Kids find a new state of mind

Mackin Carroll has blueprints on the brain.

Just last week, he attended class as one of the most renowned and mimicked architects in American history, Frank Lloyd Wright. And in art class on Monday, the 11-year-old Huntington Beach resident carefully carved out a scaled-down replica of the Empire State Building from a lump of clay.

But Mackin’s impersonation of the famous architect wasn’t the only case of mimicry on Dec. 6 when fifth-graders at The Pegasus School in Huntington Beach jumped inside the minds of their idols for the annual States Fair famous-person speeches, one of their final tasks in a project geared toward helping the students become more proactive in their education.

“It’s not only about studying the state, it’s about getting the kids to time-manage and multitask,” fifth-grade teacher Kristen Brady said. “There are a lot of creative aspects to it.”

Students spent the last three months exploring their character and that person’s state of origin. States were chosen at random from a hat in September, some obviously being more coveted than others.

If you ask Terrin Morris, her choice was just OK.

“In Alabama, their license plates say, ‘At least we’re not Oklahoma,’ ” Terrin said. “[Oklahoma’s] still not my favorite state, but it’s better than I thought it was before I did learned about it.”

Her No. 1, Hawaii, was chosen by a very lucky friend, Terrin said.

To accurately cover the history and details of each state, kids engaged in an assortment of activities, re-creating maps, license plates, timelines and posters, and prepared a food native to their state, which everyone got to eat during the fair.

Packets were passed out to the classes during the second week of school in September. Each packet consists of about 12 to 15 assignments every year, Brady said, adding that some tasks are completed in class and others at home.

Part of the project involved researching a famous person of their choice who was born in their state and presenting themselves and making a speech as that person, either historical or fictional.

Mackin, originally leaning toward legendary magician Harry Houdini, came across Wright’s name in a book about Wisconsin, and his mom told him, “This guy is cool.”

“He was amazing,” Mackin said. “His designs were so intense, they could withstand earthquakes.”

Brady said she was impressed by Terrin’s presentation of Bonnie Parker, the female half of the Great Depression’s bank robbing duo, Bonnie and Clyde.

“She wrote a clever speech, even ending it with how she was going out to rob a bank on her way out [of the class],” Brady said.

The projects were “their moment to shine and show off what they did since September,” fellow fifth-grade teacher Angie Lent said, and shine they did. Students chose characters ranging from multiple-champion boxer Muhammad Ali to billionaire Donald Trump and several outlaws.

Each student exhibited such growth through the course of the projects, Lent said.

The students have taken a great deal of ownership over their states, sometimes quite to their surprise.

Jake Williamson, 10, of Newport Beach, was less than thrilled when he drew the state of South Dakota back in September.

“When I first got it, I was like, ‘Oh no, this is a nobody state,’ ” Jake said. “It actually is a cool state, not because of the industry but because of the landmarks, like the Black Hills and the Badlands.”

Even after the projects’ completion, the school’s fifth-grade teachers have noticed the little things that show them the project has made an impact. Apparently, the U.S. map painted in the school’s playground has become all the rage for the fifth-graders who have been spotted pointing out all their states as they pass it by, Brady said.