Fourth graders at Westchester Torah Academy recently completed their State Fair project. A multidisciplinary project, the State Fair combines research, writing, editing, presenting and the creation of artwork.

The process began with students thinking about what state they wanted to research. As a class, students discussed picking states they did not know much about so they could gain knowledge on a new state!

Next, students gathered books, articles and used internet sites under the direction of their teacher. During the research process, students learned to sift through information and select what they could effectively use in their essays, while also learning how to identify and separate information that was not relevant to their purpose. The students learned how to paraphrase and summarize the important information, and also how to assemble the information appropriately into different sections within their writing.

Once students gathered their research materials, they began taking notes and creating an outline to prepare for their essay. The class went over the components of a multi-paragraph essay and the importance of topic and closing sentences. After the students wrote their rough drafts, they went through revisions and edits. The revision process—including proofreading, editing and rewriting—was done using Google Docs.

Students used their essay to help create PowerPoint presentations, and learned how to create a slideshow with transitions and inserting pictures to help visualize the information. The last step of the project was for students to learn how to present their slideshow and record their presentation.

To make it an immersive experience, students decided to dress in clothing that reflected the state they chose, and brought artifacts that would provide their audience with tangible, state-related information.

To showcase their work, the class launched a State Fair Website with an interactive map that leads to each of the states they learned about.