MIDDLEBORO — Beat the heat with a variety of activities scheduled in August at the Council on Aging, 558 Plymouth St. 

Acoustic musician Ken Monteiro will perform, blending modern and classic favorites from rock to country, at 1 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 17. Middleboro residents should reserve seats through Aug. 11. After that, all are welcome to make reservations. Call 508-946-2490 to reserve a space. 

Oceans cover the majority of the Earth’s surface but more than 75 percent of the sea floor has never been mapped. More is known about the surface of Mars than the sea floor. Ben Urann, postdoctoral investigator at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, will talk about how the exploration of the sea floor at 1 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 10. Call 508-946-2490 to reserve a space.

Shipwrecks of Cape Cod will be discussed at 11 a.m. Monday, Aug. 21. Officials from the Cape Cod National Seashore report that about 1,000 ships are buried in sandbars from Chatham to Provincetown. The program, presented by Nancy A. Franks of Frankly Speaking, will take an in-depth look at eight notable maritime disasters through photographs, newspaper articles, and primary source documents. Call 508-946-2490 to reserve a space.

Enrich Your Mind will feature local art historian Jill Sanford who will show how to view art in a creative way. A selection of prominent American artists, including Winslow Homer, Edward Hopper and Andrew Wyeth, will be presented to help better understand the creative process of effective seascape paintings. The program will take place at 1 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 24. Call 508-946-2490 to reserve a space.

Paint Day Luncheon will combine painting with lunch from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 10. Kristin Vincelette of Color with Creativity will oversee those attending as they unleash their hidden artistic talents; she will guide participants step by space. A Beef Wellington lunch will be served at noon. Cost for lunch and program, including all supplies, is $20. Call 508-946-2490 to reserve a space.

Children’s Book Reading with Doc Martenson will take place from 11 to 11:45 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 31. Martenson, a retired Middleboro pediatrician and children’s book author, will read from his books to youngsters. The stories are centered on kindness and feature colorful, upbeat pictures. A kid-friendly lunch of hot dogs and tater tots will follow at noon, with an ice cream social served up after. Cost is $5 per person. Call 508-946-2490 to reserve a space.