Bridgehampton Fifth Grade Wax Museum Depicts Lives Of European Explorers

Twelve fifth grade students at the Bridgehampton School capped off a recent unit on European explorers in the New World with a wax museum presentation on in the new school library on Friday, November 19.

“We were able to do it in a great new setting,” said Lou Liberatore, who teaches the class with Mallory Dougherty. The class held two previous wax museum exhibitions outdoors, but Liberatore said weather can be more than a little fickle this time of year, so it was nice to have a new venue for the exhibition.

Each of the 12 students chose one of five explorers who left their marks on the Americas.

Besides dressing in costume and holding their poses in between presentations, the students created trifold board displays of their characters and described to visitors their lives and the nature of their explorations and conquests.

“The kids worked close to a month on the projects,” Liberatore said. “They took a lot of pride in their work and did a really good job.”

Finn Alversa and Eli McCleland chose Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian mariner, who sailed for Spain and made four trips to the New World, becoming the first European to reach the Caribbean, Central and South America.

Sadie Schwartz and Alysson Pichon each picked Amerigo Vespucci (1451-1512), another Italian, who sailed for both Spain and Portugal, and who published booklets about his voyages describing “a new world.” Early cartographers named the new continent after him.

Four students, Jessica Rojas, Josimar Padilla, Chase Chmielewski and Kevin Tuba, depicted Hernan Cortes (1485-1547), the Spanish conquistador who conquered the Aztecs.

The life of Francisco Vazquez de Coronado (1510-1554) was chosen by Axel Cruz and Edgar Bonilla. Coronado, a Spaniard, explored from Mexico into what is now the Southwestern United States.

Felipa Garcia and Chenoa Urgiles chose Hernando de Soto (1496-1542), a Spanish explorer, who traveled from Florida to the Mississippi River, becoming the first European to see it.

Even though there were some duplications, Liberatore said each student did unique research. “It was a very engaging activity for them,” he said. “They were definitely nervous. It’s not easy to give a presentation and answer questions from adults.”