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8th-graders showcase their Civil War knowledge

News Photo by Julie Goldberg From left to right, Thunder Bay Junior High School eighth-graders William Bushy, William Shultz, and Logan DenBleyker on Tuesday practice their presentation about the Battle of Vicksburg from the Civil War. Every TBJH eighth-grader completed a group presentation about the Civil War.

ALPENA — Students went back in time Tuesday at Thunder Bay Junior High School.

Eighth-graders have been learning about the Civil War this school year in their project-based learning class. On Tuesday, they dressed up as Civil War characters and presented to seventh-graders about different events from the war.

Teacher Angela Samp said the students picked a topic, a battle, and people from the war they wanted to study. She said the students were given directions to design a showcase that allowed them to demonstrate 21st century learning skills.

“They had to come up with how they were going to pull it all together with the battle, the person, and the topic, and they pretty much could do whatever they wanted to showcase it,” teacher Gretchen Lundquist said. “They had to have some kind of a visual that they would interact with when they presented.”

A lot of the students put together faux news reports, because Samp and Lundquist had them focus on a “breaking news” theme. A few students dressed up as grumpy old men, while others dressed as generals and other Civil War characters.

Students have received individual grades of their knowledge and thinking throughout the project. When they presented on Tuesday, Samp and Lundquist focused on the students’ oral communication, eye contact, voice control and projection, use of visuals, and how they interacted with their audience.

“They’ve been working on their oral communication skills, public speaking, using technology, and being innovative,” Samp said.

All TBJH seventh-graders, who will be taking the class project-based learning class next year, had an opportunity to watch the presentations. The teachers wanted them to get a little experience of what the class will be like.

“They have stepped up their normal work and game, they’ve been working very hard every day,” Samp said of the eighth-graders.

Lundquist said she has never seen students as engaged this late in the school year as the eighth-graders are this year.

Julie Goldberg can be reached at 989-358-5688 or jgoldberg@thealpenanews.com. Follow her on Twitter @jkgoldberg12.

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