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A silent classroom with 30 fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders at Robert Goddard Montessori School in Seabrook looked like what one would image the elementary school classroom version of the United Nations to look like: two long desks for heads of state and five smaller, circular desks.

One by one, each 3- to 4-foot-tall member of the four-person affirmative and four-person negative debate teams was called by the moderator and walked to the center of the classroom, looking slightly fearful. There the member presented memorized arguments and rebuttals to 12 student jurors as to whether students in public schools should wear uniforms.

In a rebuttal, Rodnae Gould asked Darin Jackson if his resolution stated that people don't wear uniforms in the real world. Darin said ‘yes,' and Rodnae countered that UPS and FedEx employees wear uniforms. Darin said some jobs require uniforms and others don't.

The students had their first debate about a familiar topic as a way to learn the debate process. They will eventually debate world-issues like poverty and war, said parent liaison Candace Gunn.

The school introduced the idea of starting a Montessori Model United Nations program in October and hoped six elementary and six middle school students would be interested.

The response was overwhelming: 42 fourth- through eighth-graders were interested.

The students are part of the Montessori Model United Nations, the only public Montessori school in Maryland with this program.

Students are learning to act as ambassadors of different United Nation member countries and develop resolutions about world issues that affect these countries, said parent volunteer Nicole Stewart.

The program had its first hands-on meeting Nov. 12.

Another group, made up of three fourth-, fifth and sixth-graders and 12 seventh- and eighth-graders, discussed military dictatorship and human rights. Students will be divided into delegation committees, like the General Assembly, the Food and Agriculture Organization and The United Nations Children's Fund.

The older students are led by Michael Summers, the father of a pre-kindergartner and second-grader at the school. Summers participated in Model UN in college and wanted to get involved with Montessori Model UN.

"Model UN in college opened my eyes to a broader reality [of the world]," said Summers, community liaison and special assistant for Prince George's County State's Attorney Glenn F. Ivey (D). "I wanted to get involved because it's a civic duty and I wanted to participate in my children's school."

Summers led the students with an infectious enthusiasm shown in his booming voice, smile and gestures, bright eyes and interest in world issues as they discussed what countries have military dictatorships and why everyone in the U.S. doesn't have health care. Students fed off of his enthusiasm and provided reasons why everyone in the U.S. doesn't have health care. They said everyone deserves health care and that it's a human right, but recognized some working people don't have health insurance because they don't make enough money to pay for it or enough money to qualify for Medicaid.

"Issues, like immigration, starvation and poverty, are international concerns that our kids will have to deal with," Summers said. "I hope they're better able to deal with and help America and our future."

Fourth-grader Ryan Orwig, 9, of Bowie joined Model UN because he wants to be a U.S. leader.

"I want to be a mayor or the president," Orwig said. "I want to learn more stuff about countries, like Austria. I hadn't heard of Austria before and it sounds interesting."

Thomas Staton, 9, a fourth-grader from Laurel, likes the program so far.

"It seemed like something fun to do that I haven't done before," he said. "I really like it. It's a lot of work and I like to do work."

The students will travel to New York City in March for a Montessori Model UN conference where other Montessori students from across the country—and even students from China—will participate, Stewart said. At past conferences, students from Canada, Mexico and the Dominican Republic, among other countries, have participated.

E-mail Liz Skalski at eskalski@gazette.net.