Winston Churchill, Walt Disney and Leif Erikson were just a few of the individuals who made guest appearances Tuesday night at Floris Elementary. Or so it seemed.
The 4th and 5th graders of the Floris Gifted/Talented program culminated a 6-week project in which they studied certain notable characters in history. Students learned the way their notables dressed, ate and spoke — in addition to what made their character an important part of history.
"She read the diary of Anne Frank, visited Web sites, made a photo book and created a tri-fold," said Tamra Salvatore, mother of Kenna, who portrayed Anne Frank. "I learned a lot about Anne Frank myself."
During the event, students dressed in full costume stood next to cardboard tri-fold displays covered with pictures and stories about their characters. Each student created question cards for parents and guests to ask them.
"They had to internalize these notables," said Karen Woodworth, a gifted/talented language arts teacher. "They embodied these people. The assignment was real application — it makes learning have a purpose."
Kristofer Perry, a 5th grader, spoke with emotion as he described the experiences of his character, Malcolm X.
When asked about the publication Muslim Mosque, he replied, "It was a newspaper that talked about Muslims around the world — how we lived, where we live, how we build temples." After guests visited with the notables for an hour, the students and guests sat down to a speech from a local personage — Terri Galanti, the first woman to graduate from the U.S. Air Force Academy at the top of her class.
In her speech specifically tailored to a student audience, Galanti stressed "commitment, service before self, respect, and teamwork" as the basic qualities of a noble person.
The "Night of Notables" was an activity begun in Australia in 1994, designed for exceptional learners. The Floris Gifted/Talented tried this program for the first time Tuesday night, and hope to make it a tradition