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Pushing Their Buttons

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By LINNEA BROWN

Published: February 21, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - BROOKSVILLE - Heads down, the children stood on the school's cafeteria stage like statues.

But when their "buttons" were pushed, they came to life — spouting knowledge that would put any history buff to shame.

Clara Barton. George Washington. Sally Ride. One by one, Josephine Maher's second-grade class at Pine Grove Elementary "became" important figures from American history on Thursday, reciting short, memorized speeches in costume as part of the class's annual Wax Museum.

As Amelia Earhart, Chasity Blevins, 8, wore a brown bomber jacket, boots and a flying cap, complete with goggles and scarf.

"Did you know that I seriously disappeared in 1937?" she asked a flock of parents, eyes wide.

"I was the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean all by myself," she said.

Next to her, Jada Crandle, 8, portrayed a young Rosa Parks, dressed in stockings, glasses and a conservative skirt and top. In her hand was a handmade sign — Jada's idea — that read "Black + White = Love."

"I am the mother of the Civil Rights Movement," she told visitors proudly. "Because of me, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled segregation illegal on city busses."

Her father stood by with a video camera while her mother, Brooksville resident Melinda Crandle, described the weeks of planning that went into the presentations.

"When she first decided to be (Parks), we got on the computer and looked at pictures, and she said, 'I don't want to look like the old Rosa Parks,'" she said.

The students' families helped them research and read about a historical figure, create a costume and practice their lines.

Oscar Solar, 8, stood in a white astronaut suit, sporting neon orange moon boots and proudly holding an American Flag.

"I said, 'That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind,'" he said, jabbing the flag downward, as if planting it on the moon.

The activity was actually a creative attempt to tackle the state-mandated Social Studies curriculum, which requires second-graders to study significant individuals in U.S. history since 1880.

"Having the students research those individuals, dress up like them and tell others about them is a great way to help them learn," Maher said.

The project — which incorporated President's Week, Black History Month in February and National Women's History Month in March — also helped students learn other skills, such as effective speaking.

Maher said she came up with the interactive learning activity when looking back on her own education and attempting to make memorization interesting and relevant for her students, regardless of their individual learning styles.

The activity helps visual learners because they can read, research and see pictures and costumes. Audio learners listen to the speeches, while kinesthetic learners get to touch historic items, costumes and cards, she said.

The title "Wax Museum" also provided some humorous misconceptions.

"I thought she was going to put wax on us and make us stand really still, like a statue of a president," said Dylan Masson, 7, striking a pose.

Dylan portrayed Benjamin Franklin.

More than anything, the activity helped the children connect with their characters' accomplishments, and believe that doing great things is within their reach.

"I would like to fly an airplane," Chasity said. "It would be pretty cool to see everything below."

Her grandmother, Melissa Blevins, said she can already imagine it.

"Our children are our future, I have to say," she said.

Reporter Linnea Brown can be reached at 352-544-5289 or lbrown@hernandotoday.com.

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