Faces of Florida

Students learn by researching and portraying noteworthy people and places.

By PAULETTE LASH RITCHIE

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 18, 2000

INVERNESS -- The first thing visitors to Inverness Primary School's Florida Days saw was a big table piled high with plates of cookies and lined with cups of drinks. During the hot late spring afternoon, the refreshments were welcome.

[Times photo: Steve Hasel] Courtney Spafford, center, who had an exhibit about Gatorland, talks to Brittany Driver, left, who portrayed the late Gov. Lawton Chiles.

Wandering down the shaded, sloped sidewalk behind the school, guests could stop and look at displays that students dressed in period clothing were battling to keep upright against the breezy warm air.

Florida Days is a fourth-grade project that includes a few fifth-graders from Scott Hebert's multilevel class. The idea is to use research to teach the students about noteworthy Floridians, from the internationally known to the local, and famous Florida places.

The first display was about Inverness Mayor Joyce Rogers, who faced Thomas Edison, another famous Floridian, right across the walkway. The mayor, who had stopped by for a look, seemed delighted.

Other locals described by students included former Sheriff Charles Dean, Inverness police Chief Joseph Elizarde, animal control director Henry Baggett and School Superintendent Pete Kelly.

There were displays on actor Faye Dunaway, who attended the University of Florida and Florida State University; actor Burt Reynolds, who went to FSU and built a theater in South Florida; singer Mel Tillis; writer Ernest Hemingway; singers Jimmy Buffett, Pat Boone and Ray Charles; and jazz artist Julian Cannonball Adderley.

Actor Butterfly McQueen, who was born in Tampa, was spotlighted by Lizetta Grice, who was dressed like McQueen's character, Prissy, in Gone With The Wind. "She died because her house caught on fire," Lizetta said. "She was born in 1911 and died in 1996."

On the political scene, there were displays about state Rep. Nancy Argenziano, U.S. Rep. Karen Thurman, former Gov. Lawton Chiles, U.S. Sen. Connie Mack, Attorney General Janet Reno and Gov. Jeb Bush.

Sports were represented with displays about Jack Nicklaus, the Jacksonville Jaguars, Dan Marino, the Miami Dolphins, the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, the Tampa Rowdies, the Orlando Magic and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

There was plenty of interest in Florida attractions, too. Visitors could see displays about the Fred Bear Museum, the Florida Everglades, Wet and Wild, Silver Springs, Lowry Park Zoo, Weeki Wachee, Gatorland, Orlando, Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom and Typhoon Lagoon and even our local Fort Cooper.

Historical personalities were also represented: the Seminole Indians, David Levy Yulee, Billy Bowlegs of the Seminole Oconee Tribe, Chief Osceola, and citrus baron Ben Hill Griffin.

Samantha Damron, 10, did her report on Sam Proctor. "He was a teacher and a pioneer person. He died when he was 78 because of old age," she said.

Cathy Thompson from the Citrus County Historical Society brought displays and talked about the history of the Inverness courthouse. Al Herndon from Floral City's Ferris Groves was on hand to educate students and visitors about Citrus County produce and agriculture. Florida Cracker Johnny Outlaw and longtime resident Leroy Bellamy talked about Florida and local history.

Fourth-grader Carey Clayson, 10, was very impressed with the event. "It's nice. It's beautiful," he said. "It's Florida Days reports to show stuff on Florida." He was especially impressed with his friend John Cryan's display on Baggett.

John, 10, said he was looking through information on possible projects and came across Baggett. "And I thought, "Great! I'll work on this report.' This report was very interesting to me."

Fifth-grader Desma Horton, 11, saw the value of the Florida lesson. "It was fun and interesting to figure out stuff. I learned about Castillo De San Marcos," she said. Desma was also interested in the attractions. "The Wet and Wild one (and) the Slip and Slide one; that looks fun."

Melissa Dye, 10, pointed out that her classmates benefited from all the projects. "I think it was fun that a lot of kids got to learn about other people instead of just the one they were studying."

Five fourth-grade teachers, Shelley Schantz, Tina Adams, Donnie Brown, Sally Taylor and Allyson Salmaggi, and one fourth/fifth grade multilevel teacher, Scott Hebert, teamed to bring Florida Days together, and 9-year-old Amber Mekelburg summed up the purpose of it. "So we could learn more about different kinds of things that have to do with Florida," she said.

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