Fred Thomas seventh-graders present historical research
Displaying their research, writing and public speaking skills, seventh-grade students from Frederick D. Thomas Middle School recently brought history to life during a special event hosted at Historic Lewes.
Inspired by a class project about a fictional civil rights park in Lewes, students were challenged to make their case for which prominent civil rights figure should be the first honoree.
Over the past several weeks, students dove deep into the Civil Rights era as part of their English language arts curriculum, selecting historical figures, crafting persuasive arguments and refining speeches designed to convince a panel to select their nominee as the inaugural honoree of the park.
“The culmination of the project was a a live presentation by the top 12 student finalists, who delivered their speeches to a packed room of peers, families, educators and community members,” said Casey VanDemark, ELA teacher at Fred Thomas. “Each student showcased not only a deep understanding of their chosen figure’s legacy, but also strong rhetorical skills and passionate advocacy.”
Guests participated by scanning a QR code and voting for their favorite speech using an online form, effectively playing the role of the decision-making board.
“We knew it would be incredibly difficult to choose a winning presentation,” said Dr. Alison Herman, ELA teacher at Fred Thomas. “We’re grateful to the attendees for helping us out, and the votes were close. Congratulations to Ryan Jennings, who defended Coretta Scott King and earned first place. Erin Mayo and Harper Griffin were second and third, respectively. Erin also defended Coretta Scott King, and Harper made her case for Emmett Till. All our finalists did an incredible job.”
The event not only reinforced essential academic skills, but also encouraged civic engagement, public speaking and historical appreciation in a meaningful and memorable way. School organizers extend gratitude to Historic Lewes and Marcos Salaverria, director of education, for hosting.
