Laguna teen’s history project earns recognition
Sophia Lander, 13, was intent on competing in a National History Day event but needed to find the right sort of history project to throw herself into.
The Thurston Middle School student brainstormed ideas for projects with teacher Michelle Martinez last summer. Then, since Sophia knew she and her family would be traveling to Venice, Italy, she thought that a project analyzing Venetians’ affect on glass making and its use as an item of trade.
And there you have it. Through a website she created, Sophia brought Renaissance-era glass making to life and in turn brought an honor to the Laguna Beach Unified School District.
Last month, the seventh-grader became the first district student to be named a finalist in the Orange County Department of Education’s National History Day event, earning honorable mention. National History Day was started in 1974.
Sophia’s website specifically focused on Murano glass making during the Renaissance. Murano is an island chain off the Venetian coast.
Sophia was one of 23 students who competed in the individual website junior division category, said Rob Vicario, history and social science coordinator for the county education department. Sophia was the only Thurston student who participated in the National History Day competition.
“I like aspects of the whole competition,” Sophia said in a phone interview. “Rather than just writing a report, I worked with coaches [teachers] to understand a topic and explain it in a way to appeal to the judges.”
More than 550 middle and high school students from 38 schools produced original websites, papers, documentaries, performances and exhibits for the competition in March, according to the education department’s website.
Educators and historians evaluated the projects based on the theme “Exploration, Encounter, Exchange in History.”
For her project, Sophia took photos and videos, placed them on her website and inserted a timeline of key historical milestones of glass making through the centuries.
Murano glassmakers, Sophia explained, added chemical compounds that created stronger, more durable material beginning in the 13th century. Her website shows a video of a glassmaker using pliers to mold softened pieces of glass, made of silica, sodium carbonate and lime, into a vase.
Murano glass could “be used to make almost anything, from large vessels to medicine vials,” Sophia’s website said. “Pieces could even be melted together to form a seal without cement. Some historians believe the first eyeglasses, invented in Italy, were made of Murano glass from Venice.”
Sophia learned about website design during a technology camp last summer and put those skills to use in the project, which was not part of her regular coursework.
Without contributions from Murano, “we wouldn’t have iPhones, TVs or computers,” Sophia said, alluding to glass’ use in a variety of products.
“I learned how to convey the topic without directly stating my topic, to show not tell,” Sophia said.
The top two finishers in each division advanced to the state competition in May.
In a statement, Martinez said the project helps students hone several skills.
“My main goal is to get more students involved in the process, especially as it relates to research and analytical thinking,” Martinez said. “It is a great research process to incorporate in all of my classes as it relates to Common Core [state standards] and English-language arts and social studies standards.”
Founded in 1974 at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, National History Day was created to inspire students to conduct original historical research, according to the organization’s website.
More than 600,000 participants across the world participate in the contest, with thousands of dollars in scholarships and awards given annually.
To view Sophia’s website, “Through the Looking Glass: Murano Glass Exchange During the Renaissance,” visit 94721398.nhd.weebly.com.
