George W. Russell Jr. & Co.

All North Andover public school students in grades K through 8 will explore gospel music, one of America’s most popular musical genres, by highlighting its various styles throughout history. The program demonstrates the rise and changing roles of this music in the African-American community and describes its function as a mental release from bondage, a vehicle for communication in the Underground Railroad, and a "common ground" during the Civil Rights Movement. George Russell and his group feature everything from the Thomas Dorsey spirituals of the 1930’s to the 1960’s hit "Oh Happy Day" by the Edwin Hawkins Singers.

THEATER ESPRESSO: "Three Mill Girls: We are not Machines"

NAMS 8^th graders will meet three mill workers from our region’s history who have different perspectives on their work in the mills. Mary Paul is "pro-mill," Sarah Bagley instigates turn outs and strikes, and Mary Harvey, an Irish immigrant worker, displays a complex range of attitudes from gratitude to outrage. The program explores various topics, including immigration, industrialization, labor history, prejudice, Victorian morals and women’s history.

All roles are portrayed by Marcia Estabrook who, in assuming the personalities of her characters, educates and entertains through dynamic, and spontaneous interaction with her audience.
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ODDS BODKIN: "The Rage of Hercules"

The real Hercules wasn't who you think he was...

Hercules. Heroic strongman? Kind do-gooder? In some ways, yes. But the real Hercules was also haunted by rages he could not control. He was the strongest adventurer in the world, yet in the end his towering ego was crushed by that very strength.  Brought to life with an immense voice only a master storyteller could create, accompanied by virtuoso music on 12-string guitar. Here is the genuine myth of Hercules. His loves. His madness. His guilt. His epic Twelve Labors. And much more.

”…listeners will learn invaluable lessons from this three thousand year old story as they connect Hercules' behavior with road rage, workplace rage, school shootings. "

Learn more from the Odds Bodkin website:  http://www.oddsbodkin.com

AUTHOR WORKSHOP WITH MITALI PERKINS

For 3 days in February 6^th graders will have an amazing opportunity to engage with a visiting author who is also a highly effective educator.  Mitali Perkins will bring her presentation the sixth graders in an assembly, and then will meet in 1-hour workshops with each of the 6^th grade teams.

Born in Kolkata (Calcutta) India, Mitali lived in Ghana, Cameroon, London, New York and Mexico before settling in California just in time for middle school.  In the assembly, Mitali shares candidly about her experience of growing up between two cultures, exploring some of the tensions immigrant kids face, and introducing some of the richness of Bengali culture.  During the teen years, one thing's for sure: your life story gets much more interesting. Of course, that might mean your heart ends up a bit scorched in places. Good stories have the power to heal those burns.

In the workshop, students consider how good writing engages all five senses, underlines a literary theme, and takes readers on journeys to other places. A directed exercise allows participants to apply and demonstrate what they've gained from the workshop.

For more information visit Mitali’s website:  www.mitaliperkins.com

ZOO NEW ENGLAND: LIFE CYCLES

Using live animals, students will handle, observe and act out the life cycle of insects and amphibians. The program is aligned to the Massachusetts State Curriculum Frameworks and is designed to supplement in-class learning.  Zoo New England manages Franklin Zoo in Boston and Stone Zoo in Stoneham. Zoo New England’s mission is to inspire people to protect and sustain the natural world for future generations by creating fun and engaging experiences that integrate wildlife and conservation programs, research and education.  For more information and resources, go to www.zoonewengland.org.

MAINELY STARS PLANETARIUM:

Scott Negley, director of Mainely Stars Planetarium, brings a unique experience to schools with his inflatable planetarium, “Helping Children Reach for the Stars.”  He will be presenting “The Changing Moon” which explores the cause of the moon’s changing appearance during its monthly cycle of phases.  Students follow the moon’s nightly progression, using observations to predict its next stage.  Using hands-on moon model and lamp, each child demonstrates the cause of the phases and shows how lunar and solar eclipses occur when the sun and moon are perfectly aligned.

ART QUEST:

Perry Pomeroy of ArtQuest brings art to our children!  With her help children compare and contrast works of art from the 18^thcentury to contemporary times, and from different geographical areas in the U.S.  They study and analyze paintings and works of art for location and historical context. As they view each piece of art they discuss the American region that it represents, resulting in discussions about its unique history, environment, geography, industry and lifestyles.  Featured artists include George Inness, Martin Johnson Heade, Grant Wood, Thomas Hart Benton, John Steuart Curry, Albert Bierstadt, and Georgia O’Keefe.

ANIMAL ADVENTURES:

Ed and Jack Laquidara are professional animal handlers dedicated to teaching people about the environment and the animals we share it with.  This program focuses on animal habitats and includes live animals from the desert, rainforest, mountains, and our own backyards.  The children learn about the animals’ diets, special features of the demonstrated animals, and special care and safety when learning and caring for animals.  Children are selected from the audience to pet or hold animals.  These animals may include snakes, a chinchilla from South America, alligators, and a hedgehog.

PAULETTE MORIN:

Paulette has been an amateur paleontologist since early childhood. She created the “Having Fun with Pyramids and Pharaohs” program as a way to bring her interest and knowledge into the classroom to augment the traditional ancient history curriculum. She brings a PowerPoint presentation and a large display of ancient Egyptian replicas and jewelry into the classroom. Paulette, as an amateur Egyptologist, is an active member of the American Research Center in Egypt, ARCE; the American Institute of Archaeology, AIA; and the Friends of Egyptian Art at Brown University. In 1999 Paulette produced her first educational video, Exploring Egypt with Paulette Morin, which was designed to complement school curriculum. In addition, she developed Millennium Tours and during the past 6 year she has led tours to Egypt especially designed for teachers. Over the past 18 years Paulette has traveled throughout New England as a performance educator.  For more information visit www.fwsp.com

EARTHVIEW:

EarthView is an inflatable model of Earth twenty-two feet in diameter and two stories tall. The outside is a hand-painted, large-scale map of the Earth's surface, showing biological communities, rivers, seas, landforms, continents, islands, oceans, and major cities. The inside reveals the positions of tectonic plate boundaries and ocean spreading centers, along with all of the detail visible from the outside. The EarthView team includes three educators with nearly a century of combined experience in the teaching of human, physical, and environmental geography at all levels. These educators use both the outside and the inside of EarthView both to create a vivid experience and to deliver lessons about plate tectonics, global cultures, biogeography, political geography, and climate change.  For more information visit www.bridgew.edu/EarthView