Jack O Lantern (An Irish Tale)

Once upon a time there lived a farmer, a strapping, handsome lad named Jack. He grew up on his parents' farm, and when they passed away, he inherited it. Trouble was, Jack didn't care much for work. He had a great wit and a quick tongue, but he was a lazy one, too. And so over the years the fields went to seed, all but a field of turnips, which survived in spite of Jack's neglect.

Jack was also known as a trickster, and never was there anyone who could pull a trick on old Jack. But one day there came a knock upon the door, and there stood the devil himself.

"I'll make you a wealthy man," the devil told Jack. "All you need to do is sell your soul to me. If I know you, that won't be a worry at all."

Now Jack may have been lazy, and he may have liked to play a trick or two, but he was no fool. He had no interest in selling his soul to anyone, and certainly not to the devil.

Trouble was, the devil is the greatest trickster of all, so Jack had to think about how he was going to fool him. "Let me think a while," said Jack.

"Very well," the devil said. "But come on outside. I'll give you time to think. We'll walk a while."

So Jack stepped outside into the sweet autumn day, and he and the devil began to walk out past the field of turnips, into the other fields that had grown wild.

They chatted of this and that, and then they stopped beneath a tall hazel tree, a coll, as the Irish call it. There they stood and talked some more, commenting on the colors of the leaves, the blue sky and the autumn smells spicing the air.

That's when Jack knew just what he would do. "Autumn is a pretty time," he said.

"So it is," said the devil.

"A perfect time to climb a tree," Jack added.

"'Tis that," the devil agreed.

Then Jack burst out laughing. "You couldn't climb a tree," he said. "I can see that myself."

"Who says I couldn't climb a tree?" the devil asked. His face turned redder than usual, he was that insulted.

"I say," Jack said, laughing still harder.

So naturally the devil took a deep breath and began to climb. He climbed with difficulty because of his cloven hooves. The tree was tall. "There you are, Jack," he called down triumphantly when he had reached the very top of the coll.

But Jack was already carving a holy cross in the trunk, and just as the devil noticed, Jack finished the job.

Everyone knows, of course, that the devil can't pass before a holy cross. So the devil could not climb down that tree.

When the devil saw that he was stuck, he was so angry that the heat of his fury was felt all the way down to the ground. "Remove that cross," he hissed when he could finally speak.

"On one condition," Jack replied.

"What's that?" asked the devil.

"You'll leave me be and never return to tempt me anymore," Jack said. "And only if you promise me that will I let you down."

"I promise, then," growled the devil, so Jack carved another design over the holy cross and soon it was something altogether different. Then the devil clambered down to the ground and ran away so fast, Jack barely saw him leave.

Now the years passed, and Jack continued playing tricks, and he grew lazier than ever, but the devil never crossed his path again. And then the day came, when Jack was very old, that he died.

Now here was the problem. When Jack reached the gates of heaven, the angels would not let him in because of all the cruel tricks he'd played on people, but when he traveled to hell, he wasn't permitted in there either because he had tricked the devil.

"Please," he begged, "the devil surely won't hold one small trick against me for eternity."

But when the devil saw Jack, he remembered him well and how Jack had humiliated him. "Go away!" he said. "Who knows what trouble you'll cause if I let you in here," and he slammed the gates in Jack's face.

"Where will I go?" Jack begged. "It's so dark out there that I can't see my way."

So the devil thought about it for a few minutes, and then he picked up a pair of tongs. "Here you go," he said, and he handed Jack a single burning coal from the smoldering fire behind him, along with one hollowed-out turnip from Jack's fields. "Put this flame inside the turnip to light your way," the devil said, "and never come back."

And ever since that time, Jack has walked along, carrying the burning coal inside that hollow turnip to light his way along the dark roads. Everyone calls him Jack of the Lantern, or Jack O'Lantern.

Today we remember Jack and his lantern when we carve out pumpkins and put burning candles inside them on Halloween. And we also remember to be careful with the tricks we play!

Happy Halloween

Short Scary Campfire Stories

The Clown Statue
A girl in her teens babysat for a wealthy family one night. The wealthy family had a very large house with many rooms. It was filled with lots of artefacts and old ornaments from all over the world. As the parents were leaving to go out, the father told the girl that once the she put the kids down, she must go down to the basement, watch TV there, and not go wandering around the house.

Once the kids are asleep, the girl retires to the basement room to watch TV. However, she cannot concentrate on her show because in the in the corner of the room is a life-size clown statue grinning at her. She finally decides to drape a blanket over the statue so she can ignore it. After a while she can’t stand looking at the clown statue’s over-sized feet sticking out from under the blanket. She decides to call the father and ask his permission to watch TV in another room, because she is freaked out by the giant clown statue in basement room.

“Listen very carefully,” says the man to the girl.

“Our children have been complaining about a clown that comes into their room in the middle of the night. We just thought it was nightmares. We don’t own a clown statue. You need to get the kids and get out of the house NOW! I’ll call the police.”

The girl hangs up the phone, turns around to look at the covered clown statue, but all there is a blanket on the floor! She hears steps coming down the basement stairs.


Hide and Seek

Two young brothers were at home alone in the apartment while their parents visited their neighbours next door for a while.

“Be good boys,” their parents said.

To keep themselves occupied the boys decided to play a game of hide and seek. The older boy turned his head to the wall and began to count. He could hear his little brother’s feet as he scampered about looking for a place to hide.

“Ready or not I’m coming,” cried the older brother and off he went looking for his brother. He looked in all the usual places, behind the sofa, in the bathroom behind the shower curtain, behind the curtains in every room, and under all the beds, but he couldn’t find him. The apartment was eerily silent.

Then he heard a scraping sound coming from the wardrobe. The boy was sure he’d already looked there, but he went anyway and called out, “Come out I’ve found you!” but there was only silence.

Again he called for his brother to come out and again nothing. Opening the door, the boy tried to peer behind the wall of dresses and coats hanging there. He bent down, but he did not see any feet standing there. He began to rise up and put his hand out into the mass of clothing to feel for his little brother when a small, white, icy cold hand came out, grabbed his wrist, and tried to pull him into the closet.

As he is trying to pull himself free, he hears a noise behind him, looks over his shoulder, and sees his brother behind him. “Couldn’t you find me?” asks the boy.

The older brother screams in fright and desperately tries to free himself from the grip of the hand, all the while being pulled into the wardrobe. The younger brother grabs him and together they manage to pull free. They both run screaming from the apartment.

Nobody knows what would have happened if the hand had managed to pull him in. Do you!






The Flying Dutchman
An old legend and famous scary story, there was even a movie based upon this legend in the 1950s. Some versions say the Dutchman must sail the seas until he finds the love of a good woman.

The legend of The Flying Dutchman began 1641, when a Dutch ship sank off the coast of the Cape of Good Hope. The captain, a Dutch man named VanderDecken, failed to notice the dark clouds looming. Only when he heard the lookout scream out in terror did he realise that they had sailed straight into a fierce storm.

The captain and his crew battled for hours to get out of the storm. At one point it seemed as if they would make it. Then they heard a sickening crunch; the ship had hit treacherous rocks and began to sink. As the ship plunged downwards, Captain VanderDecken knew that death was approaching. He was not ready to die and screamed out a curse: “I WILL round this Cape even if I have to keep sailing until the end of time!”

