After researching the possible effects of global warming, Miranda Richman, Carole Grant, Jacob Austin and Gabrielle Wagabaza decided to submit an opinion piece last week to the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram with the help of their teacher, Randy Bigelman.
Their column was posted online in addition to being printed in the paper. Less than a week later, it had received 194 comments, many of them critical.
The national conservative political Web site, drudgereport.com, added a link, driving 49,320 readers of the Drudge Report to the column.
It was also the most viewed story on the Press Herald Web site from Friday through Sunday.
The students gave information and statistics gleaned from their research, and argued that people need to make lifestyle changes to help reduce the effects of global warming.
Anonymous commentators from as far away as California, Texas and Nevada have written in response to the kids' column. Some applaud the students for looking forward to the future; many others blast what they call the "myth" of man-induced global warming.
"I just was writing about what I think is important and what could happen," said Gabrielle, 10, who has not read the online responses. "It's a real issue, and something could happen to us if we don't take charge of it."
Many of the comments criticized the children's teacher for being too liberal and not teaching both sides of the issue.
Others lambasted liberals, or public schools in general, or Maine, or the newspaper.
Some commented on the children, saying they were "brainwashed" and should be kept "in school and out of the media" until they can vote and make a living.
But Jacob, 9, said the comments didn't faze him.
"I thought they should do a little research, and then they can tell me we did a bad job," he said. "They can say all the stuff they want about global warming, that it's just junk and all that, but until they do their research, I don't want to listen to their opinion."
Bigelman, who has been teaching for 12 years, said the opinion piece was a voluntary project, and the students chose the topic.
Although he received several negative e-mails after the article was printed, Bigelman said he is proud of his students.
"This was as much a writing exercise as a science exercise," he said. "It was a persuasive argument. People paid attention to their writing."
Carol Dayn, principal of East End Community School, said she is upset that all of the negative comments have taken the focus off the work the kids did.
"The children did a wonderful job explaining how they felt. Their work should not be discounted because someone doesn't agree with them," she said. "Whether you agree or not, these children are independent thinkers. That's what we want."
Jacob's mother, Rachel Narehood Austin, said she is OK with the comments that were posted online. She said it was a learning opportunity for her son.
"This is democracy," she said. "This is an area about which the public is engaged."
She disagreed with many of the comments made about her son's column.
She disputed the argument that Jacob is receiving a biased education, and said people should take time to listen to what the children have to say.
Bill Mitchell, the editor of Poynter Online, a part of the Poynter Institute, a journalism think tank, said the huge response to the students' piece is part of a trend in the media as newspapers encourage interaction through the Internet.
Mitchell said newspapers must now struggle with how to handle all of those comments.
"Gone are the days journalists are the real gatekeepers to information," Mitchell said. "We've given up some control to consumers. They are contributing as well as consuming."
Staff Writer Allison Ross can be contacted at 791-6451 or at:
aross@pressherald.com
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