Students breathe life into historical symbols

Wilson Elementary School fourth-graders brought athletic, historical and cultural icons to life for parents and friends Friday morning while learning about California history.

Students in all three of the fourth-grade classes at the Costa Mesa school selected someone iconic to California to research. They wrote a report detailing the person’s life and accomplishments and memorized a speech that they would deliver in a most unusual manner.

Parents, teachers and siblings walked around to each of the students, pushed the “talk” button, and waited for the character to come to life.

This is the second year that Wilson fourth-graders have participated in the wax museum. The activity encourages them to become more involved in the history they’re learning in the classroom, said Haviland Jennings, a teacher at Wilson.

“It boosts their self-esteem to know that they can speak in front of other people,” she said. “They had to come up with costumes and work together to be imaginative in their presentations.”

Hollywood legends who reached the peak of their popularity before the students were even born were the most popular selections.

Once “activated,” students transformed into pop culture and athletic stars like Michael Jackson, Marilyn Monroe, Walt Disney, Jerry Garcia and gymnast Dominique Moceanu.

Samantha Gomez, 10, had her long, dark hair pulled back to resemble Marilyn Monroe’s curled tresses.

She smoothed out her teal dress and fluttered her eyelids to show off her winged eyeliner as she detailed the life of the late actress.

“I think she inspired a lot of people to become very good actresses,” Samantha said. “Everyone knows her name.”

Though Emma Nevada, a famous opera singer of the late 19th and early 20th century, spent most of her life in Nevada, she was actually born in California, said 9-year-old Perla Martinez.

Nevada was an obvious selection for Perla, who has grown up singing and performing for family and friends.

“She had a great voice even when she was a little girl,” the student said.

Bertha Garcia of Costa Mesa was at the school to support her younger brother, Roberto, as he assumed the role of Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia.

Roberto spoke enthusiastically to his peers during his presentation, taking time every few minutes to fluff up the curly wig his mother helped select for him.

“I thought he would be overwhelmed,” Bertha Garcia said. “But he really got into it.”