Sixth Grade Core
Teacher: Mrs. Judith Pransky
Click on "Virtual Museum 2007-2008" to visit this year's Sixth Grade galleries: "Artifact Alley", "Poems for Two Voices", "Teva Poetry", and "Greek Pottery". Click on "Virtual Museum 2006-2007" or "Virtual Museum 2005-2006" to visit previous Sixth Grade galleries, including: "Artifact Alley", "Cave Art","Egyptian Cartouches", "Mesopotamian Cuneiform", "Greek Pottery", "Roman Papyrus Scrolls", and "Historical Fiction".
Click to see photos of this year's Teva retreat in Connecticut that took place in November.
Assignments
Social Studies
For all text book assignments, complete SQ3R in the text book.
Answer all questions from the text in binders.
Begin a new binder page for each assignment.
Write a heading on each page that includes
your name, the due date, the chapter title, and the page numbers.
Tuesday June 3 --Two chapters on the Decline of the Roman Empire
Part 1 of text book--pp.252-257
Part 2 of text book--pp. 138-143
NOTE: For anyone who needs them:
There are copies of all the Rome chapters in the text book
in the plastic wall pockets in Room 14.
Wednesday June 4 --Present Roman PowerPoints to the class.
Current Events
Follow the campaign news whenever you can.
Language Arts
Goddess of Yesterday, by Caroline B. Cooney
Monday May 19--
Complete the rest of the novel INCLUDING the Afterword.
Highlight information that shows the characters' world views.
In the Afterword, highlight information that is fictional.
Fill out the World View Analysis chart on the handout.
In your binders, answer the questions on the other side of the handout
Friday May 23
Email completed Mutual Admiration Society list to Mrs. Pransky.
BOOK-MOBILES FOR ROMAN NOVELS
Due dates:
Story Line Organizer: Friday, May 23
Book-Mobile: Monday, June 2
Coming Attractions
Middle School Field Day
Memory Albums
Bookmark Auction
Middle School trip to Dorney Park
Activities
Valley Forge, Doylestown and Holy Land Pizza
Valley Forge
By Ethan M.
On May 12, the sixth graders traveled to Valley Forge to start learning about American history, which we will be studying in seventh grade. It was horrible cold, rainy and windy weather for such a great historic trip. The first thing we did when we got there was check out the gift shop and look around the small museum of artifacts. We took a very short stroll to another building where we watched a quick film of background history on George Washington’s encampment at Valley Forge. Next, we met a young man in costume who was our tour guide. His name was Graham but he told us we could call him “Graham Cracker”. We hopped on the bus with Graham who started talking to us about what we learned in the film. We rode up a hill into the preserved park and stopped at a site where Graham showed us how trenches were built by Washington’s army in case of a surprise attack. After traveling further, we stopped at some cabins built to look like the ones in 1777-1778. Inside one of the cabins Graham gave us more information. Later, he showed us his musket and let us hold it and pull the trigger. The gun was very heavy. He fired it with some gun powder and no musket bullet, but sparks still flew everywhere. Next, we toured the home that George Washington lived in when the camp was in use. There were some interesting things in the house, but most of all we enjoyed the fact that it was heated! Back on the bus, Graham showed us what everything was used for on his uniform. I was surprised by some of the things. Our visit ended with lunch, and then it was time to travel to Doylestown.
Fonthill
By Sarah W. and Adina M.
Our trip to Doylestown was very fun and informative. We went there to learn about Henry Mercer, an archaeologist who lived in the late 1800's and early 1900's. When we arrived in Doylestown, the 6th grade split into two separate groups, 6-1 and 6-2. 6-1 went to the Moravian Tile Works first, while 6-2 went to Henry Mercer’s castle, Fonthill. The tile factory was very interesting. We learned that the tiles made by Henry Mercer were hand-made of clay. To make the tiles, he took clay straight from a lake and put it through a machine that made it flat. Then he either put it into a mold or made an imprint on it. We saw where he worked on the tiles and the kind of kilns he used to fire them. The kilns were made of brick and were heated with coal. The tile works is still in use today, and the tiles are still made by hand using the old techniques, but the kilns are more modern. Next we went into Henry Mercer’s castle. We had to be very careful because the whole house is considered an artifact. We had tour guides that showed us around. One of the exciting things we saw were ancient Mesopotamian tablets with cuneiform imprinted on them that had been used by traders to record their goods. They were much smaller than we expected—they fit in a person’s hand! In addition, the entire house is decorated with tiles that Mercer made or collected. Tiles cover the walls, the floors, and even the ceilings. Henry Mercer designed the house himself and built it of poured concrete. Three ways that we learned how he built his castle were from old to new, using stories and legends, and by copying the outside design of a Scottish castle. The building originally was a fieldstone farmhouse but he continued to add on to it to make his 44 room mansion. We learned a lot on this trip and we had tons of fun.
