The third grade classrooms at Bowler Elementary school echoed the lives of American Heroes from the past. Starting Thursday, May 20 students shared their presentations in their own classrooms. Then on Friday, May 21 a few students from each class were selected to participate in an assembly for the fourth graders.

Together the students performed a song about heroes, taught to them by Bowler music teacher Trish Anderson. Many interesting facts and information was shared on each of the heroes. Marie Curie, Davy Crocket, Milton Hershey and Pocahontas to name a few.

Not originally called Chautaquas, the oral reports started 11 years ago in the millennium year when Becky Bartle, a third grade teacher at Bowler Elementary, wanted to teach her class about a famous person every week for the entire year. She’d planned to finish off the year with a party of famous people. The students had to do posters, a timeline, report on clothing and transportation of the era from their hero. This project ended up being bigger than she’s expected. Other classes were invited to attend her end of year party. Later, she spoke with the other teachers in the grade about refining the project and came up with Chautauquas. Named after a camp where lectures are given on famous people at Chautauqua Lake in New York starting in 1904.