TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Highlands Today

Students Prepare A Wax Museum History Lesson

ADVERTISEMENT

By MARC VALERO

Highlands Today

Published: February 12, 2009

LAKE PLACID - Lake Country Elementary teacher Gitona Rogers' third-grade students were not themselves one day recently.

One boy wore a tie and another had donned a white wig with 1700s garb and a girl wore a bonnet and an old-fashioned red dress. Also, they were a little stiff, like wax figures.

Actually everything was going as planned for this Advanced Academics history lesson with a wax museum theme.

Omar Gloria appeared very presidential wearing a black jacket and black slacks.

"I was Abe Lincoln," he said. "I had a long speech, but it was good. I learned that a good person can save our country. I enjoyed it and also learned that everybody can be famous."

While looking up information about baseball player Jackie Robinson last year, Rogers said she came across the wax museum idea.

"I was looking for an activity for them to really get hooked on biographies and history," she said.

Each of Rogers' 17 students selected a historical or famous person to research. The students took turns presenting a two-minute speech about the person they were portraying.

The students provided their own costumes and created a back board with a timeline and photographs or illustrations. They also drew their own depiction of the famous person they were studying.

The students chose people from the biographies and books in the school's media center and the town library. Julia Childs, Sacagawea, John "Grizzly" Adams, Martin Luther King, Jr., Helen Keller, Ben Franklin and Elvis Presley were among the historical people the students portrayed.

Portraying Betsy Ross, Jacey Holden wore a white bonnet and red dress with white stars on the blue hem.

"This project was fun and a lot of work, but it was worth it," she said. "I learned that George Washington sketched the flag."

She plans on storing her outfit in a safe place so it doesn't get ruined.

Portraying John F. Kennedy, Alan Platt not only learned about our nation's 35th president, but he also learned about the tense days in October 1962 involving the United States, Cuba and the Soviet Union.

"If I ever have to take a test on John F. Kennedy, I'll do well," he said. "I think I'm going to keep my show board forever. From this project I learned that there was a missile crisis."

Highlands Today reporter Marc Valero can be reached at 863-386-5826 or mvalero@highlandstoday.com

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT