Sixth Grade Core
Teacher: Mrs. Judith Pransky
Click on "Virtual Museum 2008-2009" to visit this year's Sixth Grade gallery featuring Artifact Alley.
Click on "Virtual Museum 2007-2008" to visit last year's Sixth Grade galleries, and to get a taste of other activities such as: "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 October.
Assignments
Mutual Admiration Society--due Monday, June 8
Follow the instructions in the email you received.
Watch for your personal, confidential Admiration letter after school is over.
Social Studies
*For all text book assignments:
*Complete a Project Checklist and include it with your assignment
*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 at the top of each page that includes
*your name and class section,
*the due date,
*the chapter and lesson title,
*the page numbers.
*Write subheadings and the page number for each section of the assignment.
*Number all answers.
*Begin each answer on a new line
Current Events
Follow the news whenever you can, especially about our new President.
Language Arts
Thesis Essays due Tuesday, June 9
Use the Essay Guidelines packet to complete your essay.
Have two classmates peer edit your work.
Revise your essay and hand it in together with your packet completely filled out.
You are also required to peer edit two of your classmates' essays.
Book Reviews
By the end of May, write two book reviews for Barrack Books,
our new Middle School book review wiki.
Follow the Posting Rules on the Barrack Books web site.
Click on the cougar to navigate to the wiki.
Goddess of Yesterday
Write at least seven postings on the wiki as you read this exciting novel about the Trojan War.
Also highlight passages that have particularly powerful or beautiful writing.
Follow the instructions and the due dates on the web site.
Click on Medusa to navigate to the wiki.
Goddess of Yesterday Poetry Assignment due Wednesday, June 10
Click HERE for instructions.
Coming Attractions
End of year activities: Memory Albums, Bookmark Auction, Admiration Society.
Activities
Descriptions of the events of 2008-2009
Trip to Doylestown--May 4
The Mercer Museum
by Sarah K.
The Mercer Museum was an excellent experience, filled with interesting information and things from the 1800’s. Walking in, we saw everything from boats to baskets hanging from the walls and ceilings. Next, after the oooh’s and aaah’s, we all looked around the building. The building had an odd shape of one huge ceiling reaching to the absolute top, then the floor levels tracing the edges of the building. The tour guide introduced the Museum, and then continued to talk about the contents of the Museum. It was built to store many items that were collected right as the Industrial Revolution hit the world. The man who built the Museum was named Henry Chapman Mercer (hence the Mercer Museum). Mercer was an archaeologist, often described as eccentric and rich (he inherited the money). When factories started being built, and new items and tools were being made, people started throwing out their old clocks and medical equipment and hunting tools to buy new and, in their eyes, better ones. Mercer saw this happening, and he worried that people were going to forget how they lived in the 1800’s just as they did in so many other civilizations that he had studied. So he started collecting what people were throwing out: anything--musical instruments, farming tools, shoe making, and even leather working. If it was there to take, he took it. After all was taken, he needed someplace to put the items. So he created a museum to put his valuables and that museum is the Mercer Museum. After all was built, and he was placing his things, he wanted to display them out of context, to get the person to actually question what it was used for. The tour guide pointed to a big, long wooden pole-thing with little boxes in it, as an example and asked us what we thought it was. After everybody guessed, she explained that it was used to feed animals. She showed us with her hands how the long-wooden pole thing was set on the ground, and how the animals ate from it. I, personally, thought that this trip was very interesting, and I plan to visit there again.
The Mile-long Walk and Lunch
by Shira P.
On our trip, we took a walk from the Mercer Museum to Mercer's house/castle and the Tile Works.The walk was around 30 minutes long--cold and rainy. Everyone was walking qiukly to get out of the the rain while talking. However, the teachers think the sights were pretty much worth it. There were lots of cute little places and houses. Some of the houses even dated back to the 1800's! By the time we finally got to the tent where we were going to eat lunch, some of us were falling behind. We ate our lunches in a big fancy white tent. Later in the museum, we were told that they are going to use the tent for people who want to get married there!
Fonthill Castle
by Tayla M.
