Early Aegean Links

worth checking out the sculpture/picture:
http://www.asian-center.net/ancienthistory/ch4.html


18 high resolution photographs of Early Aegean Art in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, includes the Neolithic Era and the Cycladic, Minoan, and Mycenaean cultures. Within modern scholarship, these are loosely considered the precursors to Classical Greece.


http://multimedialearning.org/presentations/203_AegeanCivilization.php

1st American in Europe?

"Scientists have discovered a gene that would link some Icelanders with early Americans. These early Americans were most likely brought to the island via Viking raiders. The study is to be published in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology."

Weblink:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1330484/First-American-Europe-Native-woman-kidnapped-Vikings-1000-years-ago.html

Walking Tour of the AT&T “Pole Farm”: 10/23/2010

Free Historical Walking Tour of the AT&T “Pole Farm”
Lawrence & Hopewell Townships, Mercer County
by Lawrence Historical Society ( http://www.thelhs.org/ ) Saturday, October 23, 11a.m.

This is a free event but pre-registration is required. To register, visit http://bit.ly/d4NMyu.
This is expected to be 1-2 hours, 1.75 mile.

The 800-acre "Pole Farm" section of Mercer County Park Northwest began the 20th century as farmland, but then was converted by AT&T into what
was for several decades the world's largest shortwave transmitting station, with more than 2,000 poles supporting antennas carrying phone
calls to cities around the world. However, by the close of the century it had reverted to open parkland set aside for passive recreation, one
of the few major 20th century industrial sites in New Jersey to have vanished almost completely. Join Lawrence Township Historian Dennis
Waters for a walking tour to learn about this important story in the history of communications and to visit several locations where traces
of the past can still be seen.

About the walk: We will meet at the "pole" near the Federal City Road entrance to the park at 11:00 a.m. sharp and walk to the parking area
near the Keefe Road entrance. This will be a leisurely 1.75-mile walk on well-maintained trails over generally flat terrain, though you
should be prepared for possible wet or muddy spots and there is one small stream crossing. We may wander a short distance off the trail
once or twice. Plan on two hours, but longer if you need to walk the 1.75 miles back to your car. If you do not want to walk back, you are
encouraged to carpool and leave a car at each end. Please note that there are no restroom facilities at the park.

The rain date is Sunday, October 24th, same time.

Equality Day

Did you know that today's the 90th anniversary of a woman's right to vote?

Equality Day

Perhaps we all should be celebrating this right to vote and "Remember the Ladies" who worked so hard for this.

More from Horrible Ray

For books from these British children's educational series: Horrible Books, Del Sol Books, Galore Park Books, or the new Horrible Science magazines, Horrible Ray (a homeschooling dad who works for a bookseller) does at least quarterly orders.

• now through August 8, 2010 for mid-September delivery
  
• September 26, 2010 for Late-October delivery
• November 14, 2010 for Mid-December delivery
• January 9, 2011 for Early-February delivery
• February 27, 2011 for Late-March delivery
  
  
• and books in stock too - so you might not have to wait!

He'll be accepting orders until midnight those days. You can see all of the gory details at : www.horriblebooks.com

We have not tried any Galore Park books (as far as I know) but Horrible Histories, Horrible Science and Murderous Maths books and magazines(!) have been gobbled up with joy in our house.

More Dates (as of 6/10, subject to change):
April 17, 2011 for Mid-May delivery
June 12, 2011 for Mid-July delivery
August 7, 2011 for Early-September delivery
September 25, 2011 for Late-October delivery
November 13, 2011 for Mid-December delivery
January 8, 2012 for Early-February delivery
Dates subject to change Horribly.

My only relationship with Ray is as a happy customer.

Ancient India: recipes

Just the start of potluck ideas - so much depends on the era and part of India!
crops: barley, wheat, rice, melons, cotton
domesticated animals: cows, pigs, buffalo, sheep
Many lived near rivers and caught fish with fish hooks.

Main foods: wheat products with barley, or rice, with fish & meat. (wheat grew more in the north & rice more in the south) After Buddhism, probably half the population was vegetarian.
In the Gupta Empire, the diet was vegetables, fruits, cereals, breads, and they drank milk.

