PART 1: OVERVIEW OF SECTIONS 1 4 - The Historic …thehistoricjourney.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Lesson03PT1...PART 1: OVERVIEW OF SECTIONS 1 – 4 ... Unas builder of a pyramid

LESSON 3 Grades 4-12 PART 1: INTRODUCTION AND OUR LINK TO ANCIENT AFRICA Lesson Duration: 4 – 5 Class Periods (30–50 Minutes) PART 1: OVERVIEW OF SECTIONS 1 – 4 Overarching Questions .................................................................................................................. 46 Content Theme .............................................................................................................................. 46 Standards/Essential Skills .............................................................................................................. 41 Objective ........................................................................................................................................ 46 Key Questions: Part 1: Ancient Africa ............................................................................................ 47

Section 1: Introduction To Africa ....................................................................................... 47 Section 2: The World’s First Written Language – Hieroglyphics....................................... 47 Section 3: Medicine In Ancient Africa: Imhotep-3

rd Dynasty ............................................. 47

Section 4: Ancient Africa: The Pyramids ........................................................................... 47 Vocabulary: Part 1 - Ancient Africa ................................................................................................ 47 Instructional Materials: Part 1-(Overview) Ancient Africa .............................................................. 48 Differentiation And/Or Modification ................................................................................................ 48 Activities: Part 1 – Ancient Africa ................................................................................................... 48 Section 1: Background Information: Introduction To Africa ............................................................................ 49 Activities: Section 1 Language Arts And Geography Skills ............................................................ 50

Method of Delivery ............................................................................................................ 50

Procedure .......................................................................................................................... 50

Directions .......................................................................................................................... 50

Follow-Up .......................................................................................................................... 51

Assessment ....................................................................................................................... 51

Student Reflection & Debriefing Questions....................................................................... 51

Teacher Reflection ............................................................................................................ 51

Resources ......................................................................................................................... 51 Extended Activities ......................................................................................................................... 52 Section 2: Background Information: The World’s First Written Language – Hieroglyphics ............................ 53 Activity 1 – Art: Write Name In Hieroglyphics; Write Other Messages .......................................... 54

Method of Delivery Student-Generated Products ............................................................. 54

Procedure .......................................................................................................................... 54

Directions .......................................................................................................................... 54

Follow-Up .......................................................................................................................... 54

Assessment ....................................................................................................................... 55

Student Reflection And Debriefing Questions .................................................................. 55


Resources ......................................................................................................................... 55 Section 3: Background Information: Medicine In Ancient Africa: Imhotep - 3

rd Dynasty ................................ 56

Activity 1: Language Arts/Writing/ Oral Report .............................................................................. 57


Procedure .......................................................................................................................... 57

Directions .......................................................................................................................... 57

Follow-Up .......................................................................................................................... 57

Assessment ....................................................................................................................... 58

Student Reflection And Debriefing Questions .................................................................. 58


Resources ......................................................................................................................... 58 Extended Activities ......................................................................................................................... 58 Activity Worksheet 3 – Part 1: Section 3 - Vocabulary Checkup ................................................... 62 Section 4: Background Information: Ancient Africa: The Pyramids ................................................................ 59 Activity 1: Science: Choose From Several Options To Reinforce Information Presented ............. 61


Procedure .......................................................................................................................... 61

Directions .......................................................................................................................... 61 Activity 1: Geography: Map Study .................................................................................................. 61 Activity 2: Geometry And Art: Drawing 3-D Pyramids ................................................................... 61 Activity 3: Mathematics: Problem Solving ...................................................................................... 61 Activity 4: Science-Astronomy........................................................................................................ 63 Activity 5: Science: Astronomy And The Pyramids ........................................................................ 63 Activity 6: Language Arts - Writing Assignment: Research Project ............................................... 63

Option 1: The Pyramids .................................................................................................... 63 Option 2: Language Arts – Writing Assignment ................................................................ 63

Activity 7: Social Studies: Timelines .............................................................................................. 63

Follow-Up .......................................................................................................................... 64

Assessment ....................................................................................................................... 64

Student Reflection & Debriefing Questions....................................................................... 64


Resources ......................................................................................................................... 65 Extended Activities ......................................................................................................................... 65

TEACHER ACTIVITY GUIDE The Historic Journey: “Yes We Can” © 2010 Holland and Associates; All rights reserved.

LESSON 3 | Grades 4-12

Lesson Duration: 4 – 5 Class Periods 30 – 50 MinutesPart 1

Before America – African HeritagePART I – INTRODUCTION AND OUR LINK TO ANCIENT AFRICA

OVERARCHING QUESTIONS: 1. Where are we going? 2. Where are we now in our understanding of this topic? 3. Why are we trying to discover more? 4. How will we get there? 5. How will we know we have arrived at any new understandings about this topic?

CONTENT THEME: Understand that the culture and heritage of past ancient civilizations reveal a people who were capable of great achievements and innovations that cause our modern civilization to marvel.

STANDARDS/ESSENTIAL SKILLS:Standards are listed in the Introduction and

Overview of Lesson 3. They are directly related to or can be closely connected to this lesson. Depending on the direction the teacher wishes to focus the lesson, these standards provide a foundation for teachers to adapt and implement a standards-based curriculum approach.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this lesson is to examine 4 sections of information that will explore Africa, the vastness of its history and the implications for modern society. It begins with an Introduction to Africa and its current population and size compared to other continents. Then it examines hieroglyphics as the first written language. Next, it reviews the life of Imhotep and his role in medicine in the 3rd Dynasty of Egypt, and it ends with an analysis of how the ancient pyramids were built using many skills acquired by the early Egyptians, including knowledge and skill sets related to geometry, astrology and engineering.

Each section in this part of the lesson includes background information that can be copied and used as reading material for the students. In addition, key questions, and lists of vocabulary words, materials and activities for each section are included at the beginning of this 4-section lesson. PART1: ANCIENT AFRICA Section 1 - Introduction To Africa Section 2 - The World’s First Written Language - Hieroglyphics Section 3 - Medicine In Ancient Africa: Imhotep-3rd Dynasty Section 4 - Ancient Africa: The Pyramids

Students will: 1. Explore the early history of the Early Africans in Egypt. 2. Identify the hieroglyphic language as the earliest form of written communication. 3. Identify the uses of language, mathematics, engineering, astronomy, and medicine in Ancient Egypt time. 4. Explore the rise and fall of Dynastic Kingdoms and their leaders, in particular the 3rd, 4th, 18th and 25th dynasty. 5. Analyze the skills needed to build the pyramids of Egypt.

A palette of King Narmer the first to unite Upper and Lower Egypt,he became the first pharaoh of the First Dynasty

Dynasty 5–2498-2345 BCE Userkaf, Sahure, Neferirkare, Shepseskare, Neferef, Niuserre, Menkauhor, Djedkare the percepts of Ptah-hetep were written during this reign. Unas builder of a pyramid at Saqqara 46


KEY QUESTIONS:PART 1: ANCIENT AFRICA SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION TO AFRICA 1. Why study Africa and its history? 2. What contributions were made to the world from the ancient civilizations that thrived in Africa before European enslavement and colonization periods? 3. How does an appreciation of Africa’s past help bring esteem to African descendents who live today? 4. Why can everyone say, “I am African?” 5. How has Africa changed over time? 6. How do various maps portray the shape and size of Africa? What impressions do you have after comparing the various maps? 7. How do biases that people have affect how they interpret what they think about history? 8. How do modern day archeologist determine what happened in the past? SECTION 2: THE WORLD’S FIRST WRITTEN LANGUAGE - HIEROGLYPHICS 1. How does written language help preserve

knowledge from one generation to the next? 2. How did the Rosetta Stone help researchers understand hieroglyphics? 3. How were archeologists able to understand what the hieroglyphics meant? 4. How did knowing about several languages help with the interpretation of hieroglyphics?

