State Experts!

If you are planning a trip in the United States, you could visit a travel agent, or you could consult one of Fay’s third grade state experts! This year, instead of a whirlwind survey of the fifty states, third grade students are each researching a small handful of states in-depth. They are compiling their research into a presentation - using either a poster or Google slides - so that they can teach their classmates all about the unique characteristics, culture, industries, and noteworthy places and people associated with their state.

The project started in January, with students researching Massachusetts and Maine together. Third grade teachers Katie Buteau and Lauren Hart showed students how to find resources about the states using books in the classroom, resources in the library, and online databases. They identified the difference between a verified and trustworthy source of information and other sources that could show up in a Google search. Students filled out their research packets with required information like population, area, and landmarks and then noted other facts that caught their interest. History Department Chair and sports aficionado John Beloff contributed to the third graders’ resources by compiling a list of the professional sports teams in each state and the historical significance of the team’s name. Once the students had completed a couple of states together, they were ready to pull a state out of a bucket and research independently. Through this project, they are practicing foundational presentation and research skills. “Students are working on note-taking, compiling research into complete sentences, and extracting information from text, graphs, maps, and photos as they try to find out as much as they can about their state,” says Katie. “As they move on to research additional states, they’ll be able to compare and contrast the cultures of the states they have done.” After each student presentation, the class fills out their state scrapbook together, discussing and deciding on the essential facts they learned about each state. 

Students will continue their state research through the spring term until they have visited all fifty states as a class. As they present their research and take questions, the third graders are obviously proud of the ownership and expertise that they developed. “They love being the go-to person for their state,” says Katie, “and the public speaking helps get them ready for their first speeches in May!”