These recipes were labeled as from "ancient India". These are mostly from http://www.thewanderingnomad.com/indian_recipe.html

DIET BHEL (Healthy Mixture)
½ cup whole green grain sprouts (Mwong)
½ cup sprouted earthen pot (matki)
¼ Cup chopped tomato
1 T plain yogurt
½ tsp cumin seed powder
Fresh, chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
Salt to taste.
Directions: Mix all ingredients thoroughly and serve.

REFINED WHEAT FLOUR UPMA
1 Cup semolina (cream of wheat is very close)
2 Cup boiled water
¼ Cup each, cabbage and onion
½ tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp green goam (split dal) dal (mwong) soaked for an hour in water
4 – 5 curry leaves
2 tsp oil, 1 tsp sugar, salt to taste.
1 or 2 green chillies (chopped)
Cut coriander leaves
Directions:
1. Roast the semolina in a lightly oiled pan at low temperature until lightly browned. Put into dish and set aside
2. Put small amount oil in same pan, heat and put in curry leaves, cumin seed to crackle, then add chili pieces, cut vegetables and soaked dal and fry until brown.
3. Add roasted semolina, salt and sugar to taste. Mix well
4. Pour boiled water in the mixture, mix well and cover with lid.
Cook over slow heat until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, let stand 5 minutes.
Serve with freshly cut coriander leaves and sprinkle with lemon juice.

---

SPINACH OR FENYGREEK (Frozen Methi) ROTI (PARATHA)
Ingredients:
¼ Cup rice flour
¼ green gram dal flour (Bensan) chama dal flour (ground yellow split peas)
¼ each of jowar and bajra flour
1 ½ cup wheat flour
2-3 tsp oil
a pinch of asafetida (a type of spice)
½ tsp cumin seed powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp white sesame seeds
½ tsp ajwain seeds (also used for upset stomach)
½ tsp ginger paste
Salt to taste
1 cup spinach or fenugreek leaf paste

Directions:
1. Mix all the ingredients slowly in the spinach paste only. Use little water if needed. Make a, somewhat, hard dough and let stand in a covered bowl for half an hour.
2. Make small balls of the dough
3. Roll dough in a flat circle with the help of a little oil. Fold in half and again a triangle with oil.
4. Roll flat again.
5. Roast on a flat pan (tawa) over medium heat.
6. Serve with tomato ketchup, or other topping.

---

GREEN GRAM DAL SWEET SOOJI (In India, girls start to make semolina halvah when they are about 8 years old. The recipe is very similar.)
Ingredients:
1 cup green gram dal
1 ½ cup sugar
½ cup ghee
1-5 tsp cardamom powder

Directions:
1. Wash and soak the dal in water over-night.
2. In the morning, drain the water and grind dal in mixer.
3. In a hot pan over slow heat, sauté the ground dal in ghee till browned.
4. Add sugar and cardamom powder and mix well until sugar dissolves. Cover and remove from heat. Let stand for 4-5 minutes and serve hot.

---

VITAMIN SALAD
Ingredients:
½ cup grated cabbage
½ cup green gram sprouts, boiled.
½ cup finely chopped skinned tomatoes.
½ cup skinned and grated beetroot.
½ cup grated carrot
1 medium chopped onion.
½ cup boiled Bengal gram sprouts
1 cup chopped lettuce.
6-7 tablespoons curd, drained.
1 tsp finely chopped ginger.
1-2 chopped green chili.
Fresh, chopped coriander leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp sugar
1tsp lemon juice

Directions: Chill all ingredients and mix at time of serving.

---

CABBAGE SALAD
Ingredients:
1 medium cabbage, grated
1 finely chopped cucumber
1 small finely chopped capsicum
1 chopped onion
½ cup roasted groundnut powder
1 t roasted sesame seeds
1 T lemon juice.
Salt, pepper and red chili powder to taste.
1. Chill all ingredients and mix together well at time of serving.