Moravian Tile Works
By Michael F. and Michael C.
Our trip to the Moravian Tile Works was very interesting and fun. We started with a very engaging movie that explained to us how the tiles were made. We found out that Mercer tiles are still sold today and they decorate the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. After the movie we went upstairs to look at many objects used in the process of creating tiles. There were large furnaces and lots of coal. In the next room there was a man painting tiles that will be for sale. He had lots of tiles that looked really cool. Then we went downstairs and saw two people working on molding tiles. They would take a large piece of clay and make a square shape with it. Next, they cut the clay into smaller pieces and placed the pieces onto a plaster mold. The clay and mold were pushed together to create the look of the tile. They were amazing. Next door was a storage room with hundreds of large pieces of clay. After the clay room we went to the gift shop that sold hundreds of different kinds of tiles. Some had really cool designs on them, and some were very expensive—costing as much as $300. The trip to the Tile Works was awesome!!! It was followed by a bus ride to Holy Land Pizza where a fun dinner ended our long day.
Greece and Rome tours at the University Museum
Morning:
By David Z. and David Y.
The international classroom
This was probably the best part of the whole day. We learned a little about Rome but the core of what we studied was focused on the Coliseum and gladiators. The teacher in this class was good, but her Italian accent was a little thick and occasionally difficult to understand. Many also felt her a bit absent-minded, sometimes forgetting or misinterpreting questions. The class was a little boring at times because all we did was listen to her, and I am sure that some of us started daydreaming in this environment. She changed the slides in her presentation with no real order, which became confusing. Some good points are that the presentation was well put together, the talk was informative and the topic new and fascinating. A great start of the day.
Etruscan and Roman Exhibit Tour
After the International Classroom session concluded, we were taken on a tour of the Etruscan and Roman exhibits. Most of the exhibits were informative and easy to understand but most people agreed that the tour guide was terrible. The tour started with a great light-up map of the ancient Mediterranean Sea area. The Etruscan, Greek, and Roman borders were shown on the map and below the map was a timeline. In the Etruscan exhibit we saw examples of Etruscan cremation urns, jewelry, ceremonial armor, art, torch holders, spindles, and other Etruscan artifacts. We also saw the lintel of an Etruscan door, a map of places that traded with the Etruscans, and a case showing some of the luxuries Etruscans received from trading. We were then taken to the Roman exhibit where we saw a broken statue of a god, a model of a Roman villa, busts of Roman citizens, a sculpture of Diana, the goddess of the hunt, many small statues found along with the Diana statue, and artwork from a tomb depicting a party. We would have seen more of the exhibit, but the tour had taken too long and it was time to break for lunch.
Afternoon:
By Ben B. and Jeffrey B.
Scavenger Hunt, Poetry and Sketching
After lunch in the museum cafeteria, we went in pairs to the Etruscan, Greek and Roman exhibits and had a scavenger hunt. Our teachers gave us packets with questions about different things in the exhibits. We walked around reading paragraphs about religion, coinage, burials and many other things as we answered the questions in the packet. We learned a lot of things about the Etruscans, Greeks and Romans that we didn't know before. Also with our partners, we looked at ancient Greek pottery painted with pictures. Each group found a piece and copied down what they thought the piece depicted. The next day, back in school, we typed "Poems for Two Voices", in which two people argue about what was going on in the scene on the pottery. At the museum we also chose pieces of pottery that had pictures and designs on them that we could copy and put on cylixes (Greek pottery that Ms. Stern showed us before the trip)] that we were making in Art. Finally we left to get back to school and go home.
Trip To The Odyssey Story Telling
by Avi R., Josh R. and Shawn M.
Our March trip took us to a Philadelphia theater in an old building that had once been a church. When we took our seats in the cold room, the show began. The lights dimmed, and we could see dozens of flickering candles in the background. We heard Greek being spoken, and instruments playing. We heard an extremely descriptive version of The Odyssey, by Homer. It was, to some people, very long and very boring. The descriptions and the way the story was told were very adult-like. Others liked it very much, but most people (including most of the teachers) didn’t really enjoy it. With all that said, it was a very realistic and mystical way of telling a story, using many instruments. Besides, we got to miss half a day of school!
Trip to The University of Pennsylvania Museum
of Archaeology and Anthropology—12/18/07
By Lihi Z. and Gideon H.
Our trip to the Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and Anthropology was great! We started off in the student gift shop, which sold really cool objects. Next we started our tour of Ancient Egypt. We saw some awesome artifacts and even ancient Egyptian bodies preserved in sand! Next we ate lunch, and some people bought food from the vending machines. One person even got double Doritos when they paid for only one! Afterwards, we went to the Ancient Israel exhibit, where we were assigned groups and sent on a scavenger hunt. In our groups, we had to fill out a packet of questions about the items in the exhibit. There was a really cool house exhibit that showed how average people lived in the times of the Bible. The museum also had an exhibit on the tombs of Ur, in Mesopotamia (today the location is in southern Iraq), and we went to explore for a few minutes. There were some really neat artifacts made out of gold and other expensive materials, like a lyre, jewelry, and a queen’s headdress. Finally, we went to see a model of something that looked like a ziggurat from the ancient Mayans. Lastly, we boarded the school bus and came back to school. It was a very fun, interesting, and informative trip!
Trip to the University Museum—Part 2
By Gavi S. and Miranda D.
We started our trip by going into the gift shop. It was cool; the shop had amazing trinkets and toys. We soon headed to take our tour where we were split up by Core class. In one room, we learned more about the Rosetta Stone, and in another room we saw the mummy exhibit. Although some of it was a bit frightening, we thought it was also interesting. We were amazed at how Egyptians could preserve these corpses for SO many years. We soon moved on to another part of the museum. This had one of the three sphinxes in the world! There were also pillars from a palace, from ancient Egypt. You could still see the designs on the pillars. That was really cool. We learned that the pillars were so tall that workers had to cut them in half to fit them into the museum. Next we made our way to the lunchroom where ate and admired a mural/map made out of fabric. We found Israel’s fabric looked like a kippah and the USA’s looked like a pair of jeans. After that we went to the Ancient Israel exhibit and split into groups. We had fun and learned a lot by going on a scavenger hunt. While we did that we didn’t even realize we were actually learning awesome facts! We learned about homes, beliefs, tools, and much more throughout our people’s timeline. We had so much fun at the University Museum!
Teva--Part 1
by Annie P., Celeste M., and Ashira N-G
Our fateful story begins with this diary entry: “So it’s about 2:15 on Sunday, the 11th of November, and we are off! We have begun our journey to the unknown—except to the teachers.” After the bus ride there, we get to Teva around 8:30 and the festivities begin--the incredibly fun task of….unloading the bags! Wahoo! After this uplifting experience we get to drag our bags all the way to our bunks—I know, you can hardly contain yourself. Finally, we get to unpack our sleeping bags and go to bed (I know, a wild night). The next morning, and every morning, we wake up to pray shacharit to G-d (who is big—according to the Teva version of the t’fillah), after which we go on a hike. Next, we have lunch, which is when the other schools arrive. Then we are introduced to our groups and begin working with them. After we finish limudei chutz (learning outside) we go inside and—get ready for this one—have dinner! After a night hike and campfire, we have a snack and then say the Shema and sing a song with Mr. Gotlieb (OMG). Then we go to sleep.
Although each day is basically the same schedule, with each event we learn different, new and enlightening things about the Earth. The Night Hike was very memorable. We went on a hike at night (I know—really creative title) and we were not allowed to use our flashlights, which was especially interesting and caused some… minor injuries. During the Night Hike, it started raining so most groups came out of the woods and stood on the grass outside of the cabins and did an activity. However, one group helped an injured person, which took a long while. To warm up afterwards, we had the campfire and the morei derech (group leaders) told a story. That was a very new experience.
Something else we did which was fun was the chuggim (specialty groups). At the chuggim demos, the morei derech acted out different activities that they were going to do that night and then explained what they were. For example, if they were doing “spiritual” basketball they’d act out people playing basketball but in slow motion. After they told us what the different chuggim were, we chose which one we wanted to go to, and hopefully we were one of those chosen to go. One night they had spa chug!
There was free time every day, too, where we could hang with friends, play football, or play poker. The free was one of the best parts of the day! It was also fun to meet new friends and catch up with old friends from the other schools.
Every day, during our limudei chutz and other activities, we were taught things we can do to help our environment. We were taught to do things like reduce, reuse, recycle, rethink (there’s no such place as away *clink, clink*) and we were taught how we could do those things. We also spent time thinking of how we could bring Teva back to our school to make sure that people remember to do things like turn off the lights, not leave the water running, not turn the air conditioning on when they can just open a window, and other ways not to use up energy.
One of the most fun parts of the trip was the sort of “dance parties” where we sang the Teva songs and danced—or watched everyone else do the “moves” to the “Psolet on My Plate” song. It was fun to weigh the psolet after every meal and sing, “Kamma, kamma psolet, whoo, psolet, whoo.” (“How much psolet is left?”) When we would clean up at the end of meals we would put all the uneaten food that was left on our plates into the psolet bucket. After that we would weigh the psolet and try and have as little as possible so that we wouldn’t waste food. The highest amount we had was 16 pounds and the lowest was 1 pound—a new record!!!!!!
