NORTH FORSYTH -- Paul Revere galloped from class to class as Caesar Chavez talked about crops and a Silver City Elementary School student pushed Teddy Roosevelt down the hall.
Nine third-grade teachers dressed up as famous Americans from the history curriculum taught in Forsyth County Schools Wednesday to get their students excited and engaged about their lessons.
“We made timelines, just small snippets, and then they’ll go back and do their research,” said Gina Eigenauer, who was clad in an outfit to emulate Mary Jane McLeod Bethune.
An entire hall in the third-grade wing at the school on Dahlonega Highway (Hwy. 9) in north Forsyth had sheets of paper with timelines of American historical events centered around the figures.
Inside the classrooms, the teachers rotated to each group, some showing slideshows, others answering questions, all – female teachers – wearing suits, or wigs, or glasses, or long dresses.
John-Hartley Glude’s favorite historical figure and lesson was Susan B. Anthony, he said, “because she got votes for woman, and I think that’s fairer.”
The third grader said seeing his teachers dress up was fun and he likes that they “do cool events for it and making little slides that we’ve learned.”
Eigenauer said the teachers spent time Tuesday night setting up, which included hanging streamers and American flags in the hallways’ openings and over doors.
“When they walked through the halls, their faces were like, ‘What are we doing, what are we doing?’” she said. “Then they saw us all dressed up, they’re trying to figure out who we were, and they’re taking notes as we go along, so they’re really excited.”