By David Cruz

Call it Night at the Museum for this local catholic school!

Third graders representing famous historical figures dating from ancient Egypt to modern history were present at a museum-style gallery at the School of Saint Ann on Bainbridge Avenue.

Twenty bright-eyed youngsters, functioning as a type of talking automaton, stepped into the shoes of notables such as Cleopatra, John Adams and Queen Elizabeth.

“We have sports figures, we have historical figures from ancient times, we have astronauts here, we have several presidents here,” said Cecile Rodriguez, principal of St. Ann’s School. She was accompanied by the Archdiocese’s Regional Superintendent Ray Vitiello.

Students were equipped with a “button” that when pushed would inspire them to rise from their seats and deliver a one-minute monologue.

“Hi, I’m Queen Elizabeth II,” said student Alana Santelle of Bedford Park, who remained in character during the presentation. “I have four children, eight grand children and three great grand children.”

“I don’t like when people think I was not born blind and deaf,” said one student playing Helen Keller. “When I was small I had a very high fever that left me both blind and deaf.

Natalie Mieses, 8, picked Amelia Earhart, a historical figure in the world of aviation. “On May 10, I got my [pilot] license,” said Mieses as Earhart. “On May 15, I crossed the Atlantic.”

Natalie shared her story with her older sister Kayla Jacobo, unaware Earhart was the first female pilot ever.

“I’m in aviation too,” said Jacobo. “So it was really cool that she was touching something that was almost like home to me.”

Students who took part in the project were asked to pick a historical figure they admired back. They spent several weeks in April researching their historical figure through the Internet, and detailing key moments in that person’s life onto poster boards.

Nancy Smith, mother to Peter, encouraged her son to play Rosa Parks, the African-American woman who refused to give up her seat on a bus during the early days of the Civil Rights Movement. The action sparked a yearlong boycott. The Smiths read up on Parks’ fortitude, inspiring many to endure 15 miles of walking to their job while the boycott continued.

“That was the part that really got to me,” said Smith, who helped her son memorize her lines.

Interactive with a touch of theatrical flair, the overall goal third grade teacher Geraldine Gagliardi hopes students get out the exercise is a lesson in history and facing adversity.

“They just picked who their hero would be and who would they want to follow and maybe following them down the line,” said Gagliardi, following through a long time tradition at the New York City Archdiocese institution.

The lesson resonated with Natalie who learned Earhart “never gave up.”