Resources: Art NEW! Elementary Language Arts/Reading Social Studies Science and Math Massachusetts Resources Skulls Kit Other Links *If you have a web resource that other teachers would be interested in, please share. Contact Tammy Peters Resources: For Massachusetts Teachers Area Attractions Resources: For Massachusetts Teacherst Updated 3/19/02 T Fostering Algebraic Thinking Toolkit A a set of professional development materials for middle school mathematics teachers. We at Education Development Center (EDC) infused the materials with the same core ideas that are in our book, also published by Heinemann, Fostering Algebraic Thinking. (Driscoll, 1999) The Toolkit provides teacher study groups materials that help teachers in grades 6-10 to recognize and capitalize on more opportunities for fostering algebraic thinking in their students. The Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities has just launched www.bringhistoryhome.org, an interactive website designed to engage children ages 8-13 in the fun of learning about American history. Developed in partnership with Plimoth Plantation, Paul Revere House, and the Tsongas Industrial History Center at UMass/Lowell, this experimental website gives children the chance to explore the lives of three young Americans, each living in a different time and place: Mary Cooper in 17th century Plymouth Colony, Paul Revere, Jr. in British-occupied Boston, and Eliza Paige in 19th century Lowell. The site also provides timelines, bibliographies, and other resources drawn from the three museums. For more information, contact jruskin@mfh.org or call (617) 923-1678. Enchanted Circle Theater 252 Open Square Way, Holyoke, 413-534-3789. This multi-ethnic theater company offers programs, which are inspiring, creatively stimulating, and cross culturally orientated. Their performances and workshops, known to expand the boundaries of what is generally presented to children, integrate theater, dace, music, visual arts and literature with educational and social themes. Professional development and teacher training workshops are also available. The Daily Hampshire Gazette's Newspaper in Education (NIE) 413-585-5289 email John Strickland The program provides local educators with flexible, effective teaching resources that makes the connection between classroom curriculum and the real world. NIE is a proven, cost effective program that can be used at all grade levels from kindergarten through high school. Our curriculum materials, provided free of charge to participating teachers, meet the goals of the MA Teaching Frameworks. The Gazette is a registered PDP provider. The Veterans Education Project (VEP) 413-253-4947. The VEP trains military veterans to share their stories with young people. We promote a program of listening with respect for the opinions and experiences of all, without a political agenda. Veterans working with teachers and other facilitators in classroom or assembly settings may help students reach a deeper understanding of the terrible results of hatred we now face in terrorism. Veteran's sharing their personal stories reach students with authentic insights into the realities of violence and its ongoing consequences. Veteran speakers provide young people with a larger historical persective on armed conflict. They also speak to relevant social issues such as racism, prejudices, and the struggle for justice, which have great importance in understanding the current situation. STEMTEC (Science,Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Teacher Education Collaborative) (at the website, click k12- faculty resources) 413-545-0734 Contactl: Sharon Palmer New Teachers Dinner Club Five Colleges, Incorporated. 97 Spring St., Amherst, MA Instructor- Facilitated Group; PDPs will be available. Free of Charge and you get served a delicious dinner, vegans/vegetarians accommodated. This group is designed as a support system for new (first or second year) math and science teachers as well as elementary teachers interested in science and math. The group will most likely meet every three weeks. There is time for a leisurely dinner and conversation followed by a discussion of some topic in particular that the group is interested in addressing. Topics have included in the past: Assessment Techniques, Curriculum Ideas, Behavior Management Practices, Planning Tips, Professional Development, Resources and other Teacher-Related Issues. The Umass Sunwheel Call 413-545-4311 FOR TEACHERS With help from several graduate students in Education (Melissa Goldman and Bill Randolph), I am creating lessons on topics which relate to the Sunwheel for teachers of middle school classes and up. Two lessons are now available. Within the next few months, we