#3140. Egypt Technology Unit

Social Studies, level: Elementary
Posted Fri May 28 09:52:00 PDT 2004 by Amy Zolessi (chransa@ocps.net).
Orange County Public Schools, Orlando, FL
Materials Required: Computer Access
Activity Time: 2 hours

Day 1
Time: 2 1/2 hours
Topic: Ancient Egypt

Goal/Objective: Students will understand the architecture and history of mummies, tombs, and pyramids by researching topics using different approaches such as internet and video.

Motivation: (5 min.) Class has a discussion on what they know about mummies, pyramids, and tombs.

Presentation of Information: (25 min.) Students are shown the different ways that they will acquire the information. Students should be shown how to use the internet sites. The teacher also introduces the video that they will be watching in their groups.

Group Work: ( 1 ½ hrs.) Students are then split into two groups. One group will watch the video while the others are using the internet site. At the computers the students will share computers as needed. After they finish the main site, they can then return to the sites previously viewed the day before. The students will rotate every hour. During their rotations they will have a clipboard and paper where they will write down some important concepts that were covered at that station.

Independent Practice: (15-20 min.) Students will then record what they have learned on their personal circle map.

Guided Practice: (15-20 min.) As a group the class will bring all of their knowledge and they will compile a circle map of the classes new knowledge. This is where they will discuss and explain to each other.

Closure: (5 min.) Students will discuss what they will be learning about tomorrow, hieroglyphics and papyrus.

Websites
www.newton.cam.ac.uk/egypt/tt99/index.html

-Places to visit in this website: History, Wall Paintings, architecture, Quicktime VR movies, slide show
-This website introduces the students to what an archeologist does and what a tomb looks like now. There are videos that take you inside the tomb.

http://www.gridclub.com/games/history/timetunnel/period/egy/environ/egyenv/egyenv.shtml
-This website has a great overview of Egypt and its culture. This covers more than Mummies, tombs, and pyramids.

Video
"Mummies and The Wonders of Egypt- Great Pyramids"- A&E Home Video and The History Channel

Day 2
Topic: Ancient Egypt
Goal/Objective: Students will understand the origination of paper and how the Egyptians communicated through writing by researching topics using different approaches such as internet and video.

Motivation: (5 min.) Students will be shown a sentence in hieroglyphics drawn on the board. They will be asked what it says.

Presentation of Information: (25 min.) Students are shown the different ways that they will acquire the information. Students should be shown how to use the internet sites. The teacher also introduces the video that they will be watching in their groups.

Group Work: (2 hours) Students are then grouped in groups of four to five. One group will watch the video while the others are using the internet sites. The video needs to be shortened, so the teacher must pick out 30 minutes that is the most relevant. The students will rotate every 30 minutes. It is best to keep the computers set on one site and have the students physically change seats since they do not navigate on their own yet. During their rotations they will have a clipboard and paper where they will write down some important concepts that were covered at that station.

Guided Practice: (10 min.) The students come together and discuss how paper came to be and as a class they will translate a hieroglyphic sentence and also make one on the internet.

Independent Practice: (20 min.) The students will make their own hieroglyphic sentence using a key from the internet site below and then they will transfer it onto a brown paper bag which is then wrinkled to make it look more authentic.

Closure: (10 min.) The students will share their hieroglyphic messages.

Websites
http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/writing/home.html

http://archive.ncsa.uiuc.edu/Cyberia/VideoTestbed/Projects/Mummy/hieroglyphics.html

http://www.yahooligans.com

-All of these websites are full of information. It is best to pick one topic such as hieroglyphics to study one day so that the students do not get lost within the site and are more focused.

Video
"Mummies and The Wonders of Egypt- Hieroglyphics"- A&E Home Video, The History Channel