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From Our Library: A Book List for Studying Bones

Bones are fascinating to study because they come directly from the insides of creatures – the very parts we never really expect to see! Their shape and structure speaks volumes about the body function and general habits of the creatures whose skeletons they compose. Simple bone studies can be done easily, and the titles included here offer a rich look at the bones of living things of all kinds.

Not meant to be exhaustive, this book list simply includes all of the relevant titles currently found within the library of our community-based education network affiliate, Dirigo Learning. Download the accompanying guide for further detail, including genre, age range, and book style for teach title as well as short descriptions of each text.

From Our Library: A Book List for Studying Immigration

Immigration is an incredibly important topic to study, perhaps right now more than ever. The titles included here can be used for learning about the modern immigrant experience in America, the reasons modern immigrants leave their homes, the ways in which we can empathize with modern immigrants, and even the ways in which the United States is responsible for the living conditions immigrants flee. Not meant to be exhaustive, this book list simply includes all of the relevant titles currently found within the library of our community-based education network affiliate, Dirigo Learning. Download the accompanying guide for further detail, including genre, age range, and book style for teach title as well as short descriptions of each text.

One of literary great Leo Lionni’s lesser known titles, “Tillie and the Wall” is a symbolic tale that encourages readers to bridge the gap (or, rather, tunnel beneath the wall) between themselves and others. Living in a mouse community where walls are the norm, young Tillie wishes to find out what’s on the other side. Much to her surprise, she learns that what’s on the other side isn’t all that different from what she already knows – save for the wall between them.

Literary Guide for Barbara Cohen’s “Molly’s Pilgrim”

Were your ancestors immigrants? Are you finding a need to better understand the immigrant experience in Western Massachusetts? Wistariahurst Museum has lined up a series of historical lectures to examine various immigrant communities in the Pioneer valley and to better understand the cultural enrichment these folks brought with them.

Often, immigration is taught to students in a way that focuses on the history of immigration in the United States. Central to the development of our country and responsible for bringing people from all over the world to be part of communities across America, immigration is discussed with students mainly in the past tense.

For the third year, Norman Rockwell Museum is partnering with the Berkshire Immigrant Center to host a naturalization ceremony, to be held in the Museum’s galleries, held against the backdrop of Norman Rockwell’s iconic Four Freedoms paintings. This special ceremony presents a rare opportunity for families to support these new residents while using the event as a chance to discuss reasons why people might want or need to immigrate to America.

Wistariahurst Museum is launching a new historical and cultural project entitled, Legacy of Music, People and Place: Holyoke 1800 – 1950. With funding support from the Holyoke Cultural Council and the Country Dance and Song Society, Jacqueline Cooper is collaborating with the museum as the Project Director and is working to develop sketches of Holyoke’s past to form a collective of local music culture from 1800-1950. Cooper and Wistariahurst are seeking to… Read More

No One Remembers Alone: Memory, Migration, and the Making of an American Family Through March 2014 On view at the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, MA, now through March 2014, is an up-close look at the life-work of a Jewish immigrant couple in the early 1900s. “No One Remembers Alone: Memory, Migration, and the Making of an American Family,” a selection of postcards and other historical materials curated by Patricia Klindienst, explores… Read More

The story of the Jewish community in the Pioneer Valley is detailed in a new exhibit at the Springfield Museums titled “One Hundred Years of Jewish Life in the Valley: From Shtetl to Suburb,” opening today! Through a combination of artifacts, photos, film, and personal histories, the exhibit documents the growth of the Jewish community in both size and influence from the early 20th century to the present day…

When students study immigration in the classroom, they often do so through an historical lens… but what about immigration in modern times? This Saturday, community members and students interested in developing a well rounded view of immigration can attend a naturalization ceremony in the Berkshires. By exploring modern immigration, students can develop an understanding of what immigration means in modern times…