Stephanie Wike

Ohio’s New Learning Standards for Social Studies
Grade 6: History
2. Early civilizations (India, Egypt, China and Mesopotamia) with unique governments, economic systems, social structures, religions, technologies and agricultural practices and products flourished as a result of favorable geographic characteristics. The cultural practices and products of these early civilizations can be used to help understand the Eastern Hemisphere today.

1. Events can be arranged in order of occurrence using the conventions of B.C. and A.D. or B.C.E. and C.E.

Grade 6: Geography
6. Variations among physical environments within the Eastern Hemisphere influence human activities. Human activities also alter the physical environment.

7. Political, environmental, social and economic factors cause people, products and ideas to move from place to place in the Eastern Hemisphere in the past and today.

Grade 6: Government
10. Governments can be categorized as monarchies, theocracies, dictatorships or democracies, but categories may overlap and labels may not accurately represent how governments function. The extent of citizens’ liberties and responsibilities varies according to limits on governmental authority

Grade 6: Economics
14. When regions and/or countries specialize, global trade occurs.

Common Core Standards for Language Arts
Grade 6: Writing
3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
d. Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to convey experiences and events.

7. Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate.

Grade 6: Speaking and Listening
1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly

4. Present claims and findings, sequencing ideas logically and using pertinent descriptions, facts, and details to accentuate main ideas or themes; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.

A Brief History
Ancient Egypt has a rich history, and we can learn a lot from studying it. Artifacts from tombs and hieroglyphic writing help historians to understand what life was like in ancient Egypt (History.com Staff, 2009). Egypt’s history spans a wide range of time, from the pre-dynastic period starting around 5000 B.C. to 322 B.C. when Alexander the Great conquered the land (History.com Staff, 2009). The Artifact Box shows some of the many aspects of ancient Egyptian life, like the importance of the Nile River to their civilization; the role of the Pharaoh; Egyptian inventions, toys and writing; and the existence of trade. The themes of geography can be easily incorporated into the study of ancient Egypt, as noted in the descriptions for the artifacts. This unit can also incorporate standards from all 4 strands of social studies, as well as skills in language arts through a variety of interactive activities for students.

 

 

 

 

Ancient Egypt Artifact Box: Stephanie Wike

Outside: Hieroglyphics
The outside of my Artifact Box contains hieroglyphic writing. We are able to learn a lot about ancient Egypt because the people wrote so much down. These hieroglyphics were decoded in the early 1800s using the “Rosetta Stone which was carved with the same text in two languages, Egyptian and Greek, and three writing systems, hieroglyphic, demotic, and the Greek alphabet” ("Egyptian Hieroglyphic Writing", n.d.).

Hieroglyphics were written on temple walls. A similar, but simpler, form of writing was employed for everyday use. Hieroglyphics can be written vertically or horizontally, and right to left or left to right. One can interpret the direction of hieroglyphics by looking at which way characters in the drawings face. The direction they face is the beginning of the writing ("Egyptian Hieroglyphic Alphabet", n.d.). One character can represent a letter, a syllable, or a word. Not all of our letters are represented, however. There are also determinatives, which help readers understand meaning. For instance a picture of a scroll of papyrus means that a nearby word is an abstract idea ("Egyptian Hieroglyphic Alphabet", n.d.).

Activities for Students: Students can decode a short message written in hieroglyphics to engage them in learning more about the writing system. English letters that do not have an equivalent in hieroglyphics could be filled in, and students could figure out the rest with a key like the one above. They could then make a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting our system of writing with hieroglyphics. The class could discuss how this ancient writing system helped contribute to the movement of ideas. Egyptians could learn from the writing of their ancestors, and people today can learn about the ancient Egyptians because of hieroglyphics. Students could study Egyptian symbols for words and then be challenged to make their own symbols to represent various words. They could compare their symbols in small groups to see how their ideas compare to others’.

Artifact 1: Toys
There were many things that kids in ancient Egypt liked to do for fun. They played with tops, like the ones shown here, on sticks. A game similar to bowling has also been found in an Egyptian tomb (Quibel & Flinders Petrie, 2002). Egyptian children also played “games of strength and agility to keep the children as fit as possible” (Donn, n.d.). Kids from rich families did schoolwork while other kids learned job skills like those listed below, and parents tried to make work fun by combining it with play (Donn, n.d.).