So, even today whenever a storm brews off the Cape of Good Hope, if you look into the eye of the storm, you will be able to see the ship and its captain – The Flying Dutchman. The legend goes that whoever sees the ship will die a terrible death.

Many people have claimed to have seen The Flying Dutchman, including the crew of a German submarine boat during World War II.

On 11 July 1881, the Royal Navy ship, the Bacchante, was rounding the tip of Africa when they were confronted with the sight of The Flying Dutchman. The midshipman, a prince who later became King George V, recorded that the lookout man and the officer of the watch had seen The Flying Dutchman and he used these words to describe the ship:

A strange red light as of a phantom ship all aglow, in the midst of which light the mast, spars and sails of a brig 200 yards distant stood out in strong relief.

It is pity that the lookout saw the Flying Dutchman. For, soon after, on the same trip, he accidentally fell from a mast and died. Fortunately for the English royal family, the young midshipman survived the curse to become The King of England!

Some fun Halloween games and activities

 Pin The Tail on the Black Cat: This is a take on 'pin the tail on the donkey'. Put a
picture of a tail-less black cat on the wall, blindfold the students, spin them around
and see if they can pin the tail in the right place. The nearest wins a prize/points.

 Melt the Witch Game: Materials: A chalkboard, colored chalk, sponges, bucket of

water. Directions: Draw a witch's head , or whole body on the chalkboard. Fill the

bucket with water and sponges. Have children stand close enough to the board to be

able to hit it accurately with a wet sponge. Place water bucket and sponges near this

spot. Tell the children to take turns throwing wet sponges at the witch to try and

"melt" her away. As the witch becomes wet and water drips down the board, it will

appear as if she is melting. Be sure the children are squeezing out to the sponges

before throwing.

 Pass the Pumpkin: Students sit in a circle. Provide a plastic pumpkin for children to

pass while the teacher plays some music. Children pass the pumpkin to the tempo of

the music. Alternate between fast and slow. When the music stops the child who has

the pumpkin stands and takes a bow. Continue.

 Pass the Vampire Bat: Supplies: one straw for each child / bat shapes cut out of

tissue paper. How To Play: Divide the class into 2 teams and line up each team. 

Students pass the tissue bats down the line, teammate to teammate, by inhaling and

exhaling on the straw to hang onto or release the ornament. No hands! The first

team to successfully pass the bats up and down the line wins!

Rainy Day Indoor Halloween Fun

Use painters tape to outline a spider web or other Halloween themed object (ghost, bat, pumpkin)

Have the children walk the straight line. You can challenge their gross motor skills by having them walk backwards, tiptoe, etc.

Halloween Health and Safety Tips

• S Swords, knives, and similar costume accessories should be short, soft, and flexible.
• A Avoid trick-or-treating alone. Walk in groups or with a trusted adult.
• F Fasten reflective tape to costumes and bags to help drivers see you.
• E Examine all treats for choking hazards and tampering before eating them. Limit the amount of treats you eat.

• H Hold a flashlight while trick-or-treating to help you see and others see you. Always WALK and don’t run
• from house to house.
• A Always test make-up in a small area first. Remove it before bedtime to prevent possible skin and eye irritation.
• L Look both ways before crossing the street. Use established crosswalks wherever possible.
• L Lower your risk for serious eye injury by not wearing decorative contact lenses.
• O Only walk on sidewalks whenever possible or on the far edge of the road facing traffic to stay safe.
• W Wear well-fitting masks, costumes, and shoes to avoid blocked vision, trips, and falls.
• E Eat only factory-wrapped treats. Avoid eating homemade treats made by strangers.
• E Enter homes only if you’re with a trusted adult. Only visit well-lit houses. Don’t stop at dark houses.Never accept rides from strangers.
• N Never walk near lit candles or luminaries. Be sure to wear flame-resistant costumes.

"¡Feliz Halloween!" lesson plan and activity idea

Vocabulary to introduce

  fantasma, monstruo, bruja, gato negro, mago, momia, murciélago, zombi



Play a game
What do you FEEL in the BOX?

Prepare some cardboard boxes. These
are going to hide things that the kids have to feel
and guess what they are. Of course, being Halloween,
the objects inside the boxes are going to be creepy!
Prepare the boxes by cutting a hole in one side, just
large enough to put your arm through. You can even
put on a flap material to cover the hole to stop prying
eyes.
Inside the boxes place some "Halloween" type
objects which you can pick up in discount stores, party
stores and supermarkets, such as:
 plastic bats, spiders, etc.
 goo or slime
 jello / jelly shaped as a brain
 spider webs
 cooked, cold spaghetti noodles (worms)
 peeled grapes (eye balls)
 fake fur (monster hair)
 over cooked rice (magots)
 tofu (can be anything gross)
 dried pasta (teeth or bones)
 toes (mini hot dogs)


https://www.spanishkidstuff.com/lesson-plans/halloween-lesson-plan.pdf

This is Halloween || Nightmare Before Christmas Sheet Music

https://musescore.com/nightmarebeforechristmas2/scores/4804453








This Is Halloween sung by Danny Elfman

Boys and girls of every age
Wouldn't you like to see something strange?
Come with us and you will see
This, our town of Halloween
This is Halloween, this is Halloween
Pumpkins scream in the dead of night
This is Halloween, everybody make a scene
Trick or treat till the neighbors gonna die of fright
It's our town, everybody scream
In this town of Halloween
I am the one hiding under your bed
Teeth ground sharp and eyes glowing red
I am the one hiding under your stairs
Fingers like snakes and spiders in my hair
This is Halloween, this is Halloween
Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!
In this town we call home
Everyone hail to the pumpkin song
In this town, don't we love it now?
Everybody's waiting for the next surprise
'Round that corner, man hiding in the trash can
Something's waiting no to pounce, and how you'll
Scream! This is Halloween
Red 'n' black, and slimy green
Aren't you scared?
Well, that's just fine
Say it once, say it twice
Take a chance and roll the dice
Ride with the moon in the dead of night
Everybody scream, everybody scream
In our town of Halloween!
I am the clown with the tear-away face
Here in a flash and gone without a trace
I am the "who" when you call, "Who's there?"
I am the wind blowing through your hair
I am the shadow on the moon at night
Filling your dreams to the brim with fright
This is Halloween, this is Halloween
Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!
Halloween! Halloween!
Tender lumplings everywhere
Life's no fun without a good scare
That's our job, but we're not mean
In our town of Halloween
In this town
Don't we love it now?
Everybody's waiting for the next surprise
Skeleton Jack might catch you in the back
And scream like a banshee
Make you jump out of your skin
This is Halloween, everybody scream
Won't ya please make way for a very special guy
Our man Jack is King of the Pumpkin patch
Everyone hail to the Pumpkin King, now!
This is Halloween, this is Halloween
Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!
In this town we call home
Everyone hail to the pumpkin song
La la la la la la la la la la (Halloween! Halloween!)
La la la la la la la la la la (Halloween! Halloween!)
Songwriters: Danny Elfman
This Is Halloween lyrics © Walt Disney Music Company

