Mt. Healthy Elementary School students recently stepped into the life of someone famous for a day.
Eighty-three third-grade students from three classes created a pretend “wax museum” at the school, with each student standing still in costume waiting for visitors to press a makeshift button that brought them to life.
Students then talked about the person they were depicting, attempting to be as authentic as possible through their words and appearance.
The wax museum project, which is student-led, has been happening at Mt. Healthy for the past decade, said Emily Mann, a third grade teacher.
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Students must research the person they are portraying, create a poster board about the person and come prepared to talk about that person’s life, Mann said. The project asked students to choose an individual based on personal interests, or perhaps someone they admire, she said.
Third-grader Ava Burbrink chose to portray J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series. Burbrink has read all the Harry Potter books and said she practiced several times at home when portraying the author, focusing on Rowling’s background, her family and the novels she has written.
Several students chose to portray athletes, including 9-year-old Elijah Knoke. He portrayed New York Yankees baseball player Babe Ruth.
Knoke, wearing a Yankees jersey, stood in a hitting stance as he waited for visitors to stop by his booth, where he shared details about Ruth’s life as a child and his career in baseball.
Third-grader Atticus Higham chose Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead for his project. Garcia, who was the long-time lead guitarist and as a vocalist with the Grateful Dead, died in 1995.
“He’s my dad’s favorite musician and I like him,” he said.
Using online photos of the singer to guide his choices, Higham wore a wig that included a beard covering his face to portray Garcia, long-known for his full beard and long hair.
Third-grader Andrew Owen wore a hat, sport coast vest, wired glasses and a mustache that he purchased at Walmart as he portrayed former president Teddy Roosevelt. The portrayal also involved memorizing famous Roosevelt quotes in advance and researching some of his accomplishments, Owen said.
As much fun as the wax museum project is for the students, it’s also an opportunity for teachers to see another side of each participant, based on their choice of subject and how the person is portrayed, said Jacque Greathouse, also a third-grade teacher.
“It really shows a lot about their personal interests that we don’t always get to see,” Greathouse said.
First-grade teacher Kim Smith said she used the opportunity as a teaching moment for her 22 students to help them understand the importance of writing and research.
