MATTAPOISETT — First graders from Center School visited Mattapoisett Museum on Thursday, Nov. 7 to learn about the town’s past.

“The rafters of the Mattapoisett Museum rang with excitement” during the visit paid by the “curious and eager” students, a news release from the museum said.

First, curator Connor Gaudet explained to the first graders what an artifact was by comparing two rocks.

Gaudet said a rock found in nature unaltered by human hands wasn’t an artifact. Then, he presented a rock that was fashioned into the head of an ax.

“He pointed out that the rock had been shaped into a tool that helped Indigenous peoples do work - and that made this rock an artifact,” the release said.

Gaudet also told the students that every object or artifact in the Mattapoisett Museum originated from a place or person living in Mattapoisett.

Afterward, Gail Roberts, a member of the museum’s education committee, provided a “seek and find” activity to introduce the Center School first graders to the museum’s items.

Students received sheets with photos of artifacts to find and asked questions as they explored.

“Among their favorites were the first Mattapoisett fire engine,” the release said. “They were amazed that fires were put out with buckets of water as well as just one hose. They also loved the old phone with the rotary dial and ‘cradle’ for the handset.”

To conclude, Gaudet showed different artifacts in a slide presentation and asked the students questions.

“How is this artifact the same as today’s object?” the release said. “How is it different? What has changed? Their answers were thoughtful and astute.”

In addition to Roberts, education committee members Katherine Gaudet, Robbin Smith and Pauline Hamel led the artifact finding activity. The committee and Connor Gaudet look forward to hosting more school groups in the future, the release said.