Currents in Education
Sixth-graders bring historical figures to life
By Melissa Wood
Kelsey Elsemore, disguised as Civil War photographer Matthew Brady, stands with her reproduction of a camera from that era.
Photo by Melissa Wood
Ben Gauthier, 12, holds up a basketball card he created for his project on Bob Cousy. Gauthier said being a big fan of the Celtics was one of the reasons he chose to research and portray the team's first superstar.
Photo by Melissa Wood
Danny Leroux, 12, stands next to a cardboard figure of the late Steve Irwin. Leroux said he chose to do his project on the Crocodile Hunter because "he's one of my favorite guys."
Photo by Melissa Wood
All are notable figures from history that sixth-graders chose to research, write about and reenact for their wax museum project presented to classmates and families on Thursday evening, March 8.
The 160 students chose a wide variety of people to focus on - including some that even their teachers had not heard about before, such as the Middle Eastern leader Saladin who defeated crusaders during the Middle Ages; Civil War photographer Matthew Brady, and Katharine Wright, sister to the famous brothers who were first in flight.
"I changed the game in so many ways," said Ben Gauthier, 12, as he acted the part of basketball legend Bob Cousy.
Gauthier described Cousy's career as the first basketball superstar who became a household name during his time with the Celtics in the 1950s.
"Can you imagine what that must have been like?" he asked.
Zack Faskianos said he portrayed General Douglas MacArthur because he liked the Army and he had heard MacArthur was a good general. He learned that MacArthur was considered the greatest Army general, winning a Congressional Medal for his World War II service.
He also found out that the war hero's son took steps to get out of his famous father's shadow.
"His son changed his name because he didn't want anyone to know who his father was," said Faskianos.
One lesser-known figure was Civil War photographer Matthew Brady, portrayed by 12-year-old Kelsey Elsemore. For her project, Elsemore wore a black suit and beard and constructed a replication of a camera as her prop. She said her interest in history and cameras made her want to find out more about the first war photographer.
After months of work, teachers Tony Beaumier and Paula Bogard agreed that every one of their students hit the mark with their presentations. Students first began the projects in December when they read a 100-page biography on their chosen historical person over Christmas vacation.
"I just had a parent stop me to say, 'I can't believe the expectations you have of the kids, and they rose to them,'" said Beaumier. The project also included writing an essay and poem, and creating props and costumes for the presentations.
Thursday night was the first time teachers got to see all the students' costumes and props. Some of the students had participated in a warm-up, presenting for residents at Sentry Hill.
Beaumier said an important part of the project was that the kids had to focus on their speaking and poise in front of an audience, learning to make eye contact and speak in a conversational tone.
"The more you give presentations, the easier it becomes," he said.
This is the fifth year of the wax museum project. In late May, the sixth-graders will be taking part in their annual Shakespeare festival, an event that is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
