On Wednesday, March 15, Garretson Elementary 4th graders held their annual wax museum exhibit, portraying historical figures such as Rosa Parks, Stan Lee, Leif Erikson, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Henry Ford, Martin Luther King, Jr., Sally Ride, and Jane Goodall.
The museum was a big hit among parents, grandparents, and classmates, who were all invited to hear students speak while in the character of the historical person.
“This project connected reading & writing with social studies in a creative activity that strengthened their research, writing, and speaking skills.” said teacher Liz Etrheim, who began the project with co-teacher Lauren Stoterau when she moved from the Tea School District. Though it’s a lot of work, she admits, it’s a wonderful project that incorporates several skills students this age are ready to learn.
“Our focus is to teach the students about proper research online and using books,” she said. “We also teach them how to use subtopics to help them write down their ideas for different categories.”
Over the past two months, students were taught the skills to write an essay with several paragraphs, using transitional words and dates. They had to finish it with a written speech that was 1-2 minutes long.
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