Halloween By Murray Leeder Essay

Halloween
By Murray Leeder
“Halloween” is a franchise of
sequels and remakes, and sequels
to remakes, and novels
and comic books and masks
and memorabilia, plus a legendarily
terrible 1983 video
game. It spawned countless
imitators, triggering the cycle
of low budget slasher movies
aimed at replicating its success.
But before all that, there
was a single film: bold, frightening
and intense, but with a
sense of restraint and subtlety.
It brims with the youthful energy
of its creators, displaying obvious
love for the craft of filmmaking,
but it also contains an ineffable
elegance and grace that few of
its successors could equal.
Its origins were humble. “Halloween” was made for
around $320 000 and shot in 21 days in 1978. California
subbed for Illinois, March subbed for October,
in neither case seamlessly. Producer Irwin Yablans
conceived it as “The Babysitter Murders,” an inexpensive
horror film with teen appeal, featuring
events unfolding over a single night. Partnering with
Moustapha Akkad, Yablans approached John
Carpenter, attracted by the low-budget innovations
demonstrated in “Assault on Precinct 13” (1976).
Shortly afterwards, Yablans had perhaps the key
insight: why not set the film at “Halloween”? The holiday
provided a logical release date and a set of recognizable
iconographies to mine.
A savvy young graduate of USC’s Cinema program,
Carpenter agreed to the job with several conditions:
that he would have near-complete creative control,
could use his own cast and crew, would earn a
share of the film’s profits, and could compose the
score. The only familiar name in the cast would be
Donald Pleasence as the gun-toting psychiatrist Dr.
Loomis and the lead role of Laurie Strode went to
Jamie Lee Curtis; the fact that she was the daughter
of “Psycho” (1960) star Janet Leigh made for free
publicity. Important collaborators included coscreenwriter
and producer Debra Hill, production designer/editor
Tommy Lee Wallace and cinematographer
Dean Cundey. The key design element was the
mask worn by Michael Myers, modified from a William
Shatner mask purchased for two dollars. Expectations
were low, but word of mouth, a striking publicity
campaign and some strong reviews (notably
from Tom Allen, Dave Kehr and Roger Ebert) made
“Halloween” an unexpected hit, earning more than
$70 million on its initial worldwide release.
“Halloween” is distinguished by a number of technical
innovations. It was the first film to make extensive
use of Panaglide, the chest-strapped Steadicam
that facilitated the film’s numerous long takes. The
gliding camerawork approximates the movement of
the human body but with an unearthly, ghostly
smoothness. From the first scene, Panaglide is associated
with Michael Myers’s perspective, so its use
throughout the film, even in scenes where Michael is
physically absent, helps construct him as an omnipresent,
unseen, haunting force. Carpenter’s careful
widescreen compositions, using an Anamorphic
2.25:1 aspect ratio, allow the intrusion of unexpected
figures into the frame. Few films have been as damaged
by being cropped for television and home video
screenings. Furthermore, “Halloween” is unthinkable
without Carpenter’s primitivist, minimalist score,
fit to jangle the nerves of even the most jaded viewer.
Carpenter, whose father was a music professor
and who has fronted several bands, has scored
most of his films, developing a more coherent sound
than many “professional” composers have managed.
The iconic main theme from “Halloween” is in 5/4
time, its unevenness in the repetition of certain
phrases; it is dominated by a rhythmic ostinato that
continually sequences through a number of minor
chords, destabilizing any sense of tonal certainty.
Like Panaglide, the score functions to implying
Michael’s presence even in the absence of his image.
Its restless quality infuses tension into the most
incidental scenes.
“Halloween” owes much of its success to effective
casting and characterizations. The unforced, believable
banter between Curtis’s Laurie and her two
friends, Lynda (P.J. Soles) and Annie (Nancy
Loomis) makes them more than mere forgettable victims.
Donald Pleasence plays Dr. Loomis as a driven
man who has looked into the face of evil too long;
Loomis seems himself to skirting the edges of madness,
but Pleasence remains restrained, even playing
down rather than up as he intones about “pure
evil.” And Curtis embodies Laurie marvelously: sensible,
resourceful and capable but with an underlying
sadness as she watches her more outgoing friends
live a freer life than she can allow herself. The “Final
Girl” character type that she embodies is often criticized,
perhaps justly, for making a survivor of the
most conservative and virginal girl, there is no denying
Curtis’s accomplishment in making Laurie a vivid
and memorable protagonist.
Michael Myers, on the other hand, is memorable precisely
because of a lack of characterization. Who or
what is this being who murdered his sister as a child:
a disturbed man, or a supernatural monster? What
does he want? What has brought him back to
Haddonfield? Why does he stalk babysitters? Why
does he kill sexually active women (and why then
would he want to kill Laurie?)? His blank white mask
yields no answers, and when it is stripped off, his
face reveals no more. He stands still as a statue and
stares constantly (like the ghosts in “The Innocents”).
The script calls him “the Shape,” children prefer “the
boogeyman,” and Loomis likes just “it.” But nobody
ever, ever calls him “Michael Myers” (“Michael” is
only said in the introductory sequence and “Myers” is
only used with reference to his sister and the house).
The name seems inadequate. The lack of the explanation
or motivation is one of the film’s best decisions
–
Michael is frightening precisely because he is unmotivated,
inexplicable, and unstoppable. The lame explanations
the sequels provide is evidence of how
wise Carpenter was to leave his motivation unclear.
Like Michael himself, the “Halloween” franchise collapses
occasionally but never stays down. The brand
has threatened to swallow up the original work. Yet
“Halloween” the film retains a stature apart from
“Halloween” the franchise and the empire, and its
presence in the National Film Registry is a testament
to its singular and continuing power.

Murray Leeder is the author of Halloween (Auteur, 2014),
Horror Film: A Critical Introduction (Bloomsbury, forthcoming)
and The Modern Supernatural and the Beginnings of
Cinema (Palgrave Macmillan, forthcoming), as well as the
editor of Cinematic Ghosts: Haunting and Spectrality from
Silent Cinema to the Digital Era (Bloomsbury, 2015). He is
currently an instructor in Film Studies at the University of
Calgary. Leeder, who earned his masters and PhD degrees
from Carleton University in Ontario, Canada, is an
instructor in Film Studies at the University of Calgary
where he currently teaches a course on the film authorship
of John Carpenter.

https://www.loc.gov/programs/static/national-film-preservation-board/documents/halloween.pdf

World's oldest intact shipwreck discovered in Black Sea

World's oldest intact shipwreck discovered in Black Sea

Archaeologists say the 23-meter vessel has lain undisturbed for more than 2,400 years



Archaeologists have found what they believe to be the world’s oldest intact shipwreck at the bottom of the Black Sea where it appears to have lain undisturbed for more than 2,400 years.

The 23-metre (75ft) vessel, thought to be ancient Greek, was discovered with its mast, rudders and rowing benches all present and correct just over a mile below the surface. A lack of oxygen at that depth preserved it, the researchers said.

“A ship surviving intact from the classical world, lying in over 2km of water, is something I would never have believed possible,” said Professor Jon Adams, the principal investigator with the Black Sea Maritime Archaeology Project (MAP), the team that made the find. “This will change our understanding of shipbuilding and seafaring in the ancient world.”


