Middle schoolers bring history to life

BRUNSWICK, Ohio - More than 200 middle school students at Edwards Middle School participated in a Night at the Museum as part of Ohio History Day competitions. Judged over a two-day period the event included individual and team displays, web sites and documentaries....

Middle schoolers bring history to life

BRUNSWICK, Ohio - More than 200 middle school students at Edwards Middle School participated in a Night at the Museum as part of Ohio History Day competitions. Judged over a two-day period the event included individual and team displays, web sites and documentaries. performances and written essays with the theme, "Taking a Stand in History."

Earlier this school year, social studies teachers Brianna Laubenthal and Mark Steinmetz attended a professional development seminar about a national project-based learning competition called History Day.  History Day incorporates 21st-century skills and is differentiated based upon student choice.

"With the support my principal Heidi Armentrout, we teamed up with the Ohio History Connection to bring History Day to Edwards Middle School," Laubenthal said. "We were able to get buy-ins from other social studies teacher in my building. Samantha Michalik, Zachary Wise, and we collaborated to get all of the eighth-grade social studies students participating in this project. Mark was able to recruit Sara Bauer and together they agreed to have their seventh graders also participate in this project.

Judging was based on historical quality, relation to theme and clarity of presentations. Judges noted that middle schoolers were following the same procedures and rules as students in high school and college. Once judged, a team led by Lori Smith and Steve Eigsti, from the Cleveland History Center, teamed up with judges to select which students to invite to the Regional 3 competition. Those who accepted the invitation will compete March 4th regional Ohio History Day Competition in Cleveland with students from Cuyahoga, Lake, Lorain, Medina and Summit counties.

Those who accepted the invitation will compete March 4th regional Ohio Pashacasino History Day Competition in Cleveland with students from Cuyahoga, Lake, Lorain, Medina and Summit counties.

The students who will move on to regional competition and their topic for the competition include: Abigail Donoughem Makenna Smith and Adalie Duncan, William Wilberforce; Abigail Watt and Kaylee Sheffler,+ Irena Sendler; Alexander Talley, Helen Keller; Alyssa Murral and Sean Scaggs, Socrates (human rights); Alyssa Dye and Lilly O'Connell, Leonardo da Vinci (Shapir); Amaya Torres, and Zachary Estabaugh and Tori Byrd, war bonds; Anthony Kladke and Melanie Gnall, William Wallace; Bobby Bates, Madison Purdue and Jackie Pierson, Pearl Harbor bombing; Brandon Kraft and Chelsey Webb, Jesse Owens; Bryce Gosnick and Gabrielle Moorman, Joan of Arc; Caden Cwiklinski, Emma Neal, Hannah Neal and Hayley Thurley, World Wildlife Fund; Carlee Ody and Morgan Lewicki, Margarett Hughes; Donnovan Ambrosio and Emily Cottage, Betsey Ross; Eliza Doolite and Jenna vanNewkirk, Galileo Galilei; Ellie Yarnell, LGBT equality and treatment; Emily Litivin, story of the Mayflower; Emma Gray and Gillian Brown, the Roman slave revolt;

Erin Weekly, Douglas MacArthur; Haley Adams, Rosalina Franklin; Iris Faria and Sami Schirripa, Claudette Colvin; Jacob Ina, Susan B. Anthony; Jacob Roksandich, Crazy Horse; Jessica Bisesar, Victoria Woodhull; Kelsey Cook and Shreya Ranganathan, Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet; Kennedy Hannen, the woman that aimed high; Locan Bandi, The Mission of driven women; Lorna Woodzack, Jackie Robinson; Luc Cossette, education through the years; Madalina Chiveri, slavery; Michael Murrell, Dietrich Bonhoeffer; Paige Toth, newsies; Piper Nelson, Racial and religious discrimination; Rithvik Ayyagari, Lucy Burns; Savannah Dickens, Don Yenko.

The work is worth the prize at the end of the journey - the competitors are vying for a full scholarship to Case Western Reserve University.

For more information on Ohio History Day and regional competition, go to wrhs.org/explore/history-day/

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