quest celebrates
TRANSCRIPT
Quest
Celebrates
Grade 5Independent Project
called a Type III
Race to Retirement
EconomicsGeorge B.
I was interested in the European Union
crisis, because it was in the news and
began to wonder; how do economies
work? What products do people produce
and who wants to buy them? I also
wanted to know how inflation happens?
I decided to make a game that symbolizes the life span of a family’s economy? I wanted to get people engaged in my game, so I used my classmates’ personalities to my advantage. Race to Retirement was, as they say, “off and running.”
Greek Mythology and Its
Influence Today
Cultural AnthropologyMatthew B.
My recent travels to Europe and Greece
inspired me to explore Greece’s culture,
language, art, and how people live.
Anthropology comes from two Greek
words Antro and Logs. Those words mean
Human Thought.
My search began with a reflection
of my favorite places in
Greece, and how the Greek culture
is explained with their mythology. I
even wrote my own myth. I loved
showing people how Greeks
influenced our consumer products
today.
Who took my a ?
Archaeological PhenomenaWalker B.
I wanted to study the scientific remains of
the past that reflect human behavior like
Stonehenge, The Pyramids and Macchu
Pichu. This lead to archaeologists like
Howard Carter and Heinrich Schliemann.
The most interesting was the Terra-Cotta
soldiers found in China. They were buried
along with the emperor Ch’in Shin Huang
Ti who also started the Great Wall of
China. This led me to the question of
“ethics.” Should tombs be disturbed or
preserved and is this the right thing to do?
Here’s how it might have happened?
Engineering the Great PyramidMatteo C.
Our mystery theme in fourth grade Quest
was so interesting to me, that in fifth
grade I continued exploring historical
mysteries along with conspiracy theories.
How the Great Pyramids were built is
disputed by Egyptologists and no records
exist to tell their story.
An explanation of how this may have
happened was published by a civil
engineer named Dick Parry in Engineering
the Pyramids. I decided to build a series
of models to demonstrate some of these
ideas, including: primitive
cranes, rollers, and tree lifters.
Take An Envelope From the Amelia
Earhart Suitcase!
Amelia Earhart and FlightCristina G.
How have aircraft design, aeronautic
theory and psychology changed
throughout the ages? Why do people
want to fly and how does it affect their
feelings and character. This led me to the
icon of flight in the USA, Amelia Earhart.
I explored the mystery of her last flight,
and how her childhood and personality
affected her career. I used her feelings
and attitudes to write a diary from her
perspective.
How did you make your
animations?
Graphic Design and
Animation Eryk J.
In the beginning, my interest in doodling
and cartooning, and my combination of
multiple intelligences of mathematical
and visual/spacial smarts led me to a
study in design….
As a product, I practiced animation and
graphic design. Graphic design is used in
everything from clothes to logos to
skyscrapers. I made my own animations
titled Eryk I and Bird with a program called
Toonboom Studio and AnimationCreate
on the iPad.
What was so “great” about
Catherine the Great?
Female MonarchsEmily M.
I became interested in Marie Antoinette after
reading a historical fiction diary about her.
Her famous comment, “Let them eat cake”
demonstrates how those in power can be
unaware of their subjects’ basic human
conditions. Others however, demonstrate
compassion like Catherine the Great, who
was praised for her generosity and humanity.
How Queens reign and maintain power is
fascinating.
Can you find her?
I created a matching game
using paintings, quotes and
summaries that would help
people to understand some of
the most famous queens.
Have you ever heard of Nikki Yanofsky ?
JazzMeg C.
The first time I heard jazz on the radio, I fell
head over heels for it. It was so different
from classical pieces like Fur Elise. Being
able to play what you feel without
criticism appealed to me.
The roots of jazz were full of musical
surprises. When I heard a young
Canadian jazz singer who sounded just
like Ella Fitzgerald the “First Lady of Song,”
I had to find out more. I was lucky enough
to interview a jazz expert right here in
West Hartford. It opened up a whole new
level of understanding about Jazz.
See for yourself.
CosmologyGrace D.
Space and the end of the universe; I
couldn’t stop thinking about so many
questions. How could space possibly be
unlimited? Why can’t we see all eleven
dimensions. And why are there only
eleven?
Black holes seemed to “suck me in,” after
my first thoughts about them. So I
decided to make a model of one. It was
harder than I thought but simple too. It
was fun to show people how they work.