Tag Archives: Traveling Teachers

Incorporating a tour of the Israeli Parliament into classroom curriculum

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Summer has finally arrived, and this is the time that many educators are eager to incorporate travel into their vacation plans. Teachers know that travel, in addition to being fun and intellectually stimulating, is one of the most meaningful learning opportunities available for both themselves and for their students. I recently returned from a trip to Israel, and while I was there I could see many opportunities for incorporating travel experiences into classroom curriculum.

A visit to the parliament of another country, particularly, offers opportunities for comparisons between the American system of government and the systems of other democracies around the world.

Author and retired teacher Terry Lee Marzell tours the Israeli Parliament during her recent trip to Israel and Jordan. Photo Credit: Hal Marzell

An excellent example of this is the visit I made to the Knesset. The Knesset is the governing body of the Israeli government, responsible for electing the president, approving the cabinet, passing national laws, and supervising committees. Unlike the legislature of the United States, which features two houses—a Senate and a House of Representatives—there is only one house in the Israeli Parliament. The Knesset’s 120 members are elected by popular vote and represent all of the various communities present in the country’s populations. Knesset members serve four-year terms. The most surprising fact I learned on my visit? Israel has no formal constitution! Instead, the country is governed by a set of 13 Basic Laws which were originally intended to be a rough draft of a constitution; however, the final document was never written.

Science teachers might want to point out that the structure of the Knesset is one of the greenest parliament buildings in the world, constructed with numerous large windows to allow for abundant natural lighting, solar panels covering the roof, auto-close air-conditioners, and thermally insulated double-paned windows.

Hal Marzell visits the Plenary Hall of the Israeli Parliament on a recent tour of the Knesset. Photo Credit: Terry Lee Marzell

Art and interior design teachers can also create lessons based on a tour of the Knesset. For example, in contrast to the chambers housing the US Senate and the House of Representatives, the Israeli Parliament meets in a rather starkly-furnished room. This assembly room, known as Plenary Hall, is three stories tall.  Knesset members are seated by rank in a horse-shoe shape on the Plenum floor facing a dais where the Speaker sits. Behind the dais rises a wall adorned with a mostly flat, rather colorless artistic sculpture by Israeli artist Dani Karavan (1930–2021). The artwork, entitled “Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem” (Psalms 122:6), is based on the theme of the relationship between the spiritual, heavenly Jerusalem and the physical, earthly Jerusalem. The wall is comprised of large rectangular blocks of Galilee stone. On the left side of the wall hangs a portrait of Theodor Herzl, an early visionary of the Jewish state, etched on a tablet of dark zinc. Looking down over the plenary floor are the VIP gallery, which is where the Israeli president sits while observing Knesset sessions, and the public gallery.

Terry Lee Marzell examines the immense wall mosaic designed especially for the Knesset by Jewish artist Marc Chagall. Photo Credit: Hal Marzell

One of the most striking aspects of the art of the Knesset, though, are the art pieces designed by world-renowned Russian-born Jewish artist Marc Chagall (1887-1985). He created three large tapestries, 12 floor mosaics, and one wall mosaic specifically for the Knesset’s State Hall, the scene of important state ceremonies and state events. These works of art incorporate scenes from the Old Testament combined with depictions of events in modern history, and emphasize the return to the Promised Land. Obviously, the concept of the separation between church and state which permeates much of American government is not a part of the governing processes of Israel.

And that’s my personal take-away on how my recent tour of Israel’s Knesset could contribute to the classroom curriculum. Other ideas? Feel free to comment.

An exploration of Israel’s Yad Vashem Holocaust Remembrance Center

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Author and retired teacher Terry Lee Marzell examines a display at Yad Vashem, the internationally-renowned Holocaust Remembrance Center located in Israel. Photo credit: Hal Marzell

Now that Covid-19 stay-at-home restrictions have been eased, many educators are eager to incorporate travel into their summer vacation plans. Teachers know that travel, in addition to being fun and restorative, is one of the most meaningful learning opportunities available for both themselves and for their students. Recently, I was able to travel to Israel and Jordan, and I could see many opportunities for incorporating my experiences into learning opportunities in the classroom.

