This is an email sent to us at Homeschool Nations for you, our readers. I am happy to be able to pass it on to you as it sounds like a fun field trip idea. Please click on the link to learn more.
************
Hello,
I work in the performing arts department at MASS MoCA, where we host a
series of children's performing arts programs that might interest
members of your organization as field trip opportunities. We present
four school-time performances each academic year -- the first
performance of this year is scheduled for December 17. H.T. Chen and
Dancers will present Eight Strokes and the Moving Word, an innovative
one-hour performance with live narration, audience interaction, video
presentation, and vibrant excerpts of traditional and contemporary
dance. H.T. Chen and Dancers de-mystifies the process of choreography
while providing a valuable lesson in Chinese history and culture.
Because these performances are attended primarily by school groups, we
present each performance twice - once in the morning at 9:30 and again
at 12:30 PM. Usually, younger children (K through 3rd grade) attend in
the morning and older kids (grades 4 through 8) attend in the afternoon.
Tickets must be purchased in advance from our Box Office which can be
reached at 413.662.111 or apelletier@massmoca.org. The price of
admission is $5 per child, with one adult chaperone free per group. Two
or three weeks prior to the performance we mail out curriculum guides
with pre- and post-performance activities and topics to help students
make the most of their experience.
I would like to get the word out to home educators about the H.T. Chen
performance and the rest of our student programming series. If you think
it is appropriate, I would greatly appreciate any help you could provide
in spreading the word to the families associated with your organization.
There is information about the series at our website:
http://www.massmoca.org/teachers.php and I've attached a document with
some details about the upcoming show, but please feel free to contact me
if I can provide any additional information or address any questions.
Thank you very much for your time!
Spring seems to finally have sprung, and my kids are itching to be outdoors. Are yours, too? The Massachusetts Dept of Conservation and Recreation has plenty to offer! Of course, walking and hiking are fun and free, but there are even more learning experiences than that. Check out the MA DCR's website for organized activities, classes, and more. From making a Nature Journal to musical concerts, there is something happening near you.
Museum of Science Boston is now offering student pricing for $2.00 for school group field trips in September and October. Admission for the Butterfly Garden is $1.00 and the 3D Cinema for $2.00 in addition to regular admission to the Museum.
If you have never registered for a homeschool field trip at the MoS, it's easy. Call the school group reservation line (617-723-2500) with your expected visit date and tell them you are a homeschooling family. They treat us as professionally as any school. :-) I usually pre-plan for the entire school year, so I have a list of dates for them. One thing to note, though; we can only get the school rates when public schools are in session. Summers, MA school vacation weeks, etc are regular rates (as well as crowded, lol).
The Robbins Museum of Archaeology in Middleboro is now offering classes in archaeology and history for homeschoolers and kids on the third Saturday of every month. Fees are $7.50 for the first child, $6.00 for each additional child.
Anyone interested in a group effort game? I would like to create a type of scavenger hunt of some field trip sites in Massachusetts with your help. I will take the suggestions you send in, compile them into regional game sheets, and post them here for you to print out before you go out on your own field trips. To participate, please email me the name of your favorite field trip site, and your top three things to see there as well as any contact info you have so that others can get there. The more details you can give me, the more clues we have for the 'Scavenger Hunt'.
For example: My favorite field trip site would be the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, www.mfa.org, 465 Huntington Ave. My three favorite exhibits would be 1) The harpsichords in the Musical Instruments Room on the first floor 2) The John Singer Sargent murals on the ceiling of the Upper Rotunda and 3) The reconstructed Ancient Egyptian tomb rooms on the second floor of the Egyptian section.
On the game sheet, it will look like this:
**********
Boston Area
- - -
The Museum of Fine Arts Boston
1) This is something that could have been played by musicians at the time of the American Revolution. It can be found on the first floor in a room with other objects like it. What is it?
_____________________________________
2) Go to the round room and look for the sky. The artist may have learned not to paint on his walls as a child, but I guess his mom forgot to teach him not to paint on the ceilings. Who did this?
_____________________________________
3) The Ancient Egyptians spent a lot of time building this. Archeologists spent a lot of time digging for this. The Museum took apart a small section of this and put it back together on the second floor for us to go into. What is it?
