By Erica Solvig
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Abe Lincoln, portrayed by Zach Gentry, 8, tells visitors why he's famous and what he did for America. (Michael Snyder photo) | ZOOM |

MAINEVILLE - History came alive for 100 second-graders Thursday afternoon as they became a living wax museum of famous Americans.

The Maineville Elementary students dressed as historic figures and gave short speeches when visitors pushed the construction-paper button on their desks. The wax museum was the culmination of a month-long study, "Famous People of the United States."

The rest of the school as well as dozens of parents visited the museum's celebrities throughout the afternoon.

"We had to say things over and over, like 60,000 times," said 8-year-old Zach Gentry, who pulled off Abraham Lincoln by making a paper top hat and drawing on a beard with makeup.

The students could to choose which character they would research, but they had to be able to answer what that person has done to change America, said Jaime Lenhart, one of the five second-grade teachers involved.

The cast included Benjamin Franklin, Harriet Tubman, Johnny Appleseed, Annie Oakley, Helen Keller, Sitting Bull and Florence Nightingale.

"It's fun because you get to do the costumes and stuff and you get to make props," said Kelsey Walton, who sat behind a posterboard cutout of a bus as Rosa Parks. "It took us a whole week to memorize. But I did it."

Stephanie Theobald said she chose Sally Ride because she hopes to be an astronaut one day.

She was dressed in a bright orange "space suit" and kept a papier-m’chÈ helmet on her desk.

"It's from my dad's trucking suit," the 8-year-old said of her costume. "We sewed patches on and put a tube on the back. It took all day."

The students also learned about other famous Americans, from Jackie Robinson to George Washington, during the month.

This is the second year the teachers have used the "wax museum" to end the famous Americans unit. Before that, the students wrote reports.

"I think they really learned a lot from this," said teacher Marbeth McKinney. "They not only memorized their person, but they learned in essence about 20 other people from practicing with each other."

E-mail esolvig@enquirer.com