Welcome to the Boston Virtual Cognitive Class!
Hotel Check-In: Liberty Hotel in Boston
Welcome to the Liberty Hotel! The hotel started as the Charles Street Jail and was built in 1851. It is now a historical landmark. It was created by architect James Fox Bryant and Reverend Louis Dwight. Reverend Dwight fought for prison reform. He wanted to improve living conditions for jail inmates. The architecture is a good example of the “Boston Granite Style.” Pay attention to the large ocular windows (Ocular windows are large round openings that were popular in Italian churches) and three story arched windows. The Charles Street Jail let in more light than any other jail at the time. In 2007, the building was transformed into the Liberty Hotel. It is located at the bottom of historic Beacon Hill.
Click video below for a video tour of the Liberty Hotel:
Click picture below to enter the Liberty Hotel website. On the website menu, click “Overview” if you want to learn more about the hotel’s history. Click “Photos” to see photos of the hotel.
Cognitive Enrichment
Exercise #1: Boston Vocabulary
The Boston Vocabulary exercises can be used to facilitate communication and memory in many different ways. Feel free to choose the to use the handouts below in the way that is best for you:
- Visual Support: Use the handouts as a VISUAL AID during daily conversations. Print the handouts and place in front of you during conversations.
- Language Exercise: If you would like to practice saying the words, look at the pictures and say the words aloud 2-3x.
- Pronunciation Exercise: If you would like to practice pronunciation skills, write the words out and draw lines between the syllables. Practice saying the words slowly, 2x each.
- Writing Exercise: If you would like to practice writing skills, write the words out 2x each.
- Memory Exercise: Study the Culinary Vocabulary words and pictures. Then cover up the words and see how many items you can recall from memory.
- Conversation Exercise: Write a short script. Look at the pictures below. Which is your favorite food item? Do you have a favorite restaurant that serves this type of food? Do you have a favorite recipe for this type of food?
Exercise #2: Supplemental Activity
Click here to choose one of our Supplemental Activities
Class Session 2
Agenda
1. Welcome
2. Cultural Excursion: Boston Freedom Trail and Black Heritage Trail
3. Cognitive Enrichment
Welcome and Introduction
Historical Excursion: Boston Freedom Trail
The Boston Freedom Trail is a two-and-a-half (2.5) mile long walking path. The path is located in downtown Boston and connects sixteen (16) historic sites. The sites include museums, churches, meeting houses, parks, a ship, and cemeteries. The sites are connected by a red brick path. The Boston Freedom Trail was established in 1951.
Click the image below to read about the history of the 16 sites along the Boston Freedom Trail:
Click video below to watch an overview of the Boston Freedom Trail:
Click the video below to see all 16 Freedom Trail Sites. The video is 1 hour long. You can watch the whole video or just a few minutes. Imagine you are walking through Boston on a warm summer day:
Historical Excursion: Boston Black Heritage Trail
The Boston Black Heritage Trail is a one-and-a-half (1.5) mile walking tour with 15 historic sites. It is the largest collection of historic sites related to life in a free Black community before the Civil War. Massachusetts was the first U.S. state to declare slavery illegal. Many black people from the south traveled to Boston through the Underground Railroad to escape slavery. One important site is the 1806 African Meeting House. People of all races could safely meet here to advocate for freedom. Frederick Douglass gave many speeches at the African Meeting House. Another important stop on the Black Heritage Trail is the Shaw 54th Regiment Memorial. The 54th Regiment was the first African American regiment formed to fight in the Civil War. Another important site is the Hayden House. The Hayden family helped many slaves in the Underground Railroad.
Click the video below to watch an overview of the Boston Black Heritage Trail:
Click the video below to learn about the African Meeting House:
Cognitive Enrichment
Exercise #1: Excursion Vocabulary
The Historical Excursion Vocabulary exercises can be used to facilitate communication and memory in many different ways. Feel free to choose the to use the handouts below in the way that is best for you:
- Visual Support: Use the handouts as a VISUAL AID during daily conversations. Print the handouts and place in front of you during conversations.
- Language Exercise: If you would like to practice saying the words, look at the pictures and say the words aloud 2-3x.
