Ancient Egypt Unit Plan Grade: 3rd Unit Title: Ancient Egypt Course/Subject: Ancient Egypt Approximate Time

Required: 1 week 1. Main Purpose: The main purpose of this unit is to help 3rd grade students learn about Ancient Egyptian history and its influence on the modern world. Further, students knowledge of Ancient Egyptian location and geographic features enhance their understanding of Ancient Egypt. Finally, students will continue their development of reading skills with an understanding of fiction about Ancient Egypt. 2. Behavioral Objectives: I. History: A. Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of the history of Ancient Egypt in terms of architecture, sports, government, and culture, and their influence on the modern world. II. Geography: A. Students will be able to locate Egypt and Ancient Egypt on a map. B. Students will be able to describe the physical and human characteristics of Egypt. III. Reading A. Students will be able to demonstrate comprehension of fiction about Ancient Egypt. 3. Content Outline: I. History A. Students will be able to demonstrate understanding of the history or Ancient Egypt in terms of architecture, sports, government, and culture, and their influence on the modern world. 1. Architecture: A. Homes Egyptian homes were made from bricks, and bricks were made of sun dried mud. Homes had low arched doorways, and some windows had wooden shutters; the floor was dirt. Wealthy families built single level homes surrounded by gardens full of beautiful trees and flowers. They even had small lakes or ponds in their gardens, and their homes had extremely large entrance halls. The houses contained many bedrooms, and the servants even had bedrooms in the houses.

In cities, commoners lived in townhouses 2 to 3 stories high; first story was reserved for businesses, 2nd and 3rd floors for family space. Homes along the Nile River were built on small hills to protect them from floods. B. Pyramids Mastaba: Beginning with the First Dynasty, Egyptian Kings were buried beneath this structure. It was a rectangular mud-brick tomb with a flat roof and sloping slides. It looked like a village house, but some were incredibly grand. Some rooms were above ground, while some were below. The kings would be buried 40 to 80 feet underground at the bottom of a deep, narrow shaft. After the king was buried, the shaft was filled with broken stones and the entrance was sealed. The Step Pyramid: By the First Dynasty, the kings expanded on the Mastaba by stacking six Mastabas on top of each other. Each one was a little smaller than the one below, and it was known as the first pyramid. It became known as the Step Pyramid Saggara. It was built entirely of stone, and was 200 feet tall (20 stories high!) It also had a burial chamber like the Mastabas. The Bent Pyramid: King Senferu of the Fourth Dynasty built the bent pyramid. This was the first structure with smooth sides; the bent pyramid was over 300 feet high and the outside was coated with a fine white limestone. The Pyramids of Giza: In the 26th century B.C., three kings ordered the construction of three huge pyramids that would be their tombs. The first of these pyramids is known as the Great Pyramid. It was the largest pyramid ever built, and is so large that it can be seen from the moon! Sphinx: A structure with the head of a human and the body of a lion. The head was carved from a solid piece of rock and the paws and legs were made from stone blocks added to the body. All together there were about 80 pyramids built for kings of Egypt. 2. Entertainment/Sports: Egyptians loved music and played instruments such as the lute, harp, and lyre. Children typically played leap frog, and tug o war. They also enjoyed board games, and one game called Senet was a lot like checkers. There was also a board game called Snake. The board was shaped like a curled snake with its head in the center. The snakes body was divided into squares, half of which were hollowed out. Six pieces

shaped like lions and lionesses and many marbles were needed to play this game. Unfortunately, the rules to this game were not written down. Egyptian children also played with dolls, tops, balls, and animal toys. All of these toys were hand-made. Dolls were made of cloth and clay, and play animals were made of wood or stone. Balls were made by wrapping linen rags around each other. 3. Government: The Pharaoh was usually succeeded by his oldest son. The son was trained throughout his life to take over the role of Pharaoh after his fathers death. Sometimes rivalries and secret plots caused a change in this succession. Egypt had thirty royal dynasties ruling for more than three thousand years due to this. The Pharaoh chose one or two viziers, or prime ministers, to help him. The Pharaohs most important role was to serve as a lawmaker and warrior. The Pharaoh had thousands of government workers to help himthese people made sure that laws were carried out. They kept records of crops, and also trained troops and carried on wars. Soldiers, policemen, and custom officers kept track of who came in and out of the country. They used trained dogs to capture thieves, runaway slaves, or people trying to leave the country without paying taxes. The king sent tax collectors three times a year, and he was accompanied by a scribe. The scribe kept records, wrote down the names of the peasants, and measured the fields. On the second visit, the scribes and collectors returned to inspect the new crops. From this, they calculated the taxes owed. The tax collector made a third visit during the harvest to collect the kings share. The taxes were paid in sacks of grain. The army policed the borders, collected taxes, and controlled the people of Egypt. During the New Kingdom Period from 1570-1085 B.C., the army was divided into two groups; the wealthy knights who drove the knights chariots and the infantrymen, or foot soldiers. 4. Culture: A. Religion: The Egyptians had extremely strong religious beliefs. Two important gods of the Egyptians were Osiris, god of the Nile, and Isis, god of fertility. The Egyptians believed in many gods. They believed that many things held power. They worshipped gods of the stars, stones, and water. Each city had its own god or goddess. The local gods were not worshippedthey were thought of as someone to bargain with for favors. If you wanted crops to grow or you wanted to heal an illness, you would

