Local Students Moving On to State Social Studies Fair

Emma Delk

The students with the presentation skills and social studies knowledge to compete at the state level were awarded during the Regional Social Studies Fair at the John Marshall Field House.

One-hundred and seven students from Brooke, Ohio, Marshall and Wetzel counties competed in the regional competition Thursday to earn a spot in the West Virginia State Social Studies Fair in Charleston on Friday, April 11. Students from Catholic schools in Ohio and Marshall counties also competed.

The 76 projects presented at the fair on Thursday had to win their school- and county-level competitions before competing against regional competitors.

Division 1 of the competition was made up of third, fourth and fifth graders; Division 2 was sixth, seventh and eighth graders; and high schoolers made up the Division 3 category. Each division featured 10 different categories for individual and group projects. These categories were America 250, anthropology, economics, geography, political science, psychology, sociology, state and local studies, U.S. history and world history.

First, second and third-place ribbons were awarded to projects that received a minimum of 90, 80, and 70 points, respectively. Students were scored on their project abstract, oral presentation and multimedia presentation board.

Eleven students received perfect "100" scores for their projects. Center McMechen Elementary Principal Arica Holt, who coordinates the Marshall County Schools Social Studies Fair and the Regional Social Studies Fair, noted that receiving a perfect score was "a little harder this year" due to a tougher level of judging.

"I think the judging being harder this year is great because we want our children from our regional competition to go on and be successful in Charleston," Holt said. "When you get to the state level, every project is in the high 90s and it becomes harder and harder to compete against them."

Sherrard Middle School eighth-grader Abby Allman received a perfect score in the Economics category for her project "Jim Henson: Passion or Profit." Allman was excited to compete in the state competition again after winning first place in the Division 2 Economics category at the state competition last year.

"I'm not sure how many Economics projects there are going to be at states this year, but I'm excited to go back," Allman said.

Allman's projects covered the economics-side of Jim Hensons' puppet shows, including "The Muppet Show." Her diorama for the project included a muppet-like face attached to the top of her project with googly eyes, a cotton ball nose and yarn hair.

"Growing up my sister and I loved the muppets, we watched them all the time," Allman said. "I recently watched the Jim Henson documentary ['Jim Henson Idea Man'] and was inspired to do this research project that could include his life and my own love for the Muppets."

Sand Hill Elementary School fifth grader Sydney Mlodzik was another perfect scorer whose project was influenced by her love for a topic. Mlodzik's love for dance inspired her project "Final Curtain Call" in the Political Science category, which detailed how the National Historic

Preservation Act and The Radio City Rockettes saved Radio City Hall from being demolished in the 1970s.

"I went on a trip to New York and did a tour of Radio City Music Hall and learned how it almost got demolished, so I wanted to learn how it was saved," Mlodzik said. "I was surprised the Rockettes played a big role in that."

The students who earned a perfect score at the Regional Social Studies Fair are:

-- Marley Denham, Marshall County, "The Forbidden Island," category of Geography, Division 1;

-- Sydney Mlodzik, Marshall County, "Final Curtain Call," category of Political Science, Division 1;

-- Addilyn Ellwood and Leanna Roberts, Marshall County, "West Virginia Statehood: A Journey Back in Time," category of Political Science, Division 2;

--Brynlee Griffith, Marshall County, "Beyond Rhymes: Dr. Seuss's Social Messages," category of Sociology, Division 1;

-- Abby Allman, Marshall County, "Jim Henson: Passion or Profit," category of Economics, Division 2;

-- Lauren McGraw, Marshall County, "The Vice Presidents," category of Political Science, Division 2;

-- Phoenix Wolverton, Marshall County, "Effect of War on Soldiers," category of Psychology, Division 2;

-- Lilly Goddard, Marshall County, "Radium Girls," category of Sociology, Division 2;

-- Kenzie Lyseski, Marshall County, "Coal Mine Wars," category of State and Local Studies, Division 2;

-- Ella Allender and Addison Mlodzik, Marshall County, "Hollywood Slip-Up," category of U.S. History, Division 2;

-- Gracelynn Welch, Marshall County, "Unsung Heroes of the Holocaust," category of World History, Division 2.