Creative Research Projects on Full Display at Sojourner

For Sojourner School student Miriam Lund, a curiosity always buzzed within her about why bees act differently than other six-legged summertime insects. "I really wanted to learn why they were trying to sting me," explained the fascinated fourth grader as she showed off her presentation. Miriam says the most interesting fact she learned was that bees breathe through little holes in their abdomen! 

Fifth grader Dylan Schellerup couldn't wait to learn the scoop about how to make homemade ice cream, using dry ice as part of his presentation. "It's really visual," pointed out the sweet-toothed student, "and I thought it would look really cool while I was presenting."

Elijah Forrest says he has always been fascinated by drones, and made that the focus of his project. To add his presentation, Elijah brought a drone from home, along with a model version he crafted himself.  “I learned that military drones can be controlled from anywhere, and some have a 60 foot wingspan!” said the enthusiastic fifth grader.  

Miriam, Dylan, and Elijah were three of 53 fourth and fifth grade students showing off their newfound knowledge of self-generated research topics ranging from bees and ice cream to tornadoes, sharks, photography, how LEGOs are created, and even a deliciously delivered presentation about Hershey chocolates.

It's all part of the school's "Product Walkthrough," an annual celebration of at-home research projects created by students in Rachel Brown-Peck and Sam Velit’s Intermediate classes at Sojourner, a districtwide magnet school sharing a campus with Linwood Elementary.

After eight weeks of deep dives into their chosen research topics, Sojourner students proudly showed classmates, families, and staff members their culminating projects in the form of fancy displays, photographs, illustrations…or in Dylan's case, actual homemade ice cream.

Brown-Peck says seeing students feel a sense of pride in their accomplishments is the cherry on top. “If there’s one thing that describes Sojourner School, this is it,” said the intermediate teacher. “The magnitude and the amount of learning that goes into these projects is incredible.”   

For more information about Sojourner School and its mission to support students' growth in all areas, visit the school website here.