Landstuhl students present living history

***image1***Nearly 70 sixth-grade students took on new personas for the second annual Lanstuhl Elementary and Middle School history fair Jan. 21.

Under the direction of sixth-grade teacher Jerry Pink, each student chose one historical character and, for a short time, became that person.

Students did extensive research and then created posters explaining the life and contributions of their subjects. They dressed to fit the part and gave oral presentations.

“I went to Spain over Thanksgiving, and learned all about Salvador Dali while I was there,” said Jarrod Henry. “Since I found him interesting, when the history fair assignment came along, I knew right away who I wanted to study.”

Lindsey Wesloski chose to become Anne Frank after visiting Amsterdam and the Anne Frank House.

“I really liked seeing where Anne Frank lived, and I am particularly interested in the holocaust,” she said.

Students in kindergarten to eighth grade were invited to be a part of the audience. As they moved around the room, men and women from history introduced themselves and told about their lives.

Audiences spoke to Queen Liliuokalani, the last reigning queen of Hawaii, played by Erin Wanty.

Queen Margaret of Denmark, played by Catharina Bigler, was a popular presentation, given partly in Danish.

A few fourth-grade boys coming out of the fair unanimously agreed that early American frontiersman Daniel Boone, played by Chris Sloan, was the most interesting to them. Adults had a harder time deciding.

“They all did a great job, and it’s impossible to choose just one as best of show,” said fourth-grade teacher Mark Wilburn.