After the Mercer Museum, we hiked to Fonthill Castle, Henry Mercer’s home. Henry decided to build the castle because he fell in love with the castles in Europe. Fonthill has forty-four rooms. All the rooms are so different and special in their own ways. When we arrived at Fonthill we ate lunch in a big tent outside the castle. After lunch, we were taken around the castle by a tour guide. Our tour guide took us through all the rooms and explained to us what they were used for. She also told us what the rooms were called, and told us very interesting facts about Henry and the castle. Fonthill castle was made entirely of concrete. Since it was made of concrete it couldn’t burn down. We got to see Henry’s bedrooms, his library, the kitchen, many guest/extra rooms, the crypt, the living rooms, the dining room, and much more. Henry never used the crypt; he only had it to make the castle more like the ones in Europe. When Henry lived in the castle he had electricity and heat, which was pretty rare at that time. He also had an elevator, and lots of maids. One of the most amazing things was that no matter what room you were in, there was a bell that you could ring. The bell would go through to a box in the kitchen and a flag would drop down. The flag would say what room had called. The people working in the kitchen would know to bring food to the room that had called. Throughout the castle there are many tiles. One room with many tiles is the Christopher Columbus room. The ceiling of the Christopher Columbus room is completely covered in detailed tiles that tell Columbus's story. The field trip to Doylestown was very fun, especially going to Fonthill Castle!
The Moravian Tile works
by Tali R.
After the Fonthill Castle, we went to the Moravian Tile Works. They were on the same grounds as the castle and were also owned by Henry Mercer. Henry would sit in his kitchen and sketch ideas, then go over to the Tile Works and make the tiles. Then he would sell them. We watched a movie about how the tiles were made, and then we watched people making them. First we saw someone cutting the pieces for the tiles. Then we saw someone painting a tile all by hand! A lot of the tiles were put in Henry Mercer’s castle, and some are even used today in other buildings and homes. Afterwards, we went to the gift shop. A few of us bought tiles and we all chipped in money to buy Mrs. Pransky one since she couldn’t be on the trip.
Supper at Max and David's
by Bianca N.
After the tour at the Moravian Tileworks, we took a coach bus to Max & David’s for a tasty dinner. It took us an hour to get from the Tileworks to Max & David’s but it was worth it once we got there. There, we were served drinks and an option of grilled portabella mushrooms, chicken tenders and fries, and a hamburger with fries. Their vegetarian option was a salad which I was told was very good. While in the lovely party room, the class chose to watch George Lopez and Happy Gilmore which made us all laugh (even Mrs. Ferber and Ms. Stern!). For dessert, we had a fudge brownie with a strawberry and powdered sugar which was really good! We thanked everyone, and made our way out from a delicious dinner.
Research from the Mercer Museum
The Mercer Museum: Building and Design
This beautiful museum was very different – and for many reasons. One reason was the kinds of things on display; the second was about why Mercer made the Museum; and the third was the architectural style. The whole building was made out of concrete. The ceilings, the floors, even the window frames and stairs were made out of concrete. What particularly interested me, though, was the way that Mercer designed the building. Instead of having floors (the levels) going straight across from one side to another of the building, he had the floors going around the outer edges, making the top of the building and all the floors visible from the first floor. Inside, objects all the way from boats to fruit compressors to cookie cutters, were draped from the ceilings, the floors, even a wooden table. Sometimes the objects were just spread out on the floor! The museum is very whacky, fun, very unexpected, and just what Mercer wanted it to be. There is no way to describe the energetic and exciting vibes you get when you walk in this magnificent building until you actually experience the feeling.
Sarah K.
Corn Sheller
Corn shellers were used in the late 18th century on farms to remove the kernels from corn cobs. Then the kernels of corn were used as seeds and animal feed. Inside the homemade sheller was a wooden cylinder with iron teeth which revolved when the crank handle was turned. The ears of corn were dropped in the top of the sheller. The kernels of corn were pulled off the cob by the teeth of the revolving cylinders and fell into a container placed below.
Jenny S.
Corn shellers were used on farms. Farmers needed the kernels for seeds and animals. The corn sheller removed the kernels from the corncobs. The sheller was homemade. Inside of it was a wooden cylinder. The cylinder had iron teeth. The teeth would move when the crank handle was spun. The corn would be placed at the top. The crank handle would be turned. The teeth would then pull the kernels off the cob, and they would fall into a container below.
Tayla M.
This late 18th century machine was used on farms to remove the kernels from corncobs. The youngest members in the family were usually the ones who were occupied in this job. Inside this homemade sheller is a wooden cylinder set with iron teeth. This machine is revolved when the handle is turned. Ears of corn are dropped in from the top. You would then pull off the cob, letting the kernels from the cob fall into a container placed below.
Mel V.
The Six Plated Stove
The six plated stove was used in the 1600’s. It is an oven-like box with six iron plates. Like all stoves back then, it burned wood. This was also the first free-standing stove. It was used for heating and cooking. The six plated stove was replaced by the ten plated stove in the 1700’s. Sam H.
The School House
The school house was where kids of all ages went to school. Like today, the school house had a teacher and kids. Back then, students in grades 1-6 learned together with one teacher. Every kid sat at a desk with his books, chalk, and chalkboard. The teacher also had a bell. In the school house at the Mercer Museum, there is a stove and a globe. Students learned most of what they knew there.
