Bowie 5th-Grade Students Incorporate All Four Core Classes for Inaugural Patriot State Fair Presentations

Eight weeks of research and hard work culminated in the first-ever Patriot State Fair presentations for Bowie Elementary 5th-grade students last month. For eight weeks, the students worked in class and at home, incorporating the four core subjects – English Language Arts, math, science and social studies – with a dose of their own creativity into a research project centered around one of the 50 U.S. states. For the cross-curricular project, students in each 5th-grade homeroom each chose a state, with all students in a class choosing a different state, and researched, solved problems and created a presentation on their state.

“Each student was required to create a keynote presentation, a presentation trifold and a creative element of their choosing,” said Bowie 5th-grade teacher Lindsey Haire. “The creative element was their opportunity to showcase a way that they are smart that they may not always have a chance to showcase. We had everything from baked desserts to models to Lego creations!”

The Patriot State Fair project was a collaborative effort among all of Bowie’s 5th-grade teachers Mrs. Haire, Jennifer Dupre, Klaire Sanders, Marla Medina and the SAISD Curriculum and Instruction department. “Organizing this event was a large undertaking, but we are so glad that we did it,” Mrs. Haire said. “The research questions came from myself; Mrs. Sanders - population trends; Mrs. Dupre - climate and food webs; and Mrs. Medina - tall tales. Mr. Brandon Ligon came from administration one Wednesday and taught all the students how to use Keynote to create a presentation.”

Each student presented their project to a panel of judges, being evaluated on four categories: Exhibit/Display; Creativity & Originality; Project; and Oral Presentation. There were a total of 81 presentations in the Patriot State Fair. “The students were able to learn the research process, showcase six weeks for research and practice their presentation skills,” said Mrs. Haire. “We loved seeing the look on students’ faces. They were so proud of themselves and were so excited to share what they had learned.” Many parents attended the Patriot State Fair to watch their student present. “The parents were really impressed with the event. They enjoyed seeing their kids shine. The parents loved that the award categories were so varied.”

Following the state presentations, judges presented the following awards:

Best Tall Tale – Colton Lara

Most Informative –  Noel Tovar

Tech Savvy – Sabrina Marquez

Most Creative – Emma Trevino

Most Organized –  Violet Gonzales

Honorable Mention – Andrew Chappa

Best in the Midwest Region – Lucas Moncibias

Best in the West Region – Emma Frost

Best in the Southwest Region – Elias Torres

Best in the Southeast Region – Noah Guerrero

Best in the Northeast Region – Jon Hartin

Best Overall – Garrett Zipper

The day after the State Fair, the 5th-graders each provided feedback on the project and the experience. Mrs. Haire said the students’ overall feedback about the project was positive and they enjoyed being able to showcase their talents. “The overall consensus was that they loved doing the project and only wished that they had more time to see their classmates’ projects too,” said Mrs. Haire. “Next year, we would like to give the students a chance to tour each other’s projects so they can see what their classmates have created. We have discussed having a ‘practice day’ the day before where they can practice their presentation in front of their peers before the actual State Fair.” 

“Mrs. Lindsey Haire really came up with all this and worked with her team to make it happen!” said Ashley Gould, Bowie Elementary principal. “I am so proud of the 5th-grade team for thinking outside the box and creating a safe space for students to learn and grow in the 4 Cs on a cross-cultural project.”

San Angelo ISD celebrates all the ways our students are smart and the methods our educators use to cultivate their individual smartness. To stay up-to-date on San Angelo ISD, please visit the SAISD website at www.saisd.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.