Tricks of the trading

DEXTER, Mo. -- Students at Central Elementary School huddle together at recess, before school or at lunch for some serious trading. One might have a rare card that someone else needs. Another student might have three cards they are willing to make a deal on. Someone else might be looking to find that one card they haven't been able to put their hands on -- yet.

But the cards don't feature baseball players. Or football players. Or rock musicians.

These students are collecting trading cards featuring photos and historical dates on famous Missourians. Folks like J.C. Penney, Walt Disney, Gen. Omar Bradley and Ozzie Smith. And the collecting, trading and preparation of the cards has created a bit of a buzz in Dexter's fourth grade.

It's all a part of a Missouri history unit the students are studying, and in learning more about their home state, the students are also learning that a lot of famous people grew up in towns just like theirs throughout Missouri.

Will be tested

According to fourth-grade teacher Nancy Mayer, each student prepares a card on one special Missourian -- someone they choose and research. The card looks like any ordinary trading card, with the individual's name and photo on the front, and information on the flip side.

"They have really had a good time doing it and trading to get a complete set," Mayer said.

But the fun has a purpose, and before too long the students will be tested on famous Missourians to see if they have learned more about the Show Me State.

But in the meantime, the fun is in the preparation and the trading.

"You can put their picture on the front and write things on the back and go to the Internet and search for information," said Amber Taylor. Amber said she had a growing collection of the cards.

Caleb Johns had 16 cards he could fan out and show. His cards included Omar Bradley, J.C. Penney and artist George Caleb Bingham.

The life of "unsinkable" Molly Brown was the topic Hannah Robertson explored. She was impressed with the Hannibal-born Brown.

"She survived the Titanic; she had a lot of get up and go," Hannah said.

For now, at least, the trading of famous Missourian cards has eclipsed the excitement over baseball trading cards or even Harry Potter cards.

"It's neat," Caleb said.

The next project on the horizon for the fourth-graders is to prepare information on places to visit in Missouri.