The ship is believed to have been a trading vessel of a type that researchers say has only previously been seen “on the side of ancient Greek pottery such as the ‘Siren Vase’ in the British Museum”.

That work, which dates from about the same period, depicts a similar vessel bearing Odysseus past the sirens, with the Homeric hero lashed to the mast to resist their songs.


The team reportedly said they intended to leave the vessel where it was found, but added that a small piece had been carbon dated by the University of Southampton and claimed the results “confirmed [it] as the oldest intact shipwreck known to mankind”. The team said the data would be published at the Black Sea MAP conference at the Wellcome Collection in London later this week.

It was among more than 60 shipwrecks found by the international team of maritime archaeologists, scientists and marine surveyors, which has been on a three-year mission to explore the depths of the Black Sea to gain a greater understanding of the impact of prehistoric sea-level changes.

They said the finds varied in age from a “17th-century Cossack raiding fleet, through Roman trading vessels, complete with amphorae, to a complete ship from the classical period”.

The documentary team made a two-hour film that is due to be shown at the British Museum on Tuesday.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/oct/23/oldest-intact-shipwreck-thought-to-be-ancient-greek-discovered-at-bottom-of-black-sea

Cocaine Deaths Hit Record in U.S. as Opioid Overdoses Level Off

(Bloomberg) -- While the opioid epidemic keeps claiming the lives of Americans, deaths from another drug are picking up.

In the 12 months through March, overdose deaths from cocaine rose 22 percent from a year earlier to 14,205, according to data last week from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Meanwhile, 46,655 people died from opioid overdoses in the same period, down 2.7 percent from the peak of 47,944 in 2017.

The figures might be a sign that the opioid epidemic is in its later stages, according to Daniel Ciccarone, a professor at the University of California at San Francisco. “We could interpret this as good news because the heroin cycle could be peaking or waning,” he said.

While cocaine mortality has increased, opioids could still be the culprit behind the scenes. There’s been a rise in users knowingly or unknowingly ingesting cocaine laced with other drugs -- synthetic opioids in particular -- and the National Institute on Drug Abuse says the phenomenon is at least partly to blame for the recent rise of cocaine-user deaths.

Historically, epidemics of sedative drugs such as opioids are followed by a rise in the use of stimulants such as methamphetamine and cocaine, Ciccarone said. “As people’s heroin habits deepen and they grow increasingly tolerant, cocaine comes in as a booster -- the speedball.”

President Donald Trump declared opioid addiction and death a public health emergency last year, as more than 100 people on average were dying each day from abuses of the drug. In 2016, an estimated 2.2 million people in the U.S. reported receiving treatment in the past year to reduce or stop illicit drug use, including prescription drug misuse, or for medical problems associated with illicit drug use. The health problem extends into the broader economy as states, particularly in the Midwest, grapple with addiction and fallout that keeps people out of the workforce and school.

©2018 Bloomberg L.P.

Bloomberg
https://www.bloombergquint.com/global-economics/cocaine-deaths-hit-record-in-u-s-as-opioid-overdoses-level-off#gs.z0wt9bI

ParaNorman || Bullying Awareness

AMAZON AFFILIATE LINK ABOVE!




ParaNorman (2012 – rated PG)


 Norman is able to speak with the dead, including his late grandmother and various ghosts in his small, New England town. Almost no one believes his ability is genuine and as a result, he is isolated emotionally from his family while being ridiculed and bullied by most of his peers for his seemingly strange abilities.


 Norman finds a friend in Neil, an eccentric, overweight boy who is bullied himself and who finds Norman’s abilities as a medium intriguing.


 Norman is tasked with saving his town from a witch who wants nothing more than to destroy it. He learns that the witch was once a little girl who, like him, was a medium. The townsfolk, scared of her ability, tried and convicted her of being a witch.


 In the film’s climax, Norman tells her that he understands how she feels as an outcast. As she struggles to drive him away, Norman endures her attack and eventually convinces her that, despite her legitimate grievance, her thirst for vengeance isn’t accomplishing anything except inflicting more pain. He tries to convince her that even in the darkest times, there must have been someone who was kind to her. Focusing only on the tragedies and forgetting the good things in her life is what reduced her to a malevolent force.


 Recalling her true personality and happy memories with her mother, the girl is able to find a measure of peace, knowing that she is not alone and that one person in the town understands her. This allows her to let go and move on to the afterlife. The locals regard Norman as a hero, even when the outside media tries to explain the disturbance as merely a powerful storm.


Introducing discussion to students:


 We’ve all seen films that show bullying in one form or another, but have we ever thought about whether the victim’s response (or the response of those witnessing the bullying) is realistic or helpful? Even though movies are fiction, we should be aware that they still send a message about what is “normal” or acceptable. When we gain the skills to be aware of, and to be critical of, these messages, we gain media literacy.


 So while we go to the movies to be entertained, we can use films as opportunities to (1) become aware of potentially harmful messages about bullying and (2) learn about what we can do to stop bullying in real life.

Frankenweenie

***Amazon affiliate link.


Young Victor Frankenstein (Charlie Tahan) is a science nerd and outsider at school, but he does have one good friend: his dog, Sparky. But then, tragedy strikes, and Sparky shuffles off this mortal coil. Victor is heartbroken, but his science teacher (Martin Landau) gives him an idea of how to jolt old Sparky back to life. The experiment is successful, and all goes well, until Victor's fellow students steal his secret and use it to resurrect other dead animals -- with monstrous consequences.

Growing Bacteria in agar dish

Day 1 not much growth

Halloween Jokes for Kids

Halloween Jokes for Kids

What do mummies like
listening to on
Halloween?
Wrap music!

Why is there a gate
around cemeteries?
Because people are dying
to get in!

Why was Dracula put in
jail?
He tried to rob a blood
bank.

Why do witches use
brooms?
Because vacuum
cleaners are far too
heavy!

What are a ghost’s
favourite rides at the fair?
The scary-go-round and
rollerghoster!

Why didn’t the skeleton
go to the Halloween
party?
Because he had no-body
to go with.

Knock, knock
Who's there?
Frank
Frank who?
Frankenstein!

Knock, knock
Who's there?
Ivana
Ivana who?
Ivana suck your blood.

Knock, knock
Who's there?
Boo
Boo who?
No, no, don't cry! I was
just kidding.

Which ghost is the best
dancer?
The Boogie Man!

What do ghosts like for
dessert?
I scream!

Do you know how to
make a witch itch?
You take away the w!

What should you do
when zombies surround
your house?
Hope it’s Halloween.

What flies around the
kindergarten room at
night?
The alpha-BAT.

What would you get if
you crossed a vampire
and a teacher?
Lots of blood tests!

What do you call a
witch at the beach?
A sandwich.

Why couldn’t the ghost
see its mom and dad?
Because they were transparents!

What do you get if you
cross a snowman with a
vampire?
Frostbite.

How do you make a
skeleton laugh?
Tickle her funny bone!

What do skeletons say at
the front door?
"Crick or creak!"

What room can't ghosts
go in?
The LIVING room!

Halloween Fun and Foe for Dogs and Cats

Protect Pets from Potential Dangers
Did you know that emergency critical care and toxicology calls to the Pet Poison Helpline increase by 12 percent during the week of Halloween, making it the call center's busiest time of year?

