Featured Events, Resources, & Opportunities

FEATURED MUSEUM

FEATURED SUMMER MUSIC SERIES

FEATURED SCHOOL

Hilltown Families’ annual Class Directory debuts in early August!

List of Weekly Suggested Events

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Self-Directed Learning: Conservation Biology/Rewilding

Let’s explore rewilding, which aims to reverse the destruction of our natural world by reintroducing keystone animals. But what exactly is a keystone animal? We’ll begin by exploring what happens when they are no longer part of an ecosystem (a trophic cascade) and how their reintroduction (rewilding) can impact our environment. This self-directed learning module is an excellent catalyst for curiosity! Search online to discover what megafauna once roamed New England. See if you can list which local animals are keystone species. Learn more about the impacts of rewilding and reflect on how keystone animals might impact our local environment if they were reintroduced or allowed to increase in number.

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Self-Directed Learning: Sense of Place/Summer

Once we round the corner of August into the final weeks of summer, our senses connect us to the season through sounds, textures, and smells unique to this time of year. An orchestra of insects begins to escalate during these weeks, with the call of heat-loving cicadas up high in the trees in the afternoons, the trill of ground crickets from fields and meadows in the early evenings, topped off with a serenade of katy-did, katy-didn’t of katydids in the evenings. During these days, when the sun is high, humidity rests on our checks and shoulders, and the colors and textures of chicory, Queen Anne’s lace, and goldenrod wave us by as we travel towards community-based summer destinations. The green leaf volatiles of freshly mowed grass, paired with the smell of ozone, petrichor, and geosmim of summer rain, trigger childhood memories for adults while strengthening a sense of place in our children. August contains a catalog of sounds, textures, and smells unique to this time of year and specific to the region. By being mindful of how we connect to place through our senses, getting curious, and letting interests lead our learning, our sensory perceptions of our summer landscape can easily support chemistry, biology, entomology, meteorology, and botany education. Today’s self-directed learning module integrates mindfulness with phenology to support studies that can connect us to place.

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Self-Directed Learning: Agriculture/Tomatoes

Mid-summer is the season of tomatoes! Using tomatoes as a catalyst for learning, there are many directions your curiosity can lead you. Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable? Surprise your kids with that answer, and then go down the rabbit hole of how plants’ anatomy guides us in classifying fruits and vegetables — an excellent opportunity to support interest in botany. Once you have that squared away, self-directed learning can illuminate interests in agriculture, food history, and culinary arts through tomatoes in today’s self-directed learning module!

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Self-Directed Learning: Hydrology/Floods

Floods are natural phenomena that offer learning opportunities to explore their causes, impacts, and mitigation strategies. Understanding floods can deepen our knowledge of Earth’s hydrological cycle, weather patterns, and climate change. By studying floodplains, erosion, and sedimentation, we gain insights into the intricate workings of rivers and their impact on landscapes. Exploring flood management and preparedness equips us with vital knowledge on protecting lives and property during extreme weather events. Additionally, investigating the ecological effects of floods reveals the fascinating adaptations of plants and animals to survive and thrive in flood-prone environments. Delving into the history of significant floods fosters an appreciation for the human experience and resilience in the face of natural disasters. Let’s dive into the world of floods, where science, geography, history, and environmental awareness converge, and gain a deeper understanding of the power and complexity of Earth’s natural systems.

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Self-Directed Learning: Storytelling/Shadows

When the hot summer sun is high in the sky, what might be the first thing you look for (other than a cold body of water)? A shadow! Summer shade is a well-appreciated shadow on a hot August day! Another well-known shadow, one full of myth and folklore, is the Earth’s shadow on the moon’s surface as it moves between the sun and the moon. Following your interests through the shade of shadows can touch on myth and folklore and support an interest in storytelling! In today’s self-directed learning module, get inspired by several methods for telling stories through shadows! Start with an online search to discover different cultures’ stories around the Earth’s shadow on the moon. Consider hand shadow puppetry and shadow art, then give storytelling through the medium of shadows a go in your own home. 

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Self-Directed Learning: Agriculture/Corn

August is the season of sweet corn! Sold at most farmers’ markets and local grocery stores in late summer, corn is a summer staple with a rich history and loads of learning opportunities. Corn can be a catalyst for learning about different Native American cultures and current efforts to save heirloom varieties and traditional preparation techniques. Corn can also be a helpful lens for learning about botany, agriculture, physics, culinary arts, and folk music. In today’s self-directed learning module, let corn lead the way in sparking your curiosity and supporting your interests!

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Self-Directed Learning: Nature Studies/Binoculars

Binoculars are a helpful tool for young nature enthusiasts and stargazers. Teaching children ages four and older how to use binoculars effectively can empower them to explore their interests and cultivate curiosity for the natural world and the night sky. Using binoculars enhances observation, allowing children to study birds, wildlife, and celestial objects with more detail and clarity. It also introduces concepts like magnification and depth perception, laying the foundation for scientific exploration. Learning to use binoculars supports nature studies and stargazing and nurtures valuable skills applicable to various areas of learning and discovery.

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Weekly eNewsletter

Online and in-person events and resources shared above are done so as a courtesy and not as an endorsement. While we do our best to share accurate and up-to-date information, please take the time to confirm information, age appropriateness, registration requirements, safety protocols, and associated costs.

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Hilltown Families’ list of Suggested Events is supported in part by grants from the Agawam, Amherst, Bernardston, Buckland, Goshen, Greenfield , Hadley, Heath, Huntington, Lee, Montgomery, Northern Berkshire, Orange, Pelham, Plainfield, Rowe, Shelburne, Shutesbury, South Hadley, Southampton, Springfield, Tolland, Washington, Westhampton, Windsor, and Worthington Cultural Councils, local agencies which are supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.