Swift Middle School students recently took a trip around the globe without leaving the building.

Swift seventh-graders showed their projects to classmates, family members, and Clermont Elementary students March 14 during the school's annual Explorers' Fair.

Social studies teacher Justin Zellman said students were focusing on 15th- and 16th-century European explorers during the Age of Discovery. Zellman's class and Sara Pizzo's ELA (English and language arts) class spent a month collaborating on the project.

"My class focused on the creation of artifacts and the creation of trifolds to make it into this big fair," said Zellman.

Pizzo explained how her class went about the project. "The ELA process of the explorers' project focuses heavily on the paragraph development and research aspects," she said. "Students spend about a week conducting a plethora of research to learn all about their explorer. From there, they spend about a week to a week and a half developing paragraphs that focus on their research questions. Each of their research questions focused on different parts of their explorer's life, such as childhood, achievements, and legacy, to name a few."

Swift students utilize research and the RACE strategy (restate, answer, cite, and explain) to form paragraphs, said Pizzo. "The RACE strategy acts as a formula for creating paragraphs," Pizzo added. Once students are finished with their drafts, they had numerous review checks with Mr. Zellman and I and with their peers to ensure their paragraphs were well polished."

The process is designed with a main goal in mind. "I'm hoping they become experts on their explorer," Zellman said. "I want them to have fun with it. I want them to be engaging and include their audience members. Before this project, we focused on general explorers in my class. This is opportunity for them to dive deep into one certain explorer."

Pizzo added, "When I started the project with them, none of the students could tell me anything about their explorer. Then, on Friday, during the fair, I heard dozens of students reciting facts about the explorer as if it were second nature. It is so impactful when I am able to distinctively see their learning and knowledge grow while also seeing their creative nature come to life."

After family members perused the presentations, between 80 and 100 pupils from adjacent Clermont Elementary came for a visit. "It's a fun time, but it's busy," Zellman said.

Naomi Gentry, Emma Brabson, and Brette Dawley teamed up for a project on Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias, who was the first European to navigate around the southern tip of Africa.

"He discovered the Cape of Good Hope," Naomi said. "We explained his achievements and what he did."

The group made a map and built a miniature replica of Dias' boat. "We made things he used while exploring," said Emma.

Brette said, "It's more of a first-hand experience instead of sitting in a classroom. It's more realistic, and it helps you remember things about our past, our present, and our future."

She enjoyed completing the project alongside her classmates. "Working with a group can help in any project that you're doing," said Brette. "There are a lot of people who can help with input, and if you're not sure about something, you can ask for help."

Kenny Sheets, Collin Smith, Brandt Underwood, and Nate Ryan researched Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese explorer who was the first European to reach India by sea.

"We were working on this for four weeks, and we each had to write three paragraphs on how his voyages went and what his legacy is," Kenny said.

Collin said he learned da Gama discovered the first all-water trading route. "It's good to work in teams and help each other out," he said. "Working together can make some things great."