TAR HEEL LESSONS
Do You Know…
Getting To Know... John Coltrane Born: September 23, 1926 in Hamlet Known for: Influential American jazz saxophonist and composer Accomplishments: Through his musical creativity, craft and ingenuity, John Coltrane reshaped jazz music. Coltrane began his musical journey playing the alto horn and clarinet in the community band in High Point. He moved to Philadelphia, enrolling in the Ornstein School of Music and Granoff Studios. There he gained exposure to challenging musical compositions, including the jazz he heard on the radio and jukeboxes, and switched to his signature instrument—the saxophone. In 1945 Coltrane was drafted and played in the Hawaiibased Navy band earning the nickname, “Trane.”
After leaving the Navy in 1946 Coltrane played with other jazz legends, including Dizzy Gillespie and Duke Ellington. His musical career spanned a little more than two decades but has influenced countless musicians since.
Exploris
The Saint John Coltrane African Orthodox Church in San Francisco recognizes John as a saint, using Coltrane’s music in services and his lyrics as prayers. In 1992, he was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. He also received a posthumous Special Citation from the Pulitzer Prize Board in 2007.
Male seahorses can get pregnant and give birth to baby seahorses. The trait is unique in fish that inhabit tropical and temperate coastal waters worldwide. Seahorses, which range from less than an inch to a foot (one to 30 centimeters) in length, have evolved unusual adaptations—a prehensile tail for clinging to underwater vegetation, a tubelike mouth for sucking in tiny crustaceans, and protective bony plates in their skin. There are 32 species of seahorse, all in the genus Hippocampus. In the wild, few seahorse offspring survive to adulthood. This low survival rate, paired with an increase in seahorse collection and deteriorating habitats, makes conservation efforts critical to seahorse survival. You can view live seahorses at the Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh and at all three North Carolina Aquariums at Pine Knoll Shores, Fort Fisher and on Roanoke Island.
Field Trip Fun E XP LOR IS Exploris brings the adventures and stories the world has to offer to North Carolina. Located in downtown Raleigh, the museum is an interactive experience demonstrating connections between people of the world through culture, global trade, communications and environment exhibits. Exploris’ exhibits feature “People and Places,” discussing the world’s geography and cultures; “Many Voices,” exploring the power of communication and showcasing a piece of the Berlin Wall; “Living in Balance,” exploring water and related environmental issues; “Trade Works,” examining products and their global connections; and “One Voice: From the Pen of Anne Frank,” discussing her life and impact on the world. The IMAX 3D Theater seats 267 people and gives audiences a high-resolution, colorful view of the world’s adventures and treasures. For more about upcoming exhibits and IMAX movies, visit www.exploris.org or call (919) 834-4040.
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C huckle Teacher: Can someone give me a sentence using the word “archaic” in it? Student: We can’t have archaic and eat it, too.
We want YOUR ideas Know of a great field trip or fun craft project for students? Or an interesting person from North Carolina? Tell us! We want to hear comments about our bimonthly youth page, Tar Heel Lessons. E-mail editor@carolinacountry.com or call (800) 662-8835, ext. 3036. Or write us at Carolina Country Tar Heel Lessons, P.O. Box 27306, Raleigh, NC, 27611. Carolina Country AUGUST 2007 31
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