While children are home from school during the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Framingham History Center is doing what they can to contribute to online learning and share museum experiences. Assistant Director Laura Rankin has created some activities that use our online resources to engage students at home. If you have any suggestions, comments or just want to share how the activity went for you, please contact Laura at laura@framinghamhistory.org. Thank you.
March is Women’s History Month and we have 12 biographies on important Framingham women right on our website. Pair the story of 16 year old Betsey Bennet with craft time – try making tiny braids with yarn, ribbon, or pipe cleaners that could be glued together to make a hat or bracelet.
To view all 32 biographies, click here.
Journal Assignment
You are a historian. Keep a hand written journal and each day, you will detail what you are seeing in the news, how the world, how our nation, how your friends, neighbors, and family are responding to this pandemic.
Each entry should be at least a hand written page. You can also use one of your other talents as you see fit. Drawing, poetry, etc.
But each day, Sunday-Saturday must be documented.
You are creating a primary source that can be used by people in the future to learn about our lives during this crisis from your unique perspective.
Be authentic, be honest, be reflective.
Guiding Questions: You can write anything you like about your experiences. The following is a list of potential things you can respond to.
- What did the government announce/declare/implement today?
– Does it make sense?
– Does it impact your life? Why or why not?
– How did your family respond?
- What is open in your neighborhood? What is closed?
- What does your neighborhood look like? Are people walking around?
- How is today different from yesterday for you, your family, our nation, the world?
- Do you see any examples of racism, privilege, and income inequality in any of the events that happened today? (Locally, at the state level, nationally, or the world?)
- Did you see anything today that gave you hope? Anxiety? Fear?
– In person, in the news, or on social media?
- What does your family need today that you might not have, have enough of, or have no access to acquire?
This assignment is credited to Dawn Skaggs Smith of TCI
2020 is the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment (in August). Storyteller Libby Franck shares a brief message on suffrage (the right to vote in political elections) and two Framingham women who were jailed for picketing President Wilson.
Pair this video with the biographies on Josephine Collins and Louise Parker Mayo and make your own sash! It could be a “Votes for Women” message or something that you care about, i.e. a clean planet, animal cruelty, etc. Maybe even make your own video like Libby!
Learn more about Josephine Collins, click here.
Learn more about Louise Parker Mayo, click here.
Through its collection of stories, historic buildings, and over 12,000 artifacts, the Framingham History Center provides a connection to local history that helps us understand our place in the community, state, and nation. Inspired by these collections, James Parr’s poems share Framingham’s rich history in a unique way. In just a few lines of poetry, Jim reveals the essence of specially chosen historic artifacts with wit and wisdom. He masterfully elicits stories, memories, emotions and most importantly questions from each object. These poems are a delight and they inspire the reader to find out more.
This is a perfect way to introduce your children, grandchildren, and others to the fun of history and poetry. Each poem is accompanied by historical notes on topics such as Shoppers World, Sarah Clayes, Harmony Grove and more. Milestones is available for purchase here.
McCarthy Elementary School teacher and FHC volunteer, Jim Parr, has recorded some of his poems around town and at the FHC.
Virtual Tour of the Old Academy Building, 2015
The Framingham History Center and Access Framingham filmed FHC Program Coordinator Jennifer Toth as she tours the Old Academy Building at 16 Vernon Street, Framingham. The exhibit titled “Four Centuries of Framingham History” comprised of 3 floors of artifacts spanning 400 years. This exhibit was created in the 1980s to showcase the FHC’s large collection and provide a timeline experience of Framingham’s rich history.