Bullpups Learn About Forensics and Journalism
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Two classes of Toombs County middle schoolers (Bullpups per the school mascot) gained hands-on experience on forensics, the process which crimes are processed and solved, and reporting the news during a two-week project that united teachers and community members.
Kristi Cain and Marshia Pierce’s class of 7th grades ended their school year with an exciting unit, which focused on how forensic cases were studied, investigated, and reported. The idea for the unit first arose after The Advance Staff Writer Makaylee Randolph visited the class to speak on journalism earlier in the semester.
“Ms. Randolph told the students and me that she enjoyed her job, and that the forensics side of reporting really interested her,” Cain explained. “From thereon, the idea grew to allow students to explore this aspect of journalism after the annual milestone standardized testing.” To begin the unit, students read and studied an article that reported a historic, unsolved murder of a woman in the early 20th Century. The article provided by Lyons Main Street Executive Director Daphne Walker served as the basis of the project, as the students reported on a fictional discovery of new evidence in the cold case as the conclusion of the unit.
During the two weeks of lessons, several community members visited the class to speak on various forensic, law, and writingrelated topics. First, Author Larry Griggers came to speak on his new book, The Baby Overland, which details another historic murder in the area. He spoke to students about the research and writing processes of forensic cases. The next day, Toombs County Sheriff’s Office Investigations Captain Jordan Kight visited the class to give a presentation about the investigation process. Former Toombs County Chief Magistrate Judge Rizza O’Connor addressed the class the following day about witness testimonies and how to determine the legitimacy of each perspective.
The first week of the unit closed out with excitement, as Captain Kight and Randolph held a mock press conference about the simulated evidence discovery. During this time, Toombs County Middle School Principal Thomas Mercer and teacher Walter Wright acted as witnesses to the discovery, providing students with conflicting accounts of the event. The students were required to process the conflicting accounts through methods that O’Connor had taught them. Students asked questions regarding the discovery and gained information to use as they crafted an article about the new evidence.
Throughout the second week of the unit, students worked individually and in groups to form a newsletter featuring this key article. Randolph returned throughout the writing process to provide tips and help students throughout the endeavor.
As the unit concluded on Thursday, May 11, Captain Kight and Randolph returned to the class to present awards to students who excelled in various aspects of the project, and to enjoy a time of fun and games with the class. Among these awards was the “Sherlock Holmes Award” for excellence in questions during the press conference, the “Stump the Expert Award” for the best question during the press conference, the “Journalism Award” for the most well-written article, the “Leadership Award,” and the “Overthinker Award” for questioning details to ensure accurate information was reported throughout the project. A “Survivor Award” was even given to a community volunteer in the project for their achievement in “surviving” a 7th grade class.
Recipients of these awards were as follows: “Sherlock Holmes Award” – Kaleb Clements; “Stump the Expert Award” – Georgia Lumley; “Journalism Award” – Alona Wright, Serenity Emerick, Lilliana Thigpen, Eliza Flowers; “Leadership Award” – Lane Morris; “Overthinker Award” – Ian Barton, and “Survivor Award” – Captain Jordan Kight.
The teacher who oversaw the unit reflected on the event. “This project showed how much the Toombs County community loves their students,” teacher Kristi Cain emphasized. “Middle School is a challenging time in a young person’s life, and writing is not always their favorite activity. I believe it is important that students see how many different roles there are in a community and create an experience where we can join this with writing.”
She continued, “It was amazing to see this journey combine critical thinking and real life experiences to make education more enjoyable. The students went beyond our expectations with their finished newspapers. I could not be more proud of them! I am also humbled by all the adults who went out of their way to make sure they could be a part of the journey through journalism. The invaluable experience each individual brought to the students to challenge and teach them was incredible to witness. There was a great deal happening behind the scenes. I hope this will be a great memory for our students.”
FORENSICS & JOURNALISM – Kristi Cain and Marshia Pierce’s 7th grade classes gained hands-on experience in the world of forensics and journalism, as they worked to craft an article on a fictional new discovery in a historic local cold case. Students shown here were presented awards by Captain Kight and Makaylee Randolph for their excellence throughout the project. Front row, L to R: Kaleb Clements, Ian Bartow, Alona Wright, Lilliana Thigpen, Captain Kight. Back Row, L to R: Randolph, Georgia Lumley, Serenity Emerick. Not pictured: Lane Morris, Eliza Flowers.
HONORING VETERANS AT CITY HALL – Not only has the City of Lyons honored local veterans in the community through the display of a Veterans’ Tree in the building, but the City has also provided a special “Veterans Parking Space” in the facility’s parking lot. Here, City of Lyons Associate Ryan Brack – an Army veteran who fought in combat in Iraq – stands next to the newly-installed signage designating the space.Photo by Alysa Marsicano
