Join us for Homeschool History Day on Thursday, May 5, 2022 at the Paul Smiths Visitor Interpretive Center and, afterward, the Paul Smiths College campus.
It is very important to RSVP for this event so parents know how many treasure items to bring!
RSVP: sunitahalasz@gmail.com
FOR THE MORNING PRESENTATIONS:
We will start the day at 10am in the Paul Smiths VIC auditorium for student oral presentations. This is VERY informal and is for ALL AGES. Masks suggested, but not required.
Kids dress up as a character or thing from history that they have researched. For instance, kids have been a famous or inspiring person, a relative, an era in history, a droplet of water, and even an erupting Mt. St. Helens!
If they feel comfortable, they can give a speech on their own. If they would like assistance from a parent or sibling to present with them, that is totally fine! Many parents have interviewed their students so that the student doesn’t have to give a whole speech, but can just answer questions with a trusted parent standing nearby. One time, a mom read a short picture book about the historical topic her student chose while the student stood nearby in costume. Another time, 4 siblings presented a topic together. So, this is totally a no-pressure thing and just a chance for kids to have fun sharing what they have learned.
BRING A LUNCH
After the kids’ presentations, we will eat lunches at the VIC that we have brought for ourselves from home. There is a microwave there.
GROUP CARAVAN OVER TO PAUL SMITH’S COLLEGE CAMPUS FOR A GUIDED TOUR
We will drive the short mile from the VIC to the campus as a group, arriving around 12:30pm where will meet with PSC Professor and author Dr. Curt Stager, and Mahala Nyberg, staff of Historic Saranac Lake.
Dr. Stager will talk to us about Indigenous History and Natural History. He will tell about Native American artifacts found on campus as well as how sampling the sediment in lakes can tell us about past human activity and past climates. He will talk about how glaciers formed the landscape we see on campus.
Ms. Nyberg will talk about the heyday of Paul Smiths Hotel and its importance in the region, as well as Dr. E.L. Trudeau’s experience in recovery from tuberculosis at Paul Smiths Hotel, and TB research he did at Rabbit Island nearby.
Afterward, we will drive as a caravan across the road from campus with Ms. Nyberg to the St. John’s in the Wilderness Church to learn about the architecture and visit Dr. Trudeau’s grave site.
TREASURE BAGS
At the end of the day, kids will put clues together of all the things they have learned from Dr. Stager and Ms. Nyberg and the clues will lead them to a “treasure bag” for each of them with a small item contributed by participating families. NO WORRIES if you aren’t able to contribute an item or if you forget!!
Small things like erasers, stickers, pencils, bookmarks, etc. are some of the things that have gone into the treasure bags in previous years.
If you bring treasure items (and again, there is NO PRESSURE to do so), hand them in at the beginning of the day when we meet at the VIC and they will get sorted into a bag for each child to find at the end of the day.
We will likely be done around 2:30pm.
It is very important to RSVP for this event so parents know how many treasure items to bring!
RSVP: sunitahalasz@gmail.com
North Country Homeschooling 