Anda Foxwell, who teaches Social Studies 6 at Christian Academy in Japan, reflects on how questions helped her students apply a Biblical perspective.

Each of my sixth grade social studies students researched an aspect of ancient Egyptian history and culture that caught their interest. Leading up to and guiding their independent research, we kept asking two key questions:

1. How could a child of God have responded to the Egyptians?
   
2. How is this [practice] similar to or different from what we believe?

The students used their research to develop five-minute presentations, which included responses to our two key questions. In their presentations, my students showed me they are beginning to understand that they can look at history from a biblical perspective!

Here’s what some of my students said:

• “God provided for the Egyptians, even though they didn’t believe in Him.”
  
• “The Egyptians believed there were lots of things you had to do to get eternal life. That’s why they made mummies. That’s not what Christians believe; we know that it’s only through Jesus!”
  
• “When Joseph went into Potiphar’s house, he must have seen art work just like I studied. Maybe art would have been a good way for children of God to communicate their beliefs to the Egyptians.”

Asking my students questions helped them connect a Biblical perspective with what they studied.