Avoid potential hazards that may lurk your way and make Halloween more of a treat for pets. Nationwide pet insurance's infographic outlines some of the wickedly good fun to be had with pets on Halloween and points out some of the dangers that could pose a threat.




Halloween Infographic Promo
Provided by Nationwide pet insurance

Halloween Language Art Activities for Home-school Portfolio

CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD
Delete the wrong word in each of the pairs of italics.

Halloween is celebrated on October the 31st every / all year. It
originated from a pagan holiday and the Christian holiday of All Saints’
Day. The name Halloween is a shortened vision / version of All
Hallows’ Eve. Today, it is more of a fan / fun day for children and has
largely lost its religious roots. Halloween is probably most famous in
the U.S.A. Irish immigration / immigrants took it to America in the
mid-1600s and it slowly spread / spreads across the country.
Halloween is not celebrated in many countries around the world
although many people known / know about it. Some Christians are not
so happy that people celebrate Halloween. They belief / believe the
holiday is un-Christian because of its origin / original as a pagan
"festival of the dead."
Halloween has many easy / easily identifiable symbols. The colors
orange and black are widely used. In peculiar / particular, orange
pumpkins and fires and black witches, cats and costumes are common
features / futures of this day. One of the biggest Halloween activities is
trick-or-treating. This is when children knocking / knock on doors and
ask for a small gift. If they don’t get anything, they’ll play a trick on
the person / people who opens the door. Food also plays a big part of
Halloween. Toffee apples are very popularity / popular and so is
anything made from pumpkin. Halloween is also a popular topic /
topical for Hollywood. Many horror movies have been made about it.
Because of this, Halloween is now known in many countries that never
actually / actual celebrate it.




SPELLING
Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.
Paragraph 1
1. Halloween is dbteacrlee on October the 31st
2. a shortened erovisn
3. its religious rtsoo
4. it slowly epsadr
5. because of its ironig
6. latiesfv of the dead

Paragraph 2
7. easily identifiable mlysosb
8. orange nmpsuikp
9. Halloween ticevsiita
10. play a krcit
11. apples are very apprlou
12. rhrroo movies



HOMEWORK
1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words
from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or
another search engine) to build up more associations /
collocations of each word.
2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information
about Halloween . Talk about what you discover with your
partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about
Halloween . Write about what happens around the world. Include
two imaginary interviews with people who did something on this
day.
Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give
each other feedback on your articles.
4. POSTER: Make your own poster about Halloween . Write
about will happen on this day around the world.
Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give
each other feedback on your articles.

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You'll access your tunes through the recently upgraded YouTube Music app, and while new features are in the works, it's already pretty great in its current form

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Getting excited for Halloween

While Halloween may offer many exciting
opportunities for children overall, social
interactions, unusual or even scary outfits,
and the sharing of treats may present
some stressful or challenging situations
to individuals with an autism spectrum
disorder or related developmental
disabilities. Below are some tips that may
help avoid anxiety and help the individual
enjoy this festive event.

1. Prepare in Advance and Practice:
¤ If the child is going to wear a costume,
select it in advance based on his or her
preferences.
¤ Use a Choice Board with 3-5
types of preferred costumes that you may
potentially buy
or make and let
the individual
make a
decision.

¤ If the child
has some
trouble with
being unusually dressed, practice wearing
it prior to Halloween.

¤ Create a social narrative to
explain what will happen
during the evening (see
the back) as a way to help
prepare the individual.

¤ Rehearse activities that
may be difficult for the
individual, like knocking
on the door or ringing the
bell, saying “Trick or treat,” “Thank you,”
and answering questions about his/her
costume by role-playing.

¤ Create a visual schedule for
the order of events (i.e., go to 5
houses, grandma and grandpa’s
house, aunt’s house, all done).

2. On the Day of the Event:
Sensory input around Halloween
might be intense: children
and adults wearing costumes,
flickering lights, scary objects in
the street, loud noises and so on.
Be aware of your child’s sensory
needs and plan proactively. It
is important that the evening ends on a
positive note so allow breaks, if needed, or
trick-or-treat for a shorter period of time if
that will allow a successful ending.

3. Educate Others:
Some adults
and/or children
might not be
familiar with
characteristics of
autism spectrum
disorders. Educating them about the
disorders before or during the event, might
help them appreciate and understand your
child more.

From earliest recorded history in Ireland, Halloween (All Hallows Eve), or Oíche

From earliest recorded history in Ireland,
Halloween (All Hallows Eve), or Oíche
Shamhna was considered a turning point in
the calendar.
Samhain (November 1st), meant the start of
winter, when cattle were brought down from
summer pastures, tributes and rents paid, and
other business contracted.
Samhain, marks the close of the season of light
and the beginning of the dark half of the year,
and was therefore perceived as a liminal
moment in time when movement between the
otherworld and this world was possible.

The fairies be out that night and they would take
you away with them if you were out at that evil
time. It is also said that the devil shakes his
budges [fur] on the haws and turns them black
and according to the old people if you eat a
haw after Hallow Eve night you will have no luck
(Carndonagh, Donegal)
It is said that the souls in Purgatory are released to
visit their still mortal friends. Long ago the country folk
before they retired to bed on this night always
prepared a blazing fire and a well swept hearth to
welcome their unearthly visitors (Manorhamilton,
Leitrim)


Tales and legends of the
returning dead, and the
intrusion of supernatural
beings into this world, were
once plentiful. In his book
Irish Folk Lore (1870), the
writer ‘Lageniensis’ noted: ‘It
is considered that, on All
Hallows’ Eve, hobgoblins, evil
spirits, and fairies, hold high
revel, and that they are
travelling abroad in great
numbers.
The dark and sullen Phooka
[Púca] is then particularly
mischievousness and many
mortals are abducted to
fairy land. Those persons
taken away to the raths are
often seen at this time by
their living friends, and
usually accompanying a
fairy cavalcade."


The custom of dressing in grotesque
costumes and making house visits to
request small presents – fruit, sweets, and
money – is traditionally dominant in the
eastern half of Ireland.


The custom of Halloween ‘guising’
remains strong, and in recent times has
been boosted by the popularity of the
horror movie genre in the USA. Irish children
now go out to ‘trick or treat’, where
previously the refrain ‘help the Hallowe’en
party’ was most usual.

