ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS
EGYPTIANs!! WITH 25 SOCIAL STUDIES PROJECTS FOR KIDS
Carmella Van Vleet Illustrated by Tom Casteel
CONTENTS Timeline . . . iv Introduction . . . 1 Let’s Explore Ancient Egypt! Chapter 1 . . . 10 Egyptian Homes Chapter 2 . . . 23 Beer, Bread, and Bartering Chapter 3 . . . 34 Playtime Chapter 4 . . . 46 Amulets, Clothes, and Makeup Chapter 5 . . . 58 King Tut and Other Cool Kings Chapter 6 . . . 68 Mummies and Pyramids Glossary * Metric Conversions Resources * Essential Questions * Index
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EXPLORE ANCIENT EGYPT
CHAPTER 1
EGYPTIAN HOMES Depending on where you are and what resources you have, you might live in a house made of bricks, wood, adobe, or even canvas! The type of house you live in is often decided by the climate. Today, it’s pretty easy for people to get different materials from all around the world, but in ancient times, people had to use whatever they had available in their area. Most ancient Egyptian homes were simple. The outsides weren’t very colorful and they didn’t have much furniture. Other ancient Egyptian INVESTIGATE homes were pretty fancy. How did the climate affect These homes belonged to the type of houses ancient the wealthy.
?
Egyptians lived in?
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Egyptian homes resources: anything people
Regardless of how big or fancy they were, ancient Egyptian houses were built from resources found in the desert.
WELCOME HOME!
A typical ancient Egyptian home had a simple, rectangular design and one or two bedrooms. It was about 350 to 400 square feet, the same size as a modern-day, two-car garage.
use to take care of themselves, such as water, food, and building materials.
climate: the typical weather
conditions in an area during a long period of time.
mudbricks: bricks made of a
mix of clay, pebbles, straw, and water and dried in the sun.
clay: a material found in nature that is sticky and easily molded when wet and hard when baked or dried.
reflect: to redirect something that hits a surface, such as heat, light, or sound. WORDS
TO
KNOW
Because wood was hard to find, ancient Egyptians used mudbricks to build their houses. To make a mudbrick, a builder mixed clay from the banks of the Nile with straw and pebbles and water. Then, the mixture was poured into molds and left to dry in the sun. After a few days, the mudbricks were ready to use to build a house.
DID YOU KNOW?
While most ancient Egyptians went to the bathroom outside, the wealthy had indoor toilets. These ancient toilets were wooden benches with a hole in the middle and a bowl underneath the hole.
Ancient Egyptians painted their houses white. The white reflected the sun’s light and helped the houses stay cool. To keep the sun (and bugs) out, ancient Egyptians hung mats over their windows.
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EGYPTIANS! The homes of wealthy Egyptians were bigger and nicer than the homes of common folks. The rich could afford houses that were two or three stories high. Their homes had beautiful gardens and pools for decoration. There was room for servants and space for a business.
No matter if they were small and simple or big and fancy, Egyptian homes were colorful inside. People painted their walls with designs or scenes from nature. The walls also had special shelves for statues of household gods.
UP ON THE ROOF Ancient Egyptian families often slept on their roofs. Sometimes, they cooked on their roofs, too. They were able to do this because their roofs were flat. In some cities or countries around the world, people still hang out, sleep, or cook on their flat roofs. There are many reasons for this—space, pretty views, or the lack of electricity. This last one is why many ancient Egyptians often spent time on their roofs. There were no air conditioners or fans in ancient Egypt. Sleeping and cooking outdoors was a good way to keep cooler.
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Egyptian homes
PETS Do you have a pet? Many ancient Egyptians had pets. They kept birds and monkeys, cats and dogs. In fact, cats were worshipped in ancient Egypt. Artists made statues of them. At one point in history, you could be punished by death just for hurting a cat. Dogs were highly valued, too. Ancient Egyptians considered dogs to be family members. How do we know this? Because they gave their dogs names, and ancient Egyptians believed names had magical powers. Pet cats weren’t usually given names.