Sam H.
Wine Press
The wine press squeezed grapes into wine. It was used to extract the juice. You put the grapes in a tin with small holes at the bottom. Then a wooden screw turned to squish them. From the tin the juice would flow through a tube until it dropped into a bucket. From there you could drink it. The wine press has been used for a long time. The earliest way to make wine was to stomp on the grapes with your feet. Wine presses were usually found on farms. It was very interesting to see and learn about it.
Tali R.
Feed Trough
The feed trough was used on farms to feed the animals. It was made from one long tree. People would take the trunk of a tree and hollow it out, making a few square beams. Food and water for animals would be put in, and then they could all come and eat and drink. A farm would have a few feed troughs. They were very important and used a lot!
Tali R.
The feed troughs were used on farms until the 20th century. They were homemade. They were used to feed the animals on the farm. The feed trough came from a huge tree trunk. It was hollowed out and then made into square beams. Water and food was then put in.
Tayla M.
Apple Grinder
An apple grinder was used to make the main ingredient of apple cider, pomace. The apple grinder would grind the apples inside of a wooden case; inside there was a roller with teeth. The apples were put in the hopper on top of the wooden case. To grind the apples, you would turn the handle that was attached to the flywheel. The pomace would be put into a chute below.
Tayla M.
The apple grinder was a hand-cranked machine. Inside this wooden case was a roller set with wooden teeth that would grind up the apples. The outcome of this machine was to produce an ingredient called pomace. This is the main ingredient for apple cider. The apple was placed through the top of the machine in the hopper. You then would turn the handle attached to the flywheel. The fruit was then ground to make cider. The pomace was funneled out through a chute towards the bottom of the machine into a container. This way of making cider was very typical for farmers who usually prepared cider for their families.
Mel V.
Beam Cider Press
This artifact was used to crush apples for cider. It’s composed of a box with many slats called cheeses that have a layer of clean straw on them; the apples would then be placed on each layer and the straw acted like a filter. When the big screw was turned the beams were lifted off their supports which began the process. At the end you would have all the pulp and seeds in the box and the juice would drip into a container placed on the floor underneath. Did you know NJ and PA were the main distributors of cider.
Bianca N.
The cider press is a very complicated machine. A box made of wood was situated under a beam and filled with apples and dean straw. The top of the box was covered with blocks of wood. By turning a large wooden screw the beam was lowered onto the mixture to make juice. It was filtered through the straw leaving the pulp in the bow and letting the juice flow into a container. With stones on the platform under the screw the beam placed 18 to 20 tons of pressure on the apples! In those days cider was a common drink for children and adults. It was produced in many places but mainly PA and NJ.
Dan C.
The beam cider press squeezes and crushes apples to make apple cider. The press is a wooden box with vertical slots in a beam. The beam is also filled up with layers of clean straw and crushed apples. Cider used to be one of early America's most important drinks. However, Pennsylvania and New Jersey were most suited to commercial apple growing and cider making.
Shira P.
A cider press was used for pressing crushed apples to extract the juice known as cider. A box made of vertical slats placed under the beam, was filled with alternate layers of crushed apples and clean straw. This combination was called the “cheese”. The top was then covered with planks and wood blocks up to the underside of the beam. By turning the large wooden screw, the beam was lowered onto the “cheese”, pressing out the apple juice. The layers of the straw acted as a filter keeping the pulp in the box and allowing the juice to go down into a container. With the addition of stones on the platform under the screw, the beam placed 8 to 20 tons of pressure on the apples. Cider was a common drink in early America. Pennsylvania and New Jersey were leading areas of cider production and the first commercial cider enterprises were established in these two states.
Mike L.
The beam cider press was a very complicated invention. It was made to take as much juice as possible from apples without straining yourself. This is what it would have looked like. There was a wooden box with a lid that fit in it on a platform and under the platform was a basin. In the box was straw and on the straw were apples. Above was a beam that was also attached to something like a giant screw on the side. It was also held by supports. The box needed to be piled on top with enough strong solid items until it touched the beam. When it did, the supports were removed and the operator of the cider press turned the screw to put pressure on the apples in the box. The straw filtered out the juice and it spilled into the basin.
Rafe H.
Dairy Making
Dairy has always been very popular. But in the early 18th century, dairymaking was a daily routine for men and women. Some tools that people used were milk strainers, keelers, cream skimmers, and butter scoops. For instance, a milk strainer was used to strain warm milk straight from the cow, in case any hair or dust got in the milk. In 1850, the manufacturing of dairy products was full speed ahead, and greater than any other country's.
Shira P.
