By Debbie Burt Myers

A detailed replica of the courthouse and surrounding buildings on the square may soon be on display for the public, thanks to seventh-grade Advance Placement math classes at Neshoba Central Middle School.

Constructed using thousands of Legos, the large-scale project spans four tables.

Funding was provided through a $500 grant from the Community Foundation East Mississippi along with support from additional sponsors.

Instructor Tonya Hancock said students used tape measures and a Google Earth app to gather precise measures of the buildings.

“They measured details such as the height and width of a brick to assist with their calculations,” she said. “It required a lot of ingenuity. Students spent three days converting the measurements and placing them on graph paper. One Lego stub equaled 1.6 feet. That was their scale factor.”

Students said the project was both fun and educational.

“I think this was a very fun and creative idea for us to do,” said Lily Carsyn Barrett. “I like how even when this was a school project I still learned measurements and honestly how to build. I used the things around me to find the stuff I couldn't actually measure. Overall I think this was a fun project and would definitely recommend doing something like this in the future.”

Kooper Herrington agreed.

“It was very fun even though it was a little challenging it doesn't only teach us math it also teaches us how to work with a group and these are both skills we will use through our entire life,” she said.

Rivers Pope said the students learned real life skills.

“I really liked the project, even with a few problems here and there,” she said. “It really made us think about using real life math skills, and it was really fun to do it with a group.”

Forty-eight students in 12 groups contributed to the project. They compiled photographs of each building. The eighth grade computer science and engineering class did the signage on each building and street.

Hancock incorporated a number of life skills in the project.

“Each group had a project manager, a material manager and a liaison to talk among the groups,” she said. “They had to deal of absentees, material shortages and working together as unit to collaborate. It was math and a lot extra!”

Hancock said the students added a number of details inside the Lego structures.

“If you look through the Kademi window, you’ll see people shopping,” she said. “In the courthouse annex, there is a judge and some furniture. Outside another building, once a hospital, you’ll see a man on a stretcher.”

Landscaping elements including flowers, were added to enhance the display.

As an added bonus, the group that finished early added the corner of the Ellis Theater to the project.

The courthouse itself was built in four sections, complete with the monument and flag and can be assembled into a single structure.

Several groups, included the county administrator and board of supervisors, have viewed the project.

“They’ve expressed an interested in putting it on display in the courthouse,” Hancock said.

Pictured:

First row, from left, Garrett Savell, Roxie Clark, Alexis Sullivan, Tehya Jimmie, Brayden Webb, Rivers Pope and Sutton Blackstone. Second row, Gannon Perry, Jenny Moore, Haven Calloway, Liam Cumberland, Judson McDaniel, Linnea Baker, Peyton Sharp and Brooklyn Garrett. Back row, Elias Simmons, Kooper Herrington, Kyle Stokes, Journi Garcia and Bentley McDaniel. Not pictured, Avery Myers, Luis Orozco and Kallie Pope.

 

 

First  row, from left, Silas Taylor, Joseph Williams, Jacob Wallace, Ryleigh Robertson, Patton Phillips, Trinity Gray, Brycen Higginbotham, Dalton Larson, Jacob McCullough,  William Nowell, Jaggar Gibbons, Andrew Taylor, Harper White, Ayden Bobo, Selah Ben, Abbie Dertinger, Taylee Fortenberry, Addylynn Massey, Gracelyn Davis and Cayleigh Gates. Back row, Rivers Bounds and Noah Pinter. Not pictured, Lily Carsyn Barrett, Reese Robinson.