POLAND — Nineteen Gifted and Talented art students in grades two through six at Poland Community School made historic community connections thanks to a special art education unit entitled “Maine Landmarks, Their Stories.”

The students selected a community landmark, learned about the history and stories associated with it and connected with it through art.

During the five-month unit, the students worked with Ell Fanus, a Regional School Unit 16 Gifted and Talented teacher, and Jonathan Graffius, Poland Community School’s art teacher, and chose to learn more about the Poland Spring Resort.

The students met with Poland Spring Preservation Society Publicity Director Kate MacGregor to learn more about the resort’s history. With this knowledge, the students created a historic timeline and then selected specific areas of interest on the timeline.

Some of the student projects focused on the great fire that destroyed the inn and they created stained glasses window to depict the fire as well as a “whodunnit” style board game to determine the cause of the fire.

The All Souls Chapel’s stained glass windows also inspired another student to learn more about the famous Tiffany stained glass and one of the accomplished female designers at the turn of the century.

Other student projects focused on the Chicago World’s Columbian Exhibition where the Maine State Building was erected. One student focused on the fact that the 1893 fair was first to use electricity to illuminate the fairgrounds and learned more about the scientist responsible for this electrical feat, Nikola Tesla. Another student learned more about the only female architect invited to design a building for the fair.

All of the students presented their final projects to more than 100 members of the public. Each student, in character, told a short excerpt of the history of Poland Spring Resort and highlighted the major events on their historic timeline. Attendees moved through the Maine State Building to see all of the student presentations as well as the permanent displays.

FMI: www.rsu16.org.