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By Daniel Curtin
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Sixth graders at Dover Sherborn Middle School had an opportunity to show the different skills and knowledge they have acquired this past year when they displayed their civilization design presentations last Monday.
The project used the STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) educational approach. Cathy Simino, an art teacher at the middle school, believes the students have fun with the project because it allows them room to be creative.
One of the requirements for the civilization design presentation was to create and perform a national anthem. Photos by Daniel Curtin
“The location [of the civilization] could be in outer space. It could be underwater. It’s very open-ended, which is the hook for these kids and makes them want to do it,” Simino said. “It makes it fun for them.”
While creating their own, made-up civilizations, students had to consider the different factors that make up real-life societies: military, religion, social classes, geography, education, economy, and politics, for example.
Technology and engineering teacher Sandra Sammarco believes that thinking about these real life issues provides valuable lessons for the students.
“We think they’re more exposed to it in this day and age. It’s good for them to have a voice - [to] listen to each other and try to agree to disagree,” Sammarco said.
Among the various elements that go into the projects, the students are taught by Brett McCoy, an engineering teacher at the middle school, to use a software with a 3D printer to create an artifact for their civilization.
Students at Dover Sherborn Middle School conjured up their own civilizations from scratch, then presented on them to parents, faculty, and students. Photos by Daniel Curtin
“They can design anything they want - it just has to be something the culture would find meaningful or useful in some way,” McCoy said.
This is the second year in which the civilization design presentations have taken place. A few of the civilizations created by students included Pineapolia, Alaviaa, Honey Melon Dew, Animalopolis, Slalou Sewer and Lunar Island.
Lunar Island, a project made by Jenny Lin, Sadie Mauro, Garret Webb, and Aidan Szeto, is a civilization that was created when part of the moon fell from the sky creating the island. On Lunar Island, night only lasts five hours, half the jobs on the island are for tattoo artists, and Chinese is the main language spoken.
Geoff Herrmann, choral teacher at the middle school, was impressed with the work and effort that the students put into their projects.
“It’s a chance for them to use the skills in a creative way for something that they are interested in … their civilization can really be whatever they want it to be as long as they flesh it out to fulfill the requirements,” Herrmann said. “They really took it by the horns this year and came up with some cool stuff.”
