CGYHU for December 2020

Below is the Carmine Guica Young Historians Update for the upcoming month of December.

 

Dec. 21, is winter solstice and many cultures celebrate the returning light. This month’s hands on history kits reflects this theme with the following items, which you can collect from the CHS Cares Closet or order for your class or student by e-mailing margocaulfield@icloud.com or calling 802-226-7807.

 

• Ready to paint plaster items. During Saturnalia, source of various Christmas traditions, sun ornaments made out of gold were frequently given. These are light enough that they can be hung on a tree. I’d recommend using a strong glue like E 6,000 in order to add a ribbon. Magnetic strips will also work for frig magnets.

 

 

• Dreidels: Includes direction.

                                                How to play the Dreidel Game

• Kente Cloth to color: In recognition of Kwanzaa, we have a Kente Cloth pattern on card stock which can be colored. A brief summary of Kwanzaa and Kente cloth are on the reverse side. Good resource for teaching kids about Kente cloth and provides a paper weaving project.

 

• Origami Cranes: In Japanese, Chinese and Korean traditions, the crane stands for good fortune and longevity. More recently is has become a peace symbol thanks to the story of SadakoSasaki, who developed Leukemia as a result of the bombing of Hiroshima and tried to make 1,000 cranes to achieve the wish of health. Recommend this project for older students. These cranes look beautiful on a Christmas tree.

 

Learn to make a crane by watching this video. 

 

To string the crane, watch the following video. 

 

Historical Dates for December

Dec. 1 1955: The birth of the modern American civil rights movement occurred when Rosa Parks was arrested in Montgomery, Alabama, for refusing to give up her seat to a white man and move to the back section of a municipal bus.

 

Dec. 2, 1859: Abolitionist John Brown was executed for treason following his raid on the US Arsenal at Harper’s Ferry.

 

Dec. 6, 1865: The 13^th Amendment to the US Constitution was ratified abolishing slavery.

-       St. Nicholas Day

 

Dec. 7, 1941: The US Naval base at Pearl Harbor, HI was bombed, killing nearly 3,000 Americans dead. The US declared war on Japan the next day.

 

Dec. 10-18: Hanukkah is a Jewish festival commemorating the re dedication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire. Also known as the Festival of Lights.

                                                        The Story of Hanukkah for Kids 

 

Dec. 11, 1918: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was born in Russia. The 1970 Noble Prize winner in literature and the Templeton Prize winner in 1983, Solzhenitsyn lived in Cavendish for 18 of the 20 years he was exiled from Russia. While here he wrote the Red Wheel. CHS has written a book for 4^th-7^th graders The Writer Who ChangedHistory: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. If there is interest in having a group of students read the book and discuss it, we can arrange for a Zoom discussion.

 

Dec. 13:Saint Lucia’s Day 

-       1773: The Boston Tea Party

 

Dec. 21: Winter Solstice (the shortest day of the year) National Geographic video

 

Dec. 25: Western Roman Catholic Church started the tradition of Christmas in 336 AD. It was based on the tradition of Mithra, god of the sun, who was believed to be born on Dec. 25,

-       Washington crossed the Delaware

 

December 26-January 1 - Kwanzaa, an African American family observance established in 1966 celebrating traditional African harvest festivals, focusing on family unity, with a community harvest feast on the seventh day. Kwanzaa means "first fruit" in Swahili. Learn more about Kwanzaa by watching this video.

 

Dec. 31^st: New Year’s Eve

 

 

 

National Native American Heritage Month 2020

November is National Native American Heritage Month.  To honor the Abenaki, the indigenous peoples of Vermont (VT)-the Elnu tribe covers southern VT-and the first people of the Americas, the Cavendish Historical Society (CHS) has compiled resources and videos. While Covid is making it hard for people to gather as they have done in years past, there are variety of on-line activities taking place.

 

On Veteran’s Day, Nov. 11, the National Native Americans Veterans Memorial will be dedicated in Washington D.C. This can be watched live or at a later date at the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) website.

