MassachusettsHISTORY EXPLORERS GRADES 3–8
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Reading tools & my notebook
My passport
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 dated island notebook

History is still happening.

Public programs, museum exhibitions, and research connect the past to the present. Checked September 23, 2026; this page is a dated selection, not an automatically updating calendar.

Before a visit: Open the organizer’s page for reservations, cost, accessibility, and changes. Programs below are not all designed specifically for children.

Coming up on Martha’s Vineyard

aquinnah cliffs jpg
Context image: Aquinnah cliffs and Gay Head Lighthouse Image credit
SEP 262026 · 2–4 pm
Public history talk

Nôepe: A Wôpanâak History of the Island

Aquinnah Town Hall

Brad Lopes brings oral traditions and historical sources together to explore Wampanoag life and the island landscape.

Program details ↗
aquinnah cliffs jpg
Context image: Aquinnah cliffs and Gay Head Lighthouse Image credit
OCT 082026 · 5–6 pm
Museum program

Wampanoag Sovereignty

Online · Zoom

Brad Lopes explores tribal sovereignty, relationships, and responsibilities. A useful educator and family extension.

Program details ↗
Sailboats and motorboats float in Edgartown Harbor beneath a blue sky.
Context image: Edgartown Harbor, Martha’s Vineyard Image credit
OCT 132026 · 5–6 pm
Local history talk

Lighting the Trail

Martha’s Vineyard Museum

Elaine Cawley Weintraub shares new stories from the African American Heritage Trail and its fourth-edition guide.

Program details ↗

On view & in progress

Aquinnah Cultural Center · 2026 season

The museum lists June 16–October 11, Tuesday–Sunday, 11 am–4 pm, for its 2026 season. Learn about Wampanoag life from a Wampanoag cultural institution. Check its calendar for any closures. Museum information ↗

The Two Worlds of Denys Wortman

Martha’s Vineyard Museum lists this exhibition for September 19, 2026–February 21, 2027. Cartoons, paintings, and archival material connect Wortman’s New York and Vineyard lives. How can an artist’s work become historical evidence? Exhibition details ↗

New questions about older finds

Boston’s Jack & Acton Project revisits pottery excavated before the Big Dig. Its importance is the interpretation of skilled enslaved workers’ lives, not a newly announced Vineyard excavation. See the research spotlight →

Island archaeology & preservation

The Aquinnah Tribe’s preservation office protects cultural resources and works on repatriation. No newly announced public Vineyard excavation is presented here as a verified 2026 discovery. Public history events, museum research, and a new excavation are different kinds of news. Learn about the Tribe’s preservation work ↗

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