hope to have the other lessons also available at this web site. The lessons are on topics including: (1) Finding The Cardinal Directions Using The Sun (2) Measuring The Tilt Of The Earth's Axis (3) Charting The Sunrise & Sunset Throughout The Year (4) Charting The Moon Throughout The Year -- InPreparation To arrange a Sunwheel visit for your class or group, call or e-mail young@astro.umass.edu "Making the World Better: The Struggle for Equality in 19th-Century America" The Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities and the Tsongas Industrial History Center at UMass/Lowell have just reprinted the curriculum packet, developed as part of the State House Women's Leadership Project. The centerpiece of the project is a new work of public art, permanently installed in the State House in October 1999, that honors six women who made significant contributions to public life in Massachusetts. Designed for middle and high school students, the curriculum focuses on two of these women: abolitionist and suffrage leader Lucy Stone (1818-1893) and African-American abolitionist Sarah Parker Remond (1824-1894). It includes a folder with biographical information and a time line, a selection of edited primary source documents, and a Teacher's Guide with learning activities and resources. "Making the World Better" is available, free of charge, to classroom teachers and home school parents. Area Attractions Please contact the venue directly for current hours and admission fees. EcoTarium 222 Harrington Way, Worcester, MA 01604, (508) 929-2700 Discover the natural world through interactive exhibits, indoor and outdoor wildlife habitats and nature trails on 60 acres of woodlands and wetlands. Explore life in the treetops on a Tree Canopy Walkway 40 feet above the ground (reservations required). Visit otters, a polar bear, foxes, bobcats and more. Tour EcoTarium's grounds on the Explorer Express narrow-gauge railroad. Open Tues. through Sat. 10:00 to 5:00, Sun. 12:00 to 5:00. Closed on select holidays. Regular Admission: Adults: $7.00, Children (3-16), Senior Citizens & College Students with ID: $5.00, Members & Children Under 3: FREE. Additional charge for Tree Canopy Walkway, Explorer Express and Planetarium. The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art A new museum celebrating the art of the picture book. Founded by Eric Carle and his wife Barbara, the Museum will be for visitors of all ages: children and families, teachers and librarians, scholars, and everyone interested in the art of the picture book. The Museum collection will include picture book art from around the world, and will have as its core the work of Eric Carle. Museum programs will foster a love of the visual arts and written word, facilitating collaborative relationships with preschools, schools, educators and students of children's literature and art. Future guests exhibiting at the Museum will include the following picture book artists: Maurice Sendak, Nancy Eklholm Burkert, Mitsumasa Anno, Lesley Liu, Lucy Cousins, Robert Ingpen, Eve Tharlet, Lisbeth Zwerger, and Kveta Pacovska. Hancock Shaker Village Route 20, Pittsfield, MA 01202, (800) 817-1137 A 200 year old historic village and outdoor history museum of Shaker life. Nestled on 1200 acres of scenic Berkshire farm, meadow and woodland, the Village contains a working farm complete with vegetable and herb gardens and farm animals including sheep and pigs. Changing exhibitions, tours and programs on Shaker daily life, religion, music, crafts, farming and technology combine with hands-on activities and first-person portrayals to provide a fun and educational experience for all ages. In the hands-on Discovery Room, visitors spin and weave wool, try on Shaker clothing, practice basketry and can milk Maryjane! Open daily 9:30 to 5:00. Regular Admission: Adults: $15.00, Under 18: FREE Higgins Armory Museum 100 Barber Avenue, Worcester, MA 01606, (508) 853-6015 See how knights got dressed in the morning! The Higgins has swordplay demonstrations, craft workshops, birthday parties, "OverKnights" and Joan of Arc. Every girl is a princess and every boy is a knight at "Castle Higgins"! Open Tues. through Sat. 10:00 to 4:00, Sun. 12:00 to 4:00. Closed Mondays and select holidays. Regular Admission: Adults: $6.75, Seniors: $6.00, Children (6-16): $5.75, 5 & Under: FREE Historic Deerfield 84B Old Main St, Deerfield, MA 01342, (413) 774-5581 Set along a mile-long, 300 year old street within the Old Deerfield National Historic Landmark, Historic Deerfield's 14 museum houses and new Flynt Center of Early New England Life attract travelers from all over the world. Visitors enjoy the peaceful beauty of the meadows and fields surrounding this old village as much