MassachusettsHISTORY EXPLORERS GRADES 3–8
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Reading tools & my notebook
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Quick glossary
evidence
Information from a source that helps us test a claim.
source
A document, object, image, or account we can examine.
inference
An explanation based on clues; it still needs checking.
migration
Moving from one place to another to live.
immigrant
A person who moves to another country to live.
estimate
An approximate amount, based on available information.
oral history
A recorded interview about someone’s memories and experiences.
community
People connected by a place, relationships, or shared activities.
ancestry
Family origins across generations.
primary source
Evidence created by someone who experienced a time or event.

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Chapter 01 · Then & now

Our towns, our voices

Find the history in your neighborhood—and discover how your voice can help.

OUR BIG QUESTION

How can we help make decisions in our community?

Reading:
Read on your own or with a partner.
The Massachusetts State House in Boston, with a gold dome, white columns, and red brick walls.
The State House in Boston is a place for state government. Your city or town also has a local government.

A community has a story

A community is a group of people who share a place or connection. Your town’s story includes Native people, people whose families have lived here for generations, and people who have moved here more recently. Buildings, photographs, maps, and people’s memories can help us investigate that story. One source rarely tells the whole story.

Who makes the decisions?

Local government helps organize shared services, such as roads, libraries, and schools. Taxes help pay for those services. In many Massachusetts towns, a select board and town meeting share responsibilities. Cities may have a mayor and city council; some use a city manager. The exact arrangement depends on the community. Tribal nations also have their own governments.

You can take part

You can listen to different ideas, ask questions, help neighbors, and explain a change you would like to see. Adults who are eligible can vote in local elections. Young people can write to local officials or speak about an issue with an adult’s help. A strong suggestion includes a reason and evidence.

Explore the sources:
Massachusetts DESE · Grade 3 framework ↗ Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) ↗
Your historian’s notebook

Hold a class meeting

Choose a real classroom question: How could we make our shared reading area work better?

“I suggest ___ because ___. One detail that supports my idea is ___.”
  1. Think of one improvement. Explain who it would help.
  2. Listen to another idea. Ask a respectful question.
  3. Agree on a fair way to decide. Discuss how to protect everyone’s needs, even if their idea is not chosen.

Talk, draw, or write your response on paper.

Everything you need is here

Open this chapter’s source lab

Our towns: maps, people & change. Built-in materials, evidence questions, a student notebook, and teacher notes.

Investigate the sources →
Try it yourself

Check your understanding

Choose an answer for each question. You can reread and try again.

1. Which action helps people participate in their community?
2. Why should historians compare a memory with a photograph or another source?

Take a virtual field trip

Context image for The Massachusetts State House. The visit page identifies the image.The Massachusetts State HouseBoston
All field trips →

Investigate with an interactive

Topic illustration; not a screenshot of the activityAdams family timelineAdams family
All history interactives →
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