Putting Their School on the Map

Teacher Ed Tooley calls the poster-sized maps he expects from his seventh-graders “Project U.S.A.”

The maps showcase major land formations and landmarks that make each state special. For the past few years the two best have been sent to the White House.

That honor on Tuesday went to 13-year-old Devon Sorenson of Northridge and 12-year-old R.J. Johnson of West Hills.

“We do this to show the president what young people can do as far as creativity,” said Tooley, who teaches social studies at Los Angeles Baptist Junior-Senior High School.

“I want him to understand that kids honor the country that they live in and that they feel very blessed by God that they live in this country.”

The two top projects were chosen from among 110 submitted by students at the school, Tooley said.

Devon’s use of three-dimensional objects, such as a cube of sugar and a small hula dancer doll to represent Hawaii, made her project stand out from the others.

“I couldn’t find a lot of stuff in magazines, but I had a lot of 3-D stuff so I just used that,” Devon said.

R.J. also used a 3-D effect for his project, which made it seem as though the United States was floating out from the background. This was created with a layer of cardboard under the map drawing, R.J. said.

Also eye-catching was the background itself, a picture of the American flag. “My mom helped me with that,” R.J. said.

If past letters signed by President Clinton, which used such phrases as “I’m impressed” are any indication, the president will find this year’s creations to be “breathtaking,” Tooley said.

“Our high school students came in here and they got a kick out of looking at the projects,” he said. “They were amazed by the creativity.”