Kurt Wetzel Reports:

On a cool night in early May, the third grade was transformed into a living History Museum. Parents and friends spent an hour touring our Third Grade Wax Museum. The usual cacophony reverberating through the halls was replaced by the softly spoken words of our characters.

This year each child was given a person’s life to research. This information was then used to create numerous projects pertaining to their individual. Though all the children used the same media to create their work, the different approaches and ideas the children came up with amazed teachers and parents alike.

The children were encouraged to make the characters their own and they did this with flair and enthusiasm. From their boards, speeches and especially their clothing and make-up, each child embraced their individual and demonstrated a genuine interest in making sure they got everything “just so”. Things they thought were important included: “speaking loud and clear” (Taylor G.), “using feeling and expression” (Allie E.) and “putting in interesting facts” (Tesa P.)

The performances, no matter what the preparation method, were fantastic! This thought was echoed by many parents who felt “…it was very clever…”, “… we liked that the children did all the work themselves…”, “…[the Wax Museum is] one of my favorite activities at GA…” and “… I really liked the ‘red button’ [when] they came to life and talked about who they were/are.”

This culmination of the third grade book review series was described by John V. as “the most educational book review yet!” Daniel Z. indicated this review in particular, was “more challenging because it had to be done at school.” Jaylene E. pointed out that she  “learned how to get more information from a book” while Aayush B. felt “learning about people from the past can be fun!”

The parents, faculty and friends were impressed by all of the children’s efforts. The third graders have put in a great deal of labor and have made us very proud.  They should be pleased with themselves for the long hours and hard work spent in creating a phenomenal Wax Museum evening.

Ultimately, as teachers we have the children do book reports to facilitate their learning. We take great satisfaction in watching the children prepare, review and then execute all of the portions of this task with such confidence and poise. This was said by many children but summed up best by two children:

“It felt good to know that I did it all myself "-Genna F.

“I learned many important things, but there is an unforgettable lesson to be learned: even though not all people may know who you are, you can still make a difference.”                           -Sara D.-

Thank you all for your wonderful performances

Learn more about the The Third Grade Biography Unit