Presented by Ninth Grade English Class of The Gunston School 
(with credit to the BBC and Charles Dickens)

Mr. Eliot Bamford’s ninth grade students recently completed a creative individual project focused on the novel Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. Students picked from a variety of options centered around four different themes including:

• technology (create a social media feed for a “modern” Pip; create a video game that includes characters and plot from the book using your own coding; or make an online comic strip)
• art (create your own graphic novel; organize an infographic of the characters; or develop a brochure for visitors to 1800s London promoting the locations Pip visits) 
• writing (craft letters that could come from the characters in the book; compose a poem, rap or song summarizing a character’s journey with a recording or music video; or develop a news report as a Victorian journalist covering the death of Compeyson)
• hands-on activity (make Miss Havisham’s wedding cake; recreate her dining room in your house; or build a scale model of the Satis House and grounds).

The students who chose a hands-on activity presented their Great Expectations projects this past Thursday, May 20 during lunch. The projects were presented in the gym and judged by Mr. Bamford, Ms. Grabis, and Ms. Sheets, Gunston’s “resident experts.”

“We were absolutely blown away by the creativity,” said Mr. Bamford. “I know Samantha Jayne put in at least 8 hours of work on her piece and it shows. All of the students worked very hard on this project. I was particularly impressed by how students combined cooking skills with elements of Great Expectations to show how Miss Havisham's cake slowly decays, as this is a major theme of the book.”

The remainder of the assignments are due today, so check back to see some of the other projects!

Best cake (traditional design and taste) 
WINNER: Caeden Harrison

Honorable mentions: 
Allie Fitzgerald
Sedona Bell

Most Creative presentation 
WINNER: Samantha Jayne

Honorable mentions:
Lucas LaFleur
Matthew Periconi

Best overall (most closely follows the description from the book) 
WINNER: Madison Brown

Honorable mentions:
Allie Fitzgerald
Zoe Buzzelli 

Best House Model overall (All materials - card, paper, wood, or lego)
WINNER: Taylor Rainer