Schools

Shaw students present projects

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Brittany Purcell’s fifth-grade students stood proudly next to their poster boards in the gym at the Shaw Avenue School on Feb. 27, waiting for visitors to stop by for a lesson on an influential black American they chose to profile.

Each team filled their board with cards listing biographical facts, quotes and other relevant information. Students wore period clothes and showed “artifacts” that had to do with their chosen person.

“We picked Ray Charles because he did a lot of great things and he couldn’t even see a thing,” said Iyana Perez, 11. She explained Charles’ life history and rise to fame with her partners, Mya Diaz and Ruhana Sheikh, both 10.

Jason Joseph, 10, and Prad Blain, 11, chose Louie Armstrong. “He never gave up when bad things happened,” Prad said.

Another station featured civil rights and human rights activist Ella Baker, presented by Haleigh Chan, 11, and Christina Ng-leyba, 10. Christina said she and Haleigh researched Baker online. “She makes us want to stand up for our rights as human beings,” she said.

Purcell said she found it interesting to watch her students work with each other and do online research. She said she was proud because they worked so hard.

“It’s important to understand how the past influences the future,” Purcell said. “These people had a big impact and changed how we live today.”