By Christina Leslie | Correspondent

Students at a school bordering the Atlantic Ocean learned how their neighbors near the Mediterranean Sea once lived as St. Rose School, Belmar, held their annual Egyptian Museum Feb. 26. The school’s 27 sixth grade students transformed their classrooms into a living museum and educated parents and fellow students during an exhibition explaining Egyptian history, current events, arts, food and mythology.

The annual Egyptian project spanned four weeks, reported teacher Sean McDonald. As a complement to their textbook’s chapter on ancient Egypt textbook, students completed a research paper and model display of an assigned topic covering many aspects of life there. Subject disciplines such as science, social studies, art and language overlapped as the students learned about the country which borders both the Asian and African continents.

While some students prepared scrolls decorated with hieroglyphics, others designed a sarcophagus to hold mummified oranges. A unit on agriculture prompted the youngsters to prepare typical Egyptian foods for their guests to enjoy. Recounts of recent events were compiled into a scrapbook, while ancient gods’ earned pretend Facebook profiles of their likes and dislikes.

On the day of the living museum, parents arrived to view the exhibits, followed by students from each grade level. Sixth grade students, adorned in Egyptian clothing, were happy to explain their projects to adults and peers alike.

McDonald was pleased with the students’ results and eagerness in teaching their visitors. “When I designed some of these lessons, I never imagine the level of skill and creativity that would be demonstrated by these students,” he said. “Their enthusiasm and desire to learn was the most rewarding aspect of the entire process.”