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Sixth-graders compete in Ancient Civilization Games
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Neighbors | Abby Slanker.The winning team of the Canfield Village Middle School Ancient Civilization Games was Team Incas. They wore their team colors with pride at the awards ceremony.
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Neighbors | Abby Slanker.Team Indus River Valley showed their team colors and fierceness prior to their next competition in the Canfield Village Middle School Ancient Civilization Games.
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Neighbors | Abby Slanker.Canfield Village Middle School sixth-grader Nick O’Hara soared during the Jump the River contest at the Ancient Civilization Games.
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Neighbors | Abby Slanker.This Ancient Civilization encouraged their teammate with voice commands during the Blindfold Race at the Canfield Village Middle School Ancient Civilization Games.
By ABBY SLANKER
Canfield Village Middle School was the site of the first-ever Ancient Civilization Games June 4-8 as a culmination to the year-long studies of sixth-grade World Geography.
Fifty-six middle school students were divided into six teams which were named after six ancient civilizations they studied in during the school year. Teams included: ancient Egypt, ancient Huang He River Valley (China) and ancient Indus River Valley (India) from the Eastern Hemisphere. Teams representing the Western Hemisphere included the ancient civilizations of the Mayans, Incas and the Aztecs.
The classes competing in the 2012 Ancient Civilization Games included sixth-grade students from Mike Richards’ World Geography class and Rachel Camuso and Doug Dawson’s World Geography class.
Once divided into groups, the students selected their Ancient Civilization and team colors. Teams also devised a team motto and team flag, both of which had to include historical facts the students had learned about their ancient civilization.
Participants competed in nine field events over four days. The events were a mix of individual, partner and whole team activities. Individual and partner activities included: the hunter/gatherers relay, “finding new lands” (a long race), “jump the river” (long jump), the “blindfold race” and “chasing down wild animals” (sprints).
Whole team activities included: crazy, human obstacle course, poisoned dizzy spin sprints and the all team relays.
The final event was the “battle of the civilizations” (dodge ball) structured in a single elimination format. Team points were awarded for first through sixth place finishes for each event.
According to Dawson, the students gathered each morning of the games to learn what they would be participating in that day.
“Each day began with a gathering in the cafeteria to introduce that day’s challenges, report team standings and recognize specific students for their positive sportsmanship,” Dawson said.
Patriotic-looking, rubber ducky awards were given to numerous students throughout the week for their positive sportsmanship, unselfishness and assistance for helping to prepare materials for that day’s competition.
“The first-ever rubber ducky award was given to Kameron Duponty for his exceptional efforts in making certain his team completed the challenging “finding new lands” race, when a fellow teammate was unable to finish on their own,” Dawson said.
On the final day of the Ancient Civilization Games, participants enjoyed the awards ceremony on the Village Green, where teams were awarded their certificates for the top three finishers in each event. As students enjoyed a Dairy Queen treat, the top point earning team was awarded its Ancient Civilization Games medals.