Back in time, people had dairy products of course. Making them was not so easy though. I found some of the tools interesting. They used a milk strainer, which strains the milk. Then there is a keeler where the strained milk is kept for making butter. Cream skimmers are another popular dairy tool. They remove the cream from milk. The last tool I like is the sour cream tub--just a normal pail, in which cream is kept until soured. I am sure that some of these tools are used for making dairy products even today.
Eva W.
Well Sweep
The well sweep is an easy way to get water out from the well. There are four parts to it. The first part is the post, which is planted in the ground near the well you wish to receive water from. he sweep pole is used as a counter weight. The bucket pole is at the end of the sweep pole. Then there is the bucket, which is attached to the end of pole. The water is carefully lifted up and brought back home to drink or bathe with.
Eva W.
Smith Flatbed Press
The Smith flatbed press was designed by R. Hoe Company of New York in 1830. Once the company designed it, R. Hoe asked his father-in-law Peter Smith to build it for him. He asked Peter Smith because he had experience in presses because he built the Washington press in 1829. In 1916 it was given to the museum of Frederick Constantine to be preserved; it was later put in the Mercer Museum. This press printed the Doylestown Democrat over 100 years ago.
Bianca N.
Cigar Store Indian
The cigar store Indian represents how Indians planted tobacco, which is used in making cigars. They also taught the European settlers how to plant tobacco. Usually these statues were used mainly to promote tobacco products and not as a symbolic thing.
Danny N.
Mouse Trap
Who knew that a wooden box with wire bars and a slide down piece of wood (door) would be able to catch a live mouse back in the early 1900's? This unique object was specially designed to catch mice alive and sometimes even kill them. People could have home-made this item or bought it from a friend or salesperson at a market. What you do is put a piece of cheese inside the open box. Once the mouse comes running in, you push down the piece of wood quickly so the mouse doesn't escape. It was a good invention/piece of equipment for that time but now we don't need it because we have improved and remodeled what used to be good.
Jenna O.
Weapons
The museum had some very interesting weapons. I heard about weapons back then but I had never seen them until I went to the museum. It was a very shocking experience. They used weapons from the time of the Egyptians, like arrow heads, spears, and blades. But it was kind of disturbing to know that these things killed people. If I had a choice I would have done a different report, but I wanted to try this one out.
Sam C.
Flintlock
The Pennsylvania Dutch developed the flintlock. It is the mechanism that makes a gun shoot. It is a piece of metal that the shooter pulls back. When it clicks into place, the gun is primed. The gun doesn’t shoot until you pull the trigger. People used it starting in the 1860s. The flintlock is usually on the top of the gun, right above the trigger. The size depends on how big the gun is. The flintlock can be anywhere from two inches long to about 4 inches.
William E.
Wooden Water Pipes and Pumps
I’ve heard of the Roman aqueducts but I had never heard of wooden pipes. I think they were used to bring water to homes and wells. It probably made everyday chores easier because people did not have to carry heavy buckets. The only bad thing was that the pipes could rot so the pipes were not always sanitary. I am happy we live in a time with metal pipes, but I think most people take it for granted. If they lived back then they would not have liked it.
Sam C.
Road Cart
This vehicle is similar to a go cart, but much lighter and bigger. This cart was heavy for a man. It was also very sturdy. Some had a folding top like a convertible. The cart was very light for horses, so the usual heaviness didn’t tire the animals out. It weighed only 180 lbs. with nothing on it. This made it ideal for races and competitive driving.
Ethan E.
Buggy
This type of buggy was also sometimes known as a coal box buggy. It has a body like a wooden coal box. This buggy was introduced in 1862 and was popular for decades. To avoid creases and to preserve the leather, the top would fall back instead of folding, if you didn’t want a roof. Sometimes this buggy was also known as the falling top buggy. Buggies took many different people to build. Buggies were hand made by highly skilled craftsmen; woodworkers, wheelwrights, blacksmiths, leather workers, and painters. Once done, the buggies were light in weight, durable and easy on horses. From 1830 until the invention of the automobile, the buggy was the most popular and practical two-passenger vehicle in America.
The placement of this buggy in the Mercer Museum really caught my eye. The buggy was hanging from the ceiling so that you can see the bottom from one floor, the top from another and the inside from another. I realized that Mr. Mercer probably did this so you can see the tires as well as everything else and think about how it was made and what it took to make it, which is what I thought of when I saw it.
Mike L.