---

RAVA UTHAPAM (SEMOLINA PANCAKE)
Ingredients:
2 Cups semolina (Rava)
1 ½ cup curd (plain yogurt)
2 medium onions cut lengthwise.
1 finely chopped skinned tomato, salted to taste
10 tsp oil to make pancake.
½ chopped ginger
1-2 chopped green chili
½ tsp roasted cumin seed powder.
A few fresh chopped coriander leaves.

Directions:
1. Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl, to form a somewhat thick, pouring consistency.
2. Heat skillet. Thinly coat with oil. Cook on both sides until lightly browned.
3. Serve hot with green (coconut and chili or other favorite) chutney.

---

IDLI (RICE CAKES) – STEAM COOKED
Ingredients:
1 ½ Cup boiled (raw) rice
¾ Cup black gram dal
4 tsp. Oil.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Directions:
1. Soak rice and dal separately in water overnight.
2. Wash drain and grind to a paste separately, then mix together and set aside to ferment for 8-10 hours.
3. Apply a little warm water and salt to taste in the mixture.
4. Steam cook in a thali (flat small dish) for 15 minutes in a rice cooker.
5. Remove the container from cooker, cut the cake in squares and serve hot with green chutney.

---

MOONG KHICHADI (GREEN RICE) (Microwave)
Ingredients:
1 Cup uncooked rice
1 Cup Moong sprouts (green gram whole)
2-3 pinches asafetida, to taste.
¼ tsp. Turmeric powder
2 tbsp. Ghee
2 tbsp coriander-cumin seeds (roasted)
2 tsp sugar.
1 tsp chili powder.
2 tbsp grated fresh coconut.
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
salt to taste.

Directions:
1. Wash the rice and moong sprouts. Drain
2. Put the ghee in a glass bowl and microwave on high for about 30 seconds.
3. add the rice, moong sprouts, asafetida, turmeric powder, spices and 2 ½ cup water.
4. Cover and microwave on high for about 15 minutes. Stirring in between every 5 minutes.
5. Garnish with freshly cut coriander leaves and grated, fresh coconut and serve hot.

Note:
We can make this rice (khichadi) using vegetables like freshly chopped beans, carrots cauliflower, potato, onion, green peas or other sprouted pulses. We may add these in various combinations to make tasty nutritious dishes.

---

KHICHDI
1C Sago (Sabundana)(looks like Tapioca) -soaked overnight
Wash and soak in ½ C water overnight.
IN the morning add 1 T gee in hot pan. Add 1t cumin seed to crackle
2 Chopped green chilies
Add soaked Sago
½ C roasted crushed peanuts.
Add Salt to taste
Cook for 3-4 minutes over slow heat, stir,
Sweeten to taste.

--------------------
Suji Halva

Ingredients:

1/2 cup suji (semolina)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup ghee
1 1/2 cup water
1 oz sliced almonds
1 oz raisins
8 green cardamoms


Directions: How to Cook Suji Halva (Semolina Halva)

1. Boil sugar and water together for 5 minutes. 2. Heat ghee add suji and stir on a slow fire till mixture becomes light creamy in color and ghee leaves the side of the pan. 3. Add the syrup and stir briskly till it is absorbed in the semolina. 4. Mix crushed cardamom seeds, almonds, and raisins. 5. Serve hot.

Civil War Weekend: June 19 & 20

Civil War Weekend
At Historic Speedwell
Saturday, June 19 & Sunday, June 20
2009 Admission was: Adults - $6.00, Seniors - $5.00, Children (4 - 16) - $4.00

The 2nd New Jersey Brigade brings the battle between the Blue and the Gray to life through camp life demonstrations. Musket and artillery drills, mail call, a bayonet drill, canon firings, a medical demonstration, skirmishes, and more!

10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Talk to the soldiers and camp followers about what life was like during the Civil War

In 2009 demonstrations included: sick call, pay call, our load in 9 demo, telegraph demo, cannon shoot off, hospital tent demonstrations, and the signal corps demonstration. Food will be provided for purchase by the Friends of Historic Speedwell, and there is an available picnic area for those wishing to bring a lunch! This a great program that the whole family can enjoy!

