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Teacher’s Egypt Trip Will Enhance Classroom

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Egypt is always a favorite of the ancient civilizations studied in 6th grade humanities. It's so mysterious! When my mother offered to take me on a 15-day trip there, I was ecstatic (even enough to endure 2 vaccines!)

We flew into Cairo, the capital of Egypt, and landed in the middle of desert (I cried!). Right away we were assigned to an Egyptologist named Yasser. Because the Middle East is such a hotbed of unrest, police were everywhere, carrying fully loaded AK-47's. It was supposed to make us feel more secure, but it was unsettling.

The first week we toured the Cairo Museum (with "King Tut's" treasures and the royal mummies), the pyramids, the Sphinx, the Alabaster Mosque, as well as a medieval Coptic church. We ate dinner with an Egyptian family and had "class" on Arabic, Islam, and hieroglyphics.

We also took a train ride and spent a day in Alexandria on the Mediterranean Sea coast, seeing Greco-Roman ruins as well as an Arab fortress built on the same spot where the Pharos Lighthouse, one of Seven Ancient Wonders, used to be.

Then we flew south to Luxor (formerly Thebes) and spent a week on a river cruise of the Nile, visiting ancient temples and tombs. We cruised as far south as Aswan where we went to see the high dam which regulates the yearly flooding (built in 1971, it ushered in "modern Egypt"), a Papyrus Institute, and a local Nubian marketplace.

It was a fascinating trip, full of useful information for the classroom. For example, one of our novels is set in Thebes. I can't wait to add to the description of the tombs that were robbed. I was there! I also brought back samples of the sand/rocks from the Valley of the Kings, a famous archaeological site. (We study archaeology as well in 6th grade.)

What will I remember most? The exotic smells, the tranquil scenery of the banks of the Nile (no crocodiles), and the staggering height of the Great Pyramid. Another lasting impression is the fact that though the huge temples remain, the pagan religion is dead. When Moses and company marched triumphantly out of there, they followed the True God, the Living God, the One who is with us yesterday, today, and forever.

Truly, it was the most amazing “teacher training” I’ve ever been to!