Kidsday: A whale of a field trip
The Long Island Whaling Museum in Cold Spring Harbor is an interesting place. You get to see and touch parts of real whales and whaling ships.
There are different sections of the museum, including one where they display a real whaleboat. The boat has all of its original ropes, lances, axes and harpoons that whalers used to hunt whales in the 1800s. The whaling boat on display is originally from the ship The Daisy.
At the Whaling Museum, they teach about the parts of a whaling ship and what the town of Cold Spring Harbor was like back in the days of the whaling industry. The museum has an impressive collection of about 6,000 documents from that time period and more than 700 pieces of scrimshaw. Scrimshaw is the carving done by sailors from bones and teeth of whales and other mammals.
During our trip, our class saw a movie about what it was like to live on a whaling boat. The conditions were really hard. Sometimes there were bugs in the sailors' food. The food might even be years old by the end of the voyage. Also, the space they had to live in was really small. It was dark, damp and smelly.
We also did a scavenger hunt while we were on the trip. At the end of our trip, we did a fun scrimshaw craft.
If you get a chance and you are interested in sailing or in the history of Long Island, you should visit the Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum. It's on Main Street in Cold Spring Harbor. For more information, visit: cshwhalingmuseum.org
What martial arts teaches me
I have been studying mixed martial arts at Tiger Schulman's in Great Neck since I was 4. At first, I took basic core classes and then started grappling and kickboxing. Martial arts is something I love to do. I learned about discipline, self-defense, self-confidence and the importance of having a non-quitting spirit, which means to never give up, even when something is hard.
As I worked toward each new belt, I trained harder and harder, taking five to six classes a week. I entered my first grappling and kickboxing tournament when I was 6, and have been competing ever since. I have won several tournaments and rank as one of the top competitors in my division. I memorized and strengthened my techniques, proving to myself that through hard work and commitment, I can achieve anything.
As a 9-year-old student, martial arts training has helped me become both physically and mentally strong. It has helped me in school, with my friends and other sports. As I continue working toward my goal of black belt, my dedication continues to grow.
--Kidsday Reporter Dean Scheinman
CLASS OF THE WEEK Rob Owen's fourth-grade class, NORTH SIDE SCHOOL, East Williston