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take food or clothing to the local temple. The priest would take the offering and pray in a special language to the gods. Family Structure: In the Egyptian family, the father was responsible for providing for his family. The mother stayed at home and raised the children. Small children and other female relatives lived in a special part of the house. Much of the childrens time was spent in training for their adulthood. By the age of four, the children would help their parents in the field or train as craftsmen. Clothing/Appearance: The Egyptians wore very simple clothing made of linen, which was made from the flax that grew in the fields and woven into cloth. The rich wore finely woven linen while the workers wore a more durable material. Male peasants wore loincloths which hung from their waists to their knees. It was quite common that the peasants wore no clothing at all. Men in the upper class wore skirts or kilts. The women wore simple, tight-fitting dresses, which came up to their chests and were held up on the shoulder by straps. Children wore no clothing until they were in their teens. Egyptians wore sandals made from leather or reed. Rich ladies wore shawls, flower head pieces, and beaded collars. They decorated their clothing by wearing elaborate costume jewelry. Ancient Egyptians had black hair, dark eyes, and tan skin. Both men and women wore makeup. Creams and oils were used as well as eye paint. They believed that makeup had magical and healing powers. Men also wore jewelry, in addition to women. Many wore earrings and bracelets, as well as rings, and necklaces. Boys shaved their heads except for one braided lock until the age of twelve. This served as a protection from fleas and lice. Girls wore their hair long, often worn in pig tails. The women wore their hair loose or in braids, and the wealthy wore wigs. School: Some children between the ages of 4 and 14 went to school to learn to read, write, and do arithmetic. When a boy turned 14, he began working in his fathers profession. The girls stayed at home with their mothers to learn how to run a home. Pets: Most Egyptian families had pets. Cats were their favorite. Not only did cats eat unwanted mice, but the cat goddess Bast was the protector of the home. Other pets included monkeys, geese, goats, and birds. The rich had dogs, and they used them for hunting. Some pet owners saved the collar

after their pet died. When they were buried, the collar would be buried with the owner. This was in hope that the pet would be its master in the afterlife. F. Food: Egyptians had two large meals each day: one at dawn and another at dusk. Egyptians went to the market to purchase food. They ate lots of cereal, vegetables, and fruits. Some of the most common foods were barley, wheat, lentils, cucumbers, beans, leeks, onions, dates, figs, and grapes. Other fruits included apples, melons, pomegranates, and the occasional coconut. Beef was the Egyptians favorite meat, but they also ate lamb, gazelle, wild goat, ox, pork, fish, duck, and goose. Food was cooked in clay ovens. Bread was an everyday food of both the commoner and the wealthy. The finest loaves were ground with sand. This is why the teeth of royalty showed serious abrasion. The wealthy Egyptians sweetened their bread with honey and stuffed it with fruit. A common meal for a peasant might be boiled or roasted beef, assorted vegetables, fruit, and a slice of bread, or beer. The wealthy ate on bronze, silver, or gold plates, while the commoners ate on clay dishes. People ate with the tips of their fingers, and everyone was given a small bowl of water to clean their hands after the meal. G. Marriage Peasant boys married by the age of fifteen and girls were only twelve then they married. Girls from more wealthy families were married a little older, and many marriages were arranged by the parents. The life expectancy of an Egyptian was only around the age of 40. H. Ancient Egypts influence on the modern world: Ancient Egyptian architecture inspired people to build vast, long lasting structures like the pyramids. Egyptian astronomers calculated the length of a solar year with an accuracy of six minutes, then divided the year into twelve month, a month into four weeks, and a day into 24 hours etc. This system proved to be highly accurate and successful, as it reflected the cycle of the seasons correctly. It also replaced the cumbersome and unreliable lunar calendars. Astrology is based on Egyptian observations, noting the recurrence of astronomical patterns (on the sky), and the cycle of events (timing of solstice and start of flooding, fertile harvests, famine, plagues, etc) on earth. Soon they correlated both spheres of experience, and astrology was born.