Stagecoach
The stagecoach had two names. It was called the stagecoach and the Concord coach. The reason for this was because a little before the mid 1800’s the main producer of the stagecoaches was the Downing Company of Concord, New Hampshire. Back to the subject, the stagecoach was very useful back during the 1800’s. It could carry up to 15 passengers (not including the driver and body guards). There were nine passengers in the coach and five on top of it. There were six horses to pull the wagon. The driver was in the front controlling the horses, and on either side of him was a bodyguard. Although there were horses making the wagon go, the driver could make it stop by pushing a pedal. In 1850, travel by coach dwindled because of the invention of the railroad. In 1910 almost no one rode the stagecoach anymore.
Rafe H.
This stagecoach had one other name beside the stagecoach. It was the Concord coach. The reason that there are two names for this beautiful stagecoach was because in the early 1800's, the company that mainly made stagecoaches was the Downing Company of Concord! Anyway, the stagecoach was well-used and very important way back when. It could hold fifteen passengers at a time. There were also bodyguards along for the ride, and don't forget the driver! Inside the coach you could fit only nine people, and the other five sat on top. Six horses jerked the heavy coach around. The driver sat in front, and had two bodyguards by his sides at all times. Even though horses pulled the wagon and made the wheels go round, the driver could halt it by pressing down on a pedal. In the 1850's, business for the coach companies faded because of the railroad invention, which was more convenient. By 1910, the stagecoach was "extinct".
Talia P.
Horse Drawn Sled
The horse drawn sled has been used for centuries. It was made as a mode of transportation on snowy and icy roads. The sled at the Mercer Museum is made of green painted wood. Its runners are also made of wood but plated with metal. The sled has a driver’s seat in front and a passenger seat in back. The sled is probably 100 years old and in very good condition.
Danny N.
In the colonial times people didn't have powerful cars to drive in cold hard winters when the snow was piled up high. The people needed to get from place to place and their carriages would have gotten stuck in the snow, so they used the old invention of a sleigh. The sleigh had a place for a few passengers to sit and two long axles made of metal. The sleigh was a lot cheaper than a carriage because it had axles instead of wheels, and the axles were a lot cheaper to make. These sleighs were used to transport people and goods. Powerful cars and snow plows eventually replaced these sleighs.
Dan C.
Autoharp
The autoharp is a stringed instrument that could have 15-23 strings and 7 keys. I have used this and it is like a mini harp with 21 strings. It is much different from the harp in one way: you have to press down a button which will put pressure on certain strings, so that when you strum, the notes that are not being pushed on will be heard. This appeared in the US in the 19th century.
Ethan E.
In the late 19th century, the autoharp was introduced to the US. It has around 23 strings. To use an autoharp, you must press down on the button with one finger, strum the strings with a pick with another finger and prick the strings with your index finger. It doesn’t seem very easy to play! It also isn’t very auto since you have to follow all those steps! Despite its name, an autoharp is not a harp, it is a zither, also a string instrument but the strings don’t extend past the sound box.
Noa S.
Whaling Boat
In the mid 19th century, big boats were launched into the ocean and sometimes didn’t come back for years. These were called whaling ships. When a whale was seen, smaller boats were launched from the main ship. These smaller boats could hold up to 10-20 people. The people on board the boats threw harpoons, a spear-like missile that is attached to a rope, to kill the whale. To do so, the boats had to get dangerously close to the animal. Next, the whale was brought aboard the main ship and cleaned. This was a very dangerous job.
Noa S.
This unusually large boat was specially designed for catching and killing whales. It’s 30 x 6 foot interior made it possible for at least 6 men and their gear to fit on board and to go get their animal. A special tool called a harpoon gun was used to help kill the whale. This weapon would shoot a very sharp spear, connected to a long thick cord, through the whale’s body. If the fishermen were lucky, they aimed correctly and killed the huge animal. They also used a large net with coils to help carry the whale back to shore, once they had killed it. Once there, they would chop the whale up and send it to be processed.
Jenna O.
This humongous 30x6 foot boat was solely made for catching and killing whales. Sometimes, these boats didn't return to shore for years! It could fit six fishermen and their whaling gear. Once a whale was spotted, smaller boats were sent out from the main boat to get closer and capture their whale. Once in these smaller boats, men used unique tools called harpoon guns that helped to kill the whale. The gun would shoot out a dangerously sharp and deadly spear which was attached to a long cord. This would go straight through the whale's body. After this disgusting process, the whale was brought BACK to the main ship, to be cleaned and butchered.
Talia P.
The Sampler
A sampler used to just be a practice piece of material for young girls; they learned their letters and numbers by stitching them into the sampler. After a little while, by the mid 19th century, they became works of art. Women began to make them intricate and displayed them. They began to sew flowers, bible verses, nature scenes, etc. So these little practice pieces became beautiful designs in just a few years. I’m glad I researched this topic, I learned a lot.
Becca T.