 

Activities for Students: Students can explore the models of the tops and see the patterns they make when they spin. They could study toys and games that ancient Egyptian children played and discuss in groups how these are similar to and different from games they like to play. They could then write a diary entry as a kid in ancient Egypt, describing what they do for work and fun. They could choose to write from the perspective of a wealthy child who goes to school and probably has many toys, or a child who is learning to be a farmer, craftsman, or homemaker. Students could also discuss why it was important for Egyptian children to be strong and agile. A lesson on ancient Egyptian children can help students to relate what they are studying to their personal experience to make the learning more meaningful.

 

Artifact 2: “The Gift of the Nile”
The Nile River brought fertile soil to the ancient Egyptians when snow melted from the southern mountains every year. This snow made the river flood, and after the water receded the soil was left (Donn, n.d.). The Nile was also beneficial to ancient Egyptian culture in many other ways. It was a source of water, which was very necessary in the desert. The Nile provided fish, waterfowl and birds’ eggs; and vegetables and papyrus grew nearby (Donn, n.d.).

Activities for Students: Students might be curious to see what is inside this “gift” and surprised to find out it is soil! But the artifact would help them to remember the idea that the Nile brought many “gifts” to ancient Egypt. Learning about the Nile can help students to understand the concepts of Place/Human-Environment Interaction in ancient Egypt. Small groups could research different aspects of how the river impacted the people. For instance one group could study crops; another could study wildlife; and another could map the location of civilizations in relation to the Nile. Students could then present their findings to the class.  

Artifact 3: Calendar
The ancient Egyptians used astronomy and the flooding of the Nile to tell time. Because different constellations are visible at various times throughout the year ancient Egyptians watched the sky to know when the flooding of the Nile would happen (Byrne 2016). The Egyptians divided their calendar into flooding, planting and harvesting seasons (Donn n.d.). The ancient Egyptians also developed a civic calendar that was more accurate. It had 12 months with 30 days each, plus an extra five days for the five children of Nut ("Ancient Egypt Society; Calendars", n.d.). Ptolemy III suggested adding an extra day every four years to account for the fact that it actually takes 365 ¼ days for the earth to orbit the sun, but this practice did not start until 30 B.C. under the rule of Augustus ("Ancient Egypt Society; Calendars", n.d.).  

Activities for Students: This would be a great review of lessons from 5th grade Earth and space science. Students could review the ideas that the Earth takes 365 ¼ days to orbit the sun and different stars can be seen at different times of the night and year. To tie it back to social studies students can find the latitude and longitude of Egypt and use climate maps to determine what the typical weather might have been like in each of the ancient Egyptians’ seasons. The lesson on the calendar could also be an introduction to studying other ancient Egyptian inventions, such as shadow clocks, paper from papyrus, eye makeup and more (Donn n.d.). Students could research these inventions and how some of the ideas moved to other areas of the world and present their findings to the class.

Artifact 4: Cedar Wood from Lebanon
We can know what ancient Egyptians traded for based on items in Egyptian tombs that were not from their region. Similarly Egyptian items found elsewhere show us that they exported goods as well ("Trade in Ancient Egypt", 2005). Egyptians traded goods using caravan trade routes that went to the north and south. They traveled largely on boats and barges. ("Trade in Ancient Egypt", 2005). Some things that Egypt traded to other nations are “stone and pottery vases, linen, papyrus, gold vessels, ox hides, ropes, lentils, and dried fish” ("Trade in Ancient Egypt", 2005). One thing Egyptians traded for was cedar wood from Lebanon. This wood was used to make boats and was imported as early as the 4th dynasty when King Sneferu ruled, around 2613-2589 B.C. ("Cedar of Lebanon", n.d.). Below are some more goods Egyptians got from other nations.

 

Activities for Students: Students could get into groups to represent Egypt and different countries that the Egyptians traded with. Each country would be given certain natural resources from their area and a list of what other resources they need. They would have to send a representative to meet with other countries to see if they want something that the first country is able to trade. The countries could also be located in different areas around the classroom, and students have to think about how to get from one place to another. For instance they can think about what materials they have that can be used to make a boat to travel along the Nile River. Through this activity they will study the movement of goods.