We did a lot at Teva and we learned a lot too, and even though it was cold and wet, and when it was time to go back to our cabins our legs hurt from hiking, and it got boring sometimes, and we were cold, and we had no meat, and we had no electronics, and we were cold (did I mention that already?), it was a memorable experience we will never not not unforget! (We will never forget.)
Teva--Part 2
Elan Z. and Eli H.
Teva was a wonderful experience where we did many activities. Many people enjoyed the game Predator and Prey, a running and chasing game that taught us about the animals in the food chain. At Teva, it was as cold as ice but we still had fun. The day went like this: we woke up and got dressed, then we went to the Oolam (the meeting hall) for hot cocoa. Happily, we had to go to the synagogue to pray. It was a very nice synagogue with huge windows overlooking the mountains and the lake. Afterward, we had breakfast, where they usually served bagels and cereal. Later, we joined our hiking groups where we would explore the grounds and learn about nature. Every group had to earn four beads that represented something we accomplished. We would eat lunch on the trail—pita, chumus, and cream cheese. At 5:30 the counselors would do Teva TV. This is a little play they would do about saving the environment. Then we would have our hobbies or chuggim. Many people thought this was the best part of Teva. Hobbies were activities that we chose to do. They varied from Reading to Extreme Night Hike. After hobbies we had dinner, which was always the best meal of the day, and at the end of the meal we did Psolet. This was weighing the left-over food and trying to get it to be less each day. After dinner, we sometimes went on night hikes with our groups, hiking in the dark with no flashlights. Finally we went to sleep. That is a day at Teva.
Trip to the Philadelphia Water Works
and Eastern State Penitentiary
By Reyna F., Emily K., Adam H., and Jake T.
Our trip to the Water Works and the Penitentiary on October 23 was great. First we saw some interesting sculptures in Fairmount Park that our Art teacher Ms. Stern told us about. Then we went to the Philadelphia Water Works on the Schuylkill River where we learned about how the city cleans our water. We had a tour guide who taught us about how polluted our water is before it is purified. We traced the blue print of some of the old machines in the building and learned how architects draw scale models. Then we watched a short move about how the Water Works was constructed in the 1800’s and became almost as popular for tourists as Niagara Falls!
Afterwards, we had lunch in the Azalea Garden near the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Next, we walked to Eastern State Penitentiary where we learned that this was first prison where people were sent to “repent” instead of just for punishment; that is why it’s called a “penitentiary”. We also learned how some people tried to escape. We looked at the architecture of the Penitentiary and found out how archaeologists use ruins to learn about how people used to live. This connects with what we are learning in Mrs. Pransky’s Core class. We enjoyed the trip a lot and we hope next year’s sixth grade will experience it the same way.
Fun at the Tut Exhibit
By Ishiyah N.G. and Lev Z.
On September 30, the 6th grade visited the Franklin Institute and was amazed by the magnificent artifacts from the tombs of ancient Egyptian rulers. We set out in the morning eager for excitement and a chance to see gold. When we got to the Franklin Institute after a long bus ride anticipation was mounting. We put our lunches down and joined the long line waiting to enter the Tut exhibit. When we finally got to the head of the line we were handed headphones and electronic tour guides. At the beginning of the exhibit we were squashed into a small room for a short video explaining what we were going to see in the exhibit. Afterwards, we moved into the next room and what we saw was amazing: rooms filled with ancient Egyptian artifacts made of gold and other precious materials. After the trip everyone was happy and content.
The King Tut Trip--Part II
By Jared R., Sam Z. and Jacob R.
On our trip to the Franklin Institute, the first thing we did was tour the King Tut exhibit. We saw many things such as a golden dagger and many statues, but unfortunately we did not have the opportunity to see King Tut and his sarcophagus which remained in Egypt. Our next stop was at an IMAX film about Egyptian life. We learned that in the 1800's and early 1900’s the main ways that the people made money was to either be a farmer, a merchant or a tomb robber. The IMAX showed us a re-enactment about a tomb robber. Next, we went to an interactive pyramid-making exhibit, and after we ate lunch we learned how to dissect and mummify earthworms. The King Tut trip was a blast!!!!!!!!!!!
Read the student reports of activities from previous years.
Descriptions of the events of 2005-2006 (click to read)
Descriptions of the events of 2006-2007 (read below)
The Doylestown Trip
Train Ride to Doylestown
By Brandon T.
