• We made a model of the Nile river in a box lid out of sand clay, including the mountainous region so the kids could see that Upper Egypt is actually south of the delta, and at the bottom of the map.
  
• We looked up the Nile delta on Google Earth

• We made Pharoah Bear! We made the white crown, red crown, then put them together. We're using a teddy bear and dressing him like a pharoah instead of making real costumes for the kids to wear.

• Used the story for narration
• Drew an illustration of the story

• Modeling clay fun, of course! Used a popsicle stick to make marks. Children wrote their name by pressing the stick into the clay, then wrote their name on paper. Discussed how long it took to write even a single word in the clay.
• Looked up examples of cuneiform online. Found this alphabet. Talked about why cuneiform used straight lines instead of curved ones.
• Followed a brief rabbit trail into tally marks and Roman numerals.
  

• Using these charts and this clay, we will make cartouches of our names. (Note: I buy a big tub of cornstarch at Sam's Club. It comes in a square jar and I can't wait to use it up so I can repurpose that jar!)
  
• Put chart of heiroglyphics on wall.
• After clay dries, we will set them aside for our papyrus lesson
  

• Saw and touched an actual papyrus plant (A good friend is growing them here in SC)
• We may attempt to make our own papyrus; if not with actual reeds, with paper pulp.
• We will write our names with ink on paper, then compare with our cartouche - which is better? Better for portability, easier to stroe in a library? Which is more likely to last several thousand years? Which is heavier? Waterproof?
  

• Mummify Pharoah bear with 2" gauze, or more likely, toilet paper.
• Tomb diorama (maybe)
• I told husband dear about an activity that actually mummifies chicken livers, hearts, etc. and put them into jars... he vetoed that pretty quickly!
  

• Make this easy paper model, and find objects for scale

• Discuss animal characteristics of the Sphinx.
• Color Sphinx picture
• Find Sphinx on Google Earth
• Draw our own sphinx creatures, with head of people and bodies of animals.
• Tell riddles
• Maybe we'll make one. This one, or perhaps make another batch of sand clay and form it.
  

Labels: education