THE SARCOPHAGUS OF THE CAT OF THE CROWN PRINCE THUTMOSE CREDIT: LARAZONI (CC BY 2.0)
13
EGYPTIANS! linen: a lightweight fabric made from the flax plant, used to make clothes in ancient Egypt. WORDS
TO
KNOW
FURNITURE FOLLIES
Ancient Egyptians, even the rich, had very little furniture. Some people used beds made out of simple, wooden frames with leather or wood slats. One thing interesting about these beds—they were slanted so that your feet were lower than your head! Footboards kept people from sliding out of bed. If the bed had a mattress, it was made from material stuffed with straw. Linen was used to make sheets.
Most ancient Egyptians just slept on mats on the floor—it was probably cooler on the ground. Ancient Egyptians rested their heads on crescent-shaped stands called headrests instead of on pillows. Homes usually had a table, which was built low to the ground. These were often made of wood or stone. Small cabinets were also common. Ancient Egyptians stored their food, clothes, makeup, and other belongings in reed baskets or wooden boxes.
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Egyptian homes Most ancient Egyptians didn’t have chairs. They sat on benches, mats, or short stools that they carried from room to room. If a family did have a chair, it was saved for guests or for the head of the household.
DID YOU KNOW? Many chairs had just backs and no armrests. Chairs with armrests were only for the really rich or powerful, such as a pharaoh.
AN ANCIENT EGYPTIAN TABLE
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EGYPTIANS! god: a being believed to have special, superhuman powers. A female god is called a goddess. Taweret: the ancient Egyptian
GODS AND GODDESSES
goddess of mother and children.
WH Y THI DI NK
Many ancient Egyptians kept small statues of Bes: the ancient Egyptian god of fun and games. gods in their homes. They believed in many WORDS TO KNOW different gods. Two of the most popular NT EGYPTI household gods were CI E AN N E R L UC K S A WE Taweret and Bes . Y D TS CA
?
af
te r
live s!
Taweret was the goddess who protected mothers and children. She had the head and body of a Be cau ine n s e t h e y ha d pregnant hippo, the back of a crocodile, and the paws of a lion. Ancient Egyptians made her look this way because they knew lions, hippos, and crocodiles are protective of their young. They wanted Taweret to have the same quality.
Bes was a strange-looking god. He had the body of a dwarf, big animal ears, and a lion’s face. He is often shown sticking out his tongue! Bes was the god of fun and games.
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Egyptian homes underworld: the world of
Would you like to meet a few other ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses? Statues of these beings could be found in many homes.
the dead.
WORDS
TO
KNOW
* Ra: the sun god.
* Osiris: god of the afterlife, also called the underworld.
* Isis: goddess of motherhood and wifehood. She was married to Osiris. * Horus: the son of Osiris and Isis.
* Ma’at: the goddess of order and truth.
* Atum: the creator god.
* Hapy: the Nile god.
Now that we know what kinds of houses ancient Egyptians lived in, let’s take a closer look at what their lives were like— starting with what’s for dinner!
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CONSIDER AND DISCUSS It’s time to consider and discuss: How did the climate affect the type of houses ancient Egyptians lived in?
17
SUPPLIES
PROJECT! HOT AND COOL COLORS The ancient Egyptians painted their houses white and wore light-colored clothes to keep cool. In this experiment, you can see for yourself if white really does keep things cooler and if black really does heat things up. You’ll need a warm, sunny day for this project.
* 2 ice cubes, both the same size * 2 shallow dishes, both exactly the same * 1 piece of white construction paper * 1 piece of black construction paper * science journal
1
Place an ice cube in each dish. Carry the dishes and paper outside. Find a sunny spot to set up your experiment.
2
Place one of the dishes in the middle of the white piece of paper. Place the other dish in the middle of the black piece of paper.
3
Form a hypothesis about what you think will happen to the ice cube on each piece of paper. Write it down in your journal.
4
Observe what happens to the ice for the next hour. You don’t have to stay outside the whole time. You can go inside and check on your experiment every 15 minutes if you’d like. Record your observations in your scientific journal.
THINK ABOUT IT! Which ice cube melted the fastest? Did it melt
a little faster or a lot faster? Feel the corners of the pieces of paper. Which one feels warmer? Why do you think this is? Was your hypothesis correct?
