February is a short but busy month on school calendars, and the Royal 7's have their share of projects. Students research and illustrate the lives of African-American achievers, as well as report on African animals. Included: Descriptions of Black History Month projects.

February is a project-filled month for the Royal 7's at Bennet Middle School, with Africa and African-Americans in the spotlight.

This week also is Spirit Week, with different themes for each day. Monday was Hat Day, Tuesday Decade Day, and today, Wednesday, is Sport Day, so jerseys and t-shirts from professional and local teams are the wardrobe of choice. Tacky Day and Color War Day are yet to come.

A joint science and social studies project had students busy researching an African animal, whose characteristics, home, and diet are the displayed on Power Point presentations.

The social studies classes are studying Africa, starting with the continent's geography, and then will discuss the culture, social studies teacher Gary Tracey says.

Students spent four days in the library researching and completed worksheets about their animal. Another five or six days were devoted to preparing the Power Point presentation, using information from the worksheets.

The students are graded on their presentations and their worksheets. Each student also answers four questions about each presentation.

The projects are being screened in the library, where Mr. Tracey and science teacher David Sutherland supervise and grade the presentations. Students sit in rows waiting their turn up front. Murmurs of "I'm not going next" move through the crowd.

Reptiles are popular report subjects, including crocodiles, the chameleon, and the monitor lizard, who, as the presenter notes, "Eats their own kids," which sets off new murmurs.

"If they eat their own kids," someone asks, "how come they're not extinct?"

Mr. Sutherland explains that monitor mothers don't eat all their offspring, so the monitor lizard population continues.

AFRICAN-AMERICAN ACHIEVERS

The other assignment keeping the Royal 7's researching and writing is a project on African-American Achievers. Working in teams this time, students research the life of a prominent African-American, and then illustrate their findings on poster board. The posters will be on display, and judged by a panel that includes superintendent and former principal Kathy Ouellette, new principal Dr.Anne Richardson, and staff members.

Pupils picked their subjects out of a hat, from an assortment of writers, poets, civil rights leaders, scientists, and trailblazers. "This way, they get to know some of the lesser-known people," language arts teacher Jenna Brohinsky says.

Kenny and friend work on a poster about Robert Clifton Weaver, the first African-American to hold a cabinet position in the U.S. government, serving as secretary of Housing and Urban Development, whose accomplishments they were unaware of until they started researching.

This is the second year the Royal 7 team has done this project; it fits in well with Black History Month, and gives students a chance to work with different partners and apply research skills, Ms. Brohinsky says. "Also because it's not a report, it's easier to differentiate the work by skill level," she adds.

Another student, Ricky maps out his poster about author and abolitionist Frederick Douglass, who he got to know through his research. "He was born on a plantation and was a publisher and an author," Ricky says. "I would have liked someone easier, but Frederick Douglass is okay now."

(Editor's Note: All students' names have been changed) 

Article by Ellen R. Delisio
Education World®
Copyright © 2005 Education World