Did the Dig - Greece

Be part of the up to 24 lucky NJ & PA students digging at each site. There may be a few spaces left! Come and "do"

Ancient Greece

with "Big Dog" of The Archaeological Perspective (T.A.P) on

April 21 - 24, 2008 in Tewksbury, NJ
- OR -
June 23 - 26, 2008 in Bushkill, PA.

At the dig, children/students will be doing adult stuff in a kid way with a professional archaeologist turned educator from 9 or 10 am each day. 5 - 7 year olds stop at noon and go home after lunch, but older campers stay through the afternoon Tuesday,Wednesday and Thursday for more stories, slides, and games.

Visit T.A.P. website to read more about Camp Activities. Note: The homeschool camps are Tuesday to Friday, with digging on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and an exhibit and themed pot-luck on Friday. For previous comments, see Do the Dig: Middle Kingdom China.

I expect price will remain $170 for full day and $120 for half day. ($50 deposits overdue.)

The Tweksbury dig (starting at 10 am daily), email webmaster@talent-nj.org, or
for the dig in Bushkill, PA, starting at 9 a.m. contact Heather (email runnin43@ptd.net).

March 2009: I moved all of the Friday potluck recipe ideas to a separate Ancient Greek Food entry.
April 2009: There may be a few spaces left. It's OK if you could not do the winter curriculum ($60 for the 3-day series).

State Theatre 2009-10

Some of the "on school time performances" at State Theatre in New Brunswick.
The order form & complete list, including shows for younger students are online.

Scrap Arts Music
Friday, February 05, 2010, 10:30am

Program Length: 85 minutes
For Students in Grades: 3-12
All Seats:$12

Founded by a percussion virtuoso with a talent for welding and a commitment to recycling and a designer with a passion for spectacle, Scrap Arts Music is a one-of-a-kind blend of intricate rhythms, raw energy, athletic choreography, and the greenest, most inventive reuse of materials on stage today. The group performs on more than 140 invented instruments crafted from industrial scrap—ranging from accordion parts to artillery shells. They deliver an adrenaline-laced power-percussion performance rooted in street performance, jazz, and world music traditions.

Le Grande Cirque
Monday, March 01, 2010, 10:30am
Program Length: 75 minutes
For Students in Grades: 3-12
All Seats:$15

This spellbinding cirque-style show features a cast of over 50 world-class acrobats, jugglers, clowns, and high-wire artists from across the globe. Amazing feats of strength, balance, skill, and artistry are set off by stunning costumes, evocative music, and brilliant special effects. This is one production guaranteed to take your breath away!

The Man Who Planted Trees (Puppet State Theatre Company)
Tuesday, March 16, 2010, 10:00am & 12:00pm
Wednesday, March 17, 2010, 10:00am & 12:00pm
Venue: Crossroads Theatre ("next door" on the same street as State Theatre)
Program Length: 1 hour
For Students in Grades: 2-6
All Seats:$9

A French shepherd sets out to plant a forest and transform a barren wasteland. Based on Jean Giono’s beloved short story, The Man Who Planted Trees shows us the difference one man (and his dog!) can make to the world. This award-winning, internationally acclaimed production from Scotland’s Puppet State Theatre Company is a unique blend of comedy, puppetry and inspired storytelling. Audiences will hear the wind, feel the rain, and smell the lavender in this multisensory theatrical delight.

Places to go - keeping HS fresh

When did you last take a hike, visit a zoo, planetarium, or your favorite museum?

Are you getting outside enough? Many zoos are open 362 days of the year. Or look for a class on Environmental Education Places. Check out your County Parks programs (or the Morris County, NJ calendar). Or a bird sanctuary?

Pretty spur of the moment: Ice skating or roller skating rink, miniature golf, or try a museum with a new exhibit, one you have never been to, or somewhere you have not visited recently. Have you thought of these museums?

• Morris Museum (visual and performing arts, natural and physical sciences, and humanities museum, Morristown);
• Museum of Early Trades and Crafts (Madison);
• Montclair Art Museum (Montclair);
• Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms (Parsippany, NJ), April 1 - November 16:

  Wed. to Fri. - Noon to 3:00 p.m. (with tours: 12:15 p.m. and 1:45 p.m.) and weekends yer-round.

