Oh, Winter Break! How we teachers love it when you arrive! This is the time of year when many educators are eager to get away, sometimes to visit family for the holidays, and sometimes to take a tour of exotic places in warmer climates that are most appreciated when escaping colder climates.

I remember the time I toured Egypt during my Winter Break, way back in 1988. I had scrimped and saved and worked a second job for four years to save the money for this sojourn. I loved gazing at the pyramids, staring into the face of the sphinx, and cruising down the Nile River with daily stops at ancient archeological sites, including those found in the Valley of the Kings, Abu Simbel, Karnak, and Luxor.

Teacher and students the author met when she visited an elementary school on Christmas Eve in 1988. Photo Credit: Terry Lee Marzell

While in Luxor, I had the good fortune to visit a local elementary school. It was 6:00 at night and Christmas Eve, but the school was open and the children were still there. Remember, Egypt is a Muslim country, so there were no Christmas celebrations in progress. Those were simpler days: I simply walked in, introduced myself, and asked for a tour. No need to worry about security.

This was a small school, only three classrooms, furnished with dilapidated, mismatched tables and benches. There were no globes or maps, no computers, no projectors, no video players—none of the modern equipment one finds in the typical American classroom, even back then. I was led to an enclosed area in the back, where I was shown a dirt-packed playground. Nothing more. No balls, no swings, no slides, no ladders. Beyond, a shack with two small rooms that served as the outhouse.

Teacher Terry Lee Marzell observed that classroom and playground facilities available for these Egyptian students in an elementary school in Luxor, Egypt, were minimal and basic. Photo Credit: Terry Lee Marzell

Bare bones facilities, to be sure.

I was busy snapping pics of everything in sight with my film camera—no digital cameras in those days—when I suddenly discovered I was out of film. My driver kindly offered to escort me to a place where I could buy more, so I leapt into his “taxi”—which was actually a horse-drawn carriage—and he drove me to a jewelry store, of all places. It was after dark, but as I alighted from the carriage, I saw a young student about ten years old, sitting on the curb under a street lamp, working on his homework.

Just about everyone in Egypt speaks English, so I asked the young man, “How is it that you are here, on the street, in the dark, doing your homework?”

This young student in Luxor, Egypt, was forced to complete his homework assignments on the curb, under city street lights, because it was after dark and he had no electricity in his home. Photo Credit: Terry Lee Marzell

“There is no electricity in my house,” the boy explained, “so if I’m going to complete my assignment, I must do it here.”

Wow. What fortitude.

Once I returned from my tour and classes resumed, I would sometimes think of this youngster, especially when my own students were offering what I deemed to be feeble excuses for their own incomplete assignments.

Sometimes I would dig up my photo of this little Egyptian boy and tell my students his story. In “talk-to-the-hand” style, I would stop them in their tracks and say, “I don’t even want to hear your excuse unless your obstacle is greater than this young man’s.” Rarely was my student able to top the story of the little Egyptian boy.

We’re fortunate in this country, I attempted to convince my students, to have access to resources and facilities not available in schools in many other countries. We all need to remember this, I would tell them, when we’re tempted to complain or to take these benefits and resources for granted.

Like many educators, both currently working and retired, I have always enjoyed travel to intriguing and historic points of interest, both here at home and abroad. Because I was a child from an impoverished family, I thought traveling was something only rich people could do. I never thought I would ever be able to afford to go to any of the phenomenal places I was learning about in school. How frustrated I have been these past two years when, even though I finally have the time and the money, I was stuck at home because of the global pandemic. I know that many educators all over the world have shared this frustration. Now that travel opportunities have finally opened up, I feel very fortunate to have been able—at last—to take that long-postponed tour of Israel and Jordan.

Author and retired teacher Terry Lee Marzell and her husband Hal Marzell enjoyed two visits to the Dead Sea on a recent tour of Israel and Jordan. The story she wrote about her experiences there has been published on the popular website for travelers We Said Go Travel. Feel free to check it out! Photo Credit: Terry Lee Marzell.

I’ve already published a couple of posts about my travels to the Middle East here on this website, but I have also written an essay called “Second Chances: Two Visits to the Dead Sea” which not only describes my experiences there, but also reveals an important life lesson. I’m very excited to announce that this piece has just been published on the very popular website for travelers We Said Go Travel.

The website was established by science educator Lisa Ellen Niver, a talented and passionate writer, social media ninja, teacher, public speaker, and global citizen who has traveled to over 100 countries and six continents. You might find her underwater, traveling to an exotic location, teaching in the classroom, or in print, as she shares her insights about social media, science education, lifelong learning, books, and travel.

Check out my newly-published article and the other resources available on Lisa Niver’s website at this link: We Said Go Travel. Enjoy!

Author and retired teacher Terry Lee Marzell and her husband, Hal Marzell, experience a camel ride at the foot of Petra’s spectacular multi-story Treasury building. The structure features Hellenistic architecture, including Corinthian capitals, friezes, and figures. Photo Credit: Terry Lee Marzell

Summer has finally arrived, and this is traditionally the time of year when 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 Jordan, and while I was there I could see many opportunities for incorporating travel experiences into classroom curriculum. I’ve already written about my visit to Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Museum, and the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament. Today I’d like to share with you my experience of Jordan’s Petra, truly a place of wonders.

Petra is an archeological site which served as the center of the caravan trade since Biblical times. The Nabataeans, a nomadic Arabic tribe, designated the location as their capital city. The Nabataeans were skilled at stone carving, and capturing and storing rainwater, and agriculture, which was no easy feat in the middle of a desert.

Visiting the site required a lengthy hike from the hotel, which I happily circumvented by renting a seat on an electric-powered golf cart. While zooming through the Siq, a narrow passageway through which we could see glimpses of the structure known as the Treasury, I observed the water conduits constructed to capture and convey rainwater for use by residents of the city. The Siq opens into a large plaza over which towers the stunning Treasury building. The structure features Hellenistic architecture, including Corinthian capitals, friezes, and figures, all carved into the beautiful red stone native to the area. There we were treated to a short camel ride, which was tons of fun. (Tell your students they must ride a camel at least once in their lives!) Then we hiked back into the site to explore a small amphitheater, the royal tombs, and the Great Temple. Of course, by the time we had done all that hiking we were both quite worn out, so a golf cart ride back to our starting point was a must. If you ever visit the place and intend to hike the entire length, be prepared to hike five or six miles, minimum.

Petra, which is also known as the Rose Red City, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. The location is Jordan’s most visited tourist attraction; in 2019 alone, 1.1 million tourists made a pilgrimage to the place. For these reasons, it is well-worth a tour, and worthy of incorporation into classroom lesson plans. I can easily envision a discussion of Petra in a World History class, or even as part of a course on environmental strategies for managing resources.

To learn more about this extraordinary archeological site, click on this link to the official Petra website.

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.

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.