Wordless Wednesday {Impersonate}

HS impersonating The Bard

Sixth graders at HS's school begin World Civilization class with one very paramount question:

Who will you become this year?

That's a loaded question when you ask hormonally unstable preteens.  Of course they know who they wish they could emulate.  Pick any random pop artist, actor, or athlete.  That's who they think they want to impersonate.  It's not until the list of famous people throughout civilization who have made an impact on our world is passed out that they realize that there isn't going to be Justin Timberlake, Shakira, or Pitbull claiming one of the spots.  

Their first assignment right out of the shoot.  Decide who you want to become.  Decide based on what three pivotal things that stand out in their time period and the impact they had on history.  HS came home with William Shakespeare.  It was then that his time of becoming The Bard was a reality.  With each quarter that passed in his 6th grade year, he stepped closer to becoming the impersonator.  

Quarter 1~  Design a costume that makes you look like your figure in history and write a speech in 1st person that clearly explains who you are, what you are known for doing, and why that was so amazing to make a dent in the historical timeline.

Quarter 2~  Create a 2D timeline of significant events that occurred during your figure's life.  Include photos of those events and make sure that the time line is designed on an element of importance for your figure (for Shakespeare, HS recreated Shakespeare's desk and inkwell)

Quarter 3~  Build a 3D architecture important to your character or to a moment during your figure's life.  For HS, he painstakingly  put together a paper model of The Globe Theatre with HH during Christmas break.

Quarter 4~  Develop a trifold that includes a newspaper that highlights at least three important events occurring politically and socially during your figure's life in addition to making sure that a hand drawn detailed map of the trade routes during your figure's life is on the trifold.  Additionally, be ready to speak in front of the school, dressed as your character, and relay who your character was.

To say this was amazing to see all put together by the time his World Civilization Fair would be an understatement.  All the students were remarkable.  Although, I have a certain special place in my heart set aside for my dear son.  He carried out his task to the tee.  He impersonated The Bard beyond measure. 

 "All the world 's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts" - (As You Like It Act II, Scene VII).

Trust me on this one, as HS took his final bow as Shakespeare, from the heavens, William was smiling down as yet another generation was introduced to the power of the words that he proclaimed. And this proud momma...well, what more can I say than

There Shakespeare, on whose forehead climb

The crowns o’ the world; oh, eyes sublime

With tears and laughter for all time!

Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806–1861), A Vision of Poets