Download Ancient Egypt Project Description 2012

Ancient Egyptian Artifact
Display
Project Selection Due date:
Friday, January 11th
Completed Project Due:
Monday, February 4th
Components:
• 1) Create an artifact representing
Egyptian culture. Your artifact should look
as authentic as possible. Select your
materials carefully and plan in
advance…DO NOT wait until the last
minute!
• 2) Create a museum plaque. A sample
will be shown to you on the next slide.
Make sure to give credit to any sources
you used.
How does the display work?
• Team Vista and Team Mosaic will create hand-made
artifacts that be placed out on display for the school to
see in the area of the PAC from February 4th – February
15th.
• Our team will be invited to come through and view the
museum display.
• Parents will invited to come and see our museum as
well.
Sample Museum Plaque
• Freestanding description of your chosen
artifact written in paragraph form. Sources
must be cited.
Topic Choices
Egyptian
Sarcophagus
• A SARCHOPHAGUS is a
stone coffin. Scholars believe
that early limestone coffins had
the properties to dissolve the
body quickly, hence the
translation of sarcophagus to
"flesh eater." The earliest
stone coffins were in use
among the Egyptians of the
3rd Dynasty. Your job will be
to create your own
sarcophagus!
All About King Tut
• Although he died
mysteriously at a
young age, King Tut
(Tutankhamen) is one
of the best-known
Egyptian pharaohs.
Research his life and
create a story board
that tells the story of
his brief life.
Egyptian Pyramids
• When pharaohs died in
ancient Egypt during the
Old Kingdom, pyramidshaped tombs were built
to protect them in the
afterlife. Research the
use of the pyramids, how
they were built, and why
this structure symbolized
the importance of the
pharaoh in both life and
death. Create a realistic
pyramid of your own.
Pharaoh’s Crown
• Way back in Egypt’s history,
there were two different areas
called Upper Egypt and Lower
Egypt. Eventually, these two
parts of Egypt were combined
by the pharaoh Menes.
Crowns symbolized which part
of Egypt the pharaoh ruled.
Eventually the crowns were
merged to show power over
both parts of Egypt. Research
the design and use of the
crowns, and create a crown of
your own.
Egyptian Obelisk
• An obelisk is a tall, narrow,
four-sided, tapering monument
which ends in a pyramid-like
shape at the top.
• Obelisks were prominent in the
architecture of the ancient
Egyptians, who placed them in
pairs at the entrance of
temples.
• The obelisk symbolized the
sun god Ra.
• Research the significance of
an obelisk and build one of
your own.
Cartouche
• In Egyptian hieroglyphics, a
cartouche is an oblong
enclosure with a horizontal line
at one end, indicating that the
text enclosed is a royal name,
coming into use during the
beginning of the Fourth
Dynasty under Pharaoh
Sneferu.
• Create your own cartouche for
display and research how
cartouches were used in
Ancient Egypt.
History of the Rosetta Stone
• The Rosetta Stone is an
ancient Egyptian artifact which
was instrumental in advancing
modern understanding of
Egyptian hieroglyphic writing.
The stone is from the
Ptolemaic Era with carved text
made up of three translations
of a single passage: two in
Egyptian language scripts
(hieroglyphic and Demotic)
and one in classical Greek.
• Research the discovery of the
Rosetta stone and design an
artifact of the stone yourself
Funeral Masks
• Funerary masks and
other facial coverings for
mummies emphasized
the ancient Egyptian
belief in the delicate
transition from this world
to the afterlife. The masks
played the role of
transforming an important
person from their mortal
to their divine state.
• For your project, research
the use of funeral masks
and create one of your
own.
Build Your Own Papyrus Boat
• Egyptians were the first to
develop river craft and there
were many types built for
various uses. Food, troops,
cattle, stone, and funeral
processions were all carried on
the Nile and through its canals.
These boats were made of
bundles of bound papyrus
reeds which grew along the
Nile.
• For your project, design your
own papyrus boat and
research the many uses of this
vessel in ancient Egypt.
Egyptian Geography
• In some of our first class
activities, we will be
finding out more about
the geography of Ancient
Egypt. If you choose this
for your project, you will
be making a relief map of
the Nile region, pointing
out key geographical
features and cities of
importance.
Farming and the Egyptian Calendar
• The ancient Egyptians
only had three seasons,
and all were based on the
Nile River. Research
these three seasons and
their importance, and
build a three dimensional
model demonstrating
your knowledge about
Egyptian farming.
Make Your Own Crook and Flail
• The crook (heka) and the
flail or flabellum
(nekhakha), are two of
the most prominent items
in the royal regalia of
ancient Egypt. Research
is limited on this subject,
but there should be
enough to complete a
museum plaque. Build
your own crook and flail
for display.
Make a Water Clock
• The water clock was invented
in Ancient Egypt. The water
clock was used to tell time and
to measure speeches in the
courtroom. The water clock
works in an interesting way. It
is a instrument for measuring
time by the flow of water
through a small hole. Hours
were marked on the sides of
either sides of the bowl that
received the water.
• Create your own ancient water
clock and research its uses in
ancient Egypt.
Tomb of Tutankhamen
• The discovery of King Tut’s
tomb is a fascinating story.
Research how and when this
tomb was found, build a model
of it, and write a description of
the tomb for your museum
plaque.
• Note: the previous activity is
all about Tut’s life whereas this
project deals exclusively with
his tomb and what we have
been able to learn from it.
The Great Sphinx
• The Great Sphinx of
Giza is a statue of a
reclining lion with a
human head that stands
on the west bank of the
Nile, near modern-day
Cairo in Egypt. It is the
largest monolith statue in
the world. It is believed to
have been built by
ancient Egyptians in the
third millennium B.C.
• Build a replica of the
Great Sphinx and
research its importance in
Ancient Egypt.
Funerary Boats
Funeral boats were
very elegant and took
the pharaoh to the
grave. The funeral
boats were buried with
the pharaoh. The
Egyptians only used
chisels to cut boats
from wood. Khufu’s
boat was 141 feet long
and did not even have a
nail in it.
What Interests You?
• Take a moment to review all of the choices.
• List your top three.
• Bring home your project contract and make sure
your parents read over it with you.
• Return that page, signed, by next Friday,
January 11th.
• REMEMBER: START EARLY, FINISH EARLY!!