18
SUPPLIES
PROJECT! SPINE TIME
* your body * space to move * towel or yoga mat (optional)
We don’t know for certain why ancient Egyptians slept on slanted beds and used headrests, but it probably had to do with taking care of their spines. Our spines are a very important part of our bodies. Doing yoga is a great way to keep your back healthy. Here are some easy poses you can do at home.
1
The Sphinx Pose. (Read about the Great Sphinx in Chapter 6.)
2
Cat Pose. (Read about Egyptian cats in Chapter 1.)
TRY THIS! Head to the library to discover the answers to these questions! You’ll find the answers in the resources section. * How many bones are in the spine? * What is the spinal cord? * The spine and the ______ make up the central nervous system. * Is the spine flexible?
WORDS
TO
KNOW
yoga: a spiritual and
physical practice from India.
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SUPPLIES
PROJECT! EGYPTIAN HEADREST Egyptian headrests were made of many kinds of materials. Most were carved out of wood. Pharaohs’ headrests were often made of ivory or gold. Note: You’ll need an adult to help with this project.
1
* newspaper * masking tape * piece of wooden craft board, 5 inches by 7 inches * wire cutters * 8-inch piece of a wire hanger * 2 cups flour * 1 cup of water * bowl * gold spray paint
You’ll need two full-size sheets of newspaper for this step. First, fold the sheets together lengthwise. Next, fold the sheets in half widthwise and then in half again. Keep folding until you have a strip that is about 3 inches wide and 12 inches long.
2
Roll the strip up into a tight, 3-inch-high newspaper log. Use some tape to keep the newspaper from unrolling.
3
Stand the newspaper log up on the middle of the craft board. Tape it to the board. This will be the stand for your headrest.
4
Have an adult help you cut your piece of wire. Be careful! The ends of the wire might be sharp. Bend the wire into a crescent so that the ends line up with the ends of the craft board.
5
Wrap several pieces of newspaper around the wire. Secure the newspaper with tape. This piece is your headrest. Tape the headrest to the top of the stand.
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PROJECT! SOUL HOUSES Ancient Egyptians believed the soul, or the Ka, needed a place to live after a person died. So what did they do? They built small, model houses for the Ka. These models were called soul houses. Soul houses were usually made out of clay. Inside were clay versions of food, furniture, tools, clothes, and everything a person might need in the afterlife. Ancient Egyptians believed models of things could magically become real in the afterlife. Soul houses were buried along with the person who died. Some soul houses You can see an example of a from ancient soul house kept at the British Egyptian times Museum here. have survived.
BRITISH MUSEUM SOUL HOUSE
6
Mix the flour and water to make papier-mâché. Tear several sheets of newspaper into strips. Dip the paper strips into the flour mixture.
7
Cover your stand and headrest with strips of papier-mâché. You’ll need several layers to make your headrest strong.
8
When the headrest is dry, paint it. Try it out! Is it more comfortable than your pillow?
WORDS
TO
THINK ABOUT IT! It might
seem strange to sleep with a headrest instead of a pillow. What are some other ways people sleep differently in different cultures?
KNOW
soul house: a small, model house in ancient Egypt made to hold a person’s soul after they died.
21
SUPPLIES
PROJECT! MAKE A MUDBRICK Egyptians used mudbricks to build their homes. These bricks were easy to make and offered great protection from the desert sun.
1
* shoebox (without lid) * wax paper * bucket * dirt with clay in it (not potting soil) * straw or dried grass * little sticks * pebbles * water
Line the inside of the shoebox with wax paper. Press and smooth the wax paper into the box as best you can. The fewer wrinkles your wax paper has, the better.
2
Place dirt into your bucket. How much dirt you need depends on the size of your box. Add in some straw or grass, little sticks, and pebbles.
3
Use your hand to mix everything together. Slowly add enough water to make the mixture wet but not soupy.
CREDIT: TYLER BELL (CC BY 2.0)
4
Pour your mixture into the shoebox. Fill the mold at least halfway full. If you fill it completely, your brick will take longer to dry. Pat the mud or gently drop the box a few inches from the ground to get rid of air bubbles.
5
Lay the box out in the sun for several days. When the sides of the brick begin to pull away from the wax paper, it’s probably ready. Carefully remove your mudbrick from the box.
