Rosa Parks at the Wax Museum

Please meet Rosa Parks.

Reese's first grade class has been busy. For Black History month the children each chose a famous black person to research and present at a wax museum. It was quite the undertaking. First, the teacher sent out a "contract" laying out the details of the project that the parents and the student both had to sign. Once the class compiled a list of famous black people the kids each chose a person to research. Reese chose Rosa Parks. Then, the big manila folder started coming home from school. This is what the research project comes home in everyday and has to return to school everyday. Each evening for two weeks she had to look up and write down the answers to two questions - in complete sentences. (This wasn't the easiest to get through each evening, but the more we did it, the easier it got.)  Then she had to write out and memorize a one minute speech. I never actually timed it, but it was one fully typed sheet of paper. I couldn't believe how fast she memorized it.

If you've never been to a wax museum, the way it works is the children have to stand still and not speak until the their button is pushed. See the little circle right in front of the paper laying on the floor? That's a little light. Anyone who wanted to learn about Rosa would press that button and Reese would then start her speech. Lots and lots of people were there and she probably recited her speech 50 times.

I turned a little school bus we have into the Montgomery City Bus as a prop.

Rosa always had her hair pulled back in a bun. Since Reese's hair is a little too short for a bun this was the closest I could get.

Rosa wore glasses. I bought these reading glasses at Goodwill and popped the lens out. My mom taught me how to get the lens out by simply running it under hot water. To my surprise it came right out! Moms know everything! :)

Rosa was in good company...Reese's closest friends were Condoleezza Rice, Michelle Obama, Ray Charles, Michael Jordan, Alice Walker, and Thurgood Marshall. It was a lot of fun to see. All the kids worked so hard. Matson even had fun going around pressing buttons and listening to speeches. We didn't know where he was half the time.

This little bit loved the lights. She would grab the kids' lights and run off. As soon as I would get one out of her hands and back into its spot, she'd have the next one picked up! One time I turned around and she was gone. Thankfully a teacher saw my panicked look and showed me where she was. Little turkey! :)

We celebrated all of Reese's hard work with a trip to Baskin Robbin's.