Riley Elementary School hosted a variety of celebrities last Thursday, including Michelle Obama, Frida Kahlo, Babe Ruth, Walt Disney, Jane Goodall, King Tut, Christopher Columbus, Michael Jordan, Florence Nightingale, Rosa Parks, and many others.
Third graders in Mrs. Abel’s and Ms. Zawadzki’s classes researched, wrote, and dressed up as famous people for second graders to learn about the life and times of the important figures. The third graders stood “frozen” in the multi-purpose room when second graders wandered around to learn about the key figures. Each “wax statue” had a red circle next to it and when the second graders turned over the circle to the green side, the statue “came alive,” describing interesting facts about their life. “My name is Amelia Earhart and I was born on July 24, 1897, in Kansas,” said the student dressed as the famous aviator. As the third-grade students continued to chronicle facts about the characters they played, second-graders asked follow-up questions and moved on to explore other celebrities.
“We’ve been doing this for the last four years and it’s a great way to get the students involved in learning about famous people and history,” said Ms. Zawadzki, third-grade teacher at Riley. “It helps the students understand the world around them and gives them an appreciation for diverse cultures and perspectives,” said Mrs. Abel, third-grade teacher at Riley.
“It was great fun and some students even curtsied for Queen Elizabeth,” said Cassandra Young, director of community engagement.
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