Top Presenters Awarded at Marshall County Schools Social Studies Fair
Emma Delk Trending
MOUNDSVILLE -- Elementary, middle and high school students from across Marshall County gathered at the John Marshall Field House on Friday to present their projects during the 14th annual Marshall County Schools Social Studies Fair.
The top finishers at the fair received ribbons for their efforts and a spot to compete in the regional social studies fair.
Students in third through twelfth grades in the county competed at the fair in three divisions: elementary, middle and high school. 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.
Schools represented at the fair were Cameron Elementary School, Center McMechen Elementary, Central Elementary, Glen Dale Elementary, Hilltop Elementary, Sand Hill Elementary, Moundsville Middle School, Sherrard Middle, Cameron High School and John Marshall.
The highest scorer in each division for each category at the fair will compete at the Regional Social Studies Fair held on March 13 at the John Marshall Field House.
Regional winners will advance to the West Virginia State Social Studies Fair in Charleston on April 11.
One hundred single or group projects were submitted at the countywide fair, with 137 students participating. Projects must include an abstract, oral presentation and a display board with artifacts.
Four presentations earned perfect scores from the judges. Division I perfect scorers were Addilyn Ellwood and Leana Roberts with "West Virginia Statehood: A Journey Back in Time" and Paislee Dobbs with "The Great Escape." Division II perfect scorers were Jersey Schafer with "The Grand Canyon" and Lauren McGraw with "The Vice Presidents."
Center McMechen Elementary Principal Arica Holt, who coordinates the Marshall County Schools Social Studies Fair and the Regional Social Studies Fair, said perfect scorers' familiarity with their topics set them apart from other presenters.
"It's so important for the students to be able to answer questions about their project just to prove they did the research and created the project themselves," Holt said. "Students that stand out at the fair have good listening skills, eye contact and enunciation. Also, kids that do something to stand out, such as putting a little twist on their project topic, often perform better."
Glen Dale Elementary students Addilyn Ellwood and Leana Roberts, who earned a perfect score for "West Virginia Statehood: A Journey Back in Time," stood out from the competition by wearing 1800s-inspired dresses for their presentation. Their project also included a model train representing the importance of railroads for the state's development and a piece of newspaper from 1862 that they acquired from West Virginia Independence Hall.
"I really enjoyed how we were able to learn so much for this project and that we got to learn together as partners," Roberts said.
Cameron High School student Jersey Schafer, who earned a perfect score for "The Grand Canyon," was eager to compete at the regional competition. She added she made it to the state competition with her project last year.
"I love the Grand Canyon, so creating this project was a lot of fun," Schafer said. "It's somewhere I would love to hike and explore in the future."
Holt noted the social studies fair allows students to explore a subject or topic they may be interested in.
"The social studies fair gives all students, not just straight-A students, an outlet to shine and just feel good about themselves," Holt said. "It also requires them to give an oral presentation, which is a good skill to have at any age."