To add to our experience on the field trip on Monday, May 13th, the sixth grade was transported to Doylestown by two large commuter trains. The first picked us up at Merion station and we arrived in Center City where we were to exit the train and wait for the second one to arrive. On this particular train, I, personally, met a man who was an Barrack Hebrew Academy graduate! We had a nice chat and went our separate ways.
On the second train, there was one car for us, carrying no other business people for the remainder of our excursion. During the rest of the ride, the kids played cards, gossiped, and of course, enjoyed the eclectic shadow, the Nintendo Game boy!!!! We all had a great time!!!
The Mercer Museum
By Devorah T.
The first impression the sixth grade had of the Mercer Museum was, “This looks more like a castle or horror movie site than a museum.” The gothic, six-story museum's interior is even more impressive. Pre-Industrial Revolution artifacts, like carriages and whaling boats, hang from the high ceiling, allowing you to get a good look from all sides. Smaller items are displayed in model shops and exhibits. You might ask, “Who made this?” The answer is Henry Mercer. Born in Doylestown in 1856, this tile maverick and amateur archeologist realized that many changes were going on in his lifetime. He urgently collected everything that he could, lest our culture be lost. He started to collect the tools that were used before the Industrial Revolution, and by his death in 1930 he had collected thousands of artifacts, most of which were housed in the Mercer Museum, which was built in 1916. Our class enjoyed the trip and thank the teachers for taking us.
Fonthill
By Chad B.
After the Mercer Museum we hiked a mile to see Fonthill, Henry Mercer's home that was built like a castle. We took a tour of the large mansion; the rooms were huge. In that house Mercer bred Chesapeake Bay Retrievers. There was also a hand-operated elevator (dumbwaiter) that would bring food to whichever room Mercer was in. The mansion had many decorative tiles on the ceilings and the walls. Many had pictures and designs about history. The castle also had thousands of books, and we found out that Mercer had read them all. The mansion was designed by Mercer himself, and the hallways and staircases were very narrow in some areas--sometimes too narrow for a large person to get through.
The Moravian Tileworks
By Rosie S.
At Henry Mercer's Tileworks on the grounds of Fonthill castle, we visited the gift shop where hand-made tiles are sold. After that we went on a self-guided tour, but first we watched a movie about Henry Mercer and how he decided to build a factory where tiles would be made the old-fashioned way. Afterwards, we saw an old-time kiln and pieces of pottery before they were fired and put together. Then we saw a potter pressing molds on clay. He explained how he created tiles, and also told us about the clay pit and the tombstone in the cellar that we visited later. Even though the tombstone wasn’t real, it was still freaky. We also saw a worker using yellow glaze on a dragonfly tile before it was time for us to get on the bus to go home.
Cafe Shira
By Dobhran B.
Cafe Shira was a good place to go at the end of the day. The menu included pasta, pizza, salad, and French fries, followed by a surprise ice cream dessert to celebrate Toviah B.'s birthday. Even though the menu was not too extensive, it worked after a full day of hiking, touring and learning. What the food lacked in diversity it gained in quantity and in taste. After supper, we strolled the half mile back to Barrack Hebrew Academy. Overall, it was a good ending to a good day.
Research from the Mercer Museum
History of Lighting
Arielle S.
Around 600 B.C.E. the Greeks and the Romans developed the first oil lamp. When they developed the lamp, it made socializing, working late and traveling so much easier for people. After the first oil lamp was made, more complicated lamps were developed. In 800 C.E., the candlestick was made. That might have been easier and cleaner than the oil lamp. Then in 900 C.E., lanterns and torches were made. This invention was easier, quicker and a lot cleaner than the oil lamp and the candlestick. Then in 1780, the whale oil lamp was developed. Eventually, people stopped killing the whales just for their oil. Now we use the light bulb for lighting.
Butcher
Dobhran B.
The butcher has many tools of the trade. Most of the tools that were used in the past are no longer used today. One of the tools that is an exception is the cleaver, which is a large, rectangular knife that is used for chopping things that are too large to chop with a normal sized knife. A tool that I saw that is not used today, at least in the same form, is the meat grinder that is different in how it looks now from how it looked before. Today it looks like a metal tube and handle. Then it was just a tray and a log with spikes. The tools are very different now and they are very interesting. Thinking of these implements would make an interesting trip to the bathroom at night.
Brandon T.
At the museum, I took great interest in the butcher exhibit because my great-grandparents owned a butcher shop. I took this opportunity to learn about them and this profession. They mostly used tools like large knives made of steel to cut meat, ladles for straining, pounders, and, of course, pots and pans for cooking. They would fill orders and sell the meats. I learned many things about them.
Fire Engine
Caroline B.
