Egypt Activities

My students love Egypt.  I think they love the mystery and wonder of pyramids and temples and mummies... definitely mummies!!!

We had a life size human cutout (from really thick foam board) from when we studied the human body.  As we learned about something, we would add it to the body.  So it had two brown paper lunch bags for lungs, cash register tape for intestines, etc.  The kids had named it "Coco Pretzel" and she had red curly hair, courtesy of my Ms. Frizzle wig.  The children decided that we would make her into a mummy.  We had a book that detailed the steps, so we removed her hair, removed her organs (but not the heart!!!)

and wrapped her according to diagrams with toilet paper.  The children had to interpret the diagrams, work together and problem solve.  It was really cute.  We then placed her in the sarcophagus and decorated it, including her name in hieroglyphics!

I do not remember history and anatomy every being this much fun!

MA DOE Curriculum Standards

English Language Arts: Discussion

K.L.1.1: By the end of grade 2, students will follow agreed-upon rules for discussion 

Science and Technology/Engineering: Skills of Inquiry

1.   By the end of grade 2, students will be able to ask questions about objects, organisms, and events in the environment.

Science and Technology/Engineering: Technology/Engineering:Materials and Tools

 1.3: By the end of grade 2, students will identify and describe safe and proper use of tools and materials (e.g., glue, scissors, tape, ruler, paper, toothpicks, straws, spools) to construct simple structures.

History and Social Science: Concepts and Skills:History and Geography

 K.1: Identify sequential actions, such as first, next, last, in stories and use them to describe personal experiences.

 K.2: Use correctly words and phrases related to chronology and time 

 Comprehensive Health: Physical Health:Growth and Development

1.1: By the end of grade 5, students will name the external and internal parts of the body and body systems (nervous, muscular, skeletal, circulatory, respiratory, digestive, endocrine, and excretory systems).

Arts:Visual Arts:Methods, Materials, and Techniques

1.1:  By the end of grade 4, students will use a variety of materials and media, for example, crayons, chalk, paint, clay, various kinds of papers, textiles, and yarns, and understand how to use them to produce different visual effects.

I went to Egypt!!!!

I know that product with Arabic on them do not really narrow down the location because there are many different countries that use Arabic, but I couldn't very well show you pictures of the pyramids now could I?

My team and I ended up incoroporating Egypt into our curriculum a little bit before I left and while I was gone.  When I came back, it occupied almost a month of our curriculum, the children were enthralled!

I tried to remember to get pictures of things so that you can see what I am talking about.

Before I left, I put out all my books about Egypt and got some from the library, I really liked the following books:
You Wouldn't Want to Be an Egyptian Mummy (see it online)
You Wouldn't Want Be Cleopatra 
You Wouldn't Want Be Tutankhamen 
Fast Forward: Egyptian Mummy (see it online)
Fast Forward: Pyramid 
Skippyjon Jones in Mummy Trouble 
Ms. Frizzle's Adventures in Ancient Egypt 
Magic Tree House #3: Mummies in the Morning  (fiction) and Magic Tree House Research Guide #3: Mummies & Pyramids (non fiction)
We're Sailing Down the Nile


Also before I left, we made an Egyptian Bulletin Board.  There was a 3D map of Egypt, the title "Amy is Going to Egypt" in English, Arabic* and Hieroglyphics, a clock with the Egyptian time, images of Egyptian money and a copy of my itinerary.  As each day of my trip went by, my team read the page in "We're Sailing Down the Nile" that corresponded to my current location and marked it on the map.

I cannot wait to share more of this theme unit with you!



MA DOE Standards incorporated:

English Language Arts

           Vocabulary and Concept Development 

                    

                   K.L.4.2: Students will describe common objects and events in general and specific language.

          

           Understanding Texts 

                    

                    K.R.8.3: Students will ask questions about the important characters, settings, and events.

                    K.R 8.5: Students will retell important facts from a text heard or read.Genre

                    K.R.10.1: By the end of grade 2, students will identify differences among the common forms of literature: poetry, prose, fiction, nonfiction (informational and expository), and dramatic literature

Science and Technology/Engineering 

          Skills of Inquiry 

                    1.   By the end of grade 2, students will be able to ask questions about objects, organisms, and  events in the environment. 

History and Social Sciences 

           History and Geography 

                    K.2: Use correctly words and phrases related to chronology and time  

                    K.5: Tell or show what a map is and what a globe is.