_____________________________________
**********
The clues are deliberately open-ended to allow for more than one answer if there is more than one answer (such as the harpsichord; it could be any number of musical instruments from the 1700's), but specific enough that one can find an answer. Most museums and historical sites have either a map or plaques with descriptions (or both), but if your favorite site does not, please include as many details as you can so that others can find it.
Thanks for participating and sharing your experiences! I hope you enjoy the game!
We went to the State House yesterday for a field trip with a group and discovered a wonderful resource: the State House Library. They have some great 'giveaways' for the kids like a Massachusetts coloring book, a guide to the state, and a storybook about lawmaking. ("Color Massachusetts", "What's Under the Golden Dome" and "The Ladybug Story") These are published by the Tours Division. There are also booklets for older kids (middle school and up) like "Massachusetts Facts - A Review of the History, Government, and Symbols of the Commonwealth" which has tidbits such as all the state symbols (did you know our state bug is the Ladybug?), a historical overview of our state history, descriptions of the various positions in our state government, and even the music and lyrics of our state song. This particular booklet was published by the Citizen Information Service. The librarian was a wonderful help. In fact, we had met her in the elevator when we first went in and it was her that informed us of the Library and what we might find in it. There's even a map of the MBTA overlaid on the Boston area. The State House also has tours, or you could wander through the halls on your own: the library even has a self-guided tour sheet. It's a fun and informative destination if you can go into Boston.
Before I begin, I have to admit that I have a vested interest in this subject; I have recently written a book with another homeschool mom entitled New England Homeschool Resource Guide. The synopsis on the back cover says "Gathered here are dozens of educational websites, field trip sites for each of the six New England states, [and] discounts available at stores to homeschoolers...", so as you can see, I love being able to share resources I've found. What I'd like to be able to do is share from the book a few of the Massachusetts field trip places on a regular basis with you. :-)
With next month being the 231st anniversary of the Battle on Lexington Green in which our forefathers first defended with their very lives the idea of the freedom of self-rule, I'd like to share information on places in our historic state pertinent to that event.
Of course, the big one would be Lexington Green on April *17th* at 5AM (My apologies, I thought it was celebrated the same day - the 19th - every year. Apparently it was held on Monday, Patriot's Day.) for the re-enactment of the 'shot heard 'round the world'. I would suggest getting there early (at least by 4:30) to get a good spot to see the action somewhere around the edge of the Green. A good spot may be the corner closest to Buckman Tavern as then you could catch sight of Paul Revere and William Daws meet up with John Hancock and the Redcoats coming up Mass Ave. Afterwards, Lexington center has many, many activities happening all day, there's even a parade and colonists and British Regulars out and about available for questions and photos. Also, just down the road Concord has plenty of activities happening. You might wish to get a good night's sleep the night before, as this day is quite full of things to do each year LOL!
Other good places to visit in Lexington and Concord:
The Concord Museum is on the Cambridge Turnpike in Concord 978-369-9609
For a good overview of historic happenings and places, you might want to walk the Freedom Trail. If you go to 15 State St. in Boston first, you can get a map of everything with short descriptions including which sites have an entrance fee. 617-242-5642
Some highlights along the way:
Paul Revere's house is at 19 North Square in Boston. 617-523-2338
The Old State House can't be missed if you're interested in the Revolutionary War. This is where the Declaration of Independence was first proclaimed publicly. It is on the corner of State and Washington streets at 206 Washington St. Boston 617-720-1713
The Old South Meeting House is just down the block at 310 Washington St. in Boston 617-482-6439 Kids under 6 are free. :-)
And King's Chapel is not too far away on the corner of Tremont & School streets in Boston 617-523-1749
One of my favorite places concerning this period of history is the Adams family homestead:
Our e-Newsletters give you wonderful, informative information about homeschooling, news bits, contests and PRIZES for homeschoolers, articles to encourage you, calls for writers, free unit studies and lesson plans, and just a lot of FUN. Bring the community to your inbox – and no worries, we never sell, trade or give your email or any other information out to anyone.
Come join the homeschool party!
Subscribe to *FREE* newsletters offered by The Old Schoolhouse Magazine.
TOS Store
To see a close-up of the current cover, click here.
Do you have the whole set of back issues from The Old Schoolhouse
Magazine?
Click
here to view all back issues and read the themes - you
will want to collect the ones you've missed!!
At Bookstores NOW!!
eBooks to Help You!
Join Our Affiliate Program!
Earn Money Every Time
TOS Magazine is Sold in
Partnership with You.
more . . .