SECTION 3: MEDICINE IN ANCIENT AFRICA: IMHOTEP-3RD DYNASTY 1. What medical practices from Ancient Africa still impact us today? 2. How do we know about medical practices from Ancient Africa? 3. What other countries or civilizations helped spread Egyptian medical practices?

SECTION 4: ANCIENT AFRICA: THE PYRAMIDS 1. Why were the pyramids built? 2. How were the pyramids constructed? 3. What type of understandings did the people in Ancient Egypt have to have in order to construct the monuments found in Africa?

47

SECTION 1

Introduction to Africa • nomadic• civilizations• land formations• artifacts and artwork• Tropic of Cancer• Tropic of Capricorn• Equator• Mediterranean Sea• Suez Canal• Red Sea• Indian Ocean• Atlantic Ocean• Sahara Desert• Nile River• Ethiopia• Nubian Kingdom• Ghana, Male, Songhai, Great Zimbabwe• Pharaohs• Kush• Egyptian Dynasties• Olmec, Myan, Incan, Aztec cultures

SECTION 2

The World’s First Written Language: Hieroglyphics • hieroglyphics• Mwd Ntr (MEH-DOO NEH-CHER)• magical incantations• Hieratics Diordorus Siculus• “Per Ankh” (Scribal School)• papyrus• Central Africa around the Great Lakes region of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.• Ethiopia • Ancient Punt (Somalia)• Ancient Nubia (Sudan)• Kmt (Egypt) from Nubia• Kemet (Egypt)• zenith• scrolls

SECTION 3

Medicine in Ancient Africa: Imhotep- 3rd Dynasty • Imhotep• Pharaoh Zoser• Step Pyramid• The Odyssey• Histories• specialize• anatomy• Dietetics• Herodotus • venerated• Aescalapius• Hippocrates• Hippocratic Oath• Apollo• Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda• Papyrus• archeologists • King Tutankhamun• myths• superstitions• substanial

SECTION 4

Ancient Africa: The Pyramids • pyramids• engineering • astronomy• agriculturalist • I-Em-Hotep• papyrus• Pyramid Age• dynasty• silt• delta• diametric• turbulence• dolorite• Pharaoh Khufu• suspension• limestone• trench• chisel• quarry• Saqqara• Gezeh• precise• perimeter• pi

VOCABULARY: PART 1 - ANCIENT AFRICA


Dynasty 6–2345-2181 BCE Teti, Pepi I builders of a pyramid at Saqqara. Merenre, Pepi II the presentation of the story of the Twa Dynasty 7 to 8–2181-2160 BCE 48

VOCABULARY STRATEGY:1. Provide each student with a list of vocabulary

words for the 4 sections of this lesson. 2. Most of the words on the list are proper nouns

that name cities, countries and people from Ancient Egyptian history.

3. Each student needs paper or a word journal.4. Allow students to make columns to list the

words under category headings that they create.5. Allow students 5 minutes to complete the

activity using the words for each section as it is taught.

6. Have students name the categories and generate a list of words to match the categories they chose.

7. Then allow students to work in pairs for 5 more minutes to compare their lists and make adjustments to their lists.

8. Have students share their categories and add words under the headings that students give.

9. As a class, make a list of words that do not fit into anyone else’s columns.

10. Remind students that most of these words are not common words that they will use fre- quently. They are specific to this lesson.

11. Be sure that students have an understanding of words on the list that name people, places and structures.

12. Provide students with a map of Africa and allow them to find and/or label the maps and locate and/or place the correct names on the map.

13. Circle the names of places on the vocabulary list that are not inside of Africa.

14. For homework, have students add words that are not proper nouns into their vocabulary journal (that they will keep and use throughout the school year).

15. Also see other strategies at: http://www. readingquest.org/strat/home.html

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS: PART 1- ANCIENT AFRICASECTION 1 SECTION 2 SECTION 3 SECTION 4Introduction to The World’s First Medicine in Ancient Ancient Africa: Africa Written Language: Africa: Imhotep-3rd The Pyramids Hieroglyphics Dynasty

ACTIVITIES: PART 1 – ANCIENT AFRICA SECTION 1 SECTION 2 SECTION 3 SECTION 4Introduction to The World’s First Medicine in Ancient Ancient Africa: Africa Written Language: Africa: Imhotep-3rd The Pyramids Hieroglyphics Dynasty

DIFFERENTIATION / MODIFICATION1. Students will be allowed to choose different

events to research.2. Students will be allowed to present their

information in a variety of ways. 3. Students will work in pairs and in teams to

share and present information.

• Comparing 4 different map

projections

• Mark places where pyramids were built

• Journal writing

• Reading Background Information

• Timelines

• Extension idea –Written Report

• Write student names in Hieroglyphics

• Write other words using Hieroglyphics

• Discuss key questions– Rosetta Stone

• Language Arts Assignment– Report

• Writing a Biography- of Imhotep

• Other communication media –poems,rap, hip-hop

Options:

• Map Skills

• Drawing 3-D Pyramids

• Problem Solving

• Using Astronomy

• Research Project

• Structured paragraphs

• Timeline

• Vocabulary list for Part 1

• Background Information• Journal• 4 Maps of Africa - A blank map - A map with current countries - A Peter’s projection map - A map of ancient civilizations located around Ancient Africa• Butcher paper (2 feet for each group of 4-5 students)

• Vocabulary List

• Background Information

• Hieroglyphic alphabet (Hieratics)

• Maps from Section 1

• Vocabulary List


• Handout on the Ipet Temple

• Vocabulary List


• 1 inch graph paper

• Paragraph model

• Information about the seasons and equinox and solstice


BACKGROUND INFORMATION:PART 1: SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION TO AFRICA

Scientists overwhelmingly agree that the origin of modern man’s life began in Africa. This fact connects all of our roots to the African

continent. Recent findings reveal information about early humans as nomadic populations who hunted and gathered food and established civilizations that flourished and prospered as early centers of education. Using technology and knowledge they gained, early Africans traveled to other continents and left distinctive marks of land formations, structures, artifacts and artwork that mirrored images made by ancient Africans in their own homeland. For this reason, everyone in the world can truthfully say, “I am African.” It is only recently that the achievements of Ancient Africans have been acknowledged as coming from Black people who had cultures that were sophisticated enough to produce many of the enduring wonders of the world. With currently 53 nations within its landmass, Africa has nearly 900,000,000 inhabitants, which makes it the second largest continent in land size and population after Asia. Africa is the home of about 14% of the world’s population. Running through the center of Africa are the Tropic of Cancer, the Equator, and the Tropic of Capricorn which all make Africa the only continent with such varied climate ranges. Water along the coastlines include the Mediterranean Sea in the north, the Suez Canal and the Red Sea in the northeast, the Indiana Ocean to the southeast and the Atlantic Ocean to its west. Africa contains the Sahara Desert, the largest desert in the world, and the

