Leonard Elementary was visited last week by a whole slew of famous folks from history and popular culture.
Marco Polo, Ken Griffey, Jr., Benjamin Franklin, George Lucas, Abraham Lincoln, Annie Oakley, Harry Houdini and Tom Brady were just some of the VIPs who showed up to recount their fascinating life stories for students.
Actually, none of those people could attend. Some due to scheduling conflicts. Some because they’ve been dead for many years.
So, fourth-graders in teacher Jillian Opalach’s class stood in for them as part of a creative class project.
Dressed up as an eclectic mix of historical figures, sports stars and current celebrities, Opalach’s students lined the gym in their little blue cubicles.
There they stood motionless, waiting for visitors to press a button, so they could come alive and tell their stories.
‘It could be anyone from the past or present,? Opalach said. ‘As a matter of fact, I have two (students portraying) Disney movie stars Devi Lovato and Selina Gomez, who are really popular right now.?
To prepare for their presentations, each student read a biography, took notes on the book as they went and did research on the internet.
‘I guided them through it, but they wrote their speeches, then they practiced, practiced, practiced,? Opalach said.
Opalach believes this type of project allows students to retain more about the person they studied because ‘they get to live it.?
‘I think the main reason why it’s so memorable to them is because they designed the costumes, they designed the artifacts that go into the boxes,? she said. ‘It’s them interacting and literally immersing themselves in the character.?
In the end, Opalach was very pleased with her students? performance.
‘I’m so proud of them. They’ve done an amazing job.?