Welcome to the Bay State

Massachusetts has played a big role in many important events in our country’s history. We often think of the famous harvest feast celebrated in Plymouth, Massachusetts, at Thanksgiving. The Old North Church in Boston was the site of the signal that warned Paul Revere that the British were coming. (“One if by land, two if by sea.”)

This week, The Mini Page explores our nation’s sixth state.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a small state with a lot of people: More than 7 million people live in an area only 190 miles long and 115 miles wide. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the east and hills on the west.

The word “Massachusetts” comes from the Indigenous people who lived there when Europeans arrived. The word means “near the great hill.”

Harbors in Boston and other cities helped early Massachusetts traders become successful.

Fishing is a big industry in the state.

Gloucester (GLAH-stir) is the oldest fishing port still in use in the United States.

ATLANTIC, BASKETBALL, BOSTON, BUSH, COAST, COMMONWEALTH, EAST, HARBOR, HARVARD, KENNEDY, LIGHTHOUSE, MASSACHUSETTS, MATHER, MUSEUMS, NAISMITH, OCEAN,

Mini Fact: The Naussett Lighthouse sits on Cape Cod, a peninsula in the Atlantic Ocean.

Did you notice that unusual pronunciation of Gloucester? Other cities in Massachusetts with names that look different from how they are pronounced include Worcester (WUH-stir), Barre (BEAHR-ee) and Leicester (LESS-tur).

Basketball was invented by James Naismith in 1891 in Springfield. The Basketball Hall of Fame is in that city today.

The first baseball World Series was in Boston, between the Boston Pilgrims and the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1903.

Volleyball was invented in Holyoke in 1895 by YMCA director William Morgan. The Volleyball Hall of Fame is there.

Professional sports teams include the Boston Red Sox (baseball), the New England Patriots (football) and the New England Revolution (soccer).

The oldest public elementary school in the United States, the Mather School, was founded in 1639 in Dorchester. Harvard University in Cambridge is the oldest university in the nation, founded in 1636. The state has many other important schools, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Four presidents were born in Massachusetts: John Adams, John Quincy Adams, John F. Kennedy and George H.W. Bush.

Authors Edgar Allan Poe and Dr. Seuss were both born in Massachusetts.

Visitors to Massachusetts might want to see the USS Constitution, a threemasted ship of the U.S. Navy launched in 1797, which is now a museum in the Charlestowne Navy Yard.

The state is known for its symphony orchestras, ballet companies and opera houses, along with music festivals featuring contemporary artists.

Plimoth

Plantation is a living history museum where interpreters re-create the original settlement from the 1700s.

People also enjoy sailing, fishing, whale-watching, skiing and hiking in Massachusetts.

On the Web:

• bit.ly/MPMassachusetts

At the library:

• “Shelly Goes to Massachusetts” by Brittney Traudt

Mick: What kind of music did the Pilgrims listen to? Molly: Plymouth Rock!

A new study suggests that the males of disease-carrying mosquito species hover around humans, even though

Gloucester (GLAH-stir) is the oldest fishing port still in use in the United States. schools, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Words that remind us of Massachusetts are hidden in this puzzle. Some words are hidden backward or diagonally, and some letters are used twice. See if you can find:

ATLANTIC, BASKETBALL, BOSTON, BUSH, COAST, COMMONWEALTH, EAST, HARBOR, HARVARD, KENNEDY, LIGHTHOUSE, MASSACHUSETTS, MATHER, MUSEUMS, NAISMITH, OCEAN, PLANTATION.

Boston Baked Beans

You’ll need:

• 1/2 pound bacon, cut in pieces

• 6 (15-ounce) cans navy beans

• 1/3 cup molasses

• 1 cup light brown sugar

What to do:

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 2 teaspoons dry mustard

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Cook bacon in a microwave oven on high for 3 minutes. (It does not have to be fully cooked.)

2. Remove bacon from microwave, cool, and then cut into small pieces.

3. In a large baking dish, mix the bacon with the remaining ingredients.

4. Bake, uncovered, in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 1 hour. Serves 12.

Mick: What kind of music did the Pilgrims listen to? Molly: Plymouth Rock!

A new study suggests that the males of disease-carrying mosquito species hover around humans, even though they don’t bite them, so they have better chances of “picking up” the females, which do bite. Using human volunteers, University of Melbourne researchers tested to see whether male mosquitoes were attracted to the same people as the bloodthirsty females. They found they indeed were, but with weaker preferences.

For later: Look in your newspaper for articles about Massachusetts.

Teachers: Follow and interact with The Mini Page on Facebook!

BY DAN THOMPSON