Nile River system, which boasts another record for being the longest river in the world. The remains of early humanoids and their ancestors found in the central eastern part of the continent caused many researchers to conclude that the entire human race originally came from this part of Africa and gradually scattered to other parts of the world including Europe, Asia, and eventually, migrated to all the other continents. As Africa’s population grew, great civilizations emerged in Africa, such as Ethiopia, the Nubian kingdom, Ghana, Mali, Songhai, and Great Zimbabwe. However, some argue that no other country compared to the Egyptian kingdom and the splendor of the legacy left by its ruling Pharaohs. Egypt’s relationship to the Kush Empire, its skill in building great pyramids, temples, palettes, and obelisks, and ships, and its knowledge of medicine, engineering and astronomy set them apart as a civilization that we still hold in amazement. About 3200 years before the Christian Era, B.C.E. Egypt consolidated its upper and lower regions and became a nation whose influence spread around the world and still impacts us today. The orientation of Egypt is from South to North because of the southern to northern flow of the Nile River. Ancient Egypt’s experience is documented on concrete objects, such as, palettes, pyramids, temples, and obelisks. Africans first built pyramids from silt. However, as they moved down north, they chose to build in limestone, a more durable material. By the third Dynasty, I-Em-Hotep, Egypt’s first Prime Minister and Chief Physician built the first stone step-pyramid. There is evidence that the 4th dynasty had people who traveled to many parts of the world bringing the Cushites to the American continent. As Egypt’s power waned after the 25th Dynasty, Egypt’s sun set and America’s sun rose. Africans shared their culture with the indigenous people of America when the Cushites brought elements of their culture to America and transplanted seeds for what would become the Olmec, Mayan, Incan and Aztec cultures—the greatest civilizations in ancient America. The Africans did not attempt to colonize, subject, en-slave or subdue the people of the Americas. As the centuries passed, the African population became part of the cultures they influenced. As the people intermingled, so did their skin tones. The color between black and yellow is “red”. Contrasted with this, when Europeans came to the Americas and met the indigenous Americans, they derogatorily called them “Red Men” and began a course of colonization, enslavement and subjugation that would last for centuries.

49


ACTIVITIES:Teachers must choose which activities they want

their students to complete, or give the students options from the various sections; numerous options are on display.

SECTION 1: LANGUAGE ARTS: GEOGRAPHY SKILLS • Complete a prereading journal entry activity • Use maps to locate nations and landforms in AfricaMETHOD OF DELIVERY: – Student generated work

PROCEDURE: The teacher will: 1. Become familiar with a timeline of African History - http://www.localhistories.org/aftime.html 2. Provide Internet access to students so they can complete research projects. 3. Prepare resources on life in Africa in the past and today. 4. Refer to the Vocabulary building Strategies following the Vocabulary list. 5. Complete from the activities listed under the Vocabulary Strategy section. 6. Have students read or listen to the background information for Section 1. 7. Continue with map work from the Vocabulary Activity. 8. Provide students with 4 maps: • A blank map of Africa • A map with African countries included on it • A Peters Projection Map • A map of Ancient African civilizations located around Ancient Egypt 9. One map should be blank and one should have countries added. Many maps are available on the internet. 10. Provide students with a map of the countries where the Nile River flows. 11. Be familiar with places designated for students to find. 12. Use geography facts to trace Pyramid building along the Nile River that ran through 6 countries. 13. Make comparisons between the boundaries of Ancient Egypt and the country we know today as Egypt. 14. Identify the countries/nations that were neighbors to Ancient Egypt and compare that list to the current countries that occupy those same areas.

The students will: 1. Write in their journals what they already know about Africa. 2. Identify African countries they already know. 3. Identify how they developed their knowledge of Africa. 4. Locate contemporary places in Africa and connect them to where Ancient Africans lived. 5. Locate the places where the Pyramids were built.

DIRECTIONS: 1. Students will complete a writing activity in their journals. 2. Have students list everything they know about Africa. Give them 2 minutes to write. 3. Have students share their lists with 3 – 4 classmate. (5 minutes) 4. Then ask the class as a whole, where did these ideas come from? Where did students learn information they know about Africa? 5. Then ask students, “What are some other ways we can find out about Africa and its history?” 6. Then give each student a blank map of Africa to fill in the names of as many countries as possible that they know with a colored marker. 7. Allow them time to check with their partner and complete any additional information they can share with each other. 8. Discuss why some people know so little about African history and culture. 9. Provide students with a copy of the Vocabulary List for Sections 1 – 4. 10. Tell them they will be using Section 1 only. 11. Complete the Vocabulary Activity with students. 12. Then show a Peter’s Projection map. Ask students what they notice about the difference in this map and the ones we usually see. 13. Ask students what thoughts they have about the differences in the two maps. 14. Ask students to describe how they feel about Africa and its people. 15. Ask students if their feelings are based on facts or opinions. 16. Provide students with a completed map of Africa with names added. 17. Then ask students to fill it in with the names of countries they know. 18. After checking with a partner and sharing what they know collectively, complete the map with all of the countries as a homework assignment. Ask students to use a different colored marker to complete the assignment.

Wadjkare, Qakare Iby Dynasty 9 to 10–2160-2040 BCE Meryibre, Merykare, Kaneferre, Nebkaure, Akhtoy Dynasty 11–2134-1991 BCE The Middle 50


19. Then have students read the Background Information – Introduction to Africa. 20. Then give students the third map of the Nile River Valley and the nations that lived there in Early African times. 21. Allow students time to find places listed in the Background information. 22. Discuss what new information they learned. 23. Have students finish any of the map work presented earlier that was not completed in class.

FOLLOW-UP: 1. Have students work in groups to create a 2-foot long timeline. a. Help students work in groups of 3 – 4 people to create a timeline that uses (BCE – Before Common Era and CE – After the Common Era) also called BC and AD. Create the timeline with 1000-year intervals. b. Use a 2-foot long piece of butcher paper for each group. Let the timeline stretch from 5000 BCE to 2000 CE. Have the groups count off 5 inches for each 1000-year period. (This project could be used with all 4 sections of this part of Lesson 3.) c. Help students understand what this timeline represents. Add a few key facts on the timeline. d. Collect timelines and have students add to them as their study of the pharaohs, the pyramids and migration patterns continue. e. Then use the timeline to create a collection of important events in Ancient Egyptian history. f. Allow groups to add information and pictures about when various events happened in Early African history. 2. On their maps of Africa, allow students to draw the type of pyramid that was built in each particular area of Africa: Silt, Step, and Perfect. (This could be completed with Section 4 of Part 1.)

ASSESSMENT: • Assess understandings based on journal entries and initial map information. • Check maps to assess what students already know about Africa and additional information they learn throughout the unit. • Evaluate the group timelines for accuracy and understanding of when important dates occurred.

STUDENT REFLECTION AND DEBRIEFING QUESTIONS: Students will answer the following questions. 1. What was the main point of the lesson? 2. What did I learn that was new information? 3. What connection do I feel to the topic we discussed? 4. What do I believe so few people know about African culture, heritage and history? 5. What will I do differently because of what I learned from this lesson?