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THINK ABOUT IT! How
do the sticks, hay, and pebbles help make the mud brick stronger?
GLOSSARY abdomen: the section of an insect farthest away from the head. absolute power: complete control over a government. afterlife: the ancient Egyptian
belief in life after death.
amulet: a special charm that is worn or carried to give the owner protection.
ancient: from an early time in history. apprentice: someone who learns to do a job by working for someone who already does the job.
archaeologist: a scientist who studies
ancient civilizations by looking at the artifacts and buildings they left behind.
artifact: an object made by people from past cultures, including tools, pottery, and jewelry.
barter: to trade one item for another item. BCE: put after a date, BCE stands for Before Common Era and counts down to zero. CE stands for Common Era and counts up from zero. These nonreligious terms correspond to BC and AD. This book was printed in 2019 CE.
civilization: a community of people that is advanced in art, science, and government. clay: a material found in nature that
is sticky and easily molded when wet and hard when baked or dried.
climate: the typical weather conditions
in an area during a long period of time.
counter-clockwise: in the opposite direction of how a clock’s hands rotate. counterweight: a weight that balances another weight.
crook: an item carried by ancient Egyptian kings. It looked like a short cane or shepherd’s staff.
crop: a plant grown for food and other uses.
culture: the beliefs and way of life of a group of people. cylinder: a hollow tube shape. deben: a weight that ancient Egyptians
used to decide the value of a good.
demotic: a simplified script. desert: a landscape that
gets very little rain.
Bes: the ancient Egyptian
god of fun and games.
Deshret: “Red land,” or the desert land areas in ancient Egypt.
bubonic plague: an infectious
diadem: an ornate headband worn
disease carried by rats and mice that spread to humans.
cancer: a type of disease. canopic jars: special jars where
the organs of a dead person were kept after they were removed during mummification.
ceremony: a formal public or religious
occasion, usually one celebrating a particular event or anniversary.
by ancient Egyptian women.
economics: having to do with the
resources and wealth of a country.
Egyptologist: someone who studies ancient Egypt. embalmer: a person whose job it was to mummify a body.
faience: a kind of clay. ferment: when a substance breaks
down over time into another substance, such as grape juice turning into wine.
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EGYPTIANS! fertile: land that is good for growing crops.
mash: grain soaked in hot water, used to make alcohol.
flail: An item carried by ancient Egyptian kings. This short rod had three beaded strands attached to the top.
mass: how much matter is in an object. minerals: nutrients found in rocks
gland: an organ that makes and
releases substances the body needs.
god: a being believed to have
special, superhuman powers. A female god is called a goddess.
gravity: the force that pulls two objects together. Great Sphinx: a statue with the body of a crouching lion and the head of a man that sits in front of the Great Pyramid.
harvest: to pick or pull crops out of the ground when they are ripe.
henna: a type of temporary dye made from the henna plant.
hieroglyphs: the symbols that made up
the written language of ancient Egypt.
home remedy: a medicine prepared
with ingredients at home or tricks to try to cure an illness or injury.
infection: a sickness caused by
bacteria and viruses that are not normally present within the body.
infrared: an invisible type of light
with a longer wavelength than visible light, which can also be felt as heat.
inundation: another word for flooding. Kemet: “Black land,� or the ancient land area near the banks of the Nile.
kohl: thick, black makeup
worn around the eyes.
linen: a lightweight fabric made
from the flax plant, used to make clothes in ancient Egypt.
lyrics: words to songs.
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and soil that keep plants and animals healthy and growing.
molecule: a group of atoms, which are the smallest particles of matter.
mudbricks: bricks made of a mix of clay, pebbles, straw, and water and dried in the sun. mummification: a process where a dead body is kept from decaying.
mummy: a body that has been
preserved so that it doesn’t decay.
nemes: a striped head covering worn by ancient Egyptian pharaohs. Nile River: a river in Egypt. It is the
longest river in the world and was an important part of ancient Egyptian life.
nutritious: full of nutrients, the substances in food that living things need to live and grow. organs: the parts of the body. For
example, heart, lungs, liver, kidney.
ostraca: pieces of pottery used to
practice writing. Singular is ostracon.
papyriform boat: an ancient Egyptian wooden boat that was curved up at the ends. papyrus: paper made from the papyrus plant that was used by the ancient Egyptians.
pharaoh: an ancient Egyptian king. preserve: to store something in a
way that protects it from rotting.
priest: a person who helped take care of sick people and took care of and ran the temples in ancient Egypt.
