Niles High School sophomores have been learning about the "Greatest Generation" and will share their knowledge with the public at a history fair to be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the McKinley Memorial Library's auditorium.
Steve Papalas, history teacher, said 52 students in his tenth-grade academic history class will display their projects on everything from the 1930s and 1940s which includes the Depression, New Deal, D-Day, Iwo Jima, Pearl Harbor, Eleanor Roosevelt, Aushwitz, Social Security Act, Rosie the Riveter and the Tuskegee Airmen,
The activity is one of the final assignments for the students.
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Niles High School sophomores, under the instruction of history teacher, Stephen Papalas, have been studying the era nicknamed the ‘‘Greatest Generation.’’ Students will display their projects at a History Fair from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the McKinley Memorial Auditorium. Student projects depicting the era were judged by members of the library board of trustees and library director, Patrick Finan. Pictured front row, from left, are:Alex Lucas, Ed Kleese and Brandi Burrows. Back row, from left, are Brendan Smith, Adam Denney, Steve Papalas, Finan, Freemont Camerino and Kaitlin Gatta.
Papalas said the students could select a topic that related to the time period on events, national and international leaders, Holocaust and death camps, major battles, and military leaders.
"The kids are very interested in this because it is closer to the present time and relatives lived through this. It is not like they are studying something that happened in the 1800s," he said.
Papalas said students also liked being able to talk to their grandparents which makes the assignment more relevant to them.
Judges for the event are Patrick Finan of the McKinley Memorial Library, Fremont Camerino of the Niles Historical Society and former city council president and Richard Bullock, retired Niles McKinley High School teacher and guidance counselor.
A similar event was held earlier this year which covered events from the Gilded Age to the 1920s.
"This one seems to have more interest from the students because they had grandparents, uncles who lived then. They are also less nervous and prepared for the judges. I look for some really good projects.'' Papalas said.
Papalas said many of the students were able to speak with their grandparents, great-grandparents, uncles and aunts when gathering data.
Papalas said television broadcaster journalist Tom Brokaw wrote a book about "The Greatest Generation." That generation has been given that label for having lived through the Depression and World War II.
"The Greatest Generation" describes the generation who grew up in the United States during the deprivation of the Great Depression, and then went on to fight in World War II, as well as those whose productivity within the war's home front made a decisive material contribution to the war effort
Papalas said four students have been writing about their grandparents who were in the war and will be bringing grandparents and their grandparent's memorabilia items as part of their exhibit. "Some of the grandparents will also attend the event and sit by the displays.
''People who come to visit will be able to talk to people who served in World War II," he said.
The public is invited.