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Overview:
The idea for this lesson plan was inspired by Judi Gilliatt of Harrowgate Elementary in Chester, Virginia, who received a teacher grant from the
National Geographic Education Foundation in support of a year-long project called Ancient Worlds Workshops.
In this lesson, students will explore the ancient civilization of Egypt. They will learn about the geography of Egypt, and read about daily life in ancient Egypt. Students will conclude by writing letters describing one aspect of life in ancient Egypt that they find interesting.
Connections to the Curriculum:
Geography, history
Connections to the National Geography Standards:
Standard 1: "How to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective"
Standard 9: "The characteristics, distribution, and migration of human population on Earth's surface"
Standard 10: "The characteristics, distribution, and complexity of Earth's cultural mosaics"
Standard 17: "How to apply geography to interpret the past"
Time:
Two to three hours
Materials Required:
- Computer with Internet access
- Blank Xpeditions outline maps of Egypt for each student (or pair of students)
- Writing and drawing materials
Objectives:
Students will
- learn about the geography and important structures of ancient Egypt;
- learn about what daily life might have been like;
- fill in a blank outline map of Egypt; and
- write a letter to a friend about what it was like to live in ancient Egypt.
Geographic Skills:
Asking Geographic Questions
Acquiring Geographic Information
Organizing Geographic Information
Answering Geographic Questions
Analyzing Geographic Information
S u g g e s t e d P r o c e d u r e
Opening:
Ask students what they know about ancient Egypt. Write down their ideas, which will probably include pyramids, the Sphynx, pharaohs, mummies, etc.
Explore a timeline of ancient Egypt. Make sure students understand B.C. and A.D.—that 500 B.C., for example, was approximately 2,500 years ago.
Development:
Closing:
Have the class discuss as a group whether they would like to have lived in ancient Egypt. Why or why not? If they could, would they travel back in time for a visit to ancient Egypt? For how long? What would they miss the most?
Suggested Student Assessment:
Ask students to pretend they are living in ancient Egypt. Have them write letters to friends who want to know all about what daily life is like in ancient Egypt. Ask students to focus on one particular facet of Egyptian life that they find especially interesting. For example, they may want to talk about a relative who died, including details about the mummification and burial processes. Have students share their letters with each other.
Students with limited writing skills may want to draw pictures and write brief captions showing what they have learned, or even give a presentation or perform a short play in front of the class.
Extending the Lesson:
Ask students to research another ancient civilization: Greece, Rome, China, or Mali. What are the similarities and differences to ancient Egypt? Are the time periods when their cultures are considered "ancient" the same for both places?
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