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NORTON -- Visiting King Philip's Cave and the Paul Revere Bell with Solmonese Elementary School third-graders last week brought back memories to Norton High School junior Caroline Alm.

Eight years ago, when she was a third-grader, Alm took the same Norton history tour.

Alm was among 27 Norton High juniors last Thursday who showed the Solmonese students around town as part of a service learning project coordinated by high school history teacher Eric Paulus and Solmonese third-grade teacher Sarah Alves.

The tour ended at a rock outside the Solmonese school on Route 123. Legend has it the rock bears the devil's footprint, left behind when the devil chased after old George Leonard while trying to collect his soul.

Alm said she hopes the youngsters developed "a better understanding of where they live, and the history." "I was kind of reliving everything," Alm said. "To see the kids' first experience ..."

One popular site was King Philip's Cave, the highest point in Norton, where, during the late 17th century, Wampanoag Chief King Philip stood in front of the outcropping of boulders on what became known as Great Rocky Hill and could see colonial troops gathering from nearby Taunton.

The cave is on Land Preservation Society of Norton property off Stone Run Drive.

When the third-graders visited, "they got to go through it to be able to see that somebody lived there," Alves said.

Alves said Norton history is part of the third-grade curriculum.

"The kids are so excited about it and fascinated by the legends and the stories," she said.

Paulus said he took on the town's traditional third-grade Norton history tour last year, tying it into American history.

His students research Norton history and develop a presentation on how they will teach it to the youngsters. They also meet with Norton Historical Society members Ruth Goold and George Yelle. The students then spend a day leading the tour, bridging the classroom with community service.

"Local town history is something missing in the high school curriculum, so I've been trying to bring it back," Paulus said.

Paulus' 10th grade students led the tour last year. "Hopefully, this program continues, and when these third-graders get to high school, they'll get to teach it," he said.

MICHAEL GELBWASSER covers Norton for The Sun Chronicle. He can be reached at 508-236-0439 or at mgelbwasser@thesunchronicle.com.