The third grade students of Fair Grove Elementary School have taken the history of Missouri in their social studies unit to a whole new level. On Wednesday, March 27, the third graders lined the elementary’s halls dressed as famous Missourians to present over their lives.

The students got to choose a Famous Missourian from their text book to research and eventually present over them at the end of the unit. “They have to research that person to learn about their Early Life, Adult Life and how they became famous Missourians,” stated 3rd grade teacher Sarah Strader.

The students then had to prepare a report for their writing class, and a speech to present on the “Hall of Fame” day. Strader said, “They are allowed to dress in character and most students make a presentation board to present pictures and facts on. They present the information in character through the speech they wrote.”

The students learned a lot from their project, not only in the way of knowing Missouri’s history, but also by gaining practice in presenting, a skill that will be used throughout their lives. The students also combined an abundance of classes into this one unit, they learned American history during the research portion and they worked on their reading and writing skills during the speech portion of the project. “There is multiple facets for learning in this project.  It’s a lot of work for students and teachers, but so worth the time,” added Strader.

Many parents and other elementary students came to the “Hall of Fame” day to support their children or fellow classmates. Strader stated, “We hear many compliments and confirmations about this day of “Famous Missourians Hall of Fame” and will continue to do it for years to come!”