunyan and Babe

According to legend, Paul Bunyan and Babe created and the Mississippi River.

Tales of the Night Before Christmas

What are your family traditions surrounding the Night Before Christmas? Explore these other lenses with more Christmas ideas and activities.
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Big Annie plays at the Shadow Box Theatre in NYC

Big Annie is an American Tall Tale about a larger-than-life heroine who saves Christmas for the children - plus a Holiday Sing-Along celebrating
Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa and Three Kings Day

Big Annie will be playing at the Shadow Box Theatre at 45 Bleecker Street, Manhattan

Call to reserve: (212) 724-0677

Shadow Box Theatre Presents Big Annie

Big Annie will be playing at the Shadow Box Theatre in NYC

American Tall Tale about a larger-than-life heroine who saves Christmas for the children.

Children Watching Big AnnieBig AnnieTobias Turkey

See-More's Workshop's colorful picture books and Read Along/Move-Along audio are based on the musical puppet plays of New York City's award-winning Shadow Box Theatre.

They capture the excitement of live theatre and are perfect for storytelling time and for youngsters learning to read.

These wonderfully illustrated stories such as Big Annie are filled with dramatic impact, fun voices, and imaginative imagery, making reading aloud extra fun!

Excellent additions for your homeschool library, classroom, or listening corner.
Check for Performance times of Big Annie at The Shadowbox Theatre
Tall tale is right! Big Annie is a Creole flatboat captain and larger-than-life heroine. With her amazing strength, and the help of her animal friends, she pulls a boatload of toys through a terrible storm one Christmas Eve long ago.

Call 212-724-0677 for specific showtimes.

Mississippi River Flatboat Travel in the News!

Flatboat Traveling on the Mississippi River
A flatboat replica is traveling down the Mississippi River for Lincoln's Journey of Remembrance. Lincoln's 200th birthday will be observed on Feb. 12, 2009. The Journey of Remembrance is one of several activities drawing attention to that milestone. The journey is a re-enactment of a similar trip Lincoln took in 1828 while transporting a load of produce for a local merchant.

Stone Soup Homeschooling Online Unit Study Directory

Online Unit Study Directory

Stone Soup Internet Directory of Unit Studies

Thank you to the Four Wheelers for having included the Big-Annie in their directory. This directory has now been passed on to Stone Soup Homeschooling.

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Webmasters Make $$$



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where you can not only see these Big Annie but also add your links to increase your traffic and make a little money besides.
Unit Studies: Stone Soup Homeschool Resources
We are very excited to be entrusted with this rather comprehensive Unit Study Database. It was started many years ago, and maintained for the last decade by th

Evelyn's Hands-On Learning Blog

Big AnnieMississippi Flatboat
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Chat with Big Annie

Big Annie: An American Tall Tale (Christmas)


How could you use MobiStories to help your child learn to read?

  • moonlitta Feb 19, 2011 @ 9:56 pm | delete
    I feel you more and more as a terrific writer!
  • kab Jul 15, 2010 @ 10:46 pm | delete
    I love when I find a squidoo lens through a natural search on google when I'm not even thinking about squidoo. I landed here from an image search - it was Paul Bunyan who actually led me in. Go figure.
  • OhMe Nov 19, 2009 @ 2:46 pm | delete
    Sounds like a wonderful story. Lensrolling to my lens on Reflections of A Mississippi Magnolia.
  • ElizabethJeanAllen May 1, 2009 @ 6:44 pm | delete
    Great story!
    Thanks for sharing
    Lizzy
  • Graceonline Mar 13, 2009 @ 5:53 am | delete
    This is another wonderful lens from a gifted teacher. More here than I can read in one sitting, so must return!
  • lakeerieartists Dec 26, 2008 @ 7:12 pm | delete
    Once again, you have created a beautiful lens full of great children's activities.
  • Evelyn_Saenz Dec 25, 2008 @ 6:15 pm | delete
    Thank you all for your kind comments.
  • Viktorson Dec 24, 2008 @ 6:15 pm | delete
    This is a great Lens. Very nice!
  • cappuccino136 Dec 24, 2008 @ 6:14 pm | delete
    Great work, Evelyn. I've never heard or read about Big Annie before. This is a great interactive and educational lens.
  • nightbear Dec 24, 2008 @ 5:10 pm | delete
    Very nice lens, so interactive. really liked it.
  • poddys Dec 24, 2008 @ 5:06 pm | delete
    Another great lens Evelyn, well done. 5*****
  • JaguarJulie Dec 24, 2008 @ 4:35 pm | delete
    Quite an interesting tale of Big Annie -- well done! Merry Christmas my dear!
  • Mayflowerblood Dec 24, 2008 @ 10:37 am | delete
    Sounds interesting =]
  • pkmcr Dec 24, 2008 @ 8:56 am | delete
    What a wonderful lens about what sounds like an equally wonderful book. Thank you!

    Take care

    Paul
  • Jimmie Dec 24, 2008 @ 7:11 am | delete
    Oh.. sounds like a wonderful book!
  • sellingnicestuff Dec 4, 2008 @ 5:38 am | delete
    Evelyn...love this lens. Again, another fun lens.
  • Dec 3, 2008 @ 3:56 pm | delete
    What an entertaining lens
    5*
    LizzyJean
  • Nov 30, 2008 @ 8:33 pm | delete
    I wish you were my teacher when I was a child.
    Great lens
    Bj
  • Bella21 Nov 22, 2008 @ 6:11 pm | delete
    Hi Evelyn... this is a very well done lens. Five stars and a digg. I love that you are so passionate about teaching. The world truly needs more like you. Thank You!
  • James43302 Nov 22, 2008 @ 5:26 pm | delete
    Hi Everlyn, another great lens! I gave you 5 stars and a digg. Good luck! :)
  • rockycha Nov 22, 2008 @ 4:39 pm | delete
    Very cool lens! Outstanding effort so detailed! Big fat fivers :)
  • Mortira Nov 21, 2008 @ 2:51 am | delete
    Another great lens! Welcome to the Family Time group!
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About the Author of this Riverboat Unit Study

Exploring Beyond Big Annie

Evelyn's Hands-On Learning Blog.

Big Annie
Find out what I'm up to when I'm not singing and pulling barges:
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Christmas on the Mississippi River in the Kingdom

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