Colonial Middle School's Wax Museum attracts students eager to make historic connections
Colonial Middle School's Wax Museum attracts students eager to make historic connections
While there are no figures actually made of wax at the “Wax Museum” that opened to visitors on May 8 at Colonial Middle School, the title still holds – just like the project that is a much-anticipated tradition for students in George Hankins’ history classes.
In fact, it has become so beloved that for the first time this year, students who are not in Mr. Hankins’ classes were offered the opportunity to participate. Thirteen students opted to do so, using their spare time in homeroom to develop a display for the museum, where students stand still behind a table until they are approached by visitors who tap a “button” to bring them to life. Once they are activated, the students share information about their topic. This year’s displays ran the gamut - from the history of cheese, to Chinese immigration in the 1800s, to Shakespeare.
The one thing that they all must have in common is some sort of connection to American history between the years of 1607 and 1918, said Mr. Hankins. Instead of dictating specific topics or people for students to study, he encourages them to pick a subject they find interesting so that they are invested in the work, which includes conducting research, building a graphic organizer, creating a tri-fold display, writing a speech, practicing it, and acquiring props to use during their museum performances.
Student Andrew Zhong said he was drawn to his project topic, “The Diet of Gold Rush Miners,” because he wanted to incorporate food in some way. His display featured samples of a dish called the Hangtown Fry, which was a staple of gold miners during the California Gold rush of the 1850s. It was typically made from ingredients such as oysters, bacon, and eggs.
“There’s actually a story about this. A miner got a big piece of gold, went to a shop, and told the owners to make the best thing they could. So the owners just found whatever expensive ingredients they could find,” he said.
Andrew, along with his classmates, recited their practiced speeches as different visitors came to their tables. Family members who were invited to tour the museum were able to learn about topics that included the history of the duel, Ona Judge (who fled enslavement from George Washington’s Mount Vernon), the Salem Witch trials, and so much more.
Mr. Hankins was inspired to start the Wax Museum 24 years ago when he became a teacher because he had experienced it himself as a middle school student. Because he was interested in science, Mr. Hankins selected Louis Pasteur, a French chemist, to study. Years later, he still has not forgotten how proud his mom was of his project, what it was like to see families visit the museum, or that his teacher gave him a chance to take ownership of his education.
“That day clicked in my brain - that hard work pays off,” he said. “It propelled me through high school.”
Mr. Hankins has been organizing the museum for so long that at least 16 Colonial School District employees who he had as students can recall being a part of the museum. One of those former students is Dr. Shawn Kaplan, the middle school principal. Mr. Hankins remembered that he selected Pat Tillman, professional football player turned soldier, as his subject for the Wax Museum.
The learning doesn’t end once Museum day is over. Mr. Hankins also requires each student to fill out a self-evaluation to process the experience and think about the skills they developed.
“One of my biggest beliefs is you never grow if you don’t spend time reflecting,” he said. “So I make that a big part of this project.”