Historic Speedwell is located on the corner of Speedwell Ave. and Cory Rd. in Morristown. Additional parking will be available at the Alfred Vail Elementary School located ¼ mile north of Historic Speedwell, on Speedwell Ave, and a free shuttle will be provided to transport visitors to and from the site.

Please call 973-285-6550 for more information!

History Through Literature: Medieval

High School +
Arthurian Romances
Beowulf
Morte d'Arthur
Sir Gwain and the Green Knight

Intermediate
Sword in the Stone
Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
Door in the Wall
Merlin by Jan Yolam

Elementary
(DK books on Knights, Castles, Middle Ages - nonfiction)

(note to self: stop composing in this interface where work can disappear so easily!)

Medieval Times

Resources: (lesson plans & curriculum)
Excaliber (for grades 9 - 12)
In King Arthur: Man or Legend?, students compare King Arthur's persona from the legendary and historic perspectives, and craft an outline for a theater piece featuring the symbolism, characterization, and context they have learned. In Castles and Cornerstones, students will explore the historic importance and function of castles in King Arthur's time, and create a castle of their own design in three dimensions, using found materials. In Chivalry and Courtly Love, students will examine the way the Arthurian ideals of chivalry and courtly love have influenced our modern concepts of love, inspiring students' execution of a short thematic play.


King Arthur: Man or Legend? (esp good for 7th grade)
Writing: The Middle Ages: Twelve Activities Take Students Back in Time! Learn how a unit on the Middle Ages inspired great writing among fourth and fifth graders in Chandler, Arizona. Included: 12 great activities for teaching about the Middle Ages.

Read The Door in the Wall, Marguerite de Angeli's Newbery Award-winning book about a boy growing up in medieval Europe.

Life in the Middle Ages This site includes a list of more than 20 possible projects on the Middle Ages. The activities are appropriate for middle school students and above.

The Middle Ages Global Studies Project This site contains ideas for two individual and one group project on the Middle Ages, appropriate for middle school students and above.

Sworn to Serve In this WebQuest, students in middle school and above explore the feudal system in medieval England.

Kids in the Castle: virtual tours, etc.

Life in a Medieval Castle: Five Art Activities for an Integrated Medieval Unit This site provides art activities involving stained glass, tapestry, and heraldic shields. The activities are designed for students in middle school and above but can be adapted for almost any age-group.

Cardboard Box Castle Enchanted Learning Software provides complete illustrated directions for building a cardboard box castle. Students in elementary school and above can complete the project, although younger students will need adult assistance with some of the cutting.

KinderCastles Nancy Yost, a kindergarten teacher at Indiana University of Pennsylvania's lab school, provides a variety of resources for teaching about the Middle Ages. Sections include literature, integrated activities, songs and poetry, software, recipes, armor, teacher resources, and links. Most activities are appropriate for students in kindergarten and above.

Days and Days of Knights: A Unit on the Middle Ages
Science-
Make your own paper. Although it's believed that the Chinese invented paper before the first century A.D., it wasn't introduced in Europe until the tenth century. Introduce your students to the science of paper making by sharing An Adventure in Paper Making, created by middle school students from Mancos, Colorado.

And do check out the list o f"Greta sites" / "Sites to see" at :
http://www.education-world.com/a_sites/sites001.shtml


Costumes:
Archer's Simple Hood
Knight's Med. Shirt
Teutonic Knights Ensemble
Child's knightly tunic and shirt
Child's Swordsman Shirt
Velvet Fighting Cape

(Renaissance Costume: renaissance-boy-costume-brown )

More medieval resources online

• Early Middle Ages http://homepages.udayton.edu/~schuerwc/study%20guide%205.htm
• (I think that year 7 in the UK is usually ~12 years old) http://www.schoolhistory.co.uk/year7links/
• Castles http://www.schoolhistory.co.uk/year7links/castles.shtml
• Medieval Life http://www.schoolhistory.co.uk/year7links/life.shtml

Last updated: 2/5/2010

Prehistoric American Food

It was harder to find information than I had expected.

My favorite site was Prehistoric Texas food.