• Liberty Science Center (directions);
• Frelinghuysen Arboretum, 53 East Hanover Ave, Morris Township 973-326-7600, open daily 9 am - 4:30 pm
  
• Zimmerli Art Museum (Rutgers, 71 Hamilton Street, New Brunswick) across the street from the (limited hours, but both are and convenient to the train station);
• The NJ Museum of Agriculture (North Brunswick, they also have educational programs at $185 for 25 students);
  
• Newark Museum (art & science with hands on exhibits, Newark); or
  
• Franklin Mineral Museum (Franklin)?
• Guided Tour of the Willows, Historic House at Fosterfields, 73 Kahdena Road, Morristown 973-326-7645. Tours 1 pm, Wednesday - Friday and on weekends at 1 pm & 3 pm.
• Lake hopatcong Historical Museum, Hopatcong State Park, Route 80, Landing 973-398-2616. free admission
• Dover History Museum House, 155 West Blackwell Street, Dover, NJ 973-366-06329, only open Sundays 1 - 4pm
  
• Whippany Rail Museum. open mostlyweekends, but call first.
  

and these zoos:

• Bronx Zoo, NY
• Bergen County Zoological Park (Van Saun Park Zoo), Van Saun Park, 216 Forest Avenue, Paramus, NJ, 201-262-3771
• Turtle Back Zoo, 560 Northfield Avenue, West Orange, NJ 973-731-5800/5801(open virtually year-round)
• Space Farms Zoo & Museum (218 Route 519, Sussex, NJ. 07461, Phone: (973) 875-5800, website: http://www.spacefarms.com/)
• Cape May County Park & Zoo: 364 days a year! 10:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.
  (closing at 3:45 p.m. during winter hours) 707 Route 9 North, Cape May Court House, NJ 08210
• Johnson Park Zoo, River Road, Piscataway, NJ 732-745-3900
• Lakota Wolf Preserve, 89 Mount Pleasant Road, Columbia, NJ, 877-SEE-WOLF, Wolf Watch program presented Twice Daily (Summer Hours) - 10:30 and 4:00. Fall & Winter (Standard Time) Twice Daily - 10:30 and 3:00. No Appointment required on weekends. Call for Reservations for Monday through Friday.
• Cohanzick Zoo, Bridgeton City Park, Bridgeton, NJ, 856-455-3230 ext. 242 or 277

or these . . .

• New Jersey State Aquarium, 1 Riverside Drive, Camden, NJ 609-365-3300, 800-616-5297
• Mystic Aquarium, Mystic, CT
• Sterling Mines (Ogdensburg)?
• a Sculpture Garden?

for Crafts:

• Glassworks (Morristown)
• Brushes and Bisque (Denville)
• Plastermania, 534 Kearny Ave, Kearny, NJ, 201-991-2229 or 1-800-748-4496

Advance Planning Required:
NY Sun Works - (perhaps as much as a year!) arrange a trip to their sustainable energy/hothouse barge.

mostly for the younger crowd:

• Community Children’s Museum, 77 East Blackwell, Dover, NJ 973-366-9060
• Discovery House, 152 Tices Lane, East Brunswick, 732-254-3770
• New Jersey Chldren's Museum, 599 Valley Health Plaza,
  Paramus, NJ201-262-5151
• The Jersey Shore Children's Museum, Inside the Shore Mall, Eg Harbor Township, 609-645-7741

More in NY:
National Purple Heart Hall of Honor:
Website: www.thepurpleheart.com

phone: 1-877-28Honor
374Temple Hill Road
{Route 300}New Windsor NY

Open Most Weekends

These centers or museums are open most or many weekends. Check out special or one-time Weekend Events also. And don't forget things like the monthly shows at CCM's planetarium.

• Macculloch Hall Historical Museum, 45 Macculloch Avenue, Morristown, NJ 07960, is the cornerstone of Morristown's National Historic District, is both a house museum recounting 200 years of the Macculloch and Miller families and a showcase for the W. Parsons Todd Collection of 18th and 19th century American and English fine and decorative arts. Open Sundays 1 - 4 .
• Montclair Art Museum
• Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms (Parsippany), 12-5
• Museum of Early Trades and Crafts (METC), Madison, NJ
• Boonton Museum, Boonton, NJ
• Newark Museum, Newark, NJ.
• Liberty Science Center Jersey City, NJ;
  
• Morris Museum
• The Ford Mansion (George Washington's Headquarters), Morristown, NJ
• The Wick House (Jockey Hollow), NJ and Reproduction Soldier Huts (Jockey Hollow), NJ
• (walks at) Frelinghuysen Arboretum, Morristown, NJ (check hours)
  
• Willowwood Arboretum, Township, New Jersey (check hours)
  
• (hike at) Mahlon Dickerson Reservation (check hours)
• Acorn Hall, Morristown (Mondays, Thursday & Sundays)
  

These locations are open more "March to October":

• Sea Girt Lighthouse, Lighthouse tours will be conducted most every Sunday through November 22.
  
