Students brought history to life by portraying famous historical figures at the 2019 West Reading Elementary Center Wax Museum. Sixth-grade students posed as wax statues until visitors activated their station by dropping a coin into a bag. Once their station was activated, the students began to move and talk, presenting a dramatic living biography complete with props and beautifully decorated backdrops.
To prepare for the event, students researched their historical figures and became experts on their biographies. Then they prepared and memorized a short but detailed monologue telling the story of their own historical figure. They selected props, costumes, and a backdrop to fully immerse visitors in their story. When students finished their monologue, they froze in place, waiting for the next visitor to activate their station. The 2019 Wax Museum represented a wide variety of historical figures, including J.K. Rowling, Benjamin Franklin, Harry Houdini, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Each year the Wax Museum is a highly anticipated event that engages students and leaves a lasting memory. The event encompasses reading, writing, presenting, public speaking, and social studies skills, to name a few.
This year, the Wax Museum raised $2,400, which will go towards the sixth grade’s outdoor education trip to South Mountain YMCA Camp Conrad Weiser.