Modern medicine owes much to the Ancient Egyptians. Most famous of the Egyptian physicians is Imhotep, who is also renowned for his role as a Pyramid designer. Physicians such as Imhotep used a variety of methods to heal patients but based much of their practice upon religious belief: physicians in Ancient Egypt were also priests. It was common for different priests to act as physicians for different parts of the body, in much the same way that doctors specialize now, as they believed that different gods governed different sectors of the human body. Essentially, we believe that Egyptian law was based on a common sense view of right and wrong, following the codes based on the concept of Maat. Ma'at represented truth, order, balance and justice in the universe. This concept allowed that everyone, with the exception of slaves, should be viewed as equals under the law, regardless of wealth or social position. However, when punishment was carried out, often the entire family of the guilty suffered as well. For example, when individuals were sentenced to exile, their children were automatically outlawed along with them. If a relative deserted from military service, or defaulted on the labor demands of the state, the entire family might be imprisoned (Mark Andrews). The more a civilization advances, the more rights does the female part of the population acquire. Look at a society, the status women have, and you know how developed a nation is. In ancient Egypt, the status of women within society was very high. Many secular buildings (The Forum of Rome, The Vatican, Versailles, The capitol, Wall Street) in the Western World have their roots in Egyptian examples. One can regard Pharaoh Hatsepsuts temple in Luxor as the mother of all temple designs. It has, beyond any doubt, influenced Greek temple design, which was later again copied by the Roman and several European civilizations. The classic lotus design of Corinthian columns, decorating Greek temples, Roman temples, and Wall Street originated most likely from Pharaoh Setis Great Temple Hall of Karnak. His son Ramses II completed it. The top sections of the columns are decorated with lotus leaf ornaments.

II. Geography: A. Students will be able to locate Egypt and Ancient Egypt on a map. B. Students will be able to describe the physical and human characteristics of Egypt.

C. Students will be able to explain how the people of Egypt adapted to and/or changed their environment to the meet their needs. 1. (A) Egypt is located in the northern part of Africa. To the north of Egypt is the Mediterranean Sea. 2. (B) Egypt receives little rainfall, and without the Nile River, the area would all be desert. Before modern dams were built. The Nile River would flood each year. The floods would bring thick, rich mud from the mountains of central Africa. The mud would spread all over the river banks creating a fertile ground for the early Egyptians to grow crops. Hieroglyphics were a human characteristic of Egypt. Hieroglyphics was a form of picture writing with about 700 signs. Instead of using letters, this form of writing used signs. They were written in straight lines across or up and down without spaces or punctuation marks. Many hieroglyphics were a kind of picture of what they represented. Later on, the pictures stood for sounds instead of whole words. 3. (C) The Egyptians eventually built damns to keep the Nile from flooding. The Egyptians used the Nile River as their main form of transportation. Cargo boats carried granite, cattle, and food to people along the river. III. Reading A. Students will be able to demonstrate comprehension of fiction about Ancient Egypt. 4. Procedures and Activities: Procedures Activities Indirect: Graphic Organizer (KWL) Fill out Know and Want to Know, but leave Learned blank *This type of organizer will introduce the subject of Ancient Egypt in a nonintimidating way and will get the students thinking about their prior knowledge of the subject* Direct: Structured Overview with pictures A picture relating to Ancient Egypt will be Indirect: Reflective Questioning projected onto the board (a pyramid, a pharaoh, intricate jewelry, a desert, etc) and students will say what comes to mind after seeing the picture, or what they think the picture is or means. *These pictures will serve as a broad overview of everything we will cover about Ancient Egypt. The pictures will hopefully intrigue the students about the topic* Direct: Didactic Questioning and Guided As a class, students will begin to read the Instruction Magic Tree House book Number 3,

Mummies in the Morning *The teacher will be available to answer any questions and review key concepts that are talked about in the book. The teacher will also periodically ask the students didactic questions to be sure they are paying attention and that they understand the text* Indirect: Cooperative Learning In groups, students will complete a crossword puzzle on terms of Ancient Egypt that were learned in the powerpoint and lecture. *Teacher will walk around to be sure that students comprehend the material and that they stay on track* As a class, and with individual students taking turns, students will go on a virtual field trip to Ancient Egypt. They will be able to explore the pyramids, see a real pharaoh, and understand the land-cover. Along the way, students will have the opportunity to play games that Ancient Egyptian children played, and have practice with hieroglyphics. http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/menu.html Students will fill in their graphic organizer as the teacher explains the similarities and differences between Ancient Egyptian society and todays society Students will make their own hieroglyphics in clay Students will complete unit test on Ancient Egypt

Indirect: Field Trip (virtual)

Direct: Compare/Contrast

Indirect: Experiential Direct: Unit Test