On Hallowe’en night the boys dress up like

old men. Some of them dress up like old

hags. They put on long trousers, women’s

hats and soot on their faces and more of

them have false faces. They go around

from house to house and they are invited

in and given something and the

ringleader sings songs and plays tunes on

the mouth organ and melodion. Then they

get apples and nuts and sometimes

money (Clonshagh, Dublin)

A favourite form of activity for young
people at this critical moment in time
was to attempt to divine future events
in a variety of different ways: would they
become rich (or destitute), would they
marry soon, and so on.
They get three saucers and they put a
ring in one saucer, clay in the other and
water in the third. Then they put a cloth
on some person’s eyes. If he puts his
hand into the saucer with the ring in it he
will be the first to be married.
If he puts his hand into the saucer with
the clay in it he will die soon. If he puts his
hands into the saucer with the water in it
he will cross the water to a foreign land
(Massbrook, Mayo)


In popular tradition Hallowe’en is
a time for feasting and
merrymaking. For rural
communities especially, the tasks
of housing the livestock,
harvesting and storing produce,
picking and preserving fruits etc.
should be completed by this time.
Feasting on fruits and rich foods
represented an appropriate
climax to the season. Festive
foods included colcannon, also
known as stampy or pandy, sweet
cake, fruits and nuts.
A variety of games were
played, such as ‘dipping’ in a
tub of water for coins, ‘snapping’
for apples and other amusements

Another custom the people were fond of doing was to leave
nine ivy leaves under a girl’s pillow at night and she was to
say the following words:
Those nine ivy leaves I place under my head to dream of the
living and not of the dead
To dream of the man I am going to wed, and to see him
tonight at the foot of my bed (Tynagh, Galway)
A bucket is put on the ground and each player goes around
the bucket as quickly as possible ten times. Then he tries to
catch, without falling, the apple hanging from the roof
(Killorglin, Kerry)
We get a big basin of water and start to duck for apples. We
get nuts and roast them in the fire. Then a knock comes to
the door and the púca boys come in. They dance around
the floor and sing songs (Clongorey, Kildare)



https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4591091/4589767

How to Hide Your House on Google Street View

If want to find out whether your home is on Google Maps, simply go to Google Maps and type in your address. When the map appears you might see a small stick figure on the left side of the screen. Drag that stick figure to your street, and your house – and others – will appear.


The bad news is that there is no way to keep your address off of Google Maps. The good news is that you can get Google to blur out your property so Google Maps users will not see it. Here’s the process which is outlined at Google.

How to get your property blurred:

• Go to Google Maps and type in your address
• Bring up the street view of your property
• Look to the bottom right hand corner of the screen you should see an Icon Labeled: “report a problem.”
• Click on “report a problem.”
• You will get a page labeled “report inappropriate street view.”
• Adjust the image so your house is inside the red box.
• Fill out the form
• Type the verification code at the bottom of the page into the box provided and click submit.

Check back in a few days to see if the image has been blurred.
You can also get license plates and faces blurred. For example, if you want a picture of your business on Google Maps but don’t want the license plate number of your vehicle parked in front on Google, you can get that blurred. You can also get your car blurred out as well if you want.


https://www.offthegridnews.com/privacy/how-to-hide-your-house-from-google-maps/

Stranger Things Binge Marathon today!

Stranger Things joins several shows that are skipping 2018, such as HBO’s Game of Thrones, Veep and True Detective, along with FX’s Fargo and Adult Swim’s Rick and Morty.









It’s going to be a long wait for Stranger Things season 3, the sci-fi sensation won’t be back until summer 2019.

BATAMMALIBA

BATAMMALIBA
The history of Africa though often portrayed as a sequence of indigenous
tribes statically conceived in time and geography, is actually a series of small and
sometimes larger scale movements making the historical connection between the
large scale and local realities often hard to trace. The Batammaliba, for example,
who reside in Togo east of the town of Kante are thought to have migrated into
the area in the seventeenth and eighteenth century. But whether their
architecture was brought with them or developed in contact with other peoples
is not clear. Their architecture revolves around the direct relationship between
grain, family structure and the universe.

For the Batammaliba, architecture is deeply rooted in the concept of the
universe and in their understanding of what it means to be a human. The house
in fact is treated like the anatomy of the human in that it has eyes and doors and
front and a back. Houses are also aligned to the sunset of the winter solstice.
When the sun entering the house through the west-facing door symbolizes the
return of Kuiye, who is considered the sun deity and who is also understood as
the first architect who built the earth and constructed the first domicile here for
himself and his first sons. He is both male and female. Kuiye’s village is placed in
the western sky as well as the village of the dead. Each house in the village of the
living is a replica of that house. In addition to the door alignment a hole is put in
the roof of the second floor which allows Kuiye to enter the bedroom when the
sun transits the zenith directly over head. Kuiye is also understood as the first
architect who built the earth and constructed the first domicile here for
him/herself and his/her first sons.

The hole is known as tabote hole under which take place funeral rites and
birth. The tabote is sealed with a flat circular stone (kubotan) which symbolizes
the continuum of life, death and rebirth, the power of the gods Kuiye and Butan,
and the life force of the house. Butan is the complementary power of Kuiye. She
provides coolness and moisture and has both a corporal and a spiritual essence.
She has an important role in house nourishing, protection, fertility, human
pregnancy and delivery. She is also closely identified with the circle derived
from the shape of the earth.

The corners of the facade are marked by two elevated, straw-covered
granaries, each supported by a tall, earthen support tower. The main interior
chamber, “the cattle room”, is a dark, low-ceiling room that serves as a sleeping
place for elder men and as a chapel and barn. The house altar is positioned at the
back of this room along the wall that joins the two granaries. This place is
defined as “the place of the dead.” The roof is supported by a forked post and
beam framework covered with wooden crosspieces and earth, forming a roof
terrace. The remaining rooms are used for storage and for housing the domestic
animals. The central sleeping room for women and children is located on the
upper level. The kitchen is placed to its left. The roof level positioned above the
cattle room incorporates at its center the tabote hole. Besides the hole is a dryseason
fireplace. Here the family usually eats dinner. The rest of the house
terrace is employed for work and recreation. Smaller terrace roofs above the
kitchen and other rooms are used for drying crops and for sleeping during the
hot months of late winter. During cold nights, a fire is lighted in the downstairs
cattle room with the tabote hole serving as a chimney.

Daily life in the house reinforces the overlapping symbolisms. The
bedroom is the womb that provides the house with children. After birth the child
is brought to this secure space and will spend most of its first two years there.
Whenever a person visits a friend, he or she must greet that person’s house by
offering a salutation to the mouth of the house. The house’s two drainage pipes
are conceived as penis and anus and direct potentially dangerous rain water
outside during a rainstorm and during daily terrace baths.
Just as the interior is identified with the inner self and the ancestors, the
front of the house represents the projection of the person in the community with
the. There, near the door, one finds an earthen altar called lisenpo mound
dedicated to Kuiye, Butan, and the village ancestors, and it is said to contain the
essence of Batammaliba knowledge, history, economy, religion, and life,
embodies food, divinities (Butan), future children and women necessary for life
to continue. Near the door there is an open-sided, flat-roofed shelter, used for
informal meetings and for daytime naps as well as drying sorghum. The northsouth
gender division within each house is reinforced by gender-related
activities, rituals, and the placement of the deities’ shrines. The second house
division is the use of upstairs, female space and downstairs, male space. Finally
the house is divided into the front and outside, men part and into the back and
interior, women part. What becomes clear is that, in this spatial inversion, the
house is defined primarily as a residence of the gods and deceased elders. Only
secondarily is the house identified with humans.