 
Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, samplers were created, They are needlework on a background of linen. The types of threads are either linen, silk, or cotton. The threads are used to make the patterns and scenes on the samplers. Samplers were first mostly made by young girls to get better at their embroidering skills or practicing the alphabet or numbers. By the middle of the 19th century samplers became used for more advanced purposes. Inspirational poems, biblical verses and bird themes were decorated in later works.
Daniel H.
In the 18th and 19th century, girls did their needlework on either linen, silk, or cotton as their background. These were called samplers. Only girls made samplers. Yet a few of them couldn’t afford the cloth. They did them to practice their embroidery skill and practice ABC’s and 123’s. But after the first century and a half, samplers became more sophisticated and complicated. They were also made to be displayed rather than just practiced with. A few examples of what girls stitched were inspirational poems, biblical verses, and intricate flower and birds.
Abby M.
Fraktur
The fraktur was a fancy document with beautiful designs. Many people made them--anyone who could paint. A Ketuba for a marriage is sort of like a fraktur--a legal document made beautiful and meaningful. They were used for many things with writing on it, like birth and baptismal certificates, bookplates, graduation certificates, etc.
Becca T.
 
Colorful decorated books and drawings made by German immigrants are known as Fraktur. Most of them came from southeastern Pennsylvania. The Fraktur were made by schoolmasters, scribes, ministers, and other people who were able to use pens and brushes neatly. The fancy lettering commonly used was known as Fraktur-schrift, which means broken letter writing. These drawing and books were used for many different purposes such as birth certificates, student handwriting models, rewards, bookplates, and others. Henry Mercer began collecting Fraktur in 1897.
Daniel H.
Frakturs are manuscripts that were folk-decorated. They were vibrant, colored drawings. Wherever there were German immigrants in America there were Frakturs. But only in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The full name is actually Fraktur schrift—broken letter writing. Most of the Fracturs originated in southeastern Pennsylvania. Schoolmasters, itinerant scriveners, ministers, and others skilled with pen and brush made these works of art. Depending on purpose and setting, this manuscript-based folk art took a variety of forms: birth and baptismal certificates, student penmanship models, rewards of merit, house blessings, devotional texts, bookplates, and many more.
Abby M.
Watches and Clocks
Watches and clocks cost a small fortune until the industrial revolution came along and factories could manufacture inexpensive timepieces. In the factories, each watch and clock had to be made very carefully. After all, the sprockets and gears need to be carefully measured and cut, put together perfectly, and be able to move together! In and of itself, this is a very difficult job, but it had to be done over and over without mistakes. Then the watches and clocks were assembled matching the inside with the shell, or face. After all that, many of the people who purchased the clocks paid even more to have the shell decorated, cut, and engraved with their names or special sayings. Learning about clocks and watches was interesting enough; but seeing how the industrial revolution changed the way average people began to be able to tell time helped me understand much more about our world today.
Sarah K.
Anvil
The anvil is one of the most essential parts of a forge. Every forge has one. It is a block of metal or wood treated so it will not burn. Heated metal is struck with a hammer on the anvil to give it shape. The people who use it are blacksmiths, weapon smiths, and other metal workers. The anvil has been used for a long time, since ancient times. Usually you would find it in a metallurgy workshop. It would be close to the forge. It can be 2 feet in width by 2 feet in length by 3 feet in height, to about 4 feet in width by 4 feet in length by 5 feet in height. Some things that get made on anvils are horseshoes, hinges, doorknobs, and mostly anything else made of metal.
William E.
Greece and Rome at the University Museum
by Sam H. and William E.
The tour:
During the morning of April 2, we took a tour of the Etruscan and Roman exhibits. We learned a lot about how people lived in ancient times. We saw jewelry, armor, coins, and more. We learned about how the Etruscans originally owned Northwest Italy, and in the south of Italy there were Greek colonies. We also saw how the Romans copied many things from the Greeks, like their art, their gods, and their religion. The tour taught us a lot.
The Scavenger hunt:
After lunch, we had a scavenger hunt where we re-explored the Rome exhibit. We studied some of the things that we didn’t see in the tour, and looked at things from the tour in more depth. Afterwards, we sketched pictures from pots in the Greek exhibit. We then chose two artifacts from the exhibit that we will use in our Greece and Rome story projects. When we finished researching our two artifacts, we completed the scavenger hunt and it was time to leave.
Helping the Environment
By Ethan E. and Sam C.
On March 19, our class participated in a Middle School Chesed day. We went to Riverbend Environmental Center to help out there. Before we started our activity, we took a hike and saw some of the other volunteer projects other groups had done. We also saw the effect of plants around the center. Then we got to our project. It was on a hillside that had English Ivy growing all over it that was hurting the native plants living there. Our guide told us that the environmental center wanted us to pull out the ivy so they could put in more native plants. The whole 6th grade started working--it was a lot of hard work. When it started raining, we all hopped on our bus to go to the Marple Sports Arena.
