What Bugged the Ancient Egyptians? Flies, Bees, Ants and More (Small Class)
(For Older Students) Learn what the Egyptians discovered about insects (and animals like scorpions), and how these creatures became sacred to the people of the Nile.
Ilene Sennuwy Springer
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(187)
What's included
1 live meeting
55 mins in-class hoursHomework
There will be no official homework unless a student requests it.Assessment
There will be a pre-class quiz that students can take to assess their knowledge before we start the lesson. We will go over the quiz in class. If the students get the answers right, I'm impressed. If they don't, I tell them, I'm happy because I know they will at least learn the facts tested on the quiz.Class Experience
US Grade 8 - 11
(Photo above of Dung -poop - Beetle Rolling Dung)
(Credit: Wikipedia)
You may have heard of the importance of the scarab or dung (poop) beetle to the ancient Egyptians. But did you know about the love-hate relationship the ancient Egyptians had with the regular housefly? Or how ants and different beetles were made into cosmetics?
In this lesson, you'll learn which characteristics of bugs fascinated the ancient Egyptians and what they did to take advantage of these traits. We'll cover the following topics:
• The insects and other creatures that became sacred to the ancient
Egyptians. These include the scarab and other beetles, locusts,
ants, butterflies, bees, flies, praying manti, scorpions and
centipedes.
• How each of the above insects influenced the ancient Egyptians
and what they did with them - used them for common products or
made them sacred.
• An unusual video of one of the most famous ancient Egyptian
insects in action.
How I Teach:
- Classes with only four students.
- Dramatic Keynote (PowerPoint) presentation with illustrations, maps
and photos of ancient artwork.
- Animated lecture and discussion.
- Lots of student interaction.
- The showing of genuine antiquities from my collection.
- Short videos which enhance the lesson's content.
I interact a lot with learners, encouraging kids to share their opinions, ideas, mistakes and triumphs. I love it when kids laugh. After the class, I message parents/caretakers to tell them how their student did, and I include extra files for their interest.
CLASS PRICE includes (in addition to the scheduled class):
1. Welcome message to both the student and enroller.
2. Quiz (actually, a learning tool) as a pre-lesson activity.
3. Personalized post-class message to the student and enroller,
detailing how the learner did in class and any recommendations.
4. Availability to answer a student's questions (by message) after class.
💥 For more scheduled classes, please scroll down to
“Show Alternative Times.”
Copyright ©, Ilene Springer, 2024
All rights reserved. No part of this lesson may be reproduced without the written permission of the author.Learning Goals
Students will learn about the following:
√ The science of entomology.
√ The difference between insects (with six legs) and arachnids (spiders
and scorpions).
√ How the ancient Egyptians identified with all the animals that
surrounded them, including insects and other related
animal life.
√ Some of the more influential buglike creatures that tormented and/or
delighted the ancient Egyptians.
√ The names of some of the gods and goddesses associated with
specific insects.
Learners will receive a list of resources so that they can continue studying ancient Egyptian entomology on their own.
Other Details
Parental Guidance
There will be photos of insects and scorpions and some facts that students will hear that may make them squeamish. If students are "grossed out" by bugs or have an insect phobia, they shouldn't take the class.
Supply List
No supplies are needed.
1 file available upon enrollment
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined April, 2020
4.9
187reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
I hold a Certificate of Museum Studies from Harvard University and a Diploma in Egyptology from Oxford College in England. And I’ve been to Egypt three times on personalized, educational tours.
I've been captivated by ancient Egypt since I was 10 years old. And I feel it's my destiny to share my enthusiasm for and expertise on this beautiful and brilliant 5000-year-old civilization with all of you. I hope to see you soon in this class. I think you'll agree that The Egyptian Room is an attractive, fun and inspiring place to learn. And, please, if you like, call me Ms. Sennuwy - my chosen ancient Egyptian name.
Reviews
Live One-Time Class
$21
per classMeets once
55 min
Completed by 25 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 13-18
1-4 learners per class
