Unit Plans

3rd Grade Ancient Egypt Unit
Introduction/Rationale:

According to the New York City Department of Education K-8 Social Studies Scope and Sequence, the essential questions for this third grade Social Studies Unit 2 are “How do culture, geography and history shape a community? How are world communities the same? How are they different?”. In order for students to effectively answer these essential questions, students must first understand the initial essential question from Unit 1 which asks “Why does geography matter?”. Prior to engaging in Unit 2, students will have an understanding of the important aspects of geography and all it entails, such as continents, countries and geographic features of the world (oceans, rivers, mountains etc.). Additionally, students will understand that all countries and civilizations have a culture that develops and changes over time. Understanding these basic topics of Unit 1 regarding geography and culture are crucial in advancing to Unit 2, in order to connect culture and geography to shaping and impacting a community. Once students fully understand this connection, they will be able to compare and contrast different world communities. However, for the sake of this three week Social Studies unit, we are mainly focusing on the first essential question regarding how culture, geography and history shapes a community, particularly the Ancient Egyptian community.

This essential question is particularly important for young people to explore and understand, as it provides them with a chance to explore their own culture as well as other cultures from around the world. This unit provides students with an opportunity to understand the importance of a community and all the aspects that define a community, such as geography, food, religion, government etc. It is important for students to be exposed to cultures and communities that may differ from their own as it teaches them the beauty of diversity and importance of tolerance towards other cultures and societies.

In order to engage students throughout the entirety of the unit on Ancient Egyptian culture, it is important to begin the unit with a lesson that relates directly towards the student’s personal connection with their own culture. Students will be asked to bring in an object or artifact that is important to them or their family. Each student will participate in a ‘Show and Tell’ explaining why this is significant. We will then go into a conversation about how these items might be a part of a culture and define elements that make up a culture. Teachers will ask pointed questions asking whether it is the item, the significance of the item or both that make it a part of their culture. Furthermore, by learning about their classmates’ culture and presenting on their own, students will develop an interest in learning about varying traditions and communities (Robinson, n.d.). At a young age of nine years old, it is difficult for students to fully grasp the idea that an extensive world exists beyond their own individual home communities.

From there, we introduced Egyptian myths to students as this explains everything from how the Ancient Egyptians thought they were created, to the lessons they taught their children, how they made decisions about labor and social hierarchy, all the way to their death and afterlife (Ollhoff, 2011). Students will talk about how they think these myths are a part of Ancient Egyptian culture. Is it the story that is important or what is in the story that is important? What elements of the story make mythology such an essential part of Egyptian life?

As the unit plan progresses, we continue to weave in mythological elements to explain all aspects of Egyptian culture and life. We continue our study of myths by reading some creation myths starring our Heliopolis’ gods. We read the story of Geb and Nut who were born hugging each other and how they had to be separated by Shu, God of Air, to create the sky and the ground. We then learn about the Tears of Ra (the sun god) and how the Egyptian people believed that his tears created the Nile River and the Egyptian people. These creation myths explain why the Egyptian people were so tied to their gods and why these myths were passed down over the course of 3000 years (Ollhoff, 2011). This idea of religion and this idea of the gods being tied to Egyptian culture comes back with every lesson.We talk about the strict social hierarchy of Egypt and how these statuses were chosen by their relationships to the gods. For example, Pharaoh is seen as the supreme ruler because of his relationship to the god Horus. Their place in society determined their jobs and the natural resources they had to use in order to survive. The clothing they wore, the food they ate and even the homes they lived in were determined by this hierarchical structure (Broida, 1999). After discussing how the Ancient Egyptians lived, we continue on to learn how the Egyptians dealt with death and the afterlife. We read the stories of Isis and Osiris, to understand why the Egyptians made mummies and housed them in pyramids with some of their most valued possessions. In this way the ideas of mythology and how these individuals meet Osiris, the God of the Underworld, to await judgment come into play (Cashford, 1993) (Meister, 2012). Social hierarchy is also a big factor here as students will learn that only the deceased of the higher caste were housed in pyramids.

The content knowledge followed a logical flow that makes it accessible for students to make connections between lessons (Robinson n.d.). The themes of mythology, social class, religion and everyday life keep coming back in each lesson. Many of the activity choices that we included were geared towards making the lessons interdisciplinary so that students could reap the benefits of the arts, geometry, reading, writing and science. By including all these disciplines, we also ensure that we use multiple intelligences so that students can play to their strengths (Santrock, 2009). We include engaging hands-on activities, like building pyramids (geometry), cooking and creating their own flat Stanley’s. We include videos resources, reading material, community building group activities and movement. We also push their critical thinking by including several discussions as it uniquely helps the students learn the social studies content knowledge (Hess, 2004). We formed authentic, open-ended questions to move away from merely reciting information, but rather spark their interest in Ancient Egyptian culture (Hess, 2004).