- Pronunciation Exercise: If you would like to practice pronunciation skills, write the words out and draw lines between the syllables. Practice saying the words slowly, 2x each.
- Writing Exercise: If you would like to practice writing skills, write the words out 2x each.
- Memory Exercise: Study the Culinary Vocabulary words and pictures. Then cover up the words and see how many items you can recall from memory.
- Conversation Exercise: Write a short script. Look at the pictures below. Which is your favorite food item? Do you have a favorite restaurant that serves this type of food? Do you have a favorite recipe for this type of food?
Exercise #2: Supplemental Activity
Click here to choose one of our Supplemental Activities
Class Session 3
Agenda
1. Welcome
2. Nature Excursion: Boston Harbor
3. Cognitive Enrichment
Welcome and Introduction
Nature Excursion: Boston Harbor
The Boston Harbor has thirty-four (34) islands and peninsulas spread over 50 square miles. Archaeologists believe Native Americans lived on the islands for eight thousand (8000) years. Indigenous groups included the Moswetuset, Mashpee, Wampanoags and Nipmuk tribes. They fished in the harbor waters and grew corn, beans, and squash. They hunted deer, cod, and soft-shell clams.
John Smith landed in Boston Harbor in 1614. European settlers were in conflict with the Native Americans over land, and they fought in King Philip’s War. Native Americans were kept as prisoners on the Boston Harbor Islands. They return each year to Deer Island for a ceremony to remember their ancestors. Boston Harbor was also the site of the Boston Tea Party in 1773. Click here to read about more historical sites in Boston Harbor.
Click here to read about the Rose Kennedy Greenway. The Greenway is a one-and-a-half (1.5) mile park connecting downtown Boston with the waterfront.
Click here to read about the Boston Harborwalk, the forty-three (43) mile park along the Boston Harbor shoreline.
From the early 1800’s – 1950, the Boston Harbor was extremely polluted. Clean up projects were completed from 1950-2000. They have constructed advanced sewage treatment plants which have improved the quality of the water. Today you can travel to Boston Harbor and visit a Civil War fort, historic lighthouses and tide pools. You can also go hiking, camping, bird watching, fishing, and swimming.
Click on the video below to see the Boston Harbor clean up process over the past 50 years. The narrator speaks quickly, so focus on the “before” and “after” images.
Whale Watching
Many types of whales come to the Boston Harbor in the summer. The chilly waters off the coast of New England provide the perfect summer feeding grounds. There are many types of whale species: humpbacks, finbacks, minkes and endangered right whales.
Click the video below to step aboard our whale watching cruise! Our tour guide is Laura from the New England Aquarium. We’ll have the opportunity to learn about whales, dolphins, harbor seals, and sea birds found in the Boston Harbor.
Click the video below for a relaxing whale watching experience. Imagine we are on a boat in the Boston Harbor, feeling the ocean breeze and salty spray of the water:
Boston Lighthouse
The historic Boston Light is a lighthouse in the Boston Harbor. It was built in 1716. It overlooks the sea from Little Brewster Island. It casts a light beam twenty-seven (27) miles into the Atlantic Ocean. The Boston Light was the first light station built in North America. It’s the only light house in the US that still has an official keeper. A lighthouse keeper cares for the light and lens. Keepers used to trim the candle wicks and replenish the fuel in the lighthouse.
Click the video below to watch a scenic video of the Boston Light:
Click the video below to learn about the history of the Boston Light.
Click here to read more about the history of the Boston Light. Look at the bolded paragraphs and photographs for a shorter summary.
Click here to view a photo gallery of the Boston Light.
Cognitive Enrichment
Exercise #1: Nature Excursion Vocabulary
The Nature Excursion Vocabulary exercises can be used to facilitate communication and memory in many different ways. Feel free to choose the to use the handouts below in the way that is best for you:
- Visual Support: Use the handouts as a VISUAL AID during daily conversations. Print the handouts and place in front of you during conversations.
- Language Exercise: If you would like to practice saying the words, look at the pictures and say the words aloud 2-3x.
- Pronunciation Exercise: If you would like to practice pronunciation skills, write the words out and draw lines between the syllables. Practice saying the words slowly, 2x each.