We spent the afternoon at the roller rink. First, we had pizza. (I, Sam, had five slices!) Most people went to get skates, but some of us went to the arcade. It was fun in the arcade, and the people who were roller skating or in the climbing maze had fun also. Afterwards, we went back on the bus and rode back to school.
Egypt and Israel at the University Museum
By Danny N. and Rafe H.
Click HERE to see photos of the University Museum trip.
On December 16, we went to the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology to take a look at life in Ancient Egypt and Israel. In the Egypt exhibit, there were statues, mummies, mirrors, and even a recreation of the Rosetta Stone! Our guide told us about almost everything that we saw. She said that some of the artifacts, like the huge stone pillars of Ramses' son's palace, were cut apart and brought to the museum by ship. In the museum itself, the pillars are displayed in two parts, because even the tall ceilings are not high enough for those pillars. Another thing the guide told us is that sometimes the statues that were put in tombs had jewels hidden inside them. Tomb robbers drilled holes in the statues to steal the jewels. The guide also said that instead of glass, Egyptians used polished brass as mirrors.
In the Israel exhibit we worked in groups of two or three to answer questions in a scavenger hunt. The questions took us through the early, middle and late Bronze Age, and the first and second Iron Age. The exhibit had many real things from ancient times, including a set up of what a house would look like in ancient Israel. There were also documents carved into ancient tablets. The last part of the exhibit had two fun games to play that were also educational. The first game was a big map with pot shards attached to it next to place names. We had to match larger pot shards with the ones on the map. The second game showed you an object from ancient times and you had to guess what it was used for.
Philabundance
By Talia P. and Eva W.
Click to see Photos of the Philabundance Chesed Trip
In November, our grade took a Chesed trip to Philabundance, a place where volunteers come to help pack boxes of food for people who cannot afford it. When we visited, our grade split into two groups: one group packed Rice Krispies into one-pound bags and the other made Thanksgiving cards to put in the boxes of food that people were packing.
At the Rice Krispies station, we worked in a warehouse at two tables--one with a 22 pound bag of cereal, and the other with a scale. We shoveled the Rice Krispies into bags that were passed over to the person who weighed them. The bags had to weigh exactly one pound, no more, no less. The weigher passed them down the table to the tiers who put a twisty tie on top of the bag and made it SUPER tight. When the tiers were done they passed the perfect bag to the packer who put the Rice Krispies in a carton. Once there were 22 bags in the carton, a Philabundance worker loaded it on a truck to be delivered. It was really fun, but we also kept in mind that every step we made helped a person in need.
The other group helped in a different way. In another room, we made holiday greeting cards to be attached to the holiday boxes so that people who received the boxes would see something cheerful along with the food. We used all kinds of great supplies to make creative, yet elegant cards. They all read "Happy Holidays" or some other cheerful greeting. We added candies to make a little treat, and to mix things up a bit. The cards were carefully decorated with ribbons and clippings from donated cards. At the end, we said to ourselves, "Would I like to receive this card?" and of course we said yes. It really feels good helping others.
Philabundance was a great and memorable experience. After this trip, we reviewed our actions and realized that we definitely wanted to return. So Talia and I plan to go back about once a month for a community service project for our Bat Mitzvahs. The neat thing about Philabundance is that all of the things on the shelves were foods that we love and eat every day. We felt very connected and can't wait to go back again soon!
Click to see photos of this year's Teva retreat in Connecticut
that took place in October.
Teva--The First Two Days
By Abby M. and Noa S.
At 3:00 on October 26, 2008, the students of the sixth grade, three teachers, and the middle school principal, left the Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy campus on their way to Teva. This is the story of how we got there and what happened during the first two days. For one thing, the bus ride was BORING. It got boring about two hours into the six hour drive. We left at 3:00 pm and arrived at Teva in Connecticut about 9:00 at night.
After we left the campus, we kind of just sat there. Some people talked and others listened to their ipods until Mrs. Pugach showed the two movies we had voted on--Hairspray and National Treasure 2 Book of Secrets. Most of the grade didn’t want to watch the second movie because they had already seen one and that was enough. When the second movie was over, a few people tried to go to sleep, including the teachers.
When we arrived at Teva, everyone was so relieved to finally get out of the bus. After all the students and teachers found their rooms and unpacked, Mrs. Pransky, Mr. Gottlieb, Mrs. Pugach and Morah Ricky took us to a yurt, which is a small, round building. We talked a little and said a night-time prayer, then the teachers told us to get some sleep.