The fire engine was invented in 1847. It was the most powerful of its time. The engine was supposed to be pulled by hand to the fire. Its purpose was to put out the fire quickly except it was a slow process because it was pulled by hand. It was operated by as many as twenty-four men. The men operated it by cranking and turning handles to pump water from a nearby well or river.
Wooden Water Pipes and Pumps
Lindsay P.
Wooden water pipes and pumps were used to transfer water from springs to wells. This made the everyday chores for people a little bit easier so they would not have to carry heavy buckets of water from springs to fill up a well. The pipes and pumps were made out of wood. The process of making this was by carving a hole through the center of a log.
Leksey M.
Wooden water pipes and pumps were popular in the early 1900’s. They were used in America on quiet farms and in big cities. They were made by sanding down a log and then carving a hole about the size of a large grapefruit through the center all the way through so rain water and other liquids could get out the other end. People had to make them very smooth so there were no splinters when installing them. Sometimes the people making them would have to make the log curve to fit where it would be placed. Usually, the pipes would be used outside to drain rain water and keep it out of the house, like a gutter.
Weapons
Daniel S.
At the museum, I found that the weapons they used back then were one of the most interesting things, because I’ve heard of them, but I didn’t know all the details about them. The people used spears, arrowheads, and scrapers. Spears were made of bamboo or wood, and were used to stab anyone close to them. Arrowheads have a triangular shape, were made from stone, bone, or metal, and were used for slinging at an enemy. Scrapers were made of anything hard, and were used like knives.
Gallows
Sarah K.
Gallows are one way that was used to hang people. People tied people’s necks to a rope and the rope would be attached to a pole that went across the top of the structure. The person would stand on a platform on top of a trap door. Suddenly the trap door would open. The person would fall, but instead of falling completely down, they would be stopped by the rope. The reason I chose this was because it seemed interesting. At first I found it really gross but then I realized what made this tool so important. It was how prisoners would be killed.
Daniel H.
The prisoner would stand on a trapdoor built into a raised platform with a noose loosely tied around his neck. The executioners would open the trapdoor and the prisoner would be stopped by the noose, breaking his neck. I think this is a cruel way to kill someone. It was used for over 300 years and is still used in some countries today.
Eric H.
This is the process of someone being hanged on the gallows. First the guards bring the person up the steps to get hanged. Next they put a rope over the person’s head. The rope is attached to a piece of wood above the platform. The rope they tie around the person’s neck is called a noose. Then they offer a blindfold. Next they make the prisoner stand over a trap door. Finally, they open the trap door and the person falls through and snaps his neck.
Lynnelle S.
Gallows were used to hang people like witches. Sometimes if a person didn’t like someone, they would start a rumor and make everyone think the other person was a witch. Jailers would make the accused people stand on a wooden platform, put a rope over their head and then let down a trapdoor so the people would be hanging. This caused the people to die very suddenly. During olden time periods, many people would watch the hangings. Sometimes they were like a form of entertainment.
Cigar Store
Toviah B.
In the front of the cigar store at the museum is a statue of an Indian man, holding or smoking a cigar. This is to give a little bit of credit to the Indians, for planting tobacco and teaching Europeans about it. Also, this shows that if the Indians can smoke, anybody should be able to smoke, because the Indians were considered lower class and less important. This was all to raise the popularity of the cigars and the other things that were sold in a cigar/general store.
Column Stove
Hannah K.
When I went to the Mercer Museum I wanted to learn more information about the Column Stove. I learned that the Column Stove was a new field of design back in the 1800's. It was first invented in 1843. In 1853 hundreds and hundreds of patents were issued to imaginative Column Stoves. I also learned that the Column Stove was used for heating homes and food. They were very popular and they were usually made from copper or metal or bronze. Today, they are also sold for a very good price. They are sold for an estimate of $280-$300. I learned lots of new things about Column Stoves and I am very glad I researched this topic.
Tamar P.
The column stove was made for the use of heating houses, not usually for the use of heating food. It looks like a castle and is made out of metal so the heat does not get out of hand and start a fire. Metal is a fire proof material. The column stove was also expensive, so if you had one you would probably be very wealthy. It was made in the 1840's. It burns with unpleasant odors and runs on coal. You do not need a chimney or a hole at the top to let the heat out.
General Store
Devorah T.
The model of a General Store was exactly what it implies, a store that sells a little bit of everything. In this General Store there were hats, fabric, shoes, ribbons, dress patterns, china, pewter silverware, tin cups, cooking utensils, pots, pans, guns, bullets, fishing supplies, and a coon skin cap. This might have been what the interior of a pre-Industrial Revolution General Store looked like. There might have been one General Store in each small town, were you could either buy or trade goods.
Baking
Leah S.H.
