Some 50 students from Edward Little, Monmouth, Mountain Valley and Oak Hill high schools will compete in the statewide Academic Decathlon Competition on March 5 in Portland.

The decathlon is a national scholastic competition for high school students, director David Heckman, a retired Monmouth teacher, said. The competition allows students to experience rigorous team and individual academic competition.

This year’s theme is the Great Depression.

“They’ve read the ‘Grapes of Wrath’ and writers of the ’30s,” Heckman said. “They’ve studied the geology of the country and what led to the dust bowl.” Students have also studied art and music from the 1930s, including “Brother Can You Spare a Dime” by Rudy Valley and songs by Billie Holiday and Leadbelly.

“There seems to be a parallel with the Great Depression to what’s going on today (with the economy and its impact),” Heckman said.

Students will take tests in economics, essay-writing, art, interview, language, math, music, science, social science and speech. At 4 p.m. Saturday students will compete in an “oral relay portion,” a fast-paced, game-show-style competition with plenty of cheering and applause. The relay will be hosted by WCSH6 meteorologist Joe Cupo.

Heckman, who has been involved in the decathlon for decades, said students who participate get a well-rounded, rigorous dose of academic competition in subjects they may not have in school.

Teams are made up of students who have A averages, B averages and C averages. “The C students are intelligent but not focused,” Heckman said. “We ask them, ‘We know you’re bright, come join us.’ I’ve seen so many C students who have had a light turned on.”

Other participating high schools include Bangor, Calais, Deering, Hall-Dale, Portland, Sanford, Scarborough, Thornton Academy and Woodland. The competition will be held at Deering High School.

For more information go to www.mainead.org.