Second Grade Famous People in History Research Project and Wax Museum Performance
Timeline
Thursday, April 17
Top 3 choices due
Monday, April 21
Information goes home with Famous person
assignment. At this point you may work on your costume at
any time.
Friday, May 2
Student rough draft research reports will be sent home to
aide students in final copy and oral presentations
Wednesday, May 14
Photo collage, 2-mintue speech, Final Copy of report, and
costume are due. Dress rehearsal with costumesStudents only
Friday, May 16
Wax Museum Performance-time 1:15-2:00
Completed at home AND Turned in based on Timeline (see above)

Pick top 3 choices

Final draft of historic report

1-2 minute speech in first person (This is different from the final draft of the report)

Photo Collage/Poster

Costume
Research Directions
1. At school, your child will research as much information as possible about their famous person.
The following is a list of question the students will be looking for so they can complete the
research. We will be working on the rough draft at school. (You may also research at home if
you wish; however it is not mandatory, but all material should stay at school.)

When and where he/she was born?

What was his/her life like as a child?

Did he/she get married? When? Who did they marry?

Did he/she have children?

What kind of education did he/she receive? Where?

What hardships did he/she face or endure?

Why is he/she famous?

How did he/she become famous?

Are there any other interesting facts about the person?
Photo Collage Directions
At home, your child will need to create a photo collage on poster board or Tri-fold board of their
famous person in history. This will be on display next to the student during our wax museum
performance. The poster should have several different pictures of the person (possibly at different
ages). Each picture must have a caption. The famous person’s name should be at the top of the
poster board-large enough and neat enough to read-with “portrayed by …(student’s name here)”
underneath. Be as creative as you like! Please see the example below.
George Washington
Portrayed by Sue Smith
Speech Directions
Help your child prepare a two minute speech about the person’s life written in first person. In other
words, they should talk as if they are the famous person (Hello, I am George Washington…). The
students will use the information from their research projects for their speeches. (This is different
than the report. The report is written as research.) Have your child put his/her speech on index
cards. Have your child practice saying his/her speech several times so they will not have to read it
directly from the cards during our wax museum performances. Have them practice saying the speech
with expression and personality. You want the audience to believe that you are the famous person. 
Costume Directions
After receiving their famous person, your child may begin working on a costume. Help your child
decide what he/she should wear for their wax museum performance. Try to represent your person as
accurately as you as can. You shouldn’t have to buy anything for this project. Help your child gather
as many props as you can, so they can look and feel as authentic as possible. Have your child bring
everything-clothes, props, speeches, and photo collages to school for dress rehearsal.
Your child also needs a container (can, plastic container) that will hold the money they collect.
Standards this project addresses
RI2.9
Compare and contrast the most important point presented by two texts on the same topic.
SL2.3
Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to clarify comprehension, gather
additional information, or deepen understanding of a topic or issue.
L2.6
Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding
to texts, including using adjectives and adverbs to describe (e.g., When other kids are happy that
makes me happy).
RI2.10
By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies,
science, and technical texts, in the grades 2-3 text complexity band proficiently with scaffolding as
needed at the high end of the range.
SL2.6
Produce complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested
detail or clarification.
RI2.1
Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate
understanding of key details in a text.
RI2.4
Identify the main topic of a multi-paragraph text as well as the focus of specific paragraphs within the
text.
L2.1a
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or
speaking. Use collective nouns (e.g., group).
RI2.7
Explain how specific images (e.g., a diagram showing how a machine works) contribute to and clarify a
text.
RI2.1
Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate
understanding of key details in a text.
W2.2
Write informative/explanatory texts in which they introduce a topic, use facts and definitions to
develop points, and provide a concluding statement or section.
W2.5
With guidance and support from adults and peers, focus on a topic and strengthen writing as needed
by revising and editing.
W2.8
Recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a
question.
W2.2
Write informative/ explanatory texts in which they introduce a topic, use facts and definitions to
develop points, and provide a concluding statement or section.
2.H.1,
2.H.1 Understand how various sources provide information about the past.