In the 1600’s, the first metal oven was invented and used to make many things, like bread and cookies. A lot of the same tools that were used then are used now, like pans to cook the food in, and slicers to cut bread. In the 1800’s, most European nations were using rye flour in their favorite breads. Today, many people still eat rye bread and use it for sandwiches and other things.
The Whaling Boat
Brock L.
The whaling boat was used for ten to twenty men to try and catch a whale. The men used a special weapon called a harpoon gun. This implement of destruction was basically a cannon-like launcher that would shoot a long, sharp, pointed dagger. Hopefully, in the sailors’ pint of view, it would hit the desired whale and kill it. Then they would tow the whale back to their ship where they would cut it up and process it.
The Printing Press
By Rosie S.
The printing press was used to print books, newspapers and other articles of reading. It made it easier to print a story, even though in the days it was invented only the rich had books. Because of this invention, more books became available, and more people learned to read. In order to print, people would place a sheet of paper in the middle of a block. Then, they took tiles which each had a letter on them. They inserted them into rows that spelled the words they wanted to print, only they had to put them in backwards. Next, they put ink on the tiles. Last, they pressed down on a lever and the words would be printed on the paper. The printing press was invented because it took a long time to write long articles on a tablet. The letter tiles were a useful invention because they could be used over and over again.
Weathervanes
By Josh H.
Weathervanes are instruments that are used to indicate the wind direction. They are made from what many other things are made from: brass, copper, or stainless steel, and they are made by hand. Weathervanes can look like pretty much anything but mostly they look like arrows. They are set up on tops of buildings facing the wind. Believe it or not, weathervanes have been in use for about 300 years, and they are still in use today.
The Fruit Press
By Shoshana F.
Before the industrial age, when you wanted juice, you used the fruit press. It was much harder to use than the ones we have now, because it involved manual labor. Today, when juice companies have to squeeze fruit, they use an electric machine. To use the fruit press, you insert hand-picked fruit into a basket attached to a machine. Once you have done that, you must turn a wheel, which makes the stone block above the basket press down the fruit, which extracts the juice. The juice will then pour into a container and will be good to drink.
Fun in Greece and Rome
By Caroline B. and Lindsay P.
On April twenty-fifth, the sixth grade went to the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology to see the Greek, Roman and Etruscan exhibits. First we learned about the Etruscans and how their life was. We saw many different things such as where they lived, their urns, their shoes, and that they had an alphabet that is no longer in use. Then we saw the Roman exhibit, with lots of gorgeous pottery and an example of a wealthy Roman man’s house. We also saw pieces of jewelry and many statues of Roman gods. After lunch, the sixth grade went to the Greek exhibit where we looked at the pottery for inspiration in an upcoming art project. With partners, we chose a piece of pottery for writing a “Poem for Two Voices.” We also sketched parts of pots for the art project. After looking at the Greek exhibit, we were assigned partners and had a scavenger hunt. We answered questions about the Etruscan and Roman sections of the museum. Overall this was a fun experience and a great adventure.
Visit to King Tut (February 2007)
By Hannah K. and Lynnelle S.
On February 12, The sixth grade went to the Franklin Institute to see the spectacular King Tut exhibit. We saw many Egyptian artifacts and treasures that were buried with King Tut. For example, we saw gold ornaments and a blue faced doll that represented good luck in the afterlife. One thing we did not see was the famous gold death mask that remained in Egypt along with King Tut's mummy. After the incredible exhibit, we saw the IMAX film on Egypt. It was a story about a girl who wanted to know the mysteries of Egypt. After that we ate lunch and then participated in a workshop about pyramids. It showed us how hard it was to make the pyramids and how impressive it was to make these monuments with no modern technology. The pyramids were meant to bury the dead pharaohs, and at a different workshop, we learned how to mummify. We took dead earth worms and put them in white powder. We also used sharp scalpels to cut open the flesh of the earthworms and remove their organs. Later, we went to the impressive King Tut gift shop which had great Egyptian products and souvenirs for sale. The most fun part of the day was having an hour to go to any exhibit in the Franklin Institute. One of the exhibits that some students visited was the sports center where science and athletics help people increase their sport abilities. We were all sad to leave but we had learned a lot and brought back plenty of new Egyptian knowledge.
The Teva Experience 1 (December 2006)
By Arielle S. and Shoshana F.
Teva was an amazing experience. It connected Judaism to nature, with the goal being to save the earth. Every day was a learning experience; time was precious and well spent. We woke up super early and needed to go to bed super early. We went there as just regular 6th graders, and came back more knowledgeable people.
Groups: Every day at Teva we woke up at 5:45 for Shacharit services at 6:30. After services we ate breakfast and then went with our groups. With our groups, we might have hiked, made organic tea out of edible leaves, learned about global warming or played games. We always had fun with our groups.