TEACHER REFLECTION: 1. The student received the necessary materials to complete the lessons. 2. The students recognized a connection to the lesson topic and were able to see how it related to their lives. 3. The students satisfactorily met the lesson objectives when they completed the assignment, as measured by the related state standards. 4. Students have new understandings about the significance of knowing about African history from an unbiased perspective. 5. Students were provided time to complete a self- reflective assessment activity and were able to answer questions about their progress related to the topic. 6. I am developing a knowledge base for teaching information about African culture and history.

RESOURCES:Exploring Africa http://exploringafrica.matrix.msu.edu/index.php

Ancient Egypt – Numerous Websites related to Ancient Egypt http://www.42explore2.com/egypt.htm

Map of Ancient Egypt http://www.artic.edu/cleo/MapEgypt.html

Ancient Africa for Kids –The Kingdom of Kush; Nubia http://www.africa.mrdonn.org/kush.html

Part 1-Ancient Africa – From the Beginning BC /BCE http://web.cocc.edu/cagatucci/classes/hum 211/timelines/htimeline.htm

Welcome to Ancient Egypt - PowerPoint Presentations (Many prepared by students from Manatoba) http://ancienthistory.pppst.com/egypt/overviews.html

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Mathematics of the Diaspora: The Ancientshttp://www.math.buffalo.edu/mad/Ancient -Africa/index.html

Wonders of the African World: with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.http://www.pbs.org/wonders/

Nubianet.org – An online resource for studying Ancient Africa and World Civilizationshttp://www.nubianet.org/1994-2001 Education Development Center, Inc.

Peters Map of the Worldhttp://www.public.asu.edu/~aarios/resourcebank /maps/page9.html

EXTENDED ACTIVITIES:Language Arts: Research Project

Allow students to write reports on some aspect of Egyptian history. The report could include either early history or current trends. a. The report could be on social customs, government, religion, agriculture, art, economics, deserts and waterways. b. Have students create a report on the regions found on the continent of Africa and give a few brief findings about the countries in each region and other key facts about the regions. (Northern, Western, Central, Eastern and Southern) c. Allow students to choose countries in Africa and create a report on how the country has changed throughout its history. d. Allow students to choose another culture that flourished in Ancient Africa and share its history and what happened as that history diminished in earlier times. Early history can also be updated with current history about that country/nation if it is still in existence. (Ethiopia, the Nubian kingdom, Ghana, Mali, Songhai, Great Zimbabwe and Timbuktu).

Kingdom 2040-1782 Intef I, Intef II, Intef III, Mentuhoptep I, Mentuhoptep II an inscription records that he sent an expedition to the land of Punt. Mentuhoptep III. 52


BACKGROUND INFORMATIONPART 1: SECTION 2: THE WORLD’S FIRST WRITTEN LANGUAGE: HIEROGLYPHICS (Mwd Ntr)

Hieroglyphics is the world’s first written language, and as it was created, it held a spiritual context with a deep meaning

for those who used it. Hieroglyphics is an ancient language written with a full vocabulary that is read from left or left to right. The ancient Africans called their writing Mwd Ntr (MEH-DOO NEH-CHER) meaning Divine Script. Hieroglyphics is a Greek word meaning “Sacred Writing.” When the Greeks first came to Egypt, they could neither speak nor understand this African writing so they changed the way in which the language was spoken. What was Mdw Ntr to Africans became hieroglyphics to Greeks. Pictured characters in the text recited poetry, told adventures of wars, and even described different magical incantations. Mdw Ntr and the subsequent cursive alphabet called Hieratics had its early roots along the Nile River. The ancient Roman writer, Diordorus Siculus, commented in the 1st century B.C.E., “They have, like the Ethiopians, two species of letters, hieroglyphs and the alphabet; but among the Egyptians the first was known only to the priests, and by transmitting them from father to son, whereas both species were common among the Ethiopians”. It was a very special honor for a young man to be selected from scribal school. He was chosen when he was seven years old. This young scribe would study in the “Per Ankh” (Scribal School), which means, House

of Life. It was multifunctional space that served as a university, library, medical school, clinic, temple, seminary and dormitory. From a very early age, the young African children studied religion, philosophy, science, astronomy, mathematics, music and Mdw Ntr.

Even in ancient Egypt, most information was orally transmitted. However, when early Egyptians did write text, their writing instrument was a reed in a pen case. They used a jar of water to soften the red and black paint normally used, but they also had a complete array of bright and dull colors. Their messages were written on a type of paper called papyrus. The word paper is derived from the African word papyrus. The way in which they read the writing depended on the direction that the animals and humans faced from left to right or vice versa. Mwd Ntr writing originated in Central Africa around the Great Lakes region of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. It then traveled to Ethiopia and ancient Punt (Somalia) and ancient Nubia (Sudan). It was introduced to Kmt (Egypt) from Nubia and it reached its intellectual zenith in Kemet (Egypt). The walls of the pyramids and ancient scrolls that were discovered in later years help us to understand the life and times of Ancient Egyptians. The messages recorded on the walls of the pyramids and the scrolls of the past help document what happened long ago. Even though many other important traces of the culture has disappeared, we still can relive that culture through the writings that continue to help us to understand the rich story of ancient Egypt.

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SECTION 2: ACTIVITY 1 – ARTWRITE NAME IN HIEROGLYPHICS; WRITE OTHER MESSAGESMETHOD OF DELIVERY: –Student generated products

PROCEDURE: The teacher will:

1. Practice saying the names of the Egyptian cities and other words listed in the Background Information.

2. Have students listen as the teacher reads the Background Information to the class.

3. Have students use their vocabulary list and underline words as they hear them read.

4. Have students use their maps from the previous section to find the places listed in Section 2’s Vocabulary list. 5. Provide students with a copy of the alphabet written in hieroglyphics, also called the Mdw Ntr alphabet.

6. Translate a message from hieroglyphics to English.

7. Note: Once the basic lesson plan of Mdw Ntr (Hieroglyphics) is presented, the teacher can create many different lesson plans according to class grade. Students can learn to write their name on Mdw Ntr. In Mdw Ntr there are some vowels and consonants that are not represented in the English language.

8. Instruct the students to write/draw whatever letters exist. Perhaps the students can make up their own symbols for the letters that are omitted in Mdw Ntr.

The students will:1. Have vocabulary lists from the previous

lesson available to use as they hear the Background Information being read.

2. Listen to the teacher read the Background Information.

3. Mark words that are heard during the reading.4. Use maps to locate additional places listed on

the vocabulary list.5. Examine the hieroglyphic alphabet (Hieratics).

6. Write their name in hieroglyphics. 7. Try to read other student’s names based on the

hieroglyphic alphabet sample.8. Write a simple phonetic sentence using

hieroglyphics.9. Discuss the importance of written language.

DIRECTIONS:1. Listen to the teacher read the Background

Information to the students.2. Review the vocabulary words in Section 2 and

mark them as they are read in the Background Information.