An excellent example of this is the visit I made last month to Yad Vashem, the internationally-renowned Holocaust Remembrance Center located in Jerusalem. The center, founded in 1953, is located on the western slope of Mount Herzl, also known as the Mountain of Remembrance, in western Jerusalem. With approximately one million visitors each year, Yad Vashem is one of the most-visited tourist destinations in Israel, second only to the Western Wall. Like any study and contemplation of the Holocaust, this visit was a somber and disturbing one. Nevertheless, I would definitely recommend a trip here to anyone who is able to go.

Young Israeli soldiers are required to take a tour of the Yad Vashem Holocaust Remembrance Center as part of their military training. Photo Credit: Terry Lee Marzell

One thing that surprised me during my visit was the presence of so many young Israeli soldiers, both men and women, who were also touring the museum. Such a tour is required as part of their military training.

In addition to the exhibition pavilion, we visited a very moving memorial to the 1.5 million children who perished in the Holocaust. This unique memorial was hollowed out from an underground cavern. Five memorial candles are reflected in the extremely dark and somber space. These candles created the illusion of millions of stars shining in the firmament. As we proceeded through the memorial, the names of murdered children and their ages and countries of origin are recited in the background. The effect was both beautiful and haunting.

Author and retired teacher Terry Lee Marzell at the Pilar of Heroism which commemorates the resistance to Nazi domination and extermination. The Pilar is located at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Remembrance Center  in Jerusalem. Photo Credit: Hal Marzell

When I was still in the classroom and teaching about the Holocaust, my curriculum evolved to cover what I believed to be three important aspects of the Holocaust. First, I believe that teaching the Holocaust is important, bt this is not the only theme about the Jewish people that is important.  Therefore, I incorporated Jewish cultural aspects such as folk tales, music, and art into the lesson plans. Second, I didn’t want my students to view the Jewish people only as victims. Therefore, I included information about resistance efforts, including the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, into the lesson plans. At Yad Vashem, these efforts are commemorated by the Pilar of Heroism. And third, I didn’t want my students to be burdened by feelings of guilt about an event which they did not participate and over which they had no control. For this reason, I incorporated information about individuals who rescued, hid, or aided Jewish people in their efforts to avoid Nazi extermination. Yad Vashem honors these individuals, whom they call the “Righteous Among Nations,” in a tree-lined avenue and a garden.

If you, too, are involved in teaching aspects of the Holocaust in your classrooms, Yad Vashem offers a wealth of resources on their website. The website offers background information, including a timeline with over 200 entries related to the major events that occurred before, during, and immediately after the Holocaust. Also available are digital photo archives, full-length survivor testimonies, an online film catalog, a documents archive, and a database of the righteous. All of these materials, and more, are available for you to choose from on their website.

I hope that if you are teaching about the Holocaust, someday you will be able to visit this memorial in person yourself. Until then, please explore the online resources available from Yad Vashem. Simply click on this link to YadVashem.org.

Terry Lee Marzell encourages a visit to the International Spy Museum

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Retired educator and author Terry Lee Marzsell, who recently visited the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC, encourages teachers and students to explore the museum’s resources.  Photo credit: Terry Lee Marzell.

As a retired teacher, I know that educators who are still working in the classroom enjoy leading their students to a variety of academic activities. Field trips, virtual tours, and academic websites are among the most fascinating educational activities we can share. Recently I traveled to Washington, DC, where I was able to participate in an exploration of the International Spy Museum. I was there side-by-side with a number of groups of school students who were excited to be able to spend the day at this unique museum.

If you, like many educators, are unable to escort your students to the museum, you can still explore the exhibits through online resources at this link: Spy Museum. On the museum website, students can see information about code breaking, sabotage, spying that shaped history, interrogation, and surveillance. For an overview of notorious spies and spymasters throughout time and to learn about tools used to carry out spy missions, your students can click on this link to Stealing Secrets. They can view resources related to covert action, sabotage, secret soldiers, and propaganda at this link: Covert Action.

If you and your students are able to visit in person, you will find the museum at 700 L’Enfant Plaza, SW in Washington, DC. The museum is open from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm every day. The cost is $24.95 for adults and students over age 12. While there, maybe your students would like to opt for a fictional cover identity and engage in activities that would test their spy sills on a fictional undercover mission. There’s also a fun museum shop with a plethora of novelty items and clothing items for sale. Enjoy!