The village is perceived as an oval, though it is designed as such and seen
to represent a person through the distribution of shrines to Butan. The village
landscape is ordered by paths which represent the pathways of the gods. The
cemetery is modeled on the settlement and the tomb locations correspond to
those of the house in the village. The tombs are similar to the house, but are
carved into the earth as opposed to being built on top of it. Like the house it is a
raised and plastered terrace with a circular roof defined by an overturned jar.
They also have a west-facing portal and an interior sleeping chamber.
Each house is constructed by a master architect called otammali which
manes “one who creates or builds well with earth.” An otammali undergoes a
lengthy apprenticeship. And only someone who has overseen the construction of
more ten structures oversees the design of the ground plan of every new
structure in the community. These masters, can even demand that part of a
structure be rebuilt. House construction is generally undertaken between the
dry-season months of December and February with an architect usually
undertaking one house per season. Apprentices and even the house owner might
help, but the architect is responsible for the layout and all its associated ritual
significances. The house is only ready for occupation once the doorstep has been
ritually installed.















https://sites.psu.edu/mszczesniakeportfolio/analysis-of-batammaliba-architecture/

Teacing Responsibility

Responsibility
 Pre-teach: Reacquaint yourself with the students and tell them which trait you will be discussing today. Ask the following questions and call on different students for answers. Below each question are examples of responses. You may need to rephrase students’ answers or guide them along.

(Ask) What is responsibility?
1. Being accountable for what you do, for your actions and behavior.
2. Doing the right thing at the right time, so others can trust and depend on you.
(Ask) What are ways you can show responsibility?
1. Complete your homework and chores on time without being reminded.
2. Follow through on your commitments, even when you don't feel like it.
3. Accept responsibility for your mistakes and learn from them. Don't make excuses or blame others.
4. Take care of your things and those of other people. Return items you borrow.
5. Find out what needs to be done and do it.
6. Make wise choices, such as choosing to eat healthy foods and wearing a helmet.
7. Always do your very best. Others are counting on you!

Book: Read and discuss a book that teaches a lesson about responsibility.
(Ask) How would you demonstrate responsibility if…
1. You broke the wheel off your brother's new skateboard?
2. Your friend asks you to play and you haven't finished your homework?
3. You're playing a really fun game at your friend's house and it's time to go home?
4. You promised your mom or dad you would clean your room but you just don't feel like it?
5. It is time to go to bed and you just remembered that your book report is due tomorrow?
6. You agreed to take care of your neighbor's dog while she is away, but now a friend has invited you to a
sleep over?
7. Your mom is not feeling well and could really use some extra help around the house?
8. You forgot to bring your homework home from school, including the book you need to study for
tomorrow's test?

(Ask) What are some other situations where we can demonstrate responsibility?
(Encourage students to come up with a few more situations to discuss together as a class.)
Activity: Complete an activity to go along with your lesson. (Activity suggestions attached) You may choose to incorporate an activity into your lesson at any time. Oftentimes visuals and experiments are very effective at  the beginning and will get your students excited about the lesson.
Closing comment: Remember only you have the ability to have responsibility. Be a person others can trust and count on to do the right thing!





“I am responsible for doing the work I need to do today even though it may be hard.” ~Helen Keller 








Responsibility Activities

Responsi-bill-lity (Suggested for grades 2-5)
Materials: A dollar bill
Look what I brought with me today. (Hold up the dollar bill for the students to see.) All of us know how to spend money. Do we all need money? What do we use money for? (Briefly discuss needs and wants.) When I hold this dollar bill in my hand it doesn’t block my vision of the things around me. I can see my family, friends, people who might need help, and I can see work that needs to be done. The problem comes when I hold money so close to me (hold dollar in front of your eyes) and that’s all I can see or care about. If I love money too much, that can lead to trouble. I might begin to make foolish and selfish purchases, thinking only of myself instead of making responsible choices and thinking about the needs of others. Having money is not a problem.
But if I love money too much- and hold it too close-it becomes a problem. What are some good and responsible things we can do with money?


Responsibili-Tree (Suggested for grades K-3)
Materials: White, brown, and green construction paper. Tree trunk with branches and leaf stencils made from heavy cardboard.
Give each student one piece each of the white, brown, and green construction paper. Instruct them to use the brown paper to trace and cut out the tree trunk and then glue it on their white paper. Then use the green paper to cut and trace out leaves and then glue the leaves on the branches of the tree trunk. Students will then write responsible actions that they will perform on each of the leaves, such as take out the garbage, feed the dog, set the table…)


Play the "What if....?" Game (Suggested for grades K - 3)
Materials: A sample lunch, for example, a sandwich, a piece of fruit, carton of milk
Ask the students a series of "What if...?" questions.
1. What if the farmer who grew the grain to make the bread for this sandwich decided to play ball instead of harvesting the grain? (Explain that we wouldn't have any bread to eat, than take the bread off of the sandwich.)
2. What if the farmer who raised the animals for the meat decided he was just too tired to take the animals to market? (Take the meat away)
3. What if the dairy farmer decided it was too cold and rainy to go out and milk the cows in the morning?
(Take away the cheese and milk)
4. What if the workers who harvest fruits and vegetables were too busy watching TV to work in the fields?
(Take away any fruit and vegetables)
5. What if the store manager and employees at Harris Teeter didn't feel like working for a few weeks and played with friends instead? (Take away everything else and explain that the store wouldn't be open and we could not get the things we need.)
6. See what can happen when people do not show responsibility? We count on others to be responsible and do their job correctly and on time. The jobs that you have are just as important. (Ask the students to give examples of their jobs.) When you do what is expected of you to the best of your ability, then you are being responsible and others can count on YOU!

Role Play (Suggested for grades 3 - 5)
Materials: None
Divide the students into small groups and ask them to develop a skit about responsibility. Have each group present to the class. Be sure and discuss each skit after the students have finished and point out the responsible behavior.


Mr. “No Excuse” Moose (Suggested for grades K – 2)
Materials: Stuffed moose or a picture of one (A stuffed moose is available in the character education library.)
To help students understand the importance of both accepting responsibility and following through, introduce them to your friend Mr. “No Excuse” Moose. Mr. Moose shows responsibility by doing what is expected of him. He does not blame others or make excuses. People can count on Mr. Moose to get the job done. Role play with the students different ways Mr. Moose would respond to a situation. For example, “It’s time for Mr. Moose to take out the trash. Does he say, ‘I’m too tired or ask someone else?’ NO, Mr. Moose does not make excuses…he gets the job done!”


Responsibility Is My Bag! (Suggested for grades K - 2)
Materials: Paper bag
Give everyone a lunch-sized paper bag. Tell the students how they can show responsibility by helping to keep their family car neat and tidy. Explain that they will decorate their bag. When they are finished, you will put a small hole near the top so the bag can be placed over a switch or knob in the car and used as a trash catcher.
Tell the students it will be their responsibility to empty the bag when it's full and put it back in its place.



Sweet Responsibility (Suggested for grades 2 - 5)
Materials: Small apples and wrapped candy, enough so that you have one for each student
Show the students what you have. Ask them individually which of the two items they would like and let them take the one of their choice. First speak to those that chose the candy, saying something like, "You have chosen the food that will give you quick energy. It is very sweet and delicious to eat. However, it doesn't last very long and it is mostly empty calories. A few minutes after you eat it, you'll be hungry for more." To those who chose the apple say, "The apple will also give you energy and it is sweet to the taste. However, the apple is nutritious and will supply you with extra vitamins. You will feel more satisfied and benefit from the energy it gives for a longer period of time. The decision to take the apple was a very wise one.” Now, ask the children how you can compare the apple and candy to our responsibilities and the choices we face every day. Many of the choices we make can bring us immediate pleasure but have no long-lasting value (like the candy) or a wise
and responsible choice will bring us a longer-lasting type of happiness and satisfaction (like the apple).
Examples
1. You are working on your homework when a friend calls and invites you to come over and watch a
movie. Which choice will probably give immediate pleasure and which choice would give you long term satisfaction? Which is the responsible choice?
2. You have been saving your money to buy a new skateboard, but as you walk by the arcade you think about spending the money to play a few arcade games.
3. You have the opportunity to finish your science project ahead of schedule or play basketball with your friends.

