LIVING LESSONS
Students get 'hand on' history lesson last week

Brook Hill second graders Connor Snyder, left, and Steven Hood, above, participate in the school's Wax Museum last week. Sndyer plays the part of Thomas Edison, while Hood represents Robert Henry Hendershot.

On March 8 American History "Came Alive" with the second graders at The Brook Hill School. Students developed research skills as they learned to use note cards for a rough draft and write bibliographies for the first time this year.

They used their newly crafted skills of revising, editing and publishing to begin their project.

Each child chose a "Great American" to research in written informational form and then presented an oral presentation dressed in costume appropriate for his or her character.

They had to design and create a project board of facts and a special "button" to place beside them during their presentation.

When entering the "Great American Wax Museum," visitors saw "wax" Great American characters come to life when their "come alive" button was pushed by each visitor.

Children presented highlights of the person's life and then resumed a frozen pose characteristic of their great American.

Visitors arrived at the "museum" to the tune of patriotic music and a library turned into a red, white, and blue extravaganza.

As the second graders performed, the first grade classes hosted a "Don't Rock the Ark" tour.

The tour - held from 11:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. - showcased work the students have been focusing on for the past few weeks: habitats of different animals.

The classes then created displays for individual animals, tying the event together with the Biblical Noah's Ark theme.

Above, Brook Hill first graders, from left, Allie Lake, Rylan Wright, Grant Goates, Chance Pena, Catherine Travis stand with Noah played by Joseph Picarella. At right, students, from left, Audrey Mackey, Cassie Cannon, Conner Sciarrini, Chesley Kelly, Kyla Carden and John Dixon show their projects based on animal habitats.