Also worth checking:
http://www.answers.com/topic/food-producers-in-prehistoric-societies

This might help:
http://www.beanbible.com/

Historic Speedwell 2009 Homeschool Days

for ages 7 & up
Historic Speedwell, 333 Speedwell Ave, Morristown, NJ, 07960

remaining:

July 19: Totally Telegraphs: The Role of the Telegraph in the Civil War 1-3 pm, $5/student: During the Civil War, telegraphs were relied on for communicating between troops. Become an Union or Confederate soldier tapping out Morse code to your troops to save the day! Students will take an interactive tour of the newly restored Factory building and then crack real Civil War coded messages using telegraph models!

August 13: Museum School 1-3 pm, $5/student: This program teaches the students about how museums work. What does a curator do? How are objects kept so that they will be able to be displayed for years to come? How should museum educators tell others about the objects?

September 10: Right Outside the Kitchen Door: The Garden Part III, The Harvest, 1-3 pm, $5/student: Home School students and instructors are invited to join us for the third and final part of our Garden series. During this program we will harvest many of the fruits and vegetables that have been growing all season and talk about the importance of the harvest in history.

October 8: Arts Fair!, 1-3 pm:
Our third annual Arts Fair! Students will be able to enter their science, craft, history, or agriculture projects to be judged based on content and presentation. The winners will receive fabulous prizes!

November 5: Open Hearth Cooking 10 am -3 pm, $10/student: In November, students will have the opportunity to cook a meal on the hearth! We will also discuss food production in the early 1800s and the importance of nutrition.

NOTE: Please note that registration for the programs this year will close the Monday before the program at 3 pm, NO EXCEPTIONS. Enrollment is open and easy; you may pick and choose which topics and dates best suit your student’s needs. You will know that your student is registered when you receive a confirmation email. A confirmation email will go out for each class in which your student is enrolled. Please do not assume that your student is registered without the confirmation email. Registration is open as of 7 January 2009, so please sign up as early as you can. Once the classes are full, we will take a wait list. If the wait list becomes long enough, we will hold another class on that topic. Bump over dates will be announced once the original dates are filled.

To get a registration form, contact Maressa McFarlane, Senior Program Specialist/Volunteer Coordinator, Historic Speedwell, Morris County Park Commission, 973.285.6537, mmcfarlane@morrisparks.net

Return form with a checks made out to Morris County Park Commission.

These programs were designed for students ages 7 and up. While we enjoy having students of different ages working together at our programs, consider the content of the individual programs before enrolling your student.

completed 2009 programs:

March 12: Making the Connection 1-3 pm, $5/student: Students will build a basic telegraph, send a message using “the code,” and learn the historical impact of the telegraph and how it forever changed daily life. They will also have the opportunity to visit our brand-new, state of the art exhibit in the newly restored Factory Building.

April 9: Cast From The Past 1-3 pm, $5/student: Students will learn the historic process of sand casting, make a mould, and create a casting to take home. While the castings are drying, students will visit our ironworks exhibit and participate in an interactive activity.

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).

Food from Mali

Especially for those preparing to attend a Mali themed potluck, this may be just enough to get you started. Most of the references are about current eating habits in Mali, and not historical information.

As I hope you would do at any potluck, please bring the list of ingredients and label a dish if it has known allergens or ingredients one might not expect.

From oxfam, "The main foods eaten by a moderately well-off family living in Mali’s capital, Bamako, are rice, millet, sorghum, and beans, cooked as a sort of porridge, served with a meat or fish sauce. A common meal in southern Mali is called tô, a pudding made from pounded millet, served with a sauce of meat or vegetables. In the North, the Songhay and Touareg make thick doughy pancakes served with wild leaves. Tô is also popular in Burkina Faso."

Africa Guide says "The food in Mali is similar to that found in Senegal and other areas of West Africa.

Along the Niger river, fish dishes are popular and include Nile perch (or capitaine) which is either fried or grilled, stewed or baked."

iexplore seems to be more of tourist/traveler information. They say Mali National specialties include La Capitaine Sangha (a kind of Nile perch served with hot chilli sauce, whole fried bananas and rice).