Food: We had to eat vegetarian meals. The food was great! Almost everyone loved it and we never starved. We had hot chocolate before services; after services we had breakfast; we ate lunch sometimes with our group and sometimes with our table assignments. There was always a salad bar and soup, and sometimes pizza, Chinese food, mac and cheese, potatoes—this is just a small amount of what we would eat at Teva. We also had a snack in midday. No one went hungry.
Nighttime Activites: At night we had either electives or a night hike. The electives were choices of cooking, drama, learning to make a fire, basketball, singing, cheering for other groups, and more.
Teva was so much fun!!!!
The Teva Experience 2
By Sarah K. and Tamar P.
During our visit to the Teva program in Connecticut, we learned about protecting our earth. We went on hikes and night walks, and we played different nature games including Predator and Prey. There were different groups for hikes and other fun and games. We went to see amazing things including climbing to a fabulous overlook. We climbed on giant boulders and mountains. We met new people from different schools and we caught up with others. We ate trail lunches and spread our peanut butter with vegetables. We had very, very nice cabins that were like three star motels (well, maybe not quite three star…). We made fires and sang songs with new and old friends. Teva was a blast and we had a great time. We will never forget the awesome friends we made and all the fun we had.
Go Teva!!
Egypt and Israel Tours at the University Museum (December 2006)
By Leksey M. and Leah S.H.
Everyone was so excited when we heard we were going to the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology to see the Egypt and Israel exhibits. First we met our tour guide who took us to see the special Amarna exhibit about King Akhenaton’s ancient capital city. Afterwards, we saw things like real mummies, as well as statues of kings and queens and many different gods. The most exciting part was seeing artifacts that were actually in Egypt thousands of years ago. Most of the writing we saw was in hieroglyphics on tomb poles and slabs of stone. We also saw a copy of the Rosetta Stone. When it was discovered in 1799, it helped people discover how to read hieroglyphics. During our scavenger hunt in the Israel exhibit, we learned about daily life at the time of the Tanach. Overall, the trip was a very good one.
Project Share (October 2006) Project Share
By Josh H. and Eric H.
Arielle, Chad and Andrew help sort cans of food for the needy.
On the 23rd of October, the 6th and the 7th grades participated in a Chesed activity at a place called, “Project Share.” At the “Project Share” warehouse, we filled boxes with food that had been donated for the needy. Some people constructed the cardboard boxes, others sorted cans and cartons of food from large bins, and still others packed them in the boxes. Our time at “Project Share” was hard work, but it was also fun and very worthwhile. We look forward to doing it again.
Mrs. Pransky’s Sukkah (October 2006)
By Jeremy G. and Jessie W.
Monday, the 9th of October, grade six went to Mrs. Pransky’s sukkah. As we entered, her husband, daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren greeted us. We started by learning about the lulav, aravot, hadasim and the etrog, and that they symbolize parts of the human body. It was very interesting to learn that the lulav symbolizes the spine, the leaves of the aravot symbolize the mouth, the hadasim leaves symbolize the eyes, and the etrog symbolizes the heart. After we finished learning about the four species and other things about Sukkot, we played Sukkot Bingo with chocolate chips as markers. Thank you Mrs. Pransky for inviting grade six to your sukkah.
By Daniel S. and Jacob S.
The trip to Eastern State Penitentiary was interesting because we learned a lot of things from this modern artifact. For example, we never knew that Al Capone was imprisoned there. He was a dangerous gangster in the 1920s and 1930s, and he also sold illegal alcohol. The wall around the prison was 30 feet tall, 8 feet thick, and was sunk 10 feet into the ground, to make it difficult for prisoners to escape. The Penitentiary looked like a castle on the outside, but on the inside it looked like a church because the builders wanted the prisoners to repent their sins. (This was the first penitentiary—a place for repentance, not just a prison.) Something we would like to know about Eastern State Penitentiary is an estimate of how many prisoners were there. From when it opened in 1854 to when it closed in 1991 we think there were at least 5,000 people. We suggest the next 6th grade should definitely go on this trip because we liked it so much!!!
Artifact Alley (2006)
By Brock L. and Daniel H.
The date is Tuesday, September 21 and the sixth graders are quickly filing into the Art Room. We have brought in many modern artifacts used in our homes, for teachers and other students to guess what they are and how they work, in an educational project. This is called Artifact Alley. It taught us that not everything we learn is fact and a lot of things are actually just theory. The point of this is to see how much you know, and how much you think you know. If it is hard to figure out what something modern is, imagine how hard it would be to figure out what something ancient is. Artifact Alley was a fun and educational experience for everyone.
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