3 Homeschool Programs for Ages 10 to 14

Three homeschool programs promoting active learning to be held at Windsor Historical Society this fall for students ages 10-14.

The first program, For the Common Good, to be held on September 29, 1:30-3:00 p.m., will reflect on the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness laid out in the Declaration of Independence. By reading the Declaration and exploring the Historical Society’s exhibit, For the Common Good: 250 Years of Windsor Civic Life, students will contemplate how our interpretation of these rights has evolved, learn how people in Windsor have worked to protect them, and discuss what they can do today.

Windsor Witch Trials, held on October 6, 1:30-3:00 p.m., will examine the stories of Alice Young and Lydia Gilbert of Windsor, who were executed for witchcraft decades before Salem. This program investigates the cases brought against Young and Gilbert, the societal structures that led to these accusations, and discusses how the witch trials ended in Connecticut. Students will reflect on who is, and who is not, granted acceptance in society and why, more than 350 years later, a group of citizens set out to right this ancient wrong.

The final program, Cemetery Secrets, on October 20, 1:30-3:00 p.m., teaches students how to extract information about the past from a cemetery: the age of a town, the things people believed, what they valued, how they died, and so much more. Students will learn to identify headstones from their material and imagery, decode the meaning behind common symbols, and piece together parts of Windsor history from stories set in stone.

Spots for these programs are limited. Pre-registration is encouraged at https://www.windsorhistoricalsociety.org/events /. $10 per student per program.