MORGANTOWN — Did you know that the “S” in Ulysses S. Grant stood for nothing? Or that Martha Washington was the first woman to show up on U.S. currency? The fourth-graders at Trinity Christian School know these things and more.
On Tuesday morning, the students put together a living wax museum, displaying several historical figures as part of an ongoing class project.
Not all figures were political like Abraham Lincoln or Eleanor Roosevelt, who has roots close to home in Arthurdale. One student dressed as Walt Disney, another as Andrew Carnegie and one as Michael Jordan.
Their teacher, Jenny Cunningham, said during the past quarter the students were studying famous Americans, and each student chose a famous person to learn about. The students then dressed up and shared what they learned.
“We created a big list of everyone we talked about, so there’s everybody from baseball players to former presidents, first ladies, people that were involved with the Civil War, so they kind of picked whoever they were most interested in,” Cunningham said.
Students worked on their reports in school and put together their poster boards at home. Oh Tuesday, they showcased their hard work during the school’s open house.
“As far as open house, we are just showcasing our school, grades pre-K through 12, and just showing what we’re all about, and this was a great day to showcase our project for people who happened to be walking through the building already,” Cunningham said.
She said many students learned a lot about themselves and their interests. If a student is interested in baseball he or she could research the history behind players who were part of the first games and the early years of the sport.
“We have a lot of boys that are actually into the [Civil] war, so they wanted to take on those figures, and it sort of inspired more learning,” Cunningham said.
The students made their own costumes, with a little help from their parents. Some students sported fake beards and period clothing. Others had dyed hair and props.
“They came to school today dressed and ready, and they’ve been talking about it for a long time, so they’re excited,” Cunningham said.
The kids worked on their research for about a month, and parents who had Election Day off had the chance to admire the students’ projects.
“It’s something that they’ll be able to remember. We did a lot of background research. They all have Chromebooks, so we spent a lot of time on devices learning about these characters and now putting it to life has been a lot of fun today,” she said.
After the finish of this project, Cunningham said next students will learn about economics.
