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This lesson describes and discusses the Battle of Bunker Hill (Massachusetts), which took place during the Revolutionary War. The lesson plan contains eight sections: (1) "About this Lesson"; (2) "Getting Started: Inquiry Question"; (3) "Setting the Stage: Historical Context"; (4) "Locating the Site: Maps" (Boston Area Today; Boston Area, 1776); (5) "Determining the Facts: Readings" (Setting the Stage for Battle; Battle of Bunker Hill); (6) "Visual Evidence: Images" (Charlestown Peninsula; Battle of Bunker Hill; Redoubt Atop Breed's Hill); (7) Putting It All Together: Activities" (Rebellion--Then and Now; Community Issues); and "Supplementary Resources." (RJC)

In 1948 archeologists verified that a now overgrown and urbanized landscape along the Saugus River (Massachusetts) was the site of the Saugus Iron Works from 1646 until 1648. That discovery led to a careful, though partly conjectural, reconstruction of the first successful integrated ironmaking plant in the colonial America. The early Puritan settlers of the Massachusetts Bay Colony needed an ironmaking factory to make tools and utensils for house building. Ironmasters recruited skilled and unskilled workers from the ironmaking regions in England. The reconstruction of the Saugus Iron Works helps people imagine the daily life of these early European settlers. This lesson is based on the National Register of Historic Places registration file, Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site, and primary documents from archives at the site. The lesson can be used in teaching units on the life and culture of the colonial United States, archeology, settlements and use of the land, or the history of technology. It is divided into eight sections: "About This Lesson"; "Getting Started: Inquiry Question"; "Setting the Stage: Historical Context"; "Locating the Site: Maps" (Saugus, Massachusetts and Surrounding Area; South Part of New England, 1634); "Determining the Facts: Readings" (An Ironworks in New England; An Ironworks Community); "Visual Evidence: Images" (Map of Saugus, Lynn and Nahant; Materials and Techniques for Making Iron; Excavation at the Saugus Site; Artifact Found at Saugus; Reconstructed Ironworks Buildings; Artists' Conception of Saugus Ironworks); "Putting It All Together: Activities" (Archeology; Researching Industries in the Local Community); and "Supplementary Resources." (BT)

This lesson is based on the National Register of Historic Places registration file for the Arnold Arboretum (Massachusetts) and other source material about the Arboretum and Frederick Law Olmstead. The lesson focuses on the first arboretum in the United States, which was part of Olmstead's plan for Boston's park system, known as the "Emerald Necklace." The lesson can be used in teaching units on late 19th-century urban expansion, especially as influenced by immigration and the Industrial Revolution. It also can form the core of an interdisciplinary unit when used in conjunction with lessons on the Romantic and Transcendentalist movements and lessons on botany. The teacher's part of the lesson provides general information, gives educational objectives for students, discusses visiting the site, and lists supplementary resources. The student part of the lesson includes: "Getting Started"; "Photograph Analysis Worksheet"; "Setting the Stage"; "Locating the Site" (Map: Plan of Boston Park System); "Determining the Facts" (Readings: The Establishment of Arnold Arboretum; Olmstead's Views on Parks; Arnold Arboretum Becomes a Reality); "Visual Evidence" (Drawing: Bird's-eye View of Arnold Arboretum; Photos: Construction near Main Entrance, c. 1892; Kalmia in Bloom, c.1900); and "Putting It All Together" (Activities: Being a Plant Explorer, Park Rules and Regulations, Researching a Local Park). (BT)

As the steward of the nation's premier historic, natural, and recreational resources, the National Park Service manages 15 unique areas within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Each of these sites offers hands-on programs specifically geared to meet the needs of teachers and students. The programs support the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks and are conducted by trained staff. This guide is designed to make the state's educators aware of the curriculum-based programming, materials, and services available to them through the units of the National Park System in Massachusetts. The guide lists the following national parks alphabetically: Adams National Historical Park; Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor; Boston African American National Historic Site; Boston Harbor Islands, a national park area; Boston National Historical Park; Cape Cod National Seashore; Essex National Heritage Area; Frederick Law Olmstead National Historic Site; John F. Kennedy National Historic Site; Longfellow National Historic Site; Lowell National Historical Park; Minute Man National Historical Park; New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park; Salem Maritime National Historic Site; Saugus Ironworks National Historic Site; and Springfield Armory National Historic Site. Each park entry includes a description of the site's principal themes and resources, location, and educational programming season. Subsequent pages include descriptions of each program offered, and follow a similar format to help educators determine the learning experiences most appropriate for their students. Contains extensive resource lists. (BT)

This lesson is based on the John F. Kennedy National Historic Site (Massachusetts), the birthplace of President John F. Kennedy. The lesson can be used as a biographical study, an introduction to the Kennedy presidency and the turbulent sixties, or as part of a unit on post-World War II U.S. history. Primary and secondary sources are included for students to use to help strengthen their skills in analytical reading and interpretation related to history. The sources also help students understand that history and culture are shaped by the lives and accomplishments of the people of a society, and that one individual can make a difference. The student objectives are: (1) to list the values that Joseph and Rose Kennedy tried to instill in their children; (2) to identify reasons why we remember John Fitzgerald Kennedy today; (3) to consider the effects of family culture, or family environment, and community on the development of character and personality; and (4) to investigate the Kennedy traditions, values, interests, and the neighborhood they grew up in, and discuss the effects these have had on the development of their personality and character. (LB)