Artifact 5: Pharaoh’s Double Crown
The pharaoh in ancient Egypt was called the “Lord of the Two Lands” because he (or she) was the political ruler in Egypt. “He owned all of the land, made laws, collected taxes, and defended Egypt against foreigners” ("Pharaoh: Lord of the Two Lands", n.d). The two lands mentioned were Upper Egypt, represented by a white crown, and Lower Egypt, represented by a red crown. When the pharaoh dealt with matters concerning only one part of Egypt he wore that region’s crown. The double crown showed that the two lands were united under the pharaoh ("Royal Headdresses", n.d.). The pharaoh was also called the “High Priest of Every Temple” because s/he also led religious activities and had temples built for Egypt’s many gods ("Pharaoh: Lord of the Two Lands", n.d.).

 

 

Activities for Students: Students could research pharaohs who were important or influential in the history of ancient Egypt. They could use books and the internet to learn about and record notes about these pharaohs and significant events during their lifetimes. They could then construct a timeline of when these pharaohs ruled and important events that impacted the Egyptian people. This would help them to practice the skill of constructing a timeline, which they have done in 4th and 5th grades, and specifically listing years or increments “backward” in B.C. time. If exact dates aren’t given, students could use approximate dates to place events in the correct general area of the timeline. They could also discuss why it is difficult to get exact dates from a time period so long ago.

 

References
Ancient Egypt Society; Calendars. Ancient Egypt Online. Retrieved 15 July 2016,           from             http://www.ancientegyptonline.co.uk/calendar.html

Ashram, S. (2011). Nile river bank II. Sirlordashram.deviantart.com. Retrieved 30 June             2016, from http://sirlordashram.deviantart.com/art/Nile-river-bank-II-260545234

Byrne, Stephen. (2016). Ancient Egyptian Science Facts for Kids. History for Kids.        Retrieved 30 June 2016, from http://www.historyforkids.net/ancient-egyptian-           science.html

Cedar of Lebanon. BiblePlaces.com. Retrieved 2 July 2016, from http://www.bibleplaces.com/cedar-of-lebanon/

Donn, L. Ancient Egypt for Kids: Achievements & Inventions. Egypt.mrdonn.org.           Retrieved 12 July 2016, from http://egypt.mrdonn.org/achievements.html

Donn, L. Ancient Egypt for Kids: Children. Egypt.mrdonn.org. Retrieved 30 June 2016,             from http://egypt.mrdonn.org/children.html

Donn, L. Ancient Egypt for Kids: Gifts of the Nile. Egypt.mrdonn.org. Retrieved 30 June            2016, from http://egypt.mrdonn.org/gifts-of-the-nile.html

Egyptian Hieroglyphic Alphabet. Discovering Egypt. Retrieved 30 June 2016, from             http://discoveringegypt.com/egyptian-hieroglyphic-writing/egyptian-         hieroglyphic-alphabet/

Egyptian Hieroglyphic Writing. Discovering Egypt. Retrieved 30 June 2016, from             http://discoveringegypt.com/egyptian-hieroglyphic-writing/

History.com Staff,. (2009). Ancient Egypt. History.com. Retrieved 16 July 2016, from             http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/ancient-egypt

Quibel, J. & Flinders Petrie, W. (November 2002). Games: From the First Memoir of the           Egyptian Research Account. Reshafim.org.il. Retrieved 30 June 2016, from             http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/timelines/topics/games1.htm

Pharaoh: Lord of the Two Lands. Ancientegypt.co.uk. Retrieved 12 July 2016, from             http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/pharaoh/home.html

Royal Headdresses. Ancientegypt.co.uk. Retrieved 12 July 2016, from             http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/pharaoh/explore/main.html

Trade in Ancient Egypt. (2005). Eternalegypt.org. Retrieved 1 July 2016, from             http://www.eternalegypt.org/EternalEgyptWebsiteWeb/HomeServlet?ee_website_            action_key=action.display.module&story_id&language_id=1&module_id=193&e            e_messages=0001.flashrequired.text