Curriculum Map:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
1 What is culture? Lesson/Activity: Students will bring in an artifact from home that is important to them or is a part of their culture. They will present briefly to the class before a group discussion on what  factors they believe define their culture (i.e. food, music, family, clothing, customs). They will brainstorm as a class to make an extensive list. Exit ticket: The teacher will provide each student with a KWL chart (Know, Want to Learn, Learned) for the students to fill out at the end of class.	2 What are myths and what do they explain? What is the story of how Ancient Egypt was created?   Lesson/Activity: Students will learn that Egyptians had thousands of gods and that myths were a way to tell stories to explain phenomena (i.e. how the sun sets and rises), to teach lessons, or to give comfort to people during difficult times. They will learn that there are different versions of myths but that the Egyptians altered their myths to accommodate multiple versions. We will read the story of Ra together. Students will then read Heliopolis myths about Shu, Tefnut, Geb and Nut and learn how the Earth was created to make room for the people. This will be done in groups of four, with each student reading one myth and then explaining it to their partners. They will then come together as a whole group and students will share their myths and discuss why the Ancient Egyptians may have created these myths to explain the world around them. Exit Ticket: Students will write two sentences on whether they think these stories are a part of Egyptian culture. Resources: -Egyptian Mythology by Jim Ollhoff -Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt by Leonard Everett Fisher	3 What is the religion of Ancient Egypt? Lesson/Activity: Read Aloud: Tears of Ra’ story- Students will learn that the Ancient Egyptians believed that they were formed from the Tears of Ra, and that Ra’s tears also formed the Nile River. The teacher will explain how the gods and goddesses in the myths acted as the main religion of Ancient Egypt. Students will also learn the meaning of a polytheistic religion. Students will connect this story to why the Egyptians believed so fervently in their gods and how this religion connects to every parts of their life. Students will work in the same groups as last time. They will be given short one-two paragraph stories about Set, Horus, Nephthys, Anubis, Hathor, Nekhebet, Isis and Osiris. They will each read the stories and create a family tree. They will write underneath the name, their role in the Egyptian religion and community and an interesting fact about them. Resources: -Egyptian Mythology by Jim Ollhoff -Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt by Leonard Everett Fisher	4 How was social hierarchy structured in Ancient Egypt? Lesson/Activity: Read Aloud: “Your Life as a Pharaoh in Ancient Egypt.” Students will learn that Pharaohs were seen as kings, priests and gods and that they controlled all aspects of government and religious rituals. Students will learn about the structure of Ancient Egyptian hierarchy through role play and the social role character cards read aloud by the teacher. Additionally, students will learn about the the high rank of Pharaohs as well as the low social status of farmers/laborers. Students will discuss their interpretation of “social class” and “hierarchy”. After a few minutes, the teacher will lead a whole group discussion on these new vocabulary words. Students will engage in a scavenger hunt around room in groups of 3. The teacher will post various “Who am I?” statements around the room. These clues correlate to different members of Ancient Egyptian society (pharaohs, farmers etc.) Students will use the notes they took earlier from the social role character cards to help them complete the scavenger hunt. Resources: http://courses.educ.ubc.ca/cite/socials/projects/Ancient%20Egypt.pdf	5 What natural resources did the Ancient Egyptians use to thrive? Lesson/Activity: Students will learn about the natural resources Ancient Egyptians had access to, how they were able to farm, what crops they used and about the three seasons (Akhet, Peret and Shemu). Students will have a prior understanding of the geographic features of Ancient Egypt and will be able to make connections between the landscape and natural resources. Students will be divided into groups to discuss the differences of natural resources from Ancient Egypt versus the 21st century. The teacher will hand out a venn diagram worksheet for students to utilize to organize their thoughts. Resources: http://www.crystalinks.com/egyptagriculture.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_E77WPW0vWw Great RIvers of the World: Nile RIver by David Cumming
6 What did the Ancient Egyptians wear? Lesson/Activity: Students will learn about the different types of clothing men, women and children and why these choices made sense for the weather and for their occupations. They will learn about the footwear, jewelry and makeup and how different social classes were differentiated through these items. They will learn about how Ancient Egyptians wore amulets, called scarabs and wedjats, which protected them from evil. Students will create a flat Stanley of a person living in Ancient Egypt. They will dress the person taking into account their social status, time of day and any events they might be attending that day. Students will be allowed to use the books in our Ancient Egypt section to make these decisions. They will present their Stanley’s to the class. Resources: Ancient Egyptians and their Neighbors: An Activity Guide By: Marian Broida	7 Where did Ancient Egyptians live and what did they eat? Lesson/Activity: Students will learn about the different homes the Ancient Egyptians lived in based on their social classes. They will also learn about what they ate based on their social status and the natural resources around them. Students will make ‘Overnight Fig Cakes.’ Instead of using large ovens, we will use microwave ovens that are portable. They will baked in the classroom.   Resources: Ancient Egyptians and their Neighbors: An Activity Guide By: Marian Broida	8 How did Ancient Egyptians communicate? Lesson/Activity: Students will be introduced to the Egyptian writing system of Hieroglyphics. The teacher will read the book Seeker of Knowledge: The Man Who Deciphered Egyptian Hieroglyphs by James Rumford. The students will learn to write their name in hieroglyphics. The students will then write a secret message to a friend in hieroglyphics using a hieroglyphic translation chart. Exit ticket: Students in their table groups will discuss and write down their answers to the question how hieroglyphics helped the Egyptians. We will open the next class with this question.	9 What is the story of Isis and Osiris? Lesson/Activity: We will discuss how hieroglyphics helped the Ancient Egyptians. The teacher will guide the students to connect that most of the myths that we’ve been reading thus far were translated from hieroglyphics.   Students will be in groups of four. They will be given a version of the myth Isis and Osiris. Each group will have a slightly different version. They will read it out loud, sharing pages. They will work together to create a summary of their version of the story using a beginning, middle, end structure. They will create a topic and conclusion sentence. While they are working together, each student must write out a summary. The concluding sentence must include what this myth teaches or explains (i.e. it explains who became the ruler of the underworld). Students might make other connections to the flooding of the Nile River in connection to Osiris. Exit Ticket: Students will submit their completed summary to the teacher. Resources: -The Myth of Isis and Osiris by J. Cashford -Isis and Osiris by Cari Meister	10 Views of the afterlife: How did the Ancient Egyptians views on the afterlife prepare them for death? Lesson/Activity: The teacher will explain that the ancient Egyptians believed when they die they would go through the twelve gates of the afterlife.The teacher will divide the students into groups of three each group will receive two gates of the afterlife. Each group will act out their gates of the afterlife. The teacher will then  asks the students to discuss with their groups how the pharaohs prepared themselves for the twelve gates of the afterlife. Resources: The Death of a Pharaoh https://sites.google.com/site/ancientegyptianmythology/the-afterlife
11 Pyramids What purpose do/did the pyramids serve? Lesson/Activity: The teacher will show the students a virtual tour of the pyramids as a hook from PBS Online. The students will learn that the Pharaohs took items that they wanted with them in the afterlife by placing the items in their pyramids and the walls of their pyramids would have the Pharaohs life story carved on it. Students will build their own pyramids in groups of three out heavy duty paper and pyramid template. Each student will write three words that describe themselves on one wall of the pyramid and they will then write three items they would like to take with them to the afterlife. Resources: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/explore-ancient-egypt.htm	12 Mummies (Day one) How did Egyptians mummify their Pharaohs? Activity: Students will watch the Horrible Histories video “Mummification” as a hook. The teacher will teach the process of mummification by using the National Geographic Kids website. The class will be divided into three groups. One group will make sarcophaguses, another will make masks, and the last will make canopic jars. The students will research their given object on sites provided by the teacher and then make their objects using supplies given to them. Horrible History Mummification video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kFVgHwEkLE Resources: National Geographic Kids mummies http://www.ngkids.co.uk/history/how-to-make-a-mummy	13 Mummies (Day two) Why did the Ancient Egyptians mummify their Pharaohs? Activity: The students will watch the History Teachers Video “Mummification” for a hook. The students will finish creating their sarcophaguses, masks, and canopic jars. Students will go through the mummification process using a doll as a Pharaoh and the items for the burial they made. After the mummification process the students will discuss why the Egyptians mummified their Pharaohs after they passed. The students will use what they have learned about the Egyptians belief in the afterlife to answer this question.    The History Teacher Mummification video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JqlAD7dn-E	14 What are the different cultural pieces that make up Ancient Egypt? Read aloud: The Winged Cat, A Tale of Ancient Egypt By Deborah Nourse Lattimore Students will listen and take notes when they recognize the different gods/goddesses and cultural elements that come up in this fictional tale. Students will then engage in a seminar/discussion pulling apart the different elements of Egyptian culture. They will discuss whether all of these things make Egyptian culture important and if it just one of these things. They will think about how these cultural elements make up what is Ancient Egypt. They will then write a Reader Theater’s type play based on this book. In groups of four, they will be given a section of the story to rewrite and perform. They will perform it one group after the other to create a connected piece.	15 Field Trip We will go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to look at the Egyptian exhibit. Students will be given lined paper with the prompt, “Why might this artifact have been important to place in this museum?” They will have to choose three objects or arts pieces that they see, describe and explain how or why this might be important to Ancient Egyptian culture.