Student projects on display at museum
Globe staff report
Posted April 25, 2002

Miniature Sioux Gateway Arches, the combination bridge, city hall, Orpheum Theater, Grandview Bandshell and Sgt. Floyd Monument are a few of the past and present Sioux City landmarks made by elementary students now on display at the Sioux City Public Museum.

The history projects of nine Catholic school students from Holy Family and Blessed Sacrament schools are among the 53 projects on display through May 5 for the 11th Annual Sioux City History Projects.

Blessed Sacrament students with displays are Nathan Berger, combination bridge; Chris Karpuk, city hall; Grace McElroy, elevated railroad; Emily Tape, corn palace and Jimmy Thelen, Flight 232 Memorial.

Holy Family students with displays are Zach Beals, Chief War Eagle; Michelle Brockamp, First Bride's Grave; Alyssa Duncan, Sgt. Floyd Welcome Center; and Gregory Gill, Bruguier's Cabin.

"It was a great way for students to get excited and learn about Sioux City history," said Janet Finzen, fourth grade history teacher at Holy Family. "The students had to research their projects and many of them gave me new information."

While this is the fourth year Finzen has had her students make the landmarks, this is the first time Holy Family has been included in the display. The timing wasn't right to coincide with the display. In past years, she had her students work on the projects in the spring but the museum selected the displays in the fall.

Beth Karpuk, fourth-grade social studies teacher at Blessed Sacrament, opted to have her students make the projects for class as well.

With Iowa requiring state history as part of the fourth-grade social studies curriculum, encompassing Sioux City in that unit appeared to make sense. People from the museum selected the projects for the display.

Blessed Sacrament student McElroy pointed out that she worked on her miniature elevated railroad on and off over three weeks. She got the idea for this landmark from a history book she viewed at G.R. Lindblade and Co.

The fourth-grader said it was good to be involved in making the display and she found it to be a learning experience.

"I was looking through a book and saw a picture of this old bridge and thought it was cool," said fellow Blessed Sacrament student Berger, who added that he was surprised when his project was selected.

He made the bridge out of Styrofoam and toothpicks.

Brockamp, a student at Holy Family, made the First Bride's Grave out cardboard that she painted gray. She fenced it in with pop cycle sticks. She had visited the gravesite with her mother.

She liked being selected for the museum display "because I have never won anything before."

Duncan used boxes, toothpicks, a toilet paper roll and Lego people among other things to build a boat, the Sgt. Floyd Welcome Center.

"I thought it would be interesting to do it because I've been there to visit," she explained.

To conclude their unit on Iowa and Sioux City history last fall, Holy Family students toured numerous landmarks in the city.

The students will be honored with a reception on May 5.