State History Fair

Ethan and his classmate, Brayden, competed in the State History Fair.  

It was held at Thanksgiving Point and we were all really excited to compete.  The winners from each category would compete in the national history fair in Washington DC. The boys had really hoped they might win and be able to visit the nation's capital.  The competition was steep. 

We drove to Lehi last Tuesday night in order to set up our exhibit by 8:00am Wednesday morning. There were multiple categories including websites, dramatizations, papers, and exhibits.  We competed in the sixth grade group exhibit category.  Each of the exhibits; individual and group; sixth and seventh grade were set up in the large show barn at Thanksgiving Point.

It was intimidating to see the various exhibits.  Each student had worked many hours on their projects.  You could feel the tension in the air as the students (and parents) compared projects.  The national theme was "Turning Points in History.  I was impressed with the topics people chose and the way the exhibits were created. 

This one focused on how Walt Disney had an impact on various aspects of our culture.

 

 The exhibit on the left focused on the middle ages.  (There were five people in their group and they were set up next to us.  They ended up taking third place.)

I thought the voting booth was a clever display.

There were at least two exhibits on the Black Death.  The one in the coffin was very cleaver.  Also, the exhibit that showcased the impact of "The Loo" was inventive.

Other exhibits focused on the Transcontinental Railroad and Frank Lloyd Wright.

  One student wrote about the discovery of anesthesia and another researched how Nike changed commerce.

 Some exhibits were very specific like the one that looked at Nadia's Perfect 10 and how that was a turning point in the world of gymnastics.  I had a personal connection with the exhibit that documented how Temple Grandin and her work was a turning point in the "Voice of Autism". 

The awards and results were announced at 4pm that evening. Oh the anticipation.  The room was full on anticipation. 

You can see on their faces that the boys felt good about their work.  They also recognized that there were a lot of great projects.  

The end of the award ceremony came and went and we never heard our names called as winners.

  It was okay, though.  You can't win them all. 

The winners in the exhibit category included these:

"How Potatoes Affected Global Agriculture, Industry, and Populations"

and 

"National Parks A Turning Point in Preservation and Conservation" 

Another winners was this impressive exhibit:

"Survivors Hope: Displaced Holocaust Survivors and the Creation of Israel"

It was the most complete and well-designed exhibit I saw.

Last year this student competed on the national level and took 5th place.

 

  Even though we didn't win, we had a great learning experience.  

We are already talking about what to do for next year's project.