History Comes to Life: Fifth-Grade Civil War Wax Museum
Fifth-grade students at the Birdwood campus brought history to life as they presented a “Wax Museum” to conclude their study of the Civil War. In the museum, visitors were instructed to push “buttons” to start each exhibit where students then presented as historically famous and everyday people from the time period.
Students worked with great effort and enthusiasm to prepare for this presentation. Humanities teacher, Karen Zimmerman, said, “ In order to prepare for the Wax Museum, students conducted research, wrote and memorized oral presentations, created costumes and props, and delivered their presentations more than thirty times each as visitors moved through their exhibits. Visitors to the museum were treated to such exhibits as "Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad", "Ordinary People, Extraordinary Times", "Naval Warfare", "Battles", "The Assassination of a President", and "Abolitionists and Spies."
This is the first year that the students have showcased a Wax Museum presentation. Zimmerman expressed, “This project helped students to grow in eloquence as well as fulfilling one of the goals of our history program: to give students embodied experiences of the past.”
Located in Charlottesville, VA, The Covenant School is a non-denominational, private, Christian day school for Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12. Students benefit from a challenging academic program, visual and performing arts, competitive athletics, and a wide selection of extracurricular activities.