The next day, we had our own private hike around the lake and and visited a farm and played some games. Rafe won the great Rock, Paper, Scissors, Shoot tournament. When the Saligman and Kellman schools arrived, we stood in two lines in front of the doors of their buses to help the Morei Derech (group leaders) greet them as they stepped off the bus.
After a full day of getting to know everyone, we were finally ready to start our real Teva schedule. At 7:15 a.m. there was hot chocolate, and then at 7:30 we had services. After that we had breakfast. The fourth and final school, Bergen, came around 9:00 that morning. While we did the normal Teva stuff, they did the getting to know the counselors games. After breakfast we had Limudei Chutz--learning in the outdoors--which is where we learned mostly about nature and keeping it safe. That took up most of our days and during that time we went on different hikes. We played different types of games to teach us about what Teva means and about nature. We also watched little skits that the counselors put on. They were funny and in some of them kids could go up and help out with the show! After dinner we went on a little night hike to see the woods and the different places of Teva in the dark. Finally, after all of our activities (which, by the end of the day, were extremely tiring) we had a bonfire, where Pesach, a Moreh Derech, told us about how the ancient Jews could tell what day it was. He lit a torch on a chain and started to play with the fire! Then another person did it. And another and another! Soon, around five people were swinging fire everywhere! Afterwards, we had a little time to shower and talk to our friends. When free time was over, we said Good Night and went to bed!
Teva--Part 2
By Becca T.
Teva was really fun. By the third night (Tuesday) we were all pretty much settled in. Of course, we had an advantage over the other schools, because we had arrived at the site Sunday night, and they didn’t get there until Monday morning.
Everyone had a lot of fun when we went hiking. The hiking groups learned songs about the water cycle, played games, and went on fun hikes. We learned a lot about nature and saw some really cool things, like fungus in all kinds of colors, really pretty leaves, and we even hiked up to an overlook where we could see across three states! It was really beautiful, with all the trees and their pretty colors. During our hiking trips we earned different beads for different accomplishments. It was interesting to become more aware of things we never would have thought of. For example, none of us ever thought about how many leftovers we leave at the end of a meal, and now we know that it really makes a difference.
On the night that the Phillies won the World Series, we were allowed to stay up and watch the game. Everyone was elated when they won, and even though it was cold out, we all ran around screaming and dancing. It was really fun.
Some days we had chuggim, which meant that we could choose activities. Among the activities were challah making, Yiddish (the group put on a funny skit), and eco-drama; this last group also had a really funny play to show us. On the second day we had chuggim, the choices included nature art, rope making, and a fun chug which involved going into the woods and finding the most holy place. There was also the night hike, which was really cool.
On the ride home we were all really sad. We would miss Teva, and the fun experience we had. We were looking forward to seeing our families though. We left Teva as environmentalists, and we had come up with some projects to try to make the world a better place. We would all do our best to achieve that.
Click to see Photos of the Waterworks/Penitentiary Trip
The Waterworks
By Dan C. and Mike L.
In October, our grade had a wonderful trip to the Fairmount Park Waterworks to learn the history of how cities are supplied with water. First we went out onto the pier and talked about pollution of water, the dam that redirected the water, and the fish ladder. After that we went into the exhibit and learned about watersheds, how they get polluted by fertilizers, and where watersheds are (everywhere). Then we watched a movie on the history of Philadelphia water. Later, we went down to see the other part of the exhibit where we learned a few more facts, saw a wonderful art installation, and saw one of the old turbines. We traced blueprints for the turbines. Some people even got to climb all over the turbines and measure them to check their accuracy. Finally, we ate lunch in the beautiful azalea gardens to end the interesting Waterworks trip.
Eastern State Penitentiary
By Mel V. and Jenny S.
Our 6th grade trip to Eastern State Penitentiary was very exciting and interesting. We learned a lot about the prison , which is actually a historical artifact that was built in the early 1800s. It taught us how people lived and thought at that time. For instance we learned that the prison walls were 30 feet tall and were sunk 10 feet into the ground. That way the prisoners were not likely to escape underground. The prison was also made to look scary on the outside so people would be afraid to break the law and end up in there. Also we learned that Leo Callahan was one of the only prisoners able to escape and not be recaptured. He escaped with a group of other prisoners who were not as lucky. Since the walls were 30 feet tall, they brought six 5 foot ladders and stacked them onto each other. They also brought a rope with them to help them over the wall. After they went down the wall they were recaptured except for Leo Callahan. He vanished and was never found. We both really enjoyed the trip. We hope that future 6th grade generations keep visiting the penitentiary.
Descriptions of the events of 2007-2008
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.
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