Staples High School students excelled in the the Fairfield Region National History Day 2016 competition at Sacred Heart University Saturday in Fairfield.
Matt Gibson, a Staples High School 10th grader, receives his award for “American Immigration Policy 1960s.” (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo
Dozens of area teams competed in the annual academic competition with projects as diverse as Walt Disney and the American Dream, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, and Islamaphobia.
National History Day has grown in size and popularity in the past few years, offering students a chance to compete academically through their historical research.
The event, now part of the Staples U.S. History Honors curriculum, saw more than 150 Westport students participate, including some from Bedford Middle School.
“This project allows kids to work independently or collaboratively to research a historical topic that interests each kid,” said Drew Coyne, a Staples teacher.
Two Staples students looked at the evolution of the Barbie doll and how changes often reflected social change. Another student who works at Wakeman Town Farm wanted to uncover historical changes in America’s supermarkets.
“These student-generated topics truly demonstrate the creative and dynamic thinking of our students,” said Coyne.
There were months of preparation for the event—selecting topics, writing thesis statements, conducting primary research, and composing process papers. Students competed against other teens in a variety of categories: exhibits, websites, essays, performances, and documentaries.
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Bedford Middle School eighth grade winners with teacher Carolyn Davis (l) included (l-r) Gabe Sargent, Marisa Shorrock, Claudia Fernandez and Sam Laskin. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo
And the hard work paid off. According to Lauren Francese, chair of Westport’s 6 – 12 Social Studies Department, “There was incredible enthusiasm and hard work by every Staples student.
“So many of the judges, parents, and other students were just astounded by the quality of the Westport projects.”
In all categories, Staples students demonstrated excellence in historical research and analytical writing.
Out of 24 total awards in the Senior Division, students from Staples took home 14. The following students took home awards and will now move to the Connecticut-wide competition:
Senior Division
Group Websites:
Second Place: “Walt Disney and The American Dream” by Jackie Rhoads, Ella Jarvis, and Zoe Lieberman
Third Place: “Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt” by Hannah Roseme and Gabriela Vega
Individual Websites:
First Place: “Working Dogs” by Rebecca Lee
Second Place: “Islamophobia” by Nicholas Bilotti
Third Place: “Militarization of an Unwanting People” by Sofia Gerrard
Group Documentary:
Third Place: “Leprosy” by Sarah Carter and Nicole Arellano
Individual Documentary:
First Place: “R.E. Olds” by Christian Myers
Second Place: “Langston Hughes” by Peri Kessler
Third Place: “American Immigration Policy 1960s” by Matthew Gibson
Individual Performance:
First Place: “Alexander the Great: The Relentless, Formidable and Influential Conqueror of the Ancient World” by James Gikas
Group Exhibit:
Second Place: “Street Art: The Battle Between Art and Vandalism in Students” by Monique Ostbye, Bianca Lotti and Sarah Sherts
Individual Exhibit:
First Place: “Operation Ajax: 1953 Iranian Coup” by Julianna Beal
Third Place: “Undoing Slavery in Virginia” by Bridget French
Individual Paper:
Third Place: “Encountering the Unprecedented Turning Point in American History” by Mia Krishnamurthy
Junior Division
Group Documentary:
Third Place: “Leaders of the Underground Railroad: Bridging Racial Gaps” by Sam Laskin, Marisa Shorrock, Gabe Sargent, and Claudia Fernandez
Individual Exhibit:
Third Place: “Without Stones There is No Arch: Marco Polo and the Bonding of Two” by Nick Taubenheim