as the 25,000 exquisite antiques that are featured on tours of the 18th and 19th century houses. The 1884 Deerfield Inn and The J.G. Pratt Museum Store and Bookshop provide four star dining and lodging and a unique shopping experience. And, special events throughout the year make Deerfield fun for the whole family. Open daily 9:30 to 4:30. Regular Admission: Adults: $12.00, Youth (6-21): $6.00, Under 6: FREE · Flynt Center Of Early New England Life Historic Deerfield's new 27,000 square foot center has dramatically enhanced public access to the museum's nationally acclaimed decorative arts collections. Set back from the village street at the edge of a pumpkin field and in line with several 19th century barns, the Center is fully accessible to all visitors with a dramatic entrance into a lobby that leads to exhibition galleries. Designed by C. Anthony Junker of the Philadelphia architectural firm of Ueland Junker McCauley, and built by Turner Construction Company of Boston, the Flynt Center has become a popular destination for Deerfield visitors of all ages. · Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association Library The PVMA collections represent to an extraordinary degree the life and thought of one small town from the close of the 17th century to the 20th. The reading matter of generations of Deerfield inhabitants contained in the library constitute a unique social and cultural record. Over 1,000 of the library's 24,000 books originally belonged in local association and institutional collections. Others came to the PVMA from the private libraries of Deerfield residents and the pens of local authors. Together they embody nearly three centuries of reading fare - literature, sermons, history, travel, biography, periodicals, and works on agriculture, animal husbandry, and domestic economy - many of which exist in rare imprints. Library hours are Monday-Friday, 9- 5 p.m. · Memorial Hall Museum in Deerfield Area schoolteachers combined forces with Umass to create a Web site that helps kids to learn history at the Memorial Hall Museum in Deerfield. The Web site, "American Centuries: View from New England," focuses on the region at three turns of the century. The project relies on items from the museum's collection to provide students with a window on the past. Students can learn about family life, child life, gender roles, work, and education in the years 1700, 1800, and 1900. The site goes hand-in-hand with extensive history curricula designed by Frontier Regional School District teachers, and provides an interactive look at much of the collection of the museum, part of the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association (PVMA). Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory and Gardens 281 Greenfield Rd, South Deerfield, MA 01373 (413) 665-2805 Live butterflies from all over the world dance in a 4,000 sq. ft. glass, climate-controlled conservatory. Also an exhibit and display area, gift and garden shops, food court, plant-filled atrium and 3-season outdoor gardens. Open daily 9:00 to 5:00. Regular Admission: Adults: $7.00, Seniors: $5.00, Children (3-17) & Students (With Valid ID and Up To Age 22): $4.50 Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center 110 Pequot Trail Mashantucket, CT 06339-3180 (800)-411-9671 The museum is the largest, most innovative Native American educational resource in the United States today. This dynamic learning institution provides students and adults with a fascinating look at the history and living culture of the Pequots and other Native Peoples. The Pequot Museum offers a host of tours and programs designed for your group. Museum educators and Exhibit Interpreters are trained to tailor programs for age, grade level and varying abilities. All programs support the State of Connecticut's Curriculum Frameworks. In addition, we invite you to explore our extensive Research and Children's Libraries. A wonderful resource for teachers and students alike, it contains current and historical materials created by and about Native Americans. Fiction and non-fiction, reference works, serials and multi-media materials are included in the collection. Our Children's Library serves students through eight grade and adults who work with children. Summer Hours: May 31-Sept 1: 10-7pm, last admission at 6. Admissions: Adults - $12.00 Seniors (55+) - $10.00 Children (6-15) - $8.00 Under 6- Free. Group rates also available. Old Sturbridge Village 1 Old Sturbridge Village Rd, Sturbridge, MA 01566 (800) 733-1830 Meet and chat with villagers in this recreated early 19th century New England village! Explore historic homes, craft shops and workplaces. Savor the gardens in full bloom. Stroll through an authentic, working