A Time Capsule

If you had been alive during the time of the American Revolutionary War and had the chance to secrete something for others to discover centuries later, what would you have put into your box?

It turns out that two famous men from that period created a time capsule and placed it inside one of the cornerstones of the Massachusetts State House in Boston in 1795, and the box was recently found. You can read more about how it was found here.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, was honored to open this special time capsule to find out what was in it. Here’s a list of items found in the brass box:

Describe Characters by Their Clothing

HIGH SCHOOL PROMPTS

In a story, clothing can be the author’s way of telling us what kind of character we’re reading about.

What are they wearing?

Judging real people by their clothing might not be too smart, but authors rely on readers to judge characters based on their characters’ clothing.

For instance, someone in a black leather jacket with a skull embroidered on the back and chains hanging from a pants pocket is going to be very different from someone in a light aqua-colored jacket carrying an umbrella with pink flowers on it. We make assumptions of people according to their appearance.

Create a Wacky Character!

MIDDLE SCHOOL PROMPTS

Have you ever read any books about Amelia Bedelia, the young housemaid who takes everything literally?

When Amelia Bedelia is instructed to pitch a tent, she throws the tent into the woods! When she bakes a sponge cake, she uses real sponges, according to publisher HarperCollins Children’s.

Should He Be Arrested . . . Again?

HIGH SCHOOL PROMPTS

So, Roger gets arrested over 20 years ago for grand theft, but he serves only five months of his five-and-a-half-year sentence. Why?

Because he escapes.

And now, a fugitive from the law for 22 years, he is found in a neighboring state, living with his wife who has brain cancer. And he’s arrested again.

Jennifer Mayfield, who took care of Roger’s wife for a few months, thought it was strange that Roger didn’t have a driver’s license or a bank account, but now she understands why.

To Sled or Not to Sled—Is That the Question?

MIDDLE SCHOOL PROMPTS

Cities like Dubuque, Iowa, are banning sledding in their city parks.

Why? Is sledding dangerous?

Recently in the United States, more than 20,000 children were hurt while sledding, according to a report on NPR. But they also report that about 82,000 kids are hurt each year on trampolines, and over 275,000 children have accidents on bicycles.

Do You Have a Dream? Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, let’s get to know King’s most famous speech a little better.

To hear the audio and read the transcript of “I Have a Dream,” click here. To view the speech on YouTube, click here.

This moving speech was originally given August 28, 1963, in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D. C. As Martin Luther King spoke of freedom for all Americans, regardless of their color, the statue of the Great Emancipator Abraham Lincoln was seated behind him. This gave even more meaning to King’s powerful speech.

What was King’s dream?

Letters from Jail: Apostle Paul and Martin Luther King Jr.

HIGH SCHOOL PROMPTS

Jail probably isn’t the optimal location from which to pen a letter. If I were to write one from jail, it would probably say, “Get me out of here!”

Paul’s Message

However, Apostle Paul writes from jail often and exudes no panic. In Philippians, while chained in a Roman prison, Paul tells the believers in Philippi to rejoice. He doesn’t throw it off as an aside; in fact, he uses the words “joy” or “rejoice” at least twelve times. At one point, he even

Dylan Thomas: His Christmas Memories and Yours

HIGH SCHOOL PROMPTS

What is your favorite Christmas memory?

Dylan Thomas, a famous poet and author, wrote about his Christmas memories in the memoir essay “A Child’s Christmas in Wales,” in which he remembers friends, toys, hijinks, relatives, and traditions of his childhood. His love of words and of the language makes this memoir a delight to read.

Excerpt

Below is an excerpt from it; you can read the whole memoir here and watch a televised rendition of it on YouTube here. For an extra-special treat, listen to the late Dylan Thomas reading his memoir here in his Welsh accent.
Here’s the excerpt from “A Child’s Christmas in Wales”:

Write a Christmas Carol

MIDDLE SCHOOL PROMPTS

Which part of the Christmas account do you like the best?

Is it the Annunciation where an angel announces to Mary that she will have a child?

Is it the long journey to Bethlehem with no inn available when Mary and Joseph arrive?

Could it be when the angels burst into the night sky and sing to shepherds? Or perhaps when those exotic kings find the real King as a baby and then fool Herod to make their get-away?

Many of our Christmas carols highlight one part of the Christmas story. For instance, “O Little Town of Bethlehem” focuses on the night Jesus was born.

The First Christmas: You Are There

MIDDLE SCHOOL PROMPTS

That first Christmas.

It’s easy to forget all the noise, confusion, exhaustion, rejection, and fear Mary and Joseph experienced. Though our nativity sets look peaceful and serene, I imagine things would have looked very different had we been there to observe those world-changing events.

Whom do you most identify with when you read the Christmas accounts in Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2:40? That is, when you read the Bible accounts, which person do you feel closest to? Which one has some similarities to your life? Or think of this: Which person do you wish you could have been?

What are they wearing?

What was King’s dream?

Paul’s Message

Excerpt

Looking for something?

.