TEACHER'S CORNER: TRINITY SIXTH-GRADERS SEE EGYPT IN `MUSEUM'

Sixth-grade tour guides at Trinity Lutheran School are leading youngsters on a visit to Ancient Egypt as part of their social studies class.

Teacher Melanie Martens said social studies is often a difficult subject for sixth-graders, especially when many of her students haven't been outside Southeast Missouri.

Hands-on activities, like the Museum of Ancient Egypt, give students a chance to experience other cultures.

"I am really impressed with their knowledge of the subject and the way they handle questions from the younger students," Martens said.

Students also complete a "report in a box" on a country of their choice. Many have found pen pals in that country and are writing to the pals about life in their countries. They are making maps and flags and will write a research paper.

Martens said: "I hope these projects inspire my students to participate more fully in the world in which we all live, and that they at least broaden their horizons to appreciate the diversity of the cultures in our world."

Martens has been teaching six years at Trinity Lutheran School in Cape Girardeau. She has been a teacher for 15 years and earned her teaching degree at Concordia College in Seward, Neb.

"When I was very young I wanted to be a teacher, perhaps influenced by my parents, both of whom are teachers," she said. "I thought about other careers, but I felt God was leading me into a teaching career and I haven't regretted the choice I made.

"Teaching can be difficult, but it is also intrinsically rewarding," she said. "There is certainly never a dull moment. I teach in a Lutheran school because I believe we can best minister to all the needs of a child -- intellectual, emotional, physical, and of course, spiritual."