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THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, APRIL 23, 2011
playground The puzzling pyramids Have you seen buildings that seem to always be under construction even though we have cranes, bulldozers and all kinds of equipment? Well the ancient Egyptians didn’t have any modern tools, but the pyramids they built are still standing after THOUSANDS of years! The pyramids are one of the world’s greatest historical mysteries, filled with many hidden secrets: clues about what life (and death) was like in Ancient Egypt. Why were the pyramids built? The pyramids were built to bury Egyptian kings called the Pharaohs and other members of the Royal families. The ancient Egyptians believed that if the Pharaoh’s body could be mummified after death, they would live forever. The stone tombs were designed to protect the buried Pharaoh’s body
and his belongings. These pyramids were of many different sizes. Where were they built? Most of the pyramids can be found on the western side of the Nile River. The reason they built the pyramids next to the Nile River was so it would be easier to get the blocks to the pyramid. The stones could be bought nearer to the pyramid building site by boat. The Great Pyramid There are actually over 100 pyramids in Egypt but the three largest and best-preserved of these were built at Giza, with the Great Pyramid being the largest and the most famous. It was built for the Pharaoh Khufu. When it was built, it was 146 metres (480 feet) tall. However, time has worn the pyramid down to 138 me-
tres (455.4 feet) and it still continues to erode. The pyramid was once covered with limestone that was polished and believed to be left white. How was the Great Pyramid built? Have you ever thought about how the Ancient Egyptians pulled 70 ton granite slabs up an earthen ramp—without the benefit of wheels—up to the Great Pyramid? How did they carve granite, with pure copper? In some cases, adjacent blocks fit so well together that, even today, a human hair cannot be inserted between them. The mystery of how the Great Pyramids of Giza were built remains unsolved to date. Throughout history, there have been many theories regarding this because constructing the Egyptian pyramids was no small feat. Some even believe aliens helped build them, while others think slaves
were forced to build them. Ancient documents reveal that it took years, usually decades, for even one of the ancient Egyptian pyramids to be built. Since it took so long, one of the first things a Pharoah would do after being crowned is start building his own pyramid! This way it could be ready when he died. Naturally, this cost a lot of money, so it’s no surprise the Egyptians started to go broke! Another mystery related to the Great Pyramids is the Sphinx (with the body of a lion, the wings of a bird and the head of a man). No one seems to be quite sure why this great statue stands in front of the pyramids. Many scholars say that the Sphinx was constructed in order to guard the great pyramid. The real reason is not known and due to the Sphinx’s rapid rate of deterioration; its secrets may never be uncovered.
The legend of the Sphinx According to legend, the Sphinx was quite a nasty character, and used to hang around in far-off places waiting for travellers. It would then ask a riddle, and if you got it wrong...you’d get eaten! Do you dare match wits with the Sphinx? Keep reading... Quiz it! 1. Riddle of the Sphinx Q. What goes on four legs in the morning, on two legs at noon, and on three legs in the evening? A.
A man, who crawls on all fours as a baby, walks on two legs as an adult, and walks with a cane in old age.
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2. The Pyramids were built to... a. Plant fruits and vegetables b. To bury kings c. To store money
? “What has one head, one foot and four legs? “ A Bed What is the center of gravity? The letter ‘V’! GRAPHIC: ESSA MALK
The turtle took two chocolates to Texas to teach Thomas to tie his boots. How many T’s in that? There are 2 T’s in THAT! Can you spell rotted with two letters? DK (decay) What starts with a P and ends with an E and has a million letters in it?
Mini great pyramid
Post Office!
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ha ha ha
JOKES Why shouldn’t you tell an egg a joke? Because it might crack up! What do you get from a pampered cow? Spoiled milk. Why do fish live in salt water?
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Because pepper makes them sneeze! What do elves learn in school? The elf-abet! Why was the computer cold? It left its Windows open!
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I saw S Susie i sitting itti iin a shoe h shine shop. Where she sits she shines, and where she shines she sits. The thirty-three thieves thought that they thrilled the throne throughout Thursday.
Materials Needed Scissors, A-4 paper, tape and glue. Instructions: 1. Download an Egyptian pyramid template (http://www.istad.org/ lenses/make-pyramid/pyramid-template.jpg) and print out four copies of it. 2. Cut out the template (all the shaded and textured areas in one piece). Don’t worry if the edges aren’t perfect; just don’t cut off any points of the triangle. 3. Carefully fold the bottom square
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and side flaps back, using the dark lines of the triangle as a guide. Accurate folds are the key to making the pyramid look great. Once you’ve got a fold in the right spot, gently run a fingernail along it on a flat surface to make it sharp. 4. Cut and fold the other three faces of the pyramid in exactly the same way. 5. Use two small pieces of clear tape to join two faces of the pyramid along one side. The easiest method is to lay the two triangles back to back with the side flaps sandwiched be-
tween them and then fold the tape over the outside edge that’s formed. 6. Now, on the inside, tape the two flaps together. Or you could glue
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them together, in which case you don’t need the tape on the outside! 7. Fasten together all four patterns. Each time you add a new triangle/ face, you can fold it back to back with the one next to it to help get them lined up. 8. Joining the last two is a little tricky. Pinch the inside flaps together (as in the picture) when taping the outside edge. 9. Here’s what they look like on the inside. Each pair of flaps is taped together inside the pyramid. They
(11) work like struts. 10. Fold the bottom squares under so that each covers the one beneath it. Only tape the last (outermost) one to the one beneath it. If you tape all of them, they warp the pyramid’s shape. 11. Here’s what the bottom should look like after you’ve taped it... 12. And you’re done! Kids, don’t forget to ask your parents before you start handling scissors or making a mess!
Games kids can play on a road trip the car). The guessers are given one clue: “I spy with my little eye something that is (insert first letter of object’s name, the object’s colour, or maybe the object’s shape.)” Guessers try to figure out the object, and the winner gets to create his or her own mystery object. 5. Mazes: Before leaving for the
the most boxes wins. 2. Alphabet game: Go through the alphabet with a theme. For example, we try to match each letter of the alphabet to a hockey team or player or each letter to an animal.
1. Dot game: First, make several rows of evenly spaced dots. Each player takes turns drawing a line between a pair of dots. The dots must be adjacent, but can be anywhere on the page. The goal is to close four sides of a box. Each time you create a box, write your initial in it to get a point. The player who creates
3. Who would win in a fight: In this, kids pick superheroes
(Superman vs. Batman), Star Wars characters (Yoda vs. 1,000 battle droids), animals (a hippo or a crocodile), dinosaurs (a Diplodocus or a Spinosaurus). Each of them then choose a winner and explains why. 4. I spy: One person in the car looks around and chooses an object (it can be in or out of
trip, kids can buy some activity books with mazes. These can entertain them for quite some time.
6. Tic-Tac-Toe: It’s very simple. Just give the kids a notebook and let them play the oldfashioned game. 7. Books: This is a great time when kids can enhance their
reading skills. Kids, remember to put your favourite or recently bought story books/novels in your backpack. SOURCE: STLTODAY.COM