Introduction to Ancient Egypt

Hello and thank you for checking out my course on Ancient Egyptian Culture!  Please note that this is a basic class, for beginners!  In this 6 day class, we will be looking at various aspects of Egyptian beliefs and daily life.  We will take a deep dive into mummification, discuss theories on how and who built the pyramids, look at the Egyptian belief in the afterlife, transcribe hieroglyphic messages and compare with modern day communication, and finally end our camp making our own mummified apple!  

Week 1: The pyramids: How were they built and who built them? - Historians and archaeologists have determined that the Egyptian pyramids were constructed by tens of thousands of workers laboring across two to three decades on each. What remains less certain is who these workers were. In this lesson, students will look at multiple theories on how the pyramids were built through readings, videos, and a slide presentation and then answer the question: Did slaves build the Great Pyramid at Giza?  Students will then create their own claim and decide who they think built the pyramids and why.

Week 2: The pharaohs of Egypt.  Who were the pharaohs of Egypt?  What was found in their tombs?  In this class, we take an in depth look into pharaohs such as Khufu, Ramses II, Tutankhamen, Narmer, Seti I, Nefertiti and Cleopatra.  We will also take a look at the curse of King Tut and talk about whether there is any truth to the tall tales or if there is a more logical explanation.  

Week 3: Hieroglyphic Writing - The focus of this lesson is on the use of hieroglyphs as a form of communication, record keeping, and as a means for preserving and passing down history. Students will learn basic information about the alphabet, common Egyptian words, and how to read hieroglyphic messages. Students will also practice using hieroglyphs to write their names and create messages of their own.

Week 4: The Afterlife - This lesson focuses on the concept of the afterlife and the importance of pleasing the gods and goddesses.  We will learn interesting facts about some of the most important gods/goddesses and will read about and watch stories about them.  We will discuss why personal belongings were placed in tombs and will end the class talking about the belief that a person's heart was weighed to enter the afterlife.  Students will talk about items they would want in the afterlife with them.

Week 5: Mummification Pt. 1 - In this course, young ancient explorers will be looking into the beginning of the process of mummification and how it relates to Ancient Egyptian religion and their belief in the afterlife. We will dive into the process of mummification through understanding vocabulary, a drawing game, a short video, and a hands-on activity.  I will be using the book, "Mummies Made in Egypt" and identifying the steps as we begin the process of mummifying an apple.   They will be able to explain the steps of the process, and for each process, they will have to come up with an image that represents that step.  

Week 6: Mummification Pt. 2 -  This will be our last class of this class.  Students will take walk through the second half of mummification, as we finish mummifying our apples.  

This is a very interactive, hands-on class that will engage students the entire time they are there.