Museum pumps life into history at Merced school

Charles Wright Elementary School’s cafeteria looked like a wax museum with a pulse last week during a history lesson.

The students picked a historical figure, did the research and then brought the characters to life as though they were animatronic characters on Thursday, according to a news release.

Students played Egyptian Pharaoh Cleopatra, nuclear physicist Albert Einstein, Underground Railroad “conductor” Harriet Tubman, music legend Elvis Presley, cartoonist Walt Disney and President Barack Obama, among other figures.

To prepare for their moment in the spotlight, the students conducted research, created props and memorized a short speech about the person they chose to portray, according to a news release. Other classes were invited to walk through the museum and push a button on each display to hear those speeches.

Teacher Kodi Matsuo organized the interactive project, according to a news release. She said it was a lesson in reading, writing, social studies, public speaking and performing arts.

This story was originally published May 6, 2016 at 6:23 PM with the headline "Museum pumps life into history at Merced school."