MassachusettsHISTORY EXPLORERS GRADES 3–8
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Quick glossary
evidence
Information from a source that helps us test a claim.
source
A document, object, image, or account we can examine.
inference
An explanation based on clues; it still needs checking.
migration
Moving from one place to another to live.
immigrant
A person who moves to another country to live.
estimate
An approximate amount, based on available information.
oral history
A recorded interview about someone’s memories and experiences.
community
People connected by a place, relationships, or shared activities.
ancestry
Family origins across generations.
primary source
Evidence created by someone who experienced a time or event.

A telephone carries speech

Choose a PDF, read on screen, and try the word game.

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Choose your PDF reading

All four include an image, vocabulary, comprehension questions, a follow-up reading, and teacher guidance. These English PDFs have selectable text; use the reading below for adjustable text and listening tools.

Read on this page

Portrait of Alexander Graham Bell.
Portrait of Alexander Graham Bell.

Words to know

invent
create a new tool, process, or idea
message
information sent to someone
cooperate
work together

Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Watson worked in Boston on carrying speech by wire. In March 1876, Watson heard Bell’s spoken request through an experimental telephone. Communication was changing.

Talk about the reading

What happened? Point to a detail that supports your answer. What does the picture help you understand? What would you like to investigate next?

Follow-up: Boston Symphony Orchestra begins

The Boston Symphony Orchestra gave its first concert in 1881. Musicians worked together to make a large sound. Concerts became part of the city’s cultural life. An orchestra includes many kinds of skilled work.

How are the two events connected or different? Their order does not prove that one caused the other.

Read the follow-up event →

Word match: use the reading

Select a word, then select its meaning. You can use a keyboard or tap. Read the word bank if you need a clue.

Choose a word to begin.

Check the evidence

Research source for this event ↗

Unknown photographer · CC0 Image source and rights ↗

Historical images, later portraits, reconstructions, and modern topic illustrations are identified in their captions. They are different kinds of evidence.

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