Marshall Simonds Students Win State Civics Challenge

Twenty-four students in Deanna DiSipio's class at Marshall Simonds Middle School won the iCivics "We Declare Challenge," a statewide competition asking Massachusetts classrooms to recite the Declaration of Independence's opening sections.

The class submitted two versions. For the first, students filmed a green screen production at Burlington Cable Access Television with historical footage. Student intern Carter Jackson arranged the connection; Jackson and Cody Lynch operated the control room during taping.

For the second submission, students converted Classroom B3 into a colonial tavern. They built period costumes from scratch. Two students hand-sewed a liberty cap.

Students rehearsed repeatedly until many learned multiple parts. Some researched unfamiliar language from the Declaration independently while others focused on pronunciation and historical context.

DiSipio said the project linked founding ideals to current events. "It has allowed students to engage with the curriculum based on the founding fathers' ideals and discuss how they are being applied today and throughout our country's history," she said.