- Writing Exercise: If you would like to practice writing skills, write the words out 2x each.
- Memory Exercise: Study the Culinary Vocabulary words and pictures. Then cover up the words and see how many items you can recall from memory.
- Conversation Exercise: Write a short script. Look at the pictures below. Which is your favorite food item? Do you have a favorite restaurant that serves this type of food? Do you have a favorite recipe for this type of food?
Exercise #2: Supplemental Activity
Click here to choose one of our Supplemental Activities
Class Session 4
Agenda
1. Welcome
2. Culinary Immersion
3. American Thanksgiving in Boston
4. Cognitive Enrichment
Welcome and Introduction
Weekly welcome message from your Cognitive Ambassador will be posted closer to start of class.
Culinary Immersion
Click the video below to learn about some of Boston’s most popular foods, including clam chowder, lobster rolls, pizza, and cannolis. David, our guide, speaks a bit quickly. Pay more attention to the atmosphere and close up videos of the food items. Which foods would you like to try?
Union Oyster House
Union Oyster House is the oldest restaurant in Boston. It opened as the Atwood & Bacon Oyster House in 1826. The Union Oyster House has never moved or closed its doors. It is the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the United States! It was voted “North America’s Best Landmark Restaurant” by the World Culinary Awards in 2020.
The Union Oyster House serves popular New England dishes: clam chowder, lobster rolls, baked beans, broiled scrod, clams, and of course oysters and clams. Don’t forget to try their world-famous horseradish cocktail sauce.
Fun Facts about the Union Oyster House:
- The toothpick was first used in the United States at the Union Oyster House.
- Famous people have also dined here. Daniel Webster was a famous lawyer and served as Secretary of State in the early 1800’s. Webster would eat SIX PLATES of oysters for one meal!
- The Kennedy family has also frequently dined here, including JFK.
- Louis Philippe, king of France from 1830 to 1848, lived in exile on the second floor of the Union Oyster House in 1796!
Click here to read the history of the Union Oyster House in Boston.
Click here to view the dinner menu at the Union Oyster House. Write down what you would like to order.
Click the video below to for a tour of the Union Oyster House. Our guide speaks a bit quickly, so focus on the restaurant environment and the food!
American Thanksgiving in Boston
The “First Thanksgiving” was celebrated by the Wampanoag Native American tribe and the Pilgrims in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Plymouth is around forty-five (45) minutes away from Boston. The feast occurred after their first harvest in October 1621. The Wampanoags taught the pilgrims how to farm and hunt so they would have enough food to survive the winter. The first feast lasted three days. The feast was attended by ninety (90) Native Americans and fifty-three (53) Pilgrims. This type of feast did not occur again between the Wampanoag tribe and Pilgrims.
The Thanksgiving meal probably included: venison (deer), fowl (geese and duck), corn, nuts, and shellfish. They probably did NOT eat: turkey, potatoes, bread stuffing, pie, or sugar.
Thanksgiving is a federal holiday in the United States. It is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. The tradition of the feast is continued with the Thanksgiving dinner, often featuring turkey. Thanksgiving is regarded as the beginning of the fall–winter holiday season in American culture.
Click the video below to learn more about the history and traditions of the Thanksgiving holiday.
Click the video below to think about Thanksgiving from a different point of view: from the perspective of the Native American people.
Cognitive Enrichment
Exercise #1: Culinary Vocabulary
The Culinary Vocabulary exercises can be used to facilitate communication and memory in many different ways. Feel free to choose the to use the handouts below in the way that is best for you:
- Visual Support: Use the handouts as a VISUAL AID during daily conversations. Print the handouts and place in front of you during conversations.
- Language Exercise: If you would like to practice saying the words, look at the pictures and say the words aloud 2-3x.
- Pronunciation Exercise: If you would like to practice pronunciation skills, write the words out and draw lines between the syllables. Practice saying the words slowly, 2x each.
- Writing Exercise: If you would like to practice writing skills, write the words out 2x each.
- Memory Exercise: Study the Culinary Vocabulary words and pictures. Then cover up the words and see how many items you can recall from memory.
