Our school, Landis Elementary, has started a very exciting program for high ability students in grades 4 and 5. These students were tested to be in the program which is held during Student Success Process (SSP). It is exciting, because these students are being challenged to develop projects, learn science concepts, and much more. The students are given the opportunity to go above and beyond the normal curriculum.

Mrs. Perrone and I both volunteered to teach the High Ability (HA) class for one nine weeks apiece. I taught the first session. In my HA class, I had the students research historical figures in the United States. Each student was able to choose the historical person they wanted to learn more about. We had a variety of choices made from Emily Dickinson to Babe Ruth.

Once the decision was made on who to research, the students then had to do the actual research. We went to the computer lab, checked out books from our school library, and many of the students went to the public library to find information. After researching, the students worked on writing their speeches. The speeches had to be at least 2-3 minutes long and written in first person. The speeches had to be memorized (That was a very big deal to the students!!).

Each student was given a display board to decorate. The display boards turned out wonderfully. The students were very creative on their display boards. The students also had to pick out costumes to represent their American Heroes.

The final part of the project was the actual Wax Museum. The "American Heroes Wax Museum" took place before the school board meeting which was held at Landis Elementary. The final product was wonderful!! School board members, administrative staff, parents, grandparents, friends, and students visited the different students to learn all about the American Heroes!

Enjoy the pictures of our "American Heroes Wax Museum". Check back in a few weeks for the WebPages the students will be developing about their American heroes.

Babe Ruth with our principal, Mrs. McLochlin	John F. Kennedy talking to our assistant principal, Mrs. Miller.
A parent listens as Orville Wright tell all about himself.	John F. Kennedy gets to talk to Mr. McCord, a school board member.
Presenting Our American Heroes
Harriet Tubman	Martin Luther King, Jr.
Douglas MacArthur	Jesse Owens
Abraham Lincoln	John F. Kennedy
Amelia Earhart	George Washington
John Hancock	Walt Disney
Lou Gehrig	Babe Ruth
William Taft	Orville Wright
Emily Dickinson	Eleanor Roosevelt