Students in Troy Elementary School’s Talented and Gifted program took an in-depth look at technology. They rewired USB drives to plug in a light bulb and operate it with a keyboard. They experimented with electrical currents and learned how Apple Computers came to be.

Teacher Melanie Baker wrapped up the series by assigning a project on inventions. She was impressed by the presentations and the effort the students put into the assignment.

Students researched and presented projects on inventions that interested them. Projects ranged from The Pony Express to Google.

Caden Bryan took another look at the light bulb. After learning its origin, used a handful of batteries to light a bulb.

“The light bulb, it got me interested and stuff,” said the sixth-grader.

Anna Jordan did a retrospective of military communication. She said she found the subject interesting.

“There’s so many types of communication used,” she said.

Fifth-graders Irene Park and Kiley Edenfield shared what they learned by creating iMovies.

Edenfield said hers took days to complete, but it was work she enjoyed. She settled on her subject after finding a Pinterest pin about cameras. She made a model of a camera from an aluminum can.

“I saw this on Pinterest and wanted to make it,” she said.

Abigail Lethcoe was inspired by a photograph of a space shuttle preparing for launch. She researched the parts of the shuttle and learned how the NASA program was the mother of inventions.

She pointed out a collage of photos that included a weed-wacker, artificial limbs, baby food and a dustbuster.

“See all of this over here?” Lethcoe said. “If it wasn’t for the space shuttle, we would not have any of it.”