Warner 5th Graders Get Waxy

Warner Upper Elementary School fifth grader Quran Peteet-el has admired Michael Jackson for about half his life.

Now 10, Quran talked his mother into purchasing a video five years ago so he could learn Jackson's "Thriller" dance moves. On Friday, he portrayed the late pop singer as part of Warner's "Wax Museum," a project that allowed students to research and present information about figures from the past who inspire them.

Some – including Jackson, Princess Diana of Wales, First Lady Michelle Obama and President Barack Obama – were more contemporary, while others selected more traditional figures. Students donned costumes, sprayed gray in their hair and affixed fake mustaches to portray the likes of Albert Einstein, Teddy Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.

Megene Chu, 11, chose Albert Einstein. "He was really smart, and I really wanted to honor him," he said. Once the "button" on Megene's display was pressed, he quickly shared a speech, in character, about Einstein's early life, career and his death.

Like most students, Megene said he got his information from websites and books at the library. Noah Herge, age 10, became interested in Abraham Lincoln after reading a book about America's 16th President.

Lillian Johnson, 11, portrayed aviatrix Amelia Earhardt; her display stood right next to 10-year-old Cole Sturm's portrayal of Neil Armstrong. While their subjects were more adventurous, Lynn Lerner chose Helen Keller.

"I thought it was interesting how she accomplished so much in a dark, silent world," said Lynn, age 11. Helen Keller became deaf and blind at the age of 17 months; because she never learned to speak clearly, Lynn explained that her speech was being given by Keller's interpreter, Annie Sullivan.

Fifth grade teacher Karen Farber has included the Wax Museum project in her lesson plans for 10 years. She and 5th grade teacher Shelly Marougi said not only do the students learn from their projects, but even students in classes that don't participate get involved, as do parents.

"One of the things I love about it is the community building," Farber said. "It's community building with parents and with students ... They really connect."

Marougi said her students, who made their presentations Thursday, were especially excited to find that parents of their classmates listened to their presentations and gave them support and encouragement. Students also support each other, she said.

"The week before, we had kids meet with each other to talk about how to improve their presentations and speeches," she said.

On Friday morning, the school's Media Center, Farber's and Karie Lyons' classrooms buzzed with activity. As students presented, other classes walked through and observed, noting what they learned. Farber said those students would go back and discuss with their teachers the characters they met.

"So they get a social studies lesson, in spite of it not being social studies time," Farber said.

Clarification: Students who participated in Friday's Wax Museum were from Karen Farber's and Karrie Lyons' classrooms.