National drinks:
• Malian tamarind and guava juices are delicious.
• A traditional drink is Malian tea which should be drunk in three stages; the first is very strong (‘as bitter as death’); the second is slightly sweetened (‘just like life’); the third is well sugared (‘as sweet as love’). Visitors to Mali may be invited to partake in this tea ritual."

Some Recipes
Sesame Seed & honey sticks

Recommended one a site about Mali: Poulet Yassa (Senegalese chicken with onions)

Recipe Hound has a whole list of recipes, including:

• Sweet Millet Fritters (Maasa),
• Chicken and Peanut Stew (Maafe),
• West African Kebabs (steak or liver suggested in the recipe),
• Couscous De Timbuktu (Stew with Dates and Couscous),
• Fried Bean Balls (Akara),
• Malian Fish Stew, and
• Jollof Rice.

There are some Mali and many more West African recipes at Celtnet.org.

Our (West African, mostly Mali) potluck menu:

• beverages: papaya juice, ginger juice & water
• Fried Bean Balls (Akara),
• Pumpkin soup (where is the line between authentic & what our children will eat? the line between easy to make after a long day (step 1: open a can of pumpkin puree) and more authentic (step 1: peel & cook sweet potatoes)?),
• Millet & lentil pilaf,
• Jollof Rice,
• Crunchy cabbage salad,
  
• Poulet Yassa,
• Sesame Seed & honey sticks,
• Couscous de Timbuktu, and
  
• dessert: lime cake, coconut pie, bananas.

Did the Dig - West Africa

Be part of the up to 24 lucky NJ & PA students digging in Bushkill, PA
with "Big Dog" of Archaeological Perspectives
June 23 - 26, 2008
learning about a piece of Africa.

They'll be doing adult stuff in a kid way with a professional archaeologist turned educator from 9 am each day. 6 & 7 year olds can stop at noon, but older campers stay until ~2 pm Tuesday,Wednesday and Thursday.

Visit his 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 my comments on a previous experience with him, see Do the Dig: Middle Kingdom China.

I expect it will be about $170 for full day and $120 for half day. Deposits were collected in the fall, the remainder is now DUE to Heather (email runnin43@ptd.net).

Did the Dig - Mayans

Up to 24 lucky students will be digging in Tweksbury, NJ with Archaeological Perspectives May 20 - 24, 2008 and learning about the Mayans. They'll be doing adult stuff in a kid way with professional archaeologist turned educator "Big Dog" Purcell from 9 am each day. 6 & 7 year olds can stop at noon, but older campers stay until ~2 pm Tuesday,Wednesday and Thursday.

Visit his 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 my comments on a previous experience with him, see Do the Dig: Middle Kingdom China.

We're starting to collect Maya resources and think about what Maya food might be for that Friday potluck!

I expect it will be about $170 for full day and $120 for half day. Non-refundable deposits of $25 deposits per child are being accepted for Tweksbury. For that dig signup form and more details on the Mayans in Tewksbury.

National History Day - 2008-2009

Next year's National History Day (research project) topic is "The Individual in History: Actions and Legacies".

Their contest is for 6th - 12th graders. The categories are expected to stay the same as previous years: historical paper, group or individual exhibit, group or individual performance, group or individual documentary, group or individual website.

(state level May 3rd, 2008?)

Maya Food

Maize (corn) was the most important crop and a staple of their diet. They also grew sweet potatoes, beans, squash, and yucca and hunted for wild turkey, duck, deer, monkey, and peccary(wild pig) and caught fish. Many living in the Yucatan today have a similar diet.

Only nobility could drink chocolate.

Websites to check:
The Maya Foodtimeline on food and agriculture, Wikipedia on Maya cuisine, and Food of the Maya 300 BC to 900 AD (their only recipe is popcorn!).

Learn more about Corn at Newton's Apple. Video. Ethnobotany Teacher's guide

Recipes online:

• Maya Recipes including tamales, pumpkin soup, ...
• Maya Recipes from FuegoNeuvo Restaurant (salsa, soups, main dishes & a drink)
• Apple Strudel (what kind of apples did they have?)

Friends of Big Dog: Don't forget to sign up for your favorite themed food to bring on Friday of the dig!