farm. New! The Tavern at Old Sturbridge Village. Located at the entrance to the Village, serving lunch and dinner daily. Don't miss Samson's Children's Museum! Summer hours: Open Mon. through Fri. 10:00 to 5:00, Sat. and Sun. 10:00 to 6:00 (July and August daily 10:00 to 6:00) Regular Admission: Adults: $20.00, Seniors: $18.00, Youth (6-15): $10.00, Under 6: FREE Plimoth Plantation, Inc., P.O. Box 1620, Plymouth, Massachusetts 02362 (508) 746-1622 A private, non-profit living history museum. It is located 45 miles south of Boston in historic Plymouth, Massachusetts. Founded in 1947, the museum has grown from one small re-created house on the Plymouth waterfront to include three major open-air exhibits-the 1627 Pilgrim Village, Hobbamock's Wampanoag Indian Homesite, and Mayflower II-as well as other facilities, exhibits and programs. Near the Pilgrim Village stands the Carriage House Crafts Center, a modern facility housing an exhibition gallery, period crafts exhibition area and crafts shop. Mayflower II and the Of Plimoth Plantation Learning Center are located near Plymouth Rock on the Plymouth waterfront. The 1627 Pilgrim Village, Hobbamock's Homesite, Carriage House Crafts Center and Hornblower Visitor Center are three miles south on Route 3A at Plimoth Plantation's Eel River site. Support facilities at the Hornblower Visitor Center include theaters, exhibition galleries, food service and dining areas, and several museum shops. Hours: April through November, from 9- 5pm, seven days a week. Admission: Adult $22.00 Senior Citizens (62+ with I.D.) & College Student with I.D. $20.00 Child 6 - 12 $14.00. Group rates also available. Plymouth Colonial Lantern Tours 5 North Street, Plymouth, MA 02360, (508) 747-4161 Discover Plymouth's past as each participant carries a punched-tin lantern on a walk through the original plantation site and along its waterfront. Learn the fascinating stories of America's original permanent settlement. Take the Ghostly Haunts & Legends Lantern Tour which features Plymouth's macabre past with fascinating stories. Both tours are open nightly. The History Tour is open 7:30pm to 9:00pm and the Ghost tour is open 9:00pm to 10:30pm. Reservatons requested. Regular Admission: Adults: $10.00, Children (12 & Under): $8.00. Prices are per tour. Springfield Museums at the Quadrangle 220 State Street, Springfield, MA 01103, (413) 263-6800 A welcoming committee of larger-than-life statues of Dr. Seuss characters will greet you at the Dr. Seuss National Memorial on the Quadrangle grounds. Then visit the four museums where you will be inspired by beautiful paintings, scientific wonders, artistic treasures, historical displays and even a planetarium! Open Wed. through Fri. 12:00 to 5:00, Sat. and Sun. 11:00 to 4:00. Also open Tues. 12:00 to 5:00 during July & August. Worcester Historical Museum 30 Elm Street, Worcester, MA 01609, (508) 753-8278 Worcester Historical Museum is the only museum that collects, preserves, and interprets the history of Worcester in all subject areas and time periods. It owns and operates Salisbury Mansion (1772), Worcester's only historic house museum, which it has restored to the period of the 1830's. The Worcester Historical Museum is open Tues. through Sat. 10:00 to 4:00, Sun. 1:00 to 4:00. The Salisbury Mansion is open Thurs. through Sun. 1:00 to 4:00. Regular Admission: Adults: $5.00, Under 18: FREE National Yiddish Book Center 413-256-4900 Amherst, MA. 01001 Opened in 1997, the center is fast emerging as one of the most visited Jewish tourist destinations in America. The entire building is "visitor friendly," a resource for those who want to explore the meaning and relevance of Yiddish culture and modern Jewish literature. Our Visitors Center includes fascinating exhibitions, gardens, a gallery, library, English-language bookstore, and a great deal more. We offer a busy schedule of lectures, films, concerts, and live performances. All programs are open to the public. Hours: Sunday-Friday 10-3:30pm. Our building is fully accessible, and admission is free. Skinner State Park and Summit House 586-0350 Located in the Connecticut River Valley, Holyoke Range State Park and Skinner State Park includes 2,936 acres along the spine of the Mt. Holyoke Range. Rising roughly 1,000 feet in elevation, the Range offers unparalleled views of the surrounding valley. The historic Summit House at Skinner State Park, once a fashionable mountaintop hotel, is open weekends for tours and programs. Holyoke Range State Park Recreational facilities include hiking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, a Visitor's Center, and a picnic grove. Seasonal interpretive programs are available. The Summit House is located off Route 47 in Hadley.