GLOSSARY pyramid: a large stone structure with
sledge: a simple machine that
quartz: a hard, shiny mineral. reflect: to redirect something that hits
soot: the fine black powder left behind when coal, wood, oil, or other fuels burn.
resin: a substance from plants
in ancient Egypt made to hold a person’s soul after they died.
resources: anything people use
spell: a word or group of words that the ancient Egyptians believed had magical powers to heal.
a square base and triangular sides.
a surface, such as heat, light, or sound. that is sticky like glue.
to take care of themselves, such as water, food, and building materials.
Rosetta Stone: a stone slab that
had the same thing written in three languages (Greek, Egyptian hieroglyphic, and demotic characters) that allowed us to decipher hieroglyphics.
uses logs to roll materials.
soul house: a small, model house
staples: food or other
products used regularly.
status: the position or rank of one group in society compared to another group.
Sahara Desert: the largest,
tattoo: a permanent design on skin
sarcophagus: a large, stone box where coffins were placed.
temple: a building in which people worship gods and practice their religion.
scribe: a person who read and wrote
Taweret: the ancient Egyptian
scrolls: pieces of papyrus glued
tomb: a room or place where
shaduf: a simple device that uses
trade: a job or business. tunic: a piece of clothing worn by
hottest desert in the world.
hieroglyphs, the ancient Egyptian writing. together and rolled up.
a bucket and a counterweight on a long pole to lift water out of one place and move it to another.
sheath dress: a long, tight-fitting dress
worn by ancient Egyptian women.
made with a sharp point and ink.
goddess of mother and children.
a dead person is buried.
ancient Egyptian men and women.
underworld: the world of the dead. Valley of the Kings: a remote
shrine: a special, religious place. silt: good farming soil left on
the land after a river floods.
valley where the ancient Egyptians began burying their kings around 1550 to 1069 BCE to keep their tombs safe from grave robbers.
simple machine: a tool that uses one
wesekh: a broad collar or necklace
movement to complete work. An inclined plane, wheel and axle, pulley, screw, wedge, and lever are all simple machines.
sistrum: a musical instrument
worn by ancient Egyptians.
yoga: a spiritual and physical practice from India.
played in ancient Egypt.
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Juvenile Nonfiction • Education Resource Ages: 7–10 • Guided Reading Level: T
focus on social studies
DID THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS HAVE PETS? WHY WERE THE KINGS OF ANCIENT EGYPT BURIED IN PYRAMIDS? WHAT DID KIDS DO FOR FUN IN ANCIENT EGYPT?
* Play a “Valley of the Kings” board game * Bake some ancient bread
Be
af
* Construct a shaduf
te r
Try these hands-on STEAM projects!
live s!
WH Y THI DI NK
Ancient Civilizations: Egyptians! With 25 Social Studies Projects for Kids takes readers on a journey through the land of the Nile, NT EGYPTI CI E A making stops to study the pyramids, learn about the kings N ERE LUC NS A W KY and queens who ruled this land—including the famed King D ATS ? Tutankhamun—discover what ordinary people ate, played, C and wore for clothing, and learn about the different jobs people performed. This book brings daily life from thousands of years ago into today’s reality through fun illustrations, fascinating facts, essential questions, and hands-on STEAM activities.
c au
in e s e t h e y ha d n
* Design a hieroglyph tablet
Ancient Civilizations: Egyptians! is part of a set of four Explore Ancient Civilizations books that bring to life the vibrant cultures of the distant past. Check out the other titles in this series!
PRAISE FOR A PREVIOUS EDITION OF EGYPTIANS! “ Explore Ancient Egypt! 25 Great Projects, Activities, Experiments will certainly intrigue readers and have them eagerly turning the pages to check out the next activity. The sidebars with information make excellent complements.” —Calliope Magazine
$19.95 US ISBN 978-1-61930-835-0
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