3. Have students use maps from the previous lesson and add information to them from Section 2.

4. Give each student a message that you created on a worksheet using hieroglyphic letters.

5. See Hieroglyphic Translator site for assistance in creating your message. http://www.quiz land.com/hiero.htm

6. Give students a copy of the hieroglyphic alphabet (The Hieratics).

7. Allow them to solve the message and translate it into English.

8. Have students work with partners to translate the message.

9. Then let students create their own name using the alphabet.

10. Discuss the significance of the Rosetta stone. 1. How does written language help preserve knowledge from one

generation to the next?2. How did the Rosetta Stone help researchers understand

hieroglyphics?3. How were archeologists able to understand what the

hieroglyphics meant?4. How did knowing about several languages help with the

interpretation of hieroglyphics?11. Ask students what foreign languages they would

like to learn and why? 12. Let student write other messages using

hieroglyphics. They could be sentences or other secret messages for the class.

Dynasty 12–1991-1782 BCE Amenemhet I became king after defeating a Libyan tribe. Senusret I, Amenemhet II, SenusretII, Senusret III, Amenemhet III – canals were 54


FOLLOW-UP:1. Post children’s hieroglyphic alphabet(Hieratics)

names and allow others to guess whose names are written.

2. Students could use paint on a large sheet of paper to write their names and/or messages and pictures about their families.

3. Use clay to carve hieroglyphic figures with a quote about life on it. Let the clay dry and compare it to the Rosetta Stone.

ASSESSMENT:• Evaluate phonetic spelling of messages that

students create.• Observe how students decode other

student’s messages. • Continue checking maps and updated

locations.

STUDENT REFLECTION & DEBRIEFING QUESTIONS:

Students will answer the following questions.1. What was the main point of the lesson?2. What did I learn that was new information?3. What connection do I feel to the topic

we discussed?4. Why is it important that history is written

down?5. Why do I believe it is important to write down

my thoughts to let others know what I am doing and what I believe?

6. Do I feel it is important for me to learn other languages and be able to read and translate them?

7. What will I do differently because of what I learned from this lesson?

TEACHER REFLECTION:1. The student received the necessary materials to

complete the lessons. 2. The students recognized a connection to the

lesson topic and were able to see how it related to their lives.

3. The students satisfactorily met the lesson objectives when they completed the assignment, as measured by the related state standards.

4. Students have new understandings about language and the importance of being able to record history as well as their own thoughts so others will know how they view various events in their lives.

5. Students were provided time to complete a self- reflective assessment activity and were able to answer questions about their progress related to the topic.

RESOURCES:Detroit Institute of Art: Lesson Plans on

Ancient Egypthttp://www.dia.org/education/egypt-teachers/sitemap.htm

Education World: It’s Not Greek to Me!

(It’s Egyptian!)http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/02 /lp276-01.shtml

Online Hieroglyphic Translatorhttp://www.quizland.com/hiero.htm

55


BACKGROUND INFORMATIONPART 1: SECTION 3: MEDICINE IN ANCIENT AFRICA: IMHOTEP – 3RD DYNASTY

Africa is the first continent on the earth with people who practiced the art of medicine. These ancient doctors were the authors of the

world’s first medical encyclopedias and other books pertaining to the healing arts. Some of the medical scrolls discovered in later years in the Nile Valley Region were written over 5,000 years ago. The ancient poet and historian, Homer, the Greek bard or poet, wrote in his poem, The Odyssey, “in medical knowledge, Egypt leaves the rest of the world behind.” This medical care was free for all Africans because the doctors were employees of the Egyptian government. After the African doctors learned the general functions of the human body, they began to specialize in certain parts of the human anatomy. One of the earliest areas of concentration of study was in the field of Dietetics. The ancient historian names, Herodotus, who traveled to many parts of Africa revealed in his book, The Histories, that ancient African doctors “… believed that people got sick by what they ate.” Other doctors, during the Old Kingdom (1st Dynasty – 6th Dynasty), began to focus their study on particular body parts like the eye, head, teeth, and intestines.

Imhotep was probably the most celebrated African physician in history. Imhotep’s name means “To Come to Peace”. He not only served as a physician, he was also the Prime Minister of Upper and Lower Egypt during the Third dynasty. He lived about 2980 years before the Christian Era. The pharaoh he served was another African named King Zoser. Additionally, as a doctor and prime minister, he was also a scribe (writer), high priest, administrator, poet, magician and architect. Indeed, Imhotep was responsible for building the Step-Pyramid in Saqqara, Egypt. This pyramid was the first stone pyramid built in the world and it still stands in Egypt today.

Imhotep also wrote a medical book on papyrus. Dr. James Breasted, a noted professor and authority on Early African history, from the University of Chicago noted, “Imhotep was one of the first physicians to write a full-text medical book.” However, when Edwin Smith found the papyrus scroll of Imhotep’s work, he did what most European Westerners did at that time, he named it after himself. When Smith died, his family gave the museum the scroll. Dr. Breasted translated the scroll that is now housed in the New York Academy of Medicine. Imhotep is also honored and venerated in the oath

written by Hippocrates in 400 BCE. It is a pledge that each doctor recites in an updated format today when they enter the medical profession. However, before we go looking to find Imhotep’s name in the oath, it is important to realize that the Greeks changed his name and referred to Imhotep as “Aesculapius”. Both Imhotep and Aesculapius have the same achievements attributed to them, so many historians believe that they were the same person. The first Hippocratic oath said, “I SWEAR by Apollo the physician, and Aesculapius, and Health, and All-heal, and all the gods and goddesses, that, according to my ability and judgment, I will keep this Oath.” Much of what early Greeks knew about medicine was heavily influenced by early Egyptian practices. Imhotep’s accomplishments came 2200 years before the birth of Hippocrates, who many claim is the Father of Western Medicine.

An interesting side note on Imhotep comes with the 1931 production of a movie entitled, “The Mummy”. An actor named, Boris Karloff, played a character named Imhotep. When archeologists found King Tutankhamun’s tomb in the early 1920s, that event had an influence on the movie. A later version of the same movie was released in 1999. It, too, was based on fictional information about Imhotep.

Although medical knowledge reached its peak in Egypt, the beginning of this movement actually started in Southern Africa. The foundation of all medical knowledge, ancient and modern, can be found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. As medical skills grew in Ancient Egypt, this information spread to other parts of the world and benefited many people. We now know that what the Egyptian physicians did was more than just myths and religious superstitions, which some Westerners wanted others to believe. The evidence is clear through scrolls, statues, monuments and drawings that Black people made substantial contributions to medicine and other fields during the Ancient Egyptian time period.

Imhotep

dug and sluices made for irrigation from the Nile. The rise of the Nile is marked on the rocks at Semneh. Amenemhet IV, Queen Sobeknefru. 56


SECTION 3: ACTIVITY 1: LANGUAGE ARTS / WRITING / ORAL REPORTCreate a biography of Imhotep and a visual display about ImhotepMETHOD OF DELIVERY: –Teacher mini-lecture on biography structure; Student generated project

REPORT ON IMHOTEPThe student will write a biographical report on

Imhotep, the doctor and engineer who built the first stone pyramid. Students will include and extend information about Imhotep writing the first medical book (papyrus). This book (papyrus) was renamed the Edwin Smith papyrus and can be found in the New York Academy of Medicine. In the report consider why the Egyptian work was renamed after its discoverer and is not known by the original writer’s name.

PROCEDURE:The teacher will:1. Provide Background Information on Imhotep

and the period of Ancient Egypt in which he lived.

