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Exploring Military History through Music

Massachusetts was a central part of the United States’ early formation. As one of the original colonies, many of the patriots that participated in the Revolutionary War were from Massachusetts. The music that the United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps plays is the same music that once inspired the patriots serving in the Revolutionary War. As you participate in Veterans Day ceremonies, take a moment to listen to this early music is this featured video and remember those who served this nation.

Category: Hilltown Families, History, Supplement, Video Tags: Fife And Drum, Learning Ahead Seasons Nov Dec, Learning Ahead Week 10, MIlitary Music, Music History, Sense of Place, veterans day

Literary Lens: Walt Whitman and the Civil War

During the American Civil War, poet Walt Whitman spent time visiting hospitalized soldiers wounded on the battlefield. He traveled with soldiers from one hospital to another and visited wounded soldiers daily. As the war continued, Whitman resolved to stay in the Union and serve the wounded as they recovered from their injuries. It was a critical moment in his life and greatly affected his poetry later.

Lifelong learners and self-directed teens are invited to read Whitman’s “The Wound-Dresser” along with Bart Wolffe’s reading of the same in this video file…

Category: Hilltown Families, History, Poetry, Supplement, Video Tags: Civil War. Poetry, Learning Ahead Seasons Nov Dec, Learning Ahead Week 10, Sense of Place, veterans day, Walt Whitman

Historical Re-Enactments Bring History to Life

Living history programs and events in Western Massachusetts happen all year round and include local historical re-enactors portraying the life of New Englanders centuries ago at encampments and school programs. They often showcase the skills and activities of people during war time periods such as the American Revolutionary War or the Civil War. In addition to encampments, some units engage in battle reenactments which are rehearsed recreations of actual battles in and around the region at varying times of the year…

Category: Hilltown Families, History, Supplement Tags: Learning Ahead Seasons Nov Dec, Learning Ahead Week 10, Living History, Sense of Place, veterans day

Featured Events: Veterans Day & Military History

November 11th is Veterans Day, a national holiday that honors American veterans of all wars. The original date has great historical significance – the armistice that ended World War I was on November 11th, 1918. Each year towns and cultural institutions across the region host parades, ceremonies and events that bring together our living history with an intergenerational audience.

Category: Hilltown Families, Suggested Activity, Supplement Tags: Learning Ahead Seasons Nov Dec, Learning Ahead Week 10, Sense of Place, veterans day, Veterans Day Parade

Volunteer & Cultural Opportunities to Honor Veterans on Veterans Day in Western MA

Veterans Day, a national holiday celebrated every year on November 11th, provides communities with the opportunity to learn about and offer appreciation for the service provided by military veterans. November 11th is the perfect chance to honor our Veterans, and there are many opportunities to do so.

Category: Holidays, Supplement Tags: Learning Ahead Seasons Nov Dec, Learning Ahead Week 10, Living History, military, Sense of Place, Service Based Learning, veterans day, Volunteering

Learning Ahead: Nov & Dec Cultural Itinerary for Western MA

Learning Ahead: Cultural Itinerary for Western Massachusetts is a bimonthly publication produced by Hilltown Families that sheds light on embedded learning opportunities found in cultural resources that exist within the geography, history, and cultural traditions of Western Massachusetts.

With these downloadable seasonal itineraries, self-directed teens, lifelong learners, and families are encouraged to engage together in cultural opportunities that support similar interests, resulting in a shared history, strengthening sense of place.

Looking through a seasonal lens, our Cultural Itinerary for Western Massachusetts for November and December includes…

Category: Andrea Caluori-Rivera, Community Based Education, Cultural Itinerary, Hilltown Families, Suggested Activity Tags: Butchers, caroling, Christmas, Christmas trees, Education, First Hikes, First Night, Hanukkah, Harvest, History, Holiday Strolls, Humanities, Kwanzaa, Literature, Mass Humanities, Non-Commercial Holidays, Sense of Place, Storytelling, Thanksgiving, Three Kings Day, veterans day, Winter Solstice

Community Rises to Honor Veterans in Western MA

Veterans Day, a national holiday, provides communities with the opportunity to honor and learn about the service provided by former military members. Opportunities for community service to support and honor veterans are available right here in our own community, and families can also learn about military history on Veterans Day by engaging in living history demonstrations and activities!