Maya Resources

Suggested Periodical Articles

• "The Maya," Kids Discover, 2003.
• "Mexico," Kids Discover, 2005.
• "Maya: How a Great Culture Rose and Fell," National Geographic, August 2007

Books

• expected - do you have any to recommend?
  

Videos to Consider

• Conquistadors - PBS series, 4 shows. Four part series on the discovery of the Americas by the Spanish conquistadors and the subsequent fall of the Aztec and Inca empires. (DVD)
• Maya-related videos online Newton's apple. Each also has a teacher's guide with suggested activities:
  
• Maya Quest on a bike! (associated Science Try-it)
  
• Ethnobotany video(think corn, Science Try-It)
• Jungle
• Inca Engineering
  

Web Sites to Explore

• Explore the MesoAmerican World - With interactive map and timeline showing Maya
• The Maya - Websites about the Maya, including a Mayan Game and folktale
  
• Maya and Inca Webquest - Pointers and information for you to create your own Maya presentation
• Mystery of the Maya - In support of the IMAX film of the same name
• Mayas - small pages of food, agriculture, etc.
  

American History Reenactments

Reenactors can regularly be seen at Fosterfields Living Historical Farms, Morristown, NJ (check their monthly schedule). A better way would be to check each "regiment's" schedule. There are re-enactors at Historical Speedwell one of the last weekend every June for "Civil War" weekend. (June 19-20 in 2010.)

Washington Crossing, PA (especially in December, of course!)

15th New York Cavalry "Red Neck Ties" comes to NJ sometimes. 4th Battalion, NJ Volunteers is in NJ, but the events on their website are not up-to-date.

Further Afield:
Old Sturbridge Village, MA (year-round, 4 homeschool days a year)

Colonial Williamsburg, VA - year-round, also offers 2 Home Educators Events each year - each about 10 days long! The next ones are: 6-19 September 2008, Feb. 21 - March 8, and Sept. 12-27, 2009. Spring 2008 had rates as low as $5 per day!

Plimouth Pnatation (MA) has one or 2 homeschool days a year.

George Washington Crosses the Delaware

at Washington Crossing, PA

12/9/2007 - dress rehearsal, The event/village activities will occur from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, with the crossing time occurring around 1:00 pm. (2nd Sunday of December)

On Christmas day the crossing will occur around 1:00 pm. The Visitor Center opens around 11:00 am and will close at 3:00 pm. The village
houses are not open on this day as all activity will occur at the river. (Christmas Day)

Washington Crossing Historic Park is generally open Tuesday-Saturday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm & Sunday 12:00 to 5:00 pm. (Hours and tour availability are subject to change without notice.)

Tickets: $5.00 per adult, $4.00 Seniors/AAA, $2.00 ages 6-17, under 6 is free. (Special event fees and school children group fees may vary.) Bring your valid adult ticket from another site within the Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission and receive a $1.00 off your admission at Washington Crossing Historic Park.

Guided tours of the McKonkey Ferry Inn section and the Thompson-Neely section occur everyday but Monday and select holidays/special events. Tours begin on the hour at 9:00, 10:00, 11:00, 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, and 4:00. During winter months, tours may conclude earlier in the day due to low light levels in the historic structures.

A tour of the McKonkey Ferry Inn section is approximately one hour in length. Allow 30 minutes to tour the Thompson-Neely House. The Thompson-Neely grist mill is open seasonally for tours. Allow additional time to tour the grist mill.

See, Washington Crossing, Annual Crossing Visit for more details or go here for directions.

Other 2007 Events at Washington Crossing included: -

Cooking for our First President - Sat., February 17, 2007, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm and Sun., February 18, 2007, 11:00 am to 4:00 pm.

His Majesty's Troops - Sat. and Sun. March 10 and 11, 2007, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Musket firing & drilling; Posting of the guard; Preparing their kits for the march; Open-hearth cooking; and Period field music.

(Annual) Colonial Days for groups (esp. for 3-5th graders) - Colonial Days take place Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from late March through early November. The group must have an arrival time between 9:30 and 10:00 am and must be able to stay at least 2½ to 3½ hours.