sixth Graders jump head first into Invasive Species project for science class

Story by Sami Magee

As the second quarter of this school year began, sixth graders prepared for one of the most exciting science projects of the year: The Invasive Species group project and presentation.

This month-long project began with the groups -- finding group members and choosing species

“My group is so much fun to work with,” Daniel Tanner, sixth grade, said.
Tanner was excited to start this project, and has loved every step so far.

He studied the Feral Pig, which is also referred to as a wild hog, which are from Spain originally. “The Feral Pig is really cool. It has a large population, making it very hard to destroy,” he said.

The project must include a form of presentation. The most common, a PowerPoint, is what Tanner and his group has chosen to work on. Another necessity for a good presentation is a brochure, or something to give away to their audience.

“The Powerpoint must include important information like its habitat, food source and how to stop them [from overpopulating more than before],” Tanner said.
Once Tanner’s group was finished with their work, they were excited to present.

Kathleen Lemme, sixth grade, is also excited to present her final project.

“Right now we are doing research on our species, but I’m really excited to present,” she said. Lemme studied The Brown Headed Cowbird. They have been working on this for roughly two weeks.

​Mr. Ellington, sixth grade science teacher, is excited for his students to participate in this group project.

“This is the second year doing this,” he said. “The students really seem to enjoy working together and choosing the presentation [they want to work on with their group].”

Ellington believes it’s easy to get a good grade on this project, if you do it right. “Knowing your information and being able to present well will get you the grade you want,” he said.

“I’m very excited for this project, it has been a really fun experience so far, and I’m excited to see how it turns out,” Tanner said.