MassachusettsHISTORY EXPLORERS GRADES 3–8
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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.

Horace Mann and public schools

Choose a PDF, read on screen, and try the word game.

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All four include an image, vocabulary, comprehension questions, a follow-up reading, and teacher guidance. These English PDFs have selectable text; use the reading below for adjustable text and listening tools.

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Modern topic illustration created for Massachusetts History Explorers. It is not a historical artifact.
Modern topic illustration created for Massachusetts History Explorers. It is not a historical artifact.

Words to know

education
learning and teaching knowledge and skills
public
connected to people as a whole
access
a way to reach, enter, or use something

Horace Mann became secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Education. He worked to improve public schools and teacher preparation. He argued that education mattered for the community. Access still differed among children.

Talk about the reading

What happened? Point to a detail that supports your answer. What does the picture help you understand? What would you like to investigate next?

Follow-up: John Quincy Adams and Amistad

Captive Africans aboard La Amistad resisted enslavement. Their case reached the U.S. Supreme Court. John Quincy Adams helped argue for their freedom. The Africans’ own resistance began this fight.

How are the two events connected or different? Their order does not prove that one caused the other.

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Word match: use the reading

Select a word, then select its meaning. You can use a keyboard or tap. Read the word bank if you need a clue.

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Check the evidence

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Original site illustration. Image source and rights ↗

Historical images, later portraits, reconstructions, and modern topic illustrations are identified in their captions. They are different kinds of evidence.

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