Swain Campus fifth graders transported classmates and family members to Asian countries in their travel presentations this month.

This project is the culmination of the cross-curricular fifth grade research unit. Fifth grade social studies centers on the study of the geography and cultures of Asia. In this special project that incorporates the social studies, writing, and public speaking curricula, students each choose an Asian country of interest to intensively research. Using non-fiction texts, articles, videos, and sometimes even first-person interviews, students become experts about the geography, culture, economy, and history of their country.

It is not uncommon to walk into one of our fifth grade classrooms and hear students debating the literacy rate, life expectancy, or GDP of "their" countries! Once they have organized all of this information into a research paper with proper citations, they use the content from their paper to create a slideshow presentation. Students learn to create interesting slides following good graphic design principles that ensure each slide is easily viewed and digested by their audience.

While in class, students are guided through preparing presentation notecards using the facts from their research paper. Finally, students showcase their public speaking skills when they present their slideshow to their peers and families in class. At the end of the presentation, peers have the opportunity to ask follow-up questions, make connections, and give positive feedback to their classmates. It is truly amazing to see the end result of our students' hard work as they finish this marquee fifth grade project and join the ranks of the countless classmates who have completed it before them.