- Conversation Exercise: Write a short script. Look at the pictures below. Which is your favorite food item? Do you have a favorite restaurant that serves this type of food? Do you have a favorite recipe for this type of food?
Exercise #2: Thanksgiving Trivia
Exercise #4: Supplemental Activity
Click here to choose one of our Supplemental Activities
We will toast to the end of a great month together in Boston! Thank you for choosing to spend this time with Cognitive Concierge. Be sure to sign up for future classes or ask about our Concierge Memberships.
See you again soon!
Supplemental Activities
1. Art: Vincent van Gogh’s “Houses of Auvers” Painting at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
2. Music: James Taylor
3. Outdoor Activity: Arnold Arboretum at Harvard University
4. Sports: Boston Professional Sports History
5. Indoor Activities: Boston Themed
6. Culinary Activity: Cook a Dish
7. Entertainment: Thanksgiving Cocktail
8. Intergenerational: Boston Tea Party
9. Smart Phone App: DayOne
10. Reminiscence
Art: Vincent van Gogh’s “Houses at Auvers” Painting at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
The Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) in Boston is the 17th largest art museum in the world. It has four hundred fifty thousand (450,000) works of art.
The MFA in Boston includes a collection of: Ancient Egyptian artifacts, Dutch Golden Age paintings, French impressionist artwork, 18th and 19th century American art and Japanese artwork.
Click here to watch videos about the art collection at the MFA in Boston.
“Houses at Auvers” by Vincent van Gogh
“Houses at Auvers” by Vincent van Gogh is a famous artwork at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. In May 1890, van Gogh moved from the south of France to Auvers (pronounced “oh-vare”), northwest of Paris. He painted many of his finest pictures in Auvers. “Houses at Auvers” shows the landscape of early summer.
Click the video below to learn the history of the painting.
Enrichment Activity:
Download and complete the “Art Reflection Form” as you gaze at van Gogh’s “Houses at Auvers”
Complete your own artwork with paints or colored pencils:
- Create a “summer landscape.” Copy van Gogh’s painting.
- Find a photo of one of your favorite summer landscapes. Copy the photograph.
Music: James Taylor
James Taylor is a famous American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was born in Boston and has returned to live in Boston throughout his life. He is a five-time Grammy Award winner. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. James Taylor is one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He has sold more than one hundred million records worldwide.
Click here to read about Taylor’s life story.
Click here to watch a recent interview with Taylor.
Enrichment Activity: Play the video below to listen to the greatest hits album from James Taylor. Reflect on your mood, emotions, and memories as you listen to his music.
Outdoor Enrichment: Arnold Arboretum at Harvard University
The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University is a 281-acre preserve in Boston. The Arboretum has one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of temperate woody plants. It has many floras of eastern North America and eastern Asia.
Click on the video below to learn about the history of the Arnold Arboretum. Enjoy a tour of their notable plant collections .
Enrichment Activity: Go on a walk outside. It can be a city street, a neighborhood block, a park or anywhere that you feel comfortable taking a stroll. Download the Seek App. You can use this fun app to take a picture of a tree and identify the species. What species of trees did you identify?
Click on the video below to learn about the Seek app.
Sports: Boston Professional Sports History
Boston has a rich and storied professional sports history. Boston professional sports teams have won so many championships that Bostonians often refer to their city as “Title Town.”
Boston Red Sox 
The Boston Red Sox are Boston’s Major League Baseball (MLB) team. They have won 9 World Series titles. The Red Sox play at Fenway Park which was built in 1912 and is the oldest stadium in Major League Baseball. Famous Red Sox players include Ted Williams, Cy Young, Babe Ruth, Pedro Martinez and Roger Clemens.
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are Boston’s National Basketball Association (NBA) team. Thy have won 17 NBA Finals titles. The Celtics play at TD Garden arena which opened in 1995 as a replacement for the original Boston Garden arena where the Celtics played. Famous Celtics players include Bill Russell, Larry Bird, John Havlicek, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish and Paul Pierce.
Boston Bruins 
The Boston Bruins are Boston’s National Hockey League (NHL) team. They have won 6 Stanley Cup titles. The Bruins also play at TD Garden along with the Celtics. Famous Bruins players include Bobby Orr, Ray Bourque, Phil Esposito and Patrice Bergeron.