2. Provide Vocabulary list given out in Section 1. 3. Have students match vocabulary words and

meanings.4. Assign students to write a biography

of Imhotep.5. Provide students with a checklist for their

paper. The checklist could include the following items: a. Write a title for the story. b. Begin the biography with an interesting statement or question that will grab the readers attention and let them know something about the person you are going to write about. c. Include the person’s name in the story. d. Share an important early experiences in the person’s life. e. Share other important experiences about the person. f. Tell why the person is famous. Share why the person was important enough to write about. What were the person’s major accomplishments? g. End the story with a closing thought about what this person’s life means to the reader or others people living today.

The students will:1. Read Background Information about Imhotep.2. Use vocabulary words to find meanings.3. Gather information from at least one other

source besides the Background information. 4. Use the checklist provided by the teacher to

organize their information.5. Write a 3-pragraph bibliography about Imhotep. 6. Work with a partner or small group to create a

visual about Imhotep.

DIRECTIONS1. Have students read the Background

Information on Imhotep. 2. Use the vocabulary list to match word meanings.3. Allow students to find information from one

more source. (Internet, books, encyclopedias)4. Have students write a 3-paragraph essay about

Imhotep in their own words as they share some of his accomplishments.

5. Students will use a checklist provided by the teacher to be sure they have included all of the vital information they need to complete their project.

6. Along with the biography, allow students to create a visual presentation to display with their written report.

7. Students may work in teams to create a poster, diorama, or PowerPoint presentation on Imhotep and some of his accomplishments.

8. Use the Internet to find graphics related to Ancient Egypt that show Imhotep and some of the things associated with his life.

FOLLOW-UP:1. Give students adequate time to complete their

biography both in class and at home.2. Be sure all students have the supplies they

The Step Pyramid

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need to complete their projects. Make suggestions of where they can find inexpensive or free materials.

3. Arrange an in-class time for students to display and explain their graphic presentations with classmates and other guests you may choose to invite.

4. The report on Imhotep could be presented along with other reports from other parts of the lesson or at the end of the unit: “Before America-African History.” ASSESSMENT:

1. Evaluate the vocabulary matching activity. 2. Analyze and score biographies based on a

predetermined rubric.3. Have students score each others’ visual displays

based on a predetermined rubric.• On the rubric have a place for both positive

feedback and questions or concerns the viewer noticed.

• Be sure that students share a positive thing they liked about their classmates projects before providing suggestions for the other teams to consider.

• Have students phrase their suggestions in a question format rather than telling the other team what they didn’t like. (Did you consider … for your next presentation?)

• Other classmates could also say things like (I wasn’t quite sure about … can you explain more of what you meant?)


Students will answer the following questions:1. What was the main point of the lesson?

2. What did I learn that was new information?3. What connection do I feel to the topic

we discussed?4. Why have Imhotep’s accomplishments been

overlooked by many textbooks in the past?5. How could one person do so many different

things in his lifetime? 6. What connections does early Greek history

have with early African history?7. What will I do differently because of what

I learned from this lesson?

TEACHER REFLECTION:1. The student received the necessary materials

to complete the lessons. 2. The students recognized a connection to the

lesson topic and were able to see how it related to their lives.

3. The students satisfactorily met the lesson objectives when they completed the assignment, as measured by the related state standards.

4. Students have new understandings about the significance of knowing about African history from an unbiased perspective.

5. Students were provided time to complete a self- reflective assessment activity and were able to answer questions about their progress related to the topic.

RESOURCES:Black Kings of the Nile: Racism and the New

Discovery of Ancient Africa http://www.pbs.org/wonders/Episodes/Epi1 /1_retel1.htm

Tour Egypt: Imhotep, Doctor, Architect, High Priest, Scribe and Vizier to King Djoser, by Jimmy Dunnhttp://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/imhotep.htm

EXTENDED ACTIVITIES:1. Allow students to work in teams to create

a poem or rap that also shares information about Imhotep and the time he lived in Ancient Egypt.

2. The poem or rap should include a minimum of 5 facts about Imhotep.

3. As the unit progresses, have student save the work they create on individual projects and create a gallery of work on Ancient Egypt to share with other classrooms.

Dynasty 13–1782-1650 BCE The Second Intermediate Period 1782-1570 Wegaf, Ameny Intef IV, Hor, Sobekhoptep II, Khendjer, Sobekhoptep III, Neferhotep I, 58


BACKGROUND INFORMATIONPART 1: SECTION 4: ANCIENT AFRICA: THE PYRAMIDS

The pyramids provide images that help define the technology that early African builders possessed as they worked along the Nile

Valley in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt. Although they do not all stand today, at one time there were hundreds of pyramid structures in Africa. Even though the pyramids were built to honor the pharaohs, they also served many other purposes. The pyramids were often burial chambers for the Pharaohs and those who attended him. They also represented the knowledge the ancient Africans gained in mathematics, engineering and astronomy. Understanding the progress of pyramid building takes us on a journey from the height of the Pyramid Age’s first stone pyramid during the 3rd Dynasty, 2780-2565 B.C.E. to the end of the 6th dynasty 2420-2270 B.C.E.

Prime Minister Imhotep built the first stone-step pyramid for his King and Pharaoh Zoser during the 3rd Dynasty, 2780-2680 B.C.E. Imhotep, the King’s High Priest, was also known as Aescalapius to the Greeks. As the engineer who helped design and build the first stone pyramid, Imhotep was also a sage, poet, magician and the first medical doctor to ever write a medical journal on (papyrus). This book (papyrus) was renamed the Edwin Smith papyrus and can be found in the New York Academy of Medicine.

The pyramids were built from rich soil called silt. An abundance of silt was carried down (north) on the Nile as the river overflowed annually. The Upper land (south) supplied the lower land with the soil needed to improve the harvest each cycle. The soil pushed further and further north until it eventually formed a delta near the northern boundary of Egypt emptying into the body of water we call the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile River flowed through 6 countries.

Silt comes in the form of very fine particles of soil. It ranges in diametric size from .05-.002 mm. This is from .00008-.002 in inches. Silt is kept in suspension because of the Nile’s constant turbulence. The constant movement stops, however, when the river reaches the Mediterranean. A delta is formed where the silt settles. Ancient Africans experimented with different ways of building pyramids until they finally came up with stone carving. The ancient pyramid builders used limestone that varies in color. It could have been black or white but the limestone they chose was mainly gray. Limestone is easily carved, but it is hard and durable.

The ancient builders began stone cutting by carving around a particular trench. Once they began the trench, balls of dolorite (very hard rock found at these sites) were used to pound out the trench and even out the surface of the desired rock. Engineers would pound the perimeter of the desired block with a copper chisel. The surface of the boulder was

The first stone pyramidThe Step-Pyramidof Saqqara

59


likely prepared by heating it with fire than pouring cold water on it to crumble the granite. Then a combination of levers, ropes and well-organized work crews moved the massive stones out of the quarry. The workers were probably farmers and skilled craftsmen. When the Nile River overflowed, farmers could not harvest, so they made extra income on public works. Thousands of farmers and craftsmen were hired to complete these structures.