The Blombos Cave in South Africa

The Blombos Cave in South Africa has given us vast knowledge about our early ancestors













Blombos Cave, South Africa

Summary

Blombos Cave is an important site on the Southern Cape of South Africa for supporting
“modern behavior” of the Middle Stone Age people. Many contend that the MSA people were
not fully modern in behavior because the artifact remains do not support the working of organic
material, fishing, and other advanced behavior. They also project that these behaviors may not
have originated in Africa. However, at this particular site, evidence supports all three, and dates
to as far back as at least 40,000 years ago. Bone artifacts have been excavated and could
possibly be worked in symbolic ways, as well as fish remains with bone tools, including tools of
the Still Bay industry. This evidence supports a substantial amount of “modern” developments
were made by these MSA people.

Excavation
Excavations were carried out at Blombos Cave in 1993 as well as 1997. Because of the
success of the previous work at the cave, excavations will continue to 2001 with yearly
excavations planned for the next three years. They have found a Later Stone Age deposit, and
estimate it to date within 2,000 years. There are sterile layers below this LSA deposit, but as
they kept digging, they found layers containing artifacts of a Middle Stone Age industry,
particularly the Still Bay. Despite the small size of the excavations, many important discoveries
have been made there, giving insight into the past lives of the MSA peoples who resided at the
cave.

Location
Blombos Cave is found at the southwestern tip of Africa. The cave is found
approximately 100 meters from the coast of the Indian Ocean, and is about 35 meters above sea
level. Because of the evidence of shellfish and fish at the MSA levels, there were probably
similarly high sea levels at that time. There were warmer interstadials around 50,000 to 60,000,
80,000 and 100,000 years ago, which also occurred during Last Glacial. Tests have concluded
that at 50,000, 80,000, 100,000 years ago the shore distance to Blombos Cave was approximately
1 km. The distance increased as time advanced, but because the MSA artifacts range around
50,000 and 60,000 years ago, the distance to the shore was smaller.

Dates
Like many other MSA sites, the dates for the approximate occupation time at the cave are
not solid. Archaeologists have attempted to use radiocarbon dating and archaeological finds,
such as tools, to develop an educated estimate of the age of this site. Most tend to agree that the
site was inhabited approximately 50,000-60,000 years ago. Carbon and Nitrogen analysis was
used to measure the dates of the bone points. They took samplings from the MSA levels, and the
LSA levels, to compare the content of Carbon and Nitrogen. The LSA samplings contained a
larger amount of both Carbon and Nitrogen, due to the fact that the LSA materials were younger
and therefore better preserved. They estimate the bone points of the MSA to be slightly older
than 40,000 years.

Paleo-Environment
Blombos Cave is located on the coast of the Southern Cape of South Africa. It is thought
by archaeologists that the habitation of the cave occurred during the warmer parts of the Last
Glacial period around 50,000-60,000 years ago. Currently, the cave is situated approximately
100 meters from the coast and 35 meters above sea level. At the time of habitation the distance
from the site to the coast would have been about 1 km, indicating that, seal levels have risen
slightly since the time of habitation. Fluctuating climate has affected the distance of the cave
from the sea for thousands of years. At one point during the Last Glacial Maximum (17,000
years ago) the site was as far as 160 km from the coast. This distance of the cave from the coast
most likely played a large role in the inhabitants’ decision to work, hunt, and possibly live at the
site. Marine artifacts found in the cave suggest that the artifacts were brought from the sea
directly to the cave for processing or consumption.

Artifacts
The cave consists of Middle Stone Age and Later Stone Age deposits. The Middle Stone
Age artifacts are classified under the Still Bay industry. The most dominant artifacts in the
assemblage are bifacial points, known as Still Bay stone points. These points were possibly used
as spearheads and were made by pressure-flaking the raw material silicrete. Other artifacts that
have been discovered were made from raw materials that were not local, suggesting that, the
inhabitants of the cave were traveling large distances to acquire specific, preferred materials.
The interesting fact about the stone artifacts is that nowhere else in South African MSA sites are
they found to be as dominant as they are at this site. Excavations at the cave also uncovered
about 20 pieces of worked bone. Most of these bones (which are probably from seal) have been
shaped to use for the purposes of piercing, gouging, or drilling. Two of these bone tools were
worked into points by polishing and grinding, and possibly firing. There is evidence on the tools
that they were hafted, that is, they were probably bound to a shaft of some type. One bone point
even appears to have been polished with ochre. These two bone points are significant because
they are the first bone artifacts that have been associated with an assemblage older than 40,000
years ago. This proves that bone tools were a part of some MSA peoples’ tool kits. Another
piece of bone appears to have been incised or carved with a stone tool. Some believe that these
marks are just the results of butchery, while others believe that the marks may be a form of
decoration. To return to the subject of ochre, hundreds of pieces of it have been found at the site.
It is speculated by many scholars that the pigment from the ochre was used in painting objects or bodies. This would support the view of certain archaeologists that these people had developed a
sense of art and symbolic thinking.

Food Remains
Archaeologists have found the remains of various types of shellfish and large fish, some
of which may have weighed up to 50 pounds. The most common types that were caught were
catfish, black musselcracker, and red stumpnose. It is uncommon for the remains of such large
fish to be discovered at MSA sites in South Africa, making Blombos an interesting site. Because
no evidence of bone hooks have been found, some speculate that the inhabitants of the cave lured
the fish close to the shore with bait and then speared the fish. These finds suggest to the
archaeologists that the inhabitants of the cave were using tools, bone and stone, to exploit the
nearby marine resources. This is important in that it suggests that inhabitants of the cave had
developed a sophisticated means of subsistence. The remains at the cave also suggest that the
inhabitants were exploiting terrestrial animals such as antelope, eland, hares and tortoises.

Activity Areas
Archaeologists believe that they have located what could be determined as hearth and
tool manufacture areas within the cave. This suggests that the residents of the cave had
developed a distinct pattern of spatial use within the confines of the cave. With the information
that tools and food remains were found, it can be hypothesized that the cave was at minimum
used as a site for the consumption of food and was most likely used as a home base. Either way,
the inhabitants of Blombos Cave had developed a taste for seafood and had developed the tools
that gave them the ability to process this food.

Nassarius shell beads from Blombos Cave, an archaeological site on the South African coast, are 75,000 years old.

Credit: C. Henshilwood & F. d'Errico

https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=100362

Perforated shells found at South Africa's Blombos Cave appear to have been strung as beads about 75,000 years ago—making them 30,000 years older than any previously identified personal ornaments. Archaeologists excavating the site on the coast of the Indian Ocean discovered 41 shells, all with holes and wear marks in similar positions, in a layer of sediment deposited during the Middle Stone Age (MSA).

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