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| Aroostook Republican photo/Natalie Bazinet Adam, left, and his dad Jerry Williams take a look at Adam’s poster board on what occupation he wishes to obtain after school. Adam, like a handful of other students, dressed the part. |
By Natalie Bazinet
Staff Writer
LIMESTONE — Research papers may be labor intensive, but teachers at the Limestone Community School have found that students get more excited about their work when they’re passionate about the subject.
That’s why Limestone’s fourth- through eighth-grade students get to pick their own research topic to present at the annual Project Fair, held on May 4 this year. Each grade level had its own topic — fifth-graders research famous people, sixth-graders did research on a state, seventh-grade students’ projects were all about Maine and eighth-grade students researched their future occupations.
Project organizer and mid-level English teacher Leona Michaud said that students put so much more into their work when they’re able to pick a topic they’re interested in.
Some donned costumes to help convey their research, others clearly spent hours immaculately adorning their poster boards and all students were required to present their research findings — many of them even said they had fun doing it.
Dustin Wallace, for example, did his fifth-grade research project on North Carolina.
“I went there with my family and I’ve wanted to go back ever since,” he said. “If someone’s never been there they should go, because it’s a good place to vacation.”
Wallace said that while researching his state was a whole lot of work, “it was fun.”
The fifth-grader started his project at the end of March and by the end of the Project Fair, he felt pretty proud of his work.
Aside from the fun of glittered presentations and the mock-résumés eighth-graders created to apply for their future jobs, the mid-level students worked on perfecting their research and writing skills.
“The hard part of the project was finding information on salary and what kind of skills I’ll need,” said eighth-grader Megan Mullenix, who wants to be an interior decorator. Though that information may have been hard for her to find, the important part of the project was that she learned how to find it.
“This project takes them through every step of a research paper and shows them how to get it done,” Michaud explains.
Students from other grade levels, teachers and even community members attended the project fair and while there were many blue ribbon-worthy projects, there are only four awards given out per grade — first through third place and one honorable mention.
Those awards will be announced at the school’s annual Academic Award Ceremony at the end of the year.
