Wax Museum Models History

Robert Townsend, a sixth-grader, plays a note Thursday in his role as Titanic band leader during the Living History Museum.
Robert Townsend, a sixth-grader, plays a note Thursday in his role as Titanic band leader during the Living History Museum.

— Students took roles in history to make living museums this week in Rogers middle schools.

Students dressed as Harriet Tubman, Abraham Lincoln, Joan of Arc and baseball great Jackie Robinson took the identities of historic characters in wax museums or living museums as part of a Courageous Characters unit.

Daniela Vargas, a sixth-grader at Oakdale Middle School, researched Rosa Parks and her role in the civil rights movement. Daniela said she was surprised to find Parks died in 2005.

“I don’t think I could be like her,” Daniela said.

Knowing what Parks did offered her a challenge, Vargas said.

Helen Keller showed courage because she lived her life without being able to talk, see or hear, said Jani Johnson, a sixth-grader at Elmwood Middle School. Keller also loved hot dogs and brought the first Akita to the United States to serve as her seeing-eye dog.

Students at Elmwood were asked to find little-known facts about their characters, and some even had little-known characters.

Eva Peron was a champion of the poor and women's rights in Argentina, but she also loved baby blue, olives and had a grade-school education, said Ariana Velis, a sixth-grader at Elmwood.

Sixth-grader Josue Escobar talked about Lewis Hine, a photographer who documented child labor in an effort to reform it.

Several students brought band instruments and recited facts about the musicians on the Titanic who played as the ship went down.

“They really got into it,” said Ellen Taylor, a sixth-grade literacy teacher and REACH facilitator at Elmwood. Students had to complete their own research and bring some kind of costume for the living museum.

At Oakdale, sixth-grader Seth Johnson interpreted the life of Anne Frank dressed as Peter van Pels, Frank’s fellow inmate of the secret annex.

“I didn’t want to dress up as a girl,” Seth said.

Oakdale students ringed the library with their displays three days this week. Costumes were optional, said Kelly McCauley, REACH facilitator.

“Acts of courage have the power to change the world that we live in,” McCauley said.

Researching those people lets students understand how events in the past can impact them now, she said.

Melissa Hernandez, a sixth-grader at Elmwood, said she learned about Sadako from classmate Stephanie Tinajeroa. Sadako died of leukemia when she was 12, but the Japanese girl attempted to fold 1,000 paper cranes in the face of her illness. Making 1,000 paper cranes represents hope, peace and opportunity, Stephanie said, and could also grant Sadako’s wishes from the gods.

“You just don’t really think about that when you make paper cranes,” Melissa said.

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