After the huge stones were carved out of the quarry in Nubia, they were transported to a ship by a special sled. Then the stones were shipped down the river (north). The builders’ powers in transporting stones by water were astonishing. From 1,000 blocks, to a block weighing 1,000 tons, the builders were equal to the demand. As the sled moved along the sand, a worker would spread a solution on the ground that increased and helped the movement of the bricks.

The structures changed throughout the years. What began as Silt-Pyramids in Nubia became Step-Pyramids in Saqqara and finally evolved into the Perfect-Pyramids in Gezeh. Mathematicians, who calculated the measurements, helped the engineers who built the structure. The astronomers measured the reflections of the sun’s rays on the pyramid. This told them what season they were experiencing. The people of ancient Africa wanted to improve their abilities in agriculture so as the astronomer shared their information. The agriculturalists could then

plant Egypt’s crops more efficiently. The pyramid was constructed so that the rays of the sun beamed down on a particular side during a certain season. As people in different fields of study worked together, their ultimate goal was to improve the standard of living in the country.

One well-known structure was Pharaoh Khufu’s Great Pyramid. It was built in 2600 B.C.E. and contained over 2,300,000 block stones, each of which weighed between 2 and 3 tons. This massive structure covered 13 acres and stood 481 feet tall. Compare this to the length of a football field that is about 360 feet long. Can you imagine how tall a football field would be if you were able to stand it up? Well the pyramid would be taller than that.

Using precise measurements, with the formula for solving for the perimeter of a square, the square base originally measured 755.77 feet on its north, south, east and west sides. The height was 481.4 feet. The measurements of the Pyramid of Khufu have been rounded off to the nearest number. Half the perimeter divided by it height was 3.1408392. The modern value of pi is 3.141597. The difference is only 0.0007535, respectively. The mathematical skill of the builders was impressive because they were so accurate. The ancient builders produced structures that were built using careful planning, and the ones that remain still make scientists marvel about how these people were able to create such awesome monuments.

The Great Pyramids of Gizeh

Sobekhotep IV, Ay, Neferhotep II. Dynasty 14–Nehesy Dynasty 15–1663-1555 BCE The Hykos Invasion–Sheshi, Yakubher, Khyan, Apepi I, Apepi II 60


SECTION 4: ACTIVITY 1: SCIENCEChoose from several options to reinforceinformation presentedMETHOD OF DELIVERY: – Student generated products

PROCEDURE: The teacher will: 1. Have students read or listen to the Background Information sheet. 2. Have students use the vocabulary sheets and focus on words in Section 4. Have students work in pairs as the class works together: • Circle names of people • Underline names of places • Put a box around scientific fields of study or people who worked in those areas • Put a star next to words that relate to how the Ancient Africans moved stones or built the pyramids • Place 3 lines under words that relate to math • List the words that don’t fit into any category • Have partners share what they are with class 3. Review the options for assignments and decide which activities to use. 4. Recreate some of the pyramid drawings on graph paper to prepare for how to help students with their 3-D visual representations of the pyramids. 5. Prepare materials needed for each option given.

The students will: 1. Read or listen to the Background Information. 2. Complete a Vocabulary activity using the words listed in Section 4. 3. Follow the teacher’s direction on which activities appear to be the most age appropriate and suggestions about which activities should be used for this school year. 4. Be prepared to choose which options to pick if the opportunity is given to students to decide which activities to use.

DIRECTIONS:ACTIVITY 1: GEOGRAPHY: MAP STUDY The teacher will: 1. Provide maps of the Nile River valley 2. Have students locate and mark where pyramids were found The students will: 1. The student will follow the Nile River from its origin at the foot of the “Mountain of

the Moon” (Kilimanjaro), in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. From this beginning, the rich silt flowed down through Ethiopia, Nubia (Sudan) and finally to Egypt. 2. The student will use the geography facts to trace pyramid building along the Nile River. The student will label each country and city listed and draw the type of pyramid built in each area—silt, step or perfect.

ACTIVITY 2: GEOMETRY AND ART DRAWING 3-D PYRAMIDS The teacher will: 1. Provide students with graph paper. 2. Show students examples of how they could draw a pyramid using the graph paper.

The students will: 1. The student will draw two pyramids from different angles using a 3D perspective. 2. These views will give the student a better understanding of the structure of the Great Pyramid. 3. The student will draw the pyramid on graph paper on a worksheet placing the door along the southwest wall. 4. The teacher should stress to the student to make the middle line of the pyramid longer than the other two to give the pyramid a third Nubia dimension. 5. The other view will be along the southeast side. This pyramid will show the different areas. 6. Both pyramids should be labeled N (north) E (east) S (south) W (west). Pyramid B will be used to label by number the inner rooms of the structure.

ACTIVITY 3: MATHEMATICS PROBLEM SOLVING The students will: 1. Analyze the high level of mathematical knowledge and sophistication needed to build the pyramids. 2. Use 2 math formulas and solve for the answer. 3. Give the numerical value for each side of the pyramid along with its height. 4. From this information, solve for the perimeter of the pyramid and the value for pi. 5. After the student properly labels each side the problem can be solved. 6. Height=481 feet Sides NW, NE, SE, SW= 755 feet each. 7. State 2 math facts.

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ACTIVITY WORKSHEET 3-Part 1MEDICINE IN ANCIENT AFRICA: IMHOTEP-3RD DYNASTY

• Imhotep

• Pharaoh Zoser

• Step Pyramid

• The Odyssey

• Histories

• specialize

• anatomy

• Dietetics

• Herodotus

• venerated

• Aescalapius

• Hippocrates

• Hippocratic Oath

• Apollo

• Ethiopia, Kenya,

Tanzania, and

Uganda

• Papyrus

• archeologists

• King Tutankhamun

• myths

• superstitions

• substanial

1. A pharaoh whose tomb has been opened and its

contents put on display

2. A pledge that doctors take

3. An ancient African historian

4. To treat with great respect

5. To become highly skilled in one area

6. Countries in African

7. Greek doctor often connected to Imhotep

8. A science that deals with body parts

9. A Greek mythical god

10. A book written by Herodotus

11. Scientists who study fossils and artifacts from the past

12. Egyptian Father of Modern Medicine

13. Irrational beliefs not based on facts, but unfounded

ideas that people pass on to others

14. The first huge structure of its kind designed

by Imhotep

15. A great deal of; a lot of: plenty

16. Ruler during Imhotep’s time

17. A Greek doctor who lived years after Imhotep

18. A book written by Homer, a Greek poet

19. The study of food and its effect on the body’s health

20. A type of paper made from strips of a plant that have

been pressed flat

21. Stories that cultures share to explain why certain

things are true

Name _________________________________________________________ Date _______________________

VOCABULARY CHECKUP

Add Vocabulary Word that Matches

Definitions

62


ACTIVITY 4: SCIENCE /ASTRONOMYExamine angles of the sun in relation to the sides of the pyramids The student will draw a pyramid in 3D. The teacher will: 1. Provide students with graph paper. 2. Provide directions for drawing the pyramid.

The students will: 1. Design a model of a pyramid. 2. Include a drawing a dotted line representing the northern point. 3. Discover how the sun’s rays helped in foretelling the time of year. 4. Draw the sun in its four positions emphasizing the direction of the rays. 5. Discover how the astrological signs of Africa foretold of future seasonal changes. 6. Write a paragraph about the pyramid’s astronomical factors.