New England Patriots 
The New England Patriots are Boston’s National Football League (NFL) team. They have won 6 Super Bowl titles. The Patriots play at Gillette Stadium. Famous Patriots players include Tom Brady, John Hannah, Andre Tippett, Adam Vinatieri. Bill Belichick is the longtime coach for the Patriots.
Click on the video below for a video documentary that highlights the history of the Boston professional sports teams and some of the most memorable plays in Boston sports history.
Click here to read more about the top 10 Boston Sports moments of the 21st Century.
Enrichment Activity: Print out and complete the Boston Sports crossword puzzle below. The answer key is included in the handout download.
Indoor Activities: Boston Themed
Enrichment Activity: Print out and complete the vocabulary exercise below.
Click the Amazon links below for Boston-themed puzzles and books. If desired, purchase these additional activities to supplement your Boston experience.
300 Piece Boston Puzzle
500 Piece Boston Puzzle
Boston Photographic Tour Coffee Table Book
Boston Architecture Adult Coloring Book
Boston History Adult Coloring Book
Culinary Activity: Cook a Dish
Choose one of the recipes listed below OR make your own New England dish! Download and complete the “Food Critic Review Exercise” to rate your dish!
Boston Clam Chowder:
Boston Clam Chowder is a milk or cream-based chowder made with milk, butter, potatoes, salt pork, onion, and clams. Follow the step by step recipe guide below to make this dish on your own.
Click here to read more about the history of clam chowder.
*Note: For a kosher recipe, eliminate bacon from the dish. Replace clam with a white fish.
Boston Baked Beans:
Boston Baked Beans is another famous dish from New England. Native Americans from the area often made corn bread and baked beans. The Pilgrims at Plymouth Colony learned these recipes from the Native Americans. Boston began to export rum. Rum is produced with fermented molasses. Boston baked beans were created when molasses were added to local baked bean recipes. Baked beans were typically cooked on Saturdays and left in brick ovens overnight in colonial New England.
Click here to read more about the history of baked beans.
Click here for a printable Boston baked beans recipe.
*Note: For a kosher recipe, eliminate bacon from the dish.
Boston Cream Pie:
Boston cream pie was first created at the Parker House Hotel in Boston. French chef Raelyn created the recipe in 1881. The dessert was first called a chocolate cream pie. Boston cream pie was declared the official dessert of Massachusetts in 1996.
Click on the video below to for tips on how to make Boston cream pie.
Click here for a printable Boston cream pie recipe.
Entertainment: Thanksgiving Cocktail
Cheers to the last week of our class! Try making a Thanksgiving cocktail to celebrate. Choose one of the recipes below or make your own cocktail. Download and complete the “Food Critic Review Exercise” to rate your drink.
Click here for a printable Pumpkin Spice White Russian recipe.
Click here for a printable Non Alcoholic Apple Pie Punch recipe (scroll to bottom to see printable version).
Intergenerational: Boston Tea Party
Complete this Boston Tea Party activity with a young family member or friend. There is a video for younger children and a different video for teenagers/young adults. You can complete the activity together over a videocall or in person. Use the handout to discuss events of the Boston Tea Party. If desired, make some tea and cookies to enjoy during your discussion.
Click on the video below for a children’s video about the Boston Tea Party.
Click on the video below for a young adult video about the Boston Tea Party.
“App of the Month”: DayOne
Download the DayOne App. (for Apple devices): This free app is a photo calendar. It allows you to take pictures and write captions each day. Then it organizes the pictures and captions into a calendar view. You can use DayOne to help remember events from the recent past. You can also use DayOne to help with word retrieval for daily conversations.
Enrichment Activity: Use DayOne to capture pictures and captions of the enrichment activities that you completed over the course of the class!
Reminiscence
- Have you ever been to Boston?
- Find photographs/videos of your trip and share with a family member or friend (in person or over FaceTime/Zoom).
- Talk about memories with a family member or friend (in person or over FaceTime/Zoom).
- Write down key words related to your trip.
Class Downloads
References
Cover video clip provided by Videezy free for Personal and Commercial use. Stock videos by Videezy.com.
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