Rehoboth Elementary student wins regional geography bee
National flags sparked an interest in geography for Rehoboth Elementary fifth-grader Ben Bowman, whose aptitude in the subject earned him a first-place finish in the fifth-grade division regional final of the International Academic Competition geography bee.
“It was really exciting,” Ben said. “It was hard to win it because there was one kid who was really good.”
With his top finish, Ben now has the opportunity to compete at nationals and the international competition in Austria this summer. Ben said he has his sights set on Austria.
Ben said he is considering taking part in another regional competition as a practice round. He qualified for the regional competition that was held at George School outside Philadelphia by taking an online exam.
The online exam was much easier than the in-person, Jeopardy-like format competition, which has more in-depth questioning, Ben said.
Ben said he’s been practicing for the next competition by using a study guide full of facts and questions. His favorite flag? Bhutan’s, which features a Chinese dragon from Bhutanese mythology.
Rehoboth Elementary science teacher Jacquie Kisiel said the International Academic Competition geography bee has taken the place of the now-defunct National Geographic geography bee competition.