• Sterling Mine, Sparta, NJ
• Fosterfields Farm (part of Morris County Parks), Morris Township
  
• Cooper Mill (part of Morris County Parks), Chester
• Historic Speedwell, (includes the Iron Works)April through October, Wednesday - Sunday.
  

Selene: A Lunar Construction Game

Would young people learn science better if it were packaged in a videogame?

That's the question at the heart of the Selene project. Named after the Greek lunar goddess, Selene challenges players to learn the major geologic processes scientists believe formed the modern moon. Players create their own moon and then pepper it with impact craters and flood it with lava. The game offers a great opportunity for students to learn about lunar geology while helping researchers study some key videogame design principles.

The game is designed for students between the ages of 13-18 and takes about an hour to complete. But more time can be spent checking out Selene's various resources about the moon. To play, participants must be enrolled by an adult recruiter to ensure parent or guardian consent for participation. Mary Ann is a recruiter, so email her if you want to participate. If your 9-12yo child is working above grade level, email me and we can work out a way for them to participate as well.

Selene: A Lunar Construction GaME was created through NASA by the Center for Educational Technologies® at Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, W. Va., and its learning research continues through a National Science Foundation grant.

To learn more about the game and how you can play, visit
http://selene.cet.edu . If you have questions about
this project, please e-mail maryann.orourke@gmail.com

Ancient Greek Food

Greek ingredients: olive oil, sugar, butter, sea salt, Greek olives, Greek cheeses, phyllo dough, Greek honey, Greek oregano, lamb, thick strained yogurt, Greek coffee, cucumbers, if a Greek recipe says lettuce it almost always means romaine.

Ancient Greek Recipes: of course this focuses on feasts that the rich had, but it does give a taste of the style of food. A symposium would last hours & hours and start with a glass of wine mixed with honey (oinomelo) and bread. Followed by several appetizers , fresh fruit, meat
phase 2: epidorpion (which now means dessert) several kinds of pies, sweets, dried fruits, nuts, cheese and wine mixed with water.

or, more modern Greek food:
Greek Recipes
More Greek Recipes
Eat Greek Tonight: 180 recipes

Dilled Peas with Peppers - Arakas me Anitho & PiperiesMarinated Bell Pepper Salad or Appetizer
Spanakopita (one recipe or another): Greek Spinach pie (and feta cheese)
Hummus with Tahini - Chickpea & Sesame Dip
Spicy Appetizer Stuffed Peppers with Feta Cheese - Piperies me Tyri
Stuffed Peppers with Bulgur & Basil - Piperies Yemistes me Pligouri

Greek Fisherman's Soup - Kakavia
Greek Lentil Soup

Classic Moussaka with Eggplant
Creamy, Cheesy Baked Pasta with Meat - Pastitsio
Stuffed Cabbage - Lahanodolmathes
Easy Greek Spanakopita (Spanakotyropita) - Spinach Pie with Feta Cheese
Classic Greek Salad
Lamb Burger with olives
Tzatziki (thick yogurt, cucumber, and garlic)
Greek Style - Pork Chops with potatoes in the oven
Chicken with Sweet Red Peppers - Kotopoulo me Kokkines Piperies

Baklava (one recipe, or another): rich, sweet pastry, contains nuts
Greek Jam Tart

Greco-Roman Feast: Roman recipes?

More that may help:
Basics of Traditional Greek Cooking : The basics of cooking the fabulous traditional Greek foods that have become famous around the world are easy to learn and easy to follow.
How to Build a Greek Meal : Although there are certain holiday and/or regional traditions, you can pretty much throw out any preconceived ideas of menu planning.
How Greek Foods are Cooked : The Greek language might make it seem as though dishes are cooked in exotic and unusual ways but cooking methods are actually simple. Learn more.
Ingredients Used in Greek Cooking : What ingredients are used in recipes for the delicious foods of Greece? You may be surprised to find that you already know most of them and either have them in your kitchen pantry or can find them at your local market.