K'alemi Dene High School students explored the tiny nationstate of Malta on Wednesday. Students were up bright and early and descending into the city of Valleta, which has been a trade hub and an entry port into Europe for the last 1000 years. The city is steeped in history and K'alemi Dene students were part of an intense history lesson for the entire morning as they walked through fortresses and 500 year old back alleys. The first stop was to go up the Barrackk Lift. Students would have been asked to walk 1000 steps straight up if they didn't go onto the lift. Next up was a tour of the Upper Barrack Gardens, which exhibit beautiful flowers and display a number of functioning cannons. Students did an extensive tour of the National War Museum, where they learned about how Malta was the base of the Knights of the St. John during the Crusades. They also learned how Malta was a pivotal island to be protected by Britain, France, Canada and USA during World War 1 and 2. Finally, we witnessed a cannon firing at noon, which was interesting too see. It was great to see students so engaged in the history of this tiny nation state.