On January 16, the Griffin-Spalding County School System (GSCS) hosted its 2nd Annual District Social Studies Fair. Students from across the district demonstrated their research and interview skills through the lens of social studies inquiry. There was a high level of participation from students in grades 3-10, with 46 projects representing 13 schools.
Students could compete individually or in groups of up to three people. Students chose a social studies topic or problem of practice to present in front of judges. Students were judged according to a rubric in the following categories: oral presentation, visual display, research paper and interview. Students were awarded first, second and third place, as well as West Regional Social Studies Fair participant status, Best in Class, Best in Fair and a specialty award for the supervising teacher for the Best in Fair winner.
According to the Georgia Council for the Social Studies rules, only grades 5-12 are eligible to advance to the Regional Social Studies Fair. Sixteen projects were selected to advance to the West Regional Social Studies Fair which will take place on March 15, 2025, at Langston Hughes High School in Fairburn. Congratulations to these students who will represent GSCS at the regional competition:
· Alayna Wilson, Propaganda Art throughout WWII, Futral Road Elementary
· Judah Huckaby, What Happens When the Gas Runs Out?, Crescent Elementary
· Ma'Kenzie Justice, Harriett Tubman, Beaverbrook Elementary
· Eli Pack, Battle of Waterloo: How Napoleon Lost, Futral Road Elementary
· Lizzie Shepherd, Are the Great Barrier Reefs in Danger?, Futral Road Elementary
· Amir Ali, Zion Byrd-Dixon & Jalen Pye, WWI, Moreland Road Elementary
· Marley Olvera, How the Wright Brothers' Invention Impacted Society, Moreland Road Elementary
· Alani Lewis & Isabella Thompson, The Great Depression, Orrs Elementary
· David Schiflett, Social Media and Political Violence, Carver Middle School
· Jesse Davis & Timothy Phinazee, Jesse Owens, Carver Middle School
· Cyron Anthony, The origins of a struggle: The Wounded Knee Massacre, Carver Middle School
· Shariah Fulton, Rising Grocery Prices, Rehoboth Road Middle School
· Skye Oduaran, Representation Matters: The Role of Representation in American, Politics and its Impact on Future Generations, Spalding High School
· Siri Oduaran, The Impact of Major Natural Disasters on Weather Preparedness and Response, Spalding High School
· Jaiya Taylor, Through Biases Eyes: AI’s Distorted Perception, Spalding High School
· Rondell White, Fast Fashion and its Effect on the Environment and A Global Society, Spalding High School
GSCS K-12 Social Studies Coordinator Jameka Fields-Rhodes, Ed.D. stated, “I am truly excited and proud of this fair. Social Studies is an important subject as it allows us to understand the impact of events throughout time which helps us to understand the world around us. I want to give kudos to all of the participants for a job well done! I also want to give special thanks to the teachers, leaders, parents/guardians and everyone who supported the GSCS Social Studies Fair.
Click HERE to view the full results of the 2nd Annual GSCS Social Studies Fair.