 

                        Making History: The Bigger Story Kevin Gover 

 

 

 

Vermont Resources

• Vermont Native American Timeline

• Susannah Johnson/Indian Stones/Captive Johnsons Cavendish birth

                                                  Abenaki Ways of Knowing Water

 

Nationally

• National Museum of the American Indian (part of the Smithsonian).  

 

• Native CinemaShowcase. Stream some of the best in Native film 

 

• NMAI Exhibition websites 

 

• PBS NativeAmerica  Be sure and check out the Iroquois Confederacy and the role it played in the formation of the US Constitution. /

 

• CelebratingNative American Heritage Month-What to Watch: List of films that can be downloaded from the PBS website.

 

• About NativeAmerican Heritage Month

 

Thanksgiving

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, learn more about what actually happened NMAI’s American Indian Perspectives on Thanksgiving 

-        The Invention of Thanksgiving 

 

-       Do American Indians Celebrate Thanksgiving 

-       Fall CHS Newsletter that explores Thanksgiving origin story

CHS Briefs November 1, 2020

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Nov. 15 (Sunday): Book 2 of “Between Two Millstones” by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn publication date. In this book, he reflects on life in Cavendish. The fall Scribbler II contains an excerpt from the book.

 

Christmas Ghost Walk Proctorsville: Date to be announced.

 

 

 

 

NEW AT THE CHS BLOG

• "Twenty Mile Stream Grave Robbery," a story from Mary Churchill with information about the practice of grave robbing to assist students at Woodstock Medical College in learning anatomy. Happy Halloween from the Cavendish Historical Society.

 

• CGYH Update for November: Lots of resources for celebrating November, which is  Native American Heritage Month as well as the 400^th anniversary of the landing of the Mayflower as well as Thanksgiving.

 

• Fall Scribbler II: CHS’s newsletter

 

Proctor Cemetery

CARMINE GUICA YOUNG HISTORIANS PROGRAM: CTES 4-6^th grade students have been actively involved in CHS’s Preserve and Serve program. The Proctor Cemetery is getting much needed help from the 6^th graders, who have been removing leaves and preparing for the winter ahead. They will be back working in the cemetery this month. The 4^th and 5^th graders have been doing fall lawn care in Proctorsville.

 

Fall is the time for the 5^th graders Ghost Walk, and we are very appreciative of the Golden Stage Inn Keepers (Julie and Mike Woods) who keep us all spell bound with the hauntings that continue to take place there. Every year they have a new story.

 

The 5^th graders will be doing the ghost walk on Nov. 2, since it wasn’t possible to do the walk last year due to the closure of the Depot St. Bride to foot traffic.

 

Since visitors are not allowed in the school, CHS has been running programs outside or providing “hands on history kits” for both in school and home learning students.

 

HALLOWEEN: For the first time, CHS was part of Cavendish’s Halloween celebration. We opened up the CHS Cares Closet so people could take books, puzzles, craft supplies for the winter ahead. In addition, we set up a Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) table with special bags of treats. Looks like this could be the start of a new tradition. Maybe next year we can create some interesting shadow puppets for the window of the Museum.

 

CHS CARES CLOSET: We’ve been hearing from some of our locals who can’t make it to the Closet due to weather, sickness, or finding it difficult to get out. To help our community during this time, we can arrange to drop off books, puzzles, art supplies or even masks, to help families stay safe and entertained. Please e-mail margocaulfield@icloud.com with your requests. All items will be placed on the porch, mail box or a designated spot.

 

If you have items you’d like to donate to the Closet, please call 802-226-7807 or e-mail margocaulfield@icloud.com

 

HANDS ON HISTORY KITS: Kits planned for December will include recognition of Winter Solstice and holidays associated with that date.

 

COVID-19: CHS continues to collects items, stories etc. associated with the pandemic for archival purposes. If you have something you would like to donate, please contact us.