Whodunit?
That was the question that consumed students at New Ellenton Middle STEAM Magnet School for much of the month of March. In the fictitious case of CSI: "Accident or Foul Play", students were presented with a mystery - who (or what) led custodian "Larry Cunningham" to topple from a ladder, leading to severe injuries? Students were asked to solve the case through analysis of the "crime" scene (the media center), layers of evidence, and suspect interviews.
On Friday, March 25, groups of sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students presented their cases before "Judge George" Mark Dugar and a jury including Aiken County Superintendent King Laurence, ACPSD Assistant Superintendent of Middle Schools Dr. Phyllis Gamble, ACPSD Director of Federal Programs Kristy Cansler, and other District leaders.
"I was very impressed with these students and they did an incredible job," stated Aiken County Superintendent King Laurence. "They did a lot of research and put a lot of time into this process. You could tell they were very excited about it and you could tell it created a lot of engagement and there was a huge buzz throughout the school. "
Faculty and staff members participated in the case either as suspects, witnesses, investigators, or support personnel who created movie trailers and videoed press conferences and interviews which were played to the entire school of student investigators.
Despite a number of pieces of evidence and clues pointing to a number of suspects, Friday afternoon's video reveal showed a rogue squirrel that entered the scene of the crime through a propped open door was actually the guilty party.
"This was very exciting to see middle school students bringing all of their academics and their social skills all together in one final product," commented Assistant Superintendent Dr. Phyllis Gamble, who also participated in the project as a suspect and member of the jury. "All of the students did a great job."
Shunte Dugar, Principal of NEMS and a suspect in the case, stated that she was very proud of her students and staff for all the hard work they had placed into the school-wide activity.
"They've worked hard from the very beginning of being placed in groups, gathering evidence, and making their cases and arguments," stated Principal Dugar. "They did a wonderful job and I am very proud of the students."
The sixth-grade winning investigative team included students Tristen Washington, Ashton Arnold, Ethan McKinney, and Blakely Head. The top investigative team from seventh grade included students Teagan Walker, Shalon Russell, and Julia Bessette. Finally, the most outstanding eighth-grade investigative team included students Caden Crapse, Talia Ellis, Jordan Hodges, and Emma Riede.
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LINK TO DISTRICT PRESS RELEASE: 2022 PR NEMS ACCIDENT OR FOUL PLAY