“I didn’t realize how much inventors struggled before they succeeded. It makes me feel like I can try new things and not give up.”
‘Ewa Beach students bring history to life with their living Wax Museum. With research and creativity (and a good supply of wigs, capes, and props) they created their museum of past inventors and engineers. Then they invited their peers and families to tour the museum and learn about the aspirational figures. Now in its third year, the Wax Museum has become quite the favorite among students, say Grade 5 teachers Ms G and Ms Martinez. Enjoy the video and then read on as Ms G describes the project.
MISS G UNPACKS THE WAX MUSEUM PROJECT
WHY A WAX MUSEUM?
This project serves as the culmination of our engineering and design unit. It’s the final piece where students showcase what they’ve learned about inventors and engineers by embodying them in the living wax museum.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO CREATE?
We spent several weeks working on this project. We started by having the students take part in several design and engineering building challenges, such as teaming up with their high school peers to create craft that will fly. That really helps them understand the mindset and thinking process of inventors. Next they researched famous inventors from the past, wrote essays, and then prepared their Wax Museum presentations.
WHAT GOES INTO THE STUDENT PRESENTATIONS?
Their presentation boards visually represent their figure’s achievements and impact. They then develop costumes to bring the inventors to life, and, finally, they prepare and practice their speeches for the museum. Along the way, we focus on research skills, writing, public speaking, and the design process to create cohesive presentations.
WHAT DO STUDENTS LEARN?
Students gain insight into the lives and mindsets of various inventors and engineers, understanding their contributions to society. They also develop research skills, improve their writing, and enhance their presentation abilities. Beyond academics, they learn teamwork, problem-solving, and how to think like engineers — breaking down problems and seeking creative solutions.
WHAT TAKEAWAYS DO STUDENTS HAVE FROM THE PROJECT?
The students were highly engaged throughout the project and excited about bringing historical figures to life. The Wax Museum is an ‘Ewa Beach tradition now; students visit it when they are in the lower grades, so when they enter fifth grade they are eager about this project and already have their inventors in mind.
One thing that stood out was how several students expressed feeling more connected to the inventors they researched.
One student mentioned, “I didn’t realize how much inventors struggled before they succeeded. It makes me feel like I can try new things and not give up.”
Many were inspired by the perseverance and creativity of the figures they studied. We discuss in our classrooms that these are safe places to make mistakes because it is through mistakes that we can learn and improve, just like engineers and inventors do every single day.
