Middle Gate Elementary School fourth graders posed perfectly still at their desks on May 31, waiting for visitors to tap them on the shoulder. Once tapped, the students came to life, portraying a historical figure with a speech and sometimes, props.

For the Living Biographies project, the fourth grade students at Middle Gate are annually challenged to study a famous person from the past or present with a connection to Connecticut. The students then create a presentation based on their research, and they portray that person as their fellow students, family, and friends visit the fourth grade classrooms for the culmination of the project. Students in Linda Baron, Heidi Beauty, and Liza Eleoff's classes all participated in the project.

Fourth grader Grace Pierleoni said she first learned about Helen Keller last school year, and she chose to study her because she found her fascinating. Fourth grader Siddesh Saravanan said he was inspired to study Paul Newman after "I watched one of his movies, and it was pretty good."

As he walked through the rooms speaking with students, Principal Christopher Geissler said, "These kids are amazing." Like others visiting the classrooms for the event, Mr Geissler listened as students shared their speeches, frequently smiling.

Some students dressed like the person they studied, and some students brought props, like Kieran Garrity, who studied baseball player Bernie Williams. Kieran held a baseball bat while he shared his speech.

Ms Baron said each year, the students rise to the occasion of undertaking the big project. The Living Biographies, she said, are a highlight of the school year. Ms Beauty noted that the students had a shortened time period to work on their projects due to weather related school closings.

"They pulled it off, and they did an amazing job," said Ms Beauty.