BATH

Phippsburg Elementary School students and their fifth-grade teacher unveiled impressive research Monday into the history of Popham Colony.

Kasie Hasselbacher, Gaige Kindlimann, Kali Pierce and Chloe Shanklin, together with teacher Amber Snell, provided details of their book “The Untold Adventure of the Popham Colony,” to the Regional School Unit 1 Board of Directors.

The Phippsburg PTA purchased copies of the published book for each student, and will donate copies to local libraries.

Hasselbacher, Kindlimann, Pierce and Shanklin each provided details of how the fifthgrade class put the book together in about two months.

Director William Perkins of Phippsburg praised the effort, and suggested students send a copy to the Library of Congress.

“A whole new generation has taken up the charge,” Perkins said, “and your pride in your community is quite remarkable.”

Hasselbacher spoke first, passing out copies of note cards, newspaper articles and other resources the students used. Kindlimann explained the process the students used to draft the book. Pierce showed the board how they edited those drafts, and Shanklin displayed photographs used in the book.

Snell said students were learning about the colonization of America and were frustrated that there was no information in their history book about the Popham Colony — only about Jamestown, Roanoke and Plymouth.

The Popham Colony was founded by the Virginia Company of Plymouth in 1607 and located in Phippsburg, near the mouth of the Kennebec River.

“The students felt that the Popham Colony was just as important to our country’s history and its story deserved to be told,” Snell said. “So, they decided to write a book about it.”

The students worked in groups to read newspaper and magazine articles, research papers by archeologist Dr. Jeffery Brain, newsletters from the Friends of Phippsburg, “and any other sources they could find to take notes about the colony and its leaders,” Snell said.

Students drafted different parts of the story and edited and compiled it online, using an outside editor, the school librarian, to help with revisions.

Finally, students came up with the title, “The Untold Adventure of the Popham Colony,” and made illustrations.

The public can purchase a book at http://www.lulu.com/shop/m rs- snells- 5th- g rade/ theuntold adventure- of- thep opham- colony/hardcover/product- 20747795. html? showPreview= true.

“Hopefully, this book will help spread the word about the accomplishments of the Popham Colony and keep it from being a forgotten part of our history,” Snell said.

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