Science educator Lisa Niver at the Enkereri School in Kenya

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Science educator Lisa Niver with students from the Enkereri Primary School on the Maasai Mara in Kenya. Photo by Matt Payne. See more about Payne at https://instagram.com/mattpaynetravelphotography

Though many teachers dream of visiting schools on other continents, science educator Lisa Niver has managed to accomplish quite a bit of this. Lisa is pictured above visiting a school located on the Maasai Mara in Kenya. “I was showing the children photos of animals we had seen on our safari as well as photos I took of them in their classroom,” explained Lisa. “I hope to visit Enkereri Primary School again someday!” she said.

The Enkereri Primary School is one of nine schools in the Maasai Mara. This unique school provides a digital literacy program for the students which features e-readers loaded with textbooks and literature. To learn more about the school at Maasai Mara, visit this website at Sanctuary Retreats.

Lisa is a former junior high school science educator from Los Angeles, California. She is well-known in science teacher circles for her instructional strategies that emphasize the use of technology in the classroom. She’s also noted for using students’ real world connections to explore their passions and to work towards solving today’s most complex issues. Lisa developed a successful summer science camp for students and created a science-based website entitled Science Isn’t Scary. In 2009, Lisa founded the Los Angeles Science Teachers Network (LASTN), a professional development network that by May, 2012, involved over 70 teachers and 40 schools. The effort was praised by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

In addition to her career as a professional educator, Lisa is also a sought-after motivational speaker, travel agent, and travel writer. Lisa has traveled to over 99 countries, and has been recognized as one of the top five female travel bloggers. In addition, she is the Adventure Correspondent for The Jet Set, the first travel-based TV Talk show. To learn more about unique travel experiences, check out Lisa’s fabulous website at We Said Go Travel.

Lisa has published many articles in online and offline magazines, including National Geographic, The Huffington Post, The Guardian, and The Jewish Journal. She was a 2012 nominee for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching. In 2018, she was nominated in three categories of the Southern California Journalism Awards: Science/Technology Reporting; Travel Reporting; and Personality Profile. Impressively, this month she was nominated for the award once again in five categories, including Online Journalist of the Year.

Way to go, Lisa!

Pennsylvania history teacher Jennifer Wahl: She shares a passion for travel

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High school social studies teacher Jennifer Wahl teaches a love for travel. The talented educator earned recognition as the 2018 Pennsylvania State Teacher of the Year.

I love to write about talented educators who share their passions with their students. One of these is Jennifer Wahl, a high school history teacher from Pennsylvania. In her classroom in a small-town school, she shares her monumental love for international travel.

Jennifer has been teaching at Loyalsock Township High School in Lycoming County since 2006. There she teaches courses in history, psychology, and sociology. She also teaches courses at the Pennsylvania State College. Her career as an educator has spanned the last 13 years.

Jennifer is originally from New York City, but she spent much of her childhood overseas with her mother, who is from the Middle East. The young teacher’s love of travel has only expanded since she has become an educator. Jennifer has been involved in numerous professional development opportunities that have taken her to some pretty amazing places. She was chosen by the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia to travel to China for a two-week study tour In 2011. The following year, the Japan Society chose her to travel to Japan to attend a three-week study tour. In 2013, she studied restorative justice and teaching for Peace in Delhi, India, at the International School for Jain Studies.

Jennifer is eager to share her love of travel with her students. She uses pictures, artifacts, and food to bring history alive for her students, some of whom have grown up to share her love of world travel. “I’m happy for those students that they got out of a small-town environment to see the world and then brought it back here,” Jennifer declares. “I love that they broadened their horizons.”

In addition to her work in the classroom, Jennifer belongs to a number of professional organizations. She is a member of The Japan Society, the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia, the International School for Jain Studies, the College Board, the National and State Teacher of the Year Pennsylvania Chapter, and the Pennsylvania State Education Association. She is also an active member of her union and served as the vice president and member of the negotiations committee of her local chapter.

Jennifer earned her Bachelor’s degree in History and Secondary Education from Cabrini University located in Radnor, Pennsylvania. She earned her Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Pennsylvania State University. For her work in the classroom, Jennifer was named the 2018 Pennsylvania State Teacher of the Year.

To learn more about this accomplished chalkboard champion, visit this link: CCSSO.