The Wisdom of Ben Franklin and Poor Richard's Almanac

"If you would not be forgotten As soon as you are dead and rotten, Either write things worthy reading, Or do things worth the writing."


"To find out a girl’s faults, praise her to her girl friends."

"Never confuse motion with action."

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote. "

“He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else”

“Anyone who trades liberty for security deserves neither liberty nor security”

“To Follow by faith alone is to follow blindly.”

Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days.

...and my favorite...

We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.
Ben Franklin
Source:At the signing of the Declaration of Independence

What is Happening in 8th Grade Social Studies?

...a lot. This year's classes have been awesome to teach and learn with. The maturity they demonstrate on a daily basis, their love for learning, and the fact that they are intelligent, respectful, fun-to-be-around young people, make teaching them extremely rewarding! Here are some of them in action this week...


















...and what have we been learning...? We are currently studying The Labor Movement. Unions were formed to protect workers who, up until 1869 and the formation of the Knights of Labor, were pretty much at the mercy of their employers (Unfortunately for the workers, the employers of this day did not have an overabundance of "mercy"). Prior to this, we studied immigration. This unit came alive through movies that we watched which gave us a personal perspective on the sacrifices that immigrant families made in order to bring their families to America. Our study was especially special because we have Sergey, the son of recent immigrants to America, in class. He was able to share stories of his family's experiences as immigrants from Moscow, Russia.
Prior to that, we studied how the 2nd Industrial Revolution led to a growth, not only in industry, but also in cities. We learned about who the people leading this "revolution" were, as well as the inventions that created new jobs and changed how people lived. We also learned about the living conditions in the cities of this time period as seen through the eyes of Jacob Riis.

...and now for some more photos of today's finest!

Go to America! The Land of Opportunity...

During colonial times, "joint-stock companies", such as The London Company, encouraged settlers to leave England and emigrate to America. Many of these companies used advertisements to induce settlers. Many who went were poor, so these companies offered free transportation, land, tools and supplies. ...but beware of the fine print. Oftentimes, these emigrants were required to sign an indenture, or a contract, with the company. This contract required the emigrant to work for up to 7 years for the person who paid the expenses of the voyage to America. These people were called "Indentured Servants."

How Sad is This Groton?! Approximately 30% of Homeless People in America are Veterans.

Given the regular recruiting that takes place in our school, and given the amount of taxpayers’ dollars that go to war, the reports I have linked here are startling. Many good, patriotic Americans enlist in the United States Armed Forces each year. Most do so to serve their country. According to recent studies, in too many cases, the country is failing to reciprocate that service to many veterans once they retire. I hope Groton families will read and discuss this issue carefully.

Here are a few statistics to add to you conversation...

Explorers on Google Earth has Finally Arrived!

Our 7th graders are experimenting with Google Earth. We took a project that we had been doing for years and modernized it using this program. It took us a while to figure things out, especially how to link it to our blog, but here it is. None of this would have been possible without the expertise of Paul Weich and Chad DeVoe. ...and Cali, thanks for all of the extra time you put into this project. To take the tour, go to this site and enjoy.

Tall Tales From Room #202

Many settlers move west following the Civil War. Some were miners looking for precious metals, some were farmers who lived in houses made of sod, and others were cowboys who drove cattle on the long drive from Texas to the rail centers in “Cow Towns. Many of these cowboys were young men from the east who had gone west to find work. These “Green Horns,” as they were called, were often susceptible to “Tall Tales.” These were exaggerated stories told by wile story tellers, and they provided their audience with many laughs at the expense of the “Green Horns,” who often believed them!

Here are a few Tall Tales generated in room #202.

Barter Day

Our 7th graders are learning about life in colonial America. An economic aspect of that time period was the use of bartering, exchanging goods and services, to get desired goods. Our class reenacted this today. The rules were simple. Students were to bring in things (3-5)they had laying around their rooms at home that they no longer attached any significance to (These had to be their own, not their brothers or sisters stuff.). The class was then given time to survey what their classmates had brought in. Then they were set to the task of bartering with each other to get what they wanted. We concluded class by having students explain the process they went through. We also discussed reasons for the replacement of this barter system with the cash system (Note-We discussed that people still exchange services today (I.E. One person may agree to help a friend put on a new roof in exchange for some automotive work on a car.)). As you can see from the video, it was a lively class.
On another note, the cash system was first introduced to New York State during the construction of the Erie Canal. Workers on the canal were given cash (50 cents a day) or scripts which they then exchanged at stores, hotels and restaurants along the canal. It must have been a "leap of faith" for these early cash receiving entrepreneurs!