Helper Middle School

1. Isaiah Thomas and the Printing Press

Students meet the Massachusetts revolutionary printer, Isaiah Thomas. They will learn about his life as an apprentice printer and hear the five things that the British Government did to try to control his press in the 1770s, and how Thomas narrowly escaped with his life. Students will discuss current restrictions on the freedom of the press and what steps are required to become an informed citizen in a world of biased media, which is sometimes controlled by the state. Students will also have the opportunity to operate an English common press (the kind of press in use during the American Revolution) to print a copy of a document of historic significance.

2. Pilgrims and the Mayflower

Students will see the world's largest scale model of the Mayflower and meet Elizabeth Hopkins, one of the original Mayflower passengers. They will learn how comments made by her husband, Stephen Hopkins, led to the signing of the Mayfower compact, one of America's first steps toward self-government. They will hear the history that led to the founding of Plimoth Colony in 1620, and learn about the colony's early attempts at living in a communal society. Mrs. Hopkins will tell how she and the other surviving Mayflower pilgrims nearly gave up and returned to England in 1621 and how their fortunes improved when Governor Bradford changed the colony's societal foundation to a system of free-enterprize.

3. Benjamin Frankilin

Students will meet the man who tamed lightning. Though he began his 84-year life as the 10th son of a poor soap maker, Franklin would work to become one of the most influential men of the 18th century. Students will hear about his early life as an apprentice printer in Boston and his flight to Phiadelphia. How he began there with only the clothes on his back and a few coins in is pocket and built a printing enterprise that allowed him to retire just 25 years later. What was it like to be on the committee that drafted the Declaration of Independence or to be a member of the Federal Convention that gave us the Constitution? And when did he have time to invent the lightning rod and the Franklin Stove? Students will hear the answers to all these questions and much, much more.

4. Village Potter

18th-century potters in America were crucial figures, transforming raw clay into essential household items through a blend of artistry and practical skill. Their craft involved sourcing and preparing suitable clays, shaping vessels on a potter's wheel or by hand, and then firing them in kilns to achieve durability. In this presentation, students will have a front-row seat to see the process of creating the stoneware vessels that were foundational to colonial domestic life. They will hear that the primary avenue to success in the American colonies involved beginning at a young age to develop a skill and applying that skill to meet market needs. In addition, they will learn about the history of pottery, the process if firing the raw vessels to make them durable, waterproof, food-safe.

5. Basket Makers

The 18th-century basket maker in America practiced an ancient and incredibly versatile craft, weaving natural materials into the essential containers that organized and sustained daily life. Students will see the process of creating varied baskets from the very simple materials available to the American Colonists.