History Comes to Life at MASD Elementary Schools
History came to life this spring at MASD elementary schools as part of the annual interactive wax museum events. Reid and Fink Elementary fifth graders and Kunkel Elementary fourth graders stepped into the personality of some of history's most notable figures. Museum “guests,” including families, teachers, and fellow students, had the opportunity to hear first-hand about the character, including their contributions to history, little-known personal facts, and successes and failures.
Characters at the museum ran the span of time, and included pioneers in science and medicine, like Marie Curie and Albert Einstein; trailblazers in space travel, such as Neil Armstrong and Sally Ride; British Royalty; entertainment and music innovators like Walt Disney and Elvis Presley; civil rights trailblazers like Rosa Parks; presidents; and notable sports figures like Jesse Owens, Pele, and Michael Jordan.
Students spent weeks researching their characters and developing their monologues for the event. Reid Elementary fifth grade teacher Mrs. Laura Ribec said the project not only was to develop student research skills, but also expand the skills of speaking, writing, reading, and listening, as well as give students a glimpse into different cultures and communities.
While many of the figures represented in the museum are well-known for political, medical, or athletic accomplishments, many were also great humanitarians. In that same spirit, in the weeks leading up the museum donation bins were placed throughout Reid Elementary to collect canned food items for the Middletown Sharing Pantry.