Walt Disney came back to life for a day in the media center of Novi’s Orchard Hills Elementary School this past Thursday. Vikshita Pallerla portrayed the iconic cartoonist to the younger students of the school and the attentive parents who came to observe the 4th grade wax museum.
The wax museum, which had the theme of American heroes, is a project that the 4th grade teachers give their students each year in order to teach them how to develop their research skills.
“I think that it gives them an opportunity to see how interesting history is, and hopefully build an appetite to dig deeper and find out amazing things,” said Nancy Schuyten, a 4th grade teacher who started the wax museum 20 years ago at Orchard Hills. “I think it’s valuable because the project involves them, not just something they’ve done with their hands, but actually themselves as the project.”
Pallerla took advantage of the project to study one of her favorite people. She said that she found out more about Walt Disney than she thought she would, and that more people should learn about his past.
“He created many beloved characters and films,” said the 4th grader. “I think that everyone should know that he was a brave person and he never gave up and he was determined.”
Beyond just getting to have fun dressing up as Disney and telling people about his life, Pallerla said she learned many important skills doing the project. She said students next year should also have fun doing the project if they choose someone they like.
Samm Rollins, another student, said she greatly enjoyed getting to learn about someone who she found inspirational. Rollins studied Amelia Earhart, and said that she thought Earhart was a great example of what women could do with their lives.
Rollins said she enjoyed putting all of the research together for her presentation.
“My favorite part about the project was writing the paragraph and the quote that I wrote that I found because I wanted to show my teacher that I could put my full effort into it,” said Rollins.
Another 4th grader, Sanjana Mallavaram, took advantage of the project by researching someone who followed the same dream she has.
“I chose Elizabeth Blackwell because I want to be a doctor when I grow up and she inspired me because she’s the first woman doctor in the United States,” said Mallavaram. “Inspiring others is part of the reason I chose her.”
One parent who went to see the Wax Museum was very impressed by the choices the students made. Anne Marie Tracey, whose daughter was one of the 4th graders who gave a presentation, appreciated the level of effort all the fourth graders put into their projects.
“They’re all so neat, I think the neatest part is that once they put everything together and they talk about the individual they are, they really know a lot and when you ask why they chose who they are, they always say they were inspired by the example of that person,” said Tracey.
Schuyten believes that the wax museum is a valuable tradition that should be continued. She said that it inspires confidence in the student’s abilities to present information.
“I think they’re very proud, that many of them say what they remember about 4th grade is the wax museum—it’s one of their best memories here,” said Schuyten.