ACTIVITY 5: SCIENCE: ASTRONOMY AND THE PYRAMIDS The teacher will 1. Lead discussion on how the sun rotates around the earth to account for seasonal changes. 2. Provide students with graph paper. 3. Provide directions to help students draw a pyramid and illustrate how the sun would rotate around it.

The students will: 1. Explain how the sun’s rotation cycle creates seasons. 2. Draw a visual representation of a pyramid and show the sun’s rotation cycle around it for each season of the year. 3. Show these astronomic facts and how they are related to the pyramid: VERNAL EQUINOX-March 21 AUTUMNAL EQUINOX –September 23 SUMMER SOLTICE-June 21 WINTER SOLTICE-December 21 • Equinox means days and nights. • Soltice means that the sun is standing still. ACTIVITY 6: LANGUAGE ARTS WRITING ASSIGNMENT: RESEARCH PROJECTOPTION 1: THE PYRAMIDS

Choose between two writing options, one will use vocabulary words and the other will use a predetermined paragraph structure.

The teacher will: 1. Have the students list ten words that come to their mind when they think of Egyptian pyramids. 2. Afterwards, have students use the ten words to write a short paragraph about the pyramids. 3. Provide students with state rubrics for writing.

The students will: 1. Write 10 words that remind them of the Egyptian pyramids. 2. Use the words listed to write a paragraph on the pyramids. 3. Use the state rubrics to check for spelling, grammar, punctuation and content quality.

OPTION 2: LANGUAGE ARTS – WRITING ASSIGNMENT

The students will write a short descriptive essay discussing the pyramids. Students will use the following writing format: Paragraph 1: Introduction – Include a main idea sentence about all of pyramid building in Africa. Paragraph 2: Information on silt and its role in Nubia in building pyramids. Paragraph 3: Information on the Step-Pyramid in Saqqara. Paragraph 4: information on the Perfect-Pyramid that evolved in Gizeh. Paragraph 5: Summary about all of the pyramids and how technology changed and helped create the pyramids we see today.

ACTIVITY 7: SOCIAL STUDIES: TIMELINES The teacher will: 1. Provide students with the options of choosing from two sets of information. 2. Provide students with timeline dates for when the Pharaohs ruled. 3. Provide students with information that shows where pyramids were built. 4. A further option would be to allow students to look up Internet sources that provided information on one of the two options. The students will: 1. Work in pairs to create their choice of time lines. 1. Create a timeline showing when and where various types of pyramids were built. 2. Create a timeline showing when the various Pharaohs ruled in Egypt.

Dynasty 16–1663-1555 BCE Anather, Yakobaam Dynasty 17–1663-1570 BCE Sobekemsaf, Intef VII, Tao I, Tao II, Kamose 63


FOLLOW-UP:1. Have students share the graphic displays they

constructed as representations of the pyramids they just created.

ASSESSMENT:Use the following questions as a form of either

written or verbal assessment.

EVALUATION QUESTIONS1. Who built the Great Pyramid?

Pharaoh Khufu 2. When was it built?

B.C.E. 3. How many blocks of stone did it take to build?

Over 2,300,000 4. How many acres does this pyramid cover?

13 acres 5. What is the approximate weight of each stone?

Between 2 and 15 tons each. 6. How many pyramids would you have to stack

on top of each other before you reached the sun? One Billion

7. If you broke each stone into one-foot cubes and placed them side by side, how far could you travel around the world? Two-thirds the way around the world.

8. What is the height of Khufu’s pyramid? 481 feet

9. True or False- The sides of a square are equal? True

10. What is the formula for solving for the perimeter of a square? P= 2(1+w)

11. What is the value for pi? Note: The measurements of the Pyramid of Khufu have been rounded off to the nearest number. The square base originally measures 755.77 feet on its north, south, east and west sides respectively. The height was 481.4 feet. Half the perimeter divided by it height was 3.1408392. The modern value of pi is 3.141597. The difference is only 0.0007535.

12. Why did ancient Africans study the solar system? They wanted to learn more about how to harvest their crops more efficiently.

13. How did the engineers construct their pyramids? They constructed the pyramids so that the rays of the sun beamed down on a particular side during a particular season. FINAL WRAP UP QUESTION

How did the Great Pyramid of Khufu show the level of technology of ancient Africa?

Possible Answer:The people of ancient Africa wanted to improve their abilities in agriculture. Mathematicians, who calculated the measurements that built the structure, helped the engineers. The astronomers measured the reflections of the sun’s rays on the pyramid that told them what season they were experiencing. The astronomer could then tell the agriculturalists who could then plant Egypt’s crops more efficiently.


Students will answer the following questions.1. What was the main point of the lesson?2. What did I learn that was new information?3. What connection do I feel to the topic

we discussed?4. Why were building the pyramids considered

such monumental accomplishments?5. What analogy can I think of that could

compare to how the pyramids were built and events I am experiencing in my life, or things I see in the life of people for whom I care? (Think about the work needed, the foundation, and the apex of the pyramid.)

The NileDelta

64


6. What will I do differently because of what I learned from this lesson? TEACHER REFLECTION: 1. The student received the necessary materials to complete the lessons. 2. The students recognized a connection to the lesson topic and were able to see how it related to their lives. 3. The students satisfactorily met the lesson objectives when they completed the assignment, as measured by the related state standards. 4. Students have new understandings about the significance of knowing about African history from an unbiased perspective. 5. Students were provided time to complete a self- reflective assessment activity and were able to answer questions about their progress related to the topic.

RESOURCES:Edsitement: National Endowment for the Humanities Egypt’s Pyramids: Monuments with a Message http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson _plan.asp?id=418

Encyclopedia Smithsonian: The Egyptian Pyramids http://www.si.edu/encyclopedia_si/nmnh /pyramid.htm

PBS: NOVA Online/ Pyramids/Table of Contents http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/pyramid/textindex.html

Lesson Plans: Unearthing Egypt http://www.mnh.si.edu/education/fieldtrip/planned _programs/discovery_room/lesson_plans/Unearthing _Egypt_lesson.pdf

Special Thanks to: Kaba Hiawatha Kamena, (Booker T. Coleman), author of the Panther Prince and Panther Prince Curriculum: Ancient Africa (1987), for permission to use portions of his text in this overview of Ancient African history.

EXTENDED ACTIVITIES 1. Begin making plans on how the class will share what they will learn in the unit with others – (students, parents, etc.). 2. The teacher should stress the level of interdependence among the different fields of

education. Also the ultimate goal was the improvement of the standards of living. 3. Answer the set of question listed below.

ANOTHER SET OF QUESTIONS:AND ANSWERS 1. When did the Upper Paleolithic period occur? a) It began about 25,000 B.C.E.

2. What happened during this age? a) The pyramids of Egypt were perfected along the Nile River.

3. What is silt? a) Silt is a rich type of soil that travels down the Nile River.

4. Which countries does the Nile River travel through? a) Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt.

5. How did the pyramids progress from silt to perfect? a) Silt bricks were used until stone began to be carved. As larger stones were carved it gave the pyramid a sloping effect (Perfect Pyramid).

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PART 1: OVERVIEW OF SECTIONS 1 4 - The Historic …thehistoricjourney.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Lesson03PT1...PART 1: OVERVIEW OF SECTIONS 1 – 4 ... Unas builder of a pyramid