Bowie Elementary’s fifth-grade students brought the spirit of all 50 U.S. states to life during the 2nd Annual Bowie Patriot State Fair on December 13. The event celebrated student achievement and blended essential skills from English Language Arts, math, science and social studies into a comprehensive research project focused on one of the U.S. states.

Each student selected a state to research and spent almost two months gathering information, solving problems and creating a detailed, keynote presentation. “The students had to include research from all four content areas in their slideshow presentations,” said Mrs. Haire.

Along with the presentation, students showcased their research through a trifold display and added a creative element of their choosing. “For their project boards, they were able to choose what information they found to be the most interesting from their research,” said Mrs. Haire. “Their creative element just had to represent their state in some way.” Creative elements included state-themed baked goods like pies and cakes; memory games based on the information presented; and miniature models of iconic landmarks such as a South Carolina beach, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Old Man of the Mountain cliff in New Hampshire.

“I loved seeing all of the kids' presentations!" said Mrs. Haire. "They each were very unique and showed their personalities. It was fun seeing some of my kids that are shy come out of their shells and shine. They worked so hard and they were excited to show off all of their new knowledge.”

Building on last year’s success, this year’s fair introduced a new and more complex research element. “This year, we added an element to their research where they had to plan a road trip from Washington DC to their state’s capital city,” said Mrs. Haire. “They had to calculate the distance, time to travel (with rest time), amount of gas needed, and the cost of their gas. They also had to research the cost of lodging and meals. At the end, they calculated the round-trip cost of their trip.”

This added element not only deepened the students' research skills but also gave them a practical understanding of budgeting, time management and real-world problem-solving, making their projects more dynamic and relevant. Students presented their hard work to a panel of judges, parents and relatives, earning valuable feedback. “The parents enjoyed seeing their kids shine,” said Mrs. Haire. “The parents also became very invested in the projects as they helped their children to finish their presentation elements at home.”

Judges evaluated projects based on four categories: Exhibit/Display; Creativity & Originality; Project; and Oral Presentation. Following the state presentations, the judges handed out a variety of awards, including:

• Tech Savvy – Giselle Garcia
• Most Informative – Addy McMillan
• Most Organized – Iliana Belman
• Most Creative – Trinity Pitre
• Honorable Mention – Amiyah Hughes
• Best in the Midwest Region – Suede Fischer
• Best in the West Region – Abigail Allen
• Best in the Southwest Region – Sasha Lara
• Best in the Southeast Region – Aydan Ortiz
• Best in the Northeast Region – Warren Gooch
• Best Overall – Thomas Cromwell

Mrs. Haire shared that the feedback from students about the state fair projects was overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing how much they enjoyed the research process. “They said it was fun being an expert," she said. "One student said that she liked that she could show what she had learned in a creative way instead of just writing a report.”

San Angelo ISD celebrates the hard work and dedication of all students who participated in the Bowie Patriot State Fair. The district also commends Mrs. Haire, Klaire Sanders, Marla Medina, and the SAISD Curriculum team for the instruction, guidance and support they provided to their students. We proudly celebrate all the ways our students are smart and the methods our educators use to cultivate their individual smartness. To stay up-to-date on San Angelo ISD, please visit the SAISD website at www.saisd.org and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and X