The third grade team at Lake Hills Elementary recently presented the Living History Biography Museum, the culminating event of a weeks-long world leaders biography unit. During the unit, students learned about world leaders and wrote biographies on world leaders of their choice. The Living History Museum gave students the opportunity to present the world leader they researched by “being” that person, which included acting and dressing as them. The focus of the project was to highlight individuals who have positively impacted the world.
Teaching History Through Teamwork and Community
The Living History Museum was started by Nicole Davis, who has done the project with her students for years. Vicki Capestany, a LAP Facilitator at Lake Hills, helped expand the Living History Museum to the whole third grade team upon being awarded a Bellevue Schools Foundation Arts, Enrichment, and Innovation grant to support the project.
The third grade team who made the event possible consists of four classroom teachers — Nicole Davis, Lucas Spilles, Denise Machuca, Isaura Mireles — and their students. Two of the classes are dual language classes, learning in Spanish and in English. Literacy facilitators and co-teachers helped students conduct research, prepare their presentation boards, and practice their presentations.
Erin King, Principal at Lake Hills, shared that she is thrilled that so many students, staff and families were able to participate in the event. She is tremendously proud of all the third graders for the excellent work on their projects!
Congratulations to the entire third grade team for creating this inspiring community event!
Greta Thunberg, Swedish environmental activist
Frida Kahlo, Mexican painter famous for her self-portraits
Benito Juarez, first president of Mexico of Indigenous origin
Kalpana Chawla, American astronaut and engineer and the first Indian woman in space
Steven Spielberg, American film director and producer, and one of the most successful filmmakers in the world
Rosa Parks, American civil rights activist known for her role in the Montgomery bus boycott
Rowan Atkinson, English actor and comedian known for “Mr. Bean”
Simone Biles, American Olympic Gold Medal gymnast with a combined total of 32 Olympic and World Championship medals
Thomas Edison, American inventor known for his invention of the incandescent electric light
Muhammad Ali, American professional boxer and activist
Pura Belpré, the first Puerto Rican librarian in New York City
Neil Armstrong, American astronaut and aeronautical engineer, and the first person to walk on the Moon
Malala Yousufzai, Pakistani activist for female education and the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize laureate
Katherine Johnson, American mathematician at NASA
Jeff Bezos, American entrepreneur and founder of Amazon
Martin Luther King Jr., American Baptist minister and leader in the American civil rights movement
Emma Watson, English actress, feminist, and UN Women Goodwill Ambassador
Queen Elizabeth, Queen of the United Kingdom and Britain’s longest reigning monarch
Katherine Johnson, American mathematician at NASA
Cal Ripkin Jr., American baseball player for the Baltimore Orioles
Malcolm X, African American Muslim minister and human rights activist
J.K. Rowling, British author of the “Harry Potter” series
Martin Luther King Jr., American Baptist minister and leader in the American civil rights movement
Barack Obama, first African American president of the United States
Cesar Chavez, Mexican American labor leader and civil rights activist
Ruby Bridges, first African American to desegregate the all-white elementary school in Louisiana in 1960