Fifth graders researched African Americans and brought their stories to life.
MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. (March 4, 2019) — Students at Williams H. Holmes did more than learn about inspiring people for African American History Month; they became them for a morning. The fifth-graders from Melissa White-Harris’ and Tiffany Sansevera’s classes were given the opportunity to research an African American in history who made a significant contribution to society.
“They did the research, created posters to display, and dressed up like the person,” said White-Harris. “They had to choose key facts from their research and retain it so they could share it.”
Each of the students had a circular piece of paper representing a start button on the desk in front of them. When a parent, visitor or another student pushed the button, the student brought the historical character to life, reciting interesting facts about him or her.
“All week long they practiced and they were extremely excited about presenting,” added White-Harris.
The students portrayed politicians, musicians, sports figures, entertainment professionals, civil rights leaders and inventors.
Aaliyah Spence chose to research Hattie McDaniel, the first African American actress.
“She was in movies when this country was going through segregation, and people would make racial comments about her,” said Spence. “She stayed strong and inspired people to live their dreams.”
Daniel Douglas brought musician Michael Jackson back to life.
“I liked doing this project because it inspired me to keep playing the saxophone,” Douglas shared. “I learned that Michael Jackson became famous as a kid playing music and maybe I could do the same!”
The living museum, held on February 28, 2019, marked Holmes School’s culminating celebration of Black History Month.
About Mount Vernon City School District
With more than 8,000 students in 16 schools, the Mount Vernon City School District is committed to providing a quality education to its children as well as developing programs that meet the diverse academic and social needs of its students.
