Summer SAVY, Session 4 Day 4, Beyond the Pyramids (1st – 2nd)
We had another terrific day in Beyond the Pyramids!
Read Aloud: Today, I read excerpts from Egyptian Myths, a DK publishing book. This book introduces the gods and goddesses that are most significant in the mythology of ancient Egypt.
Academic Vocabulary: Today we learned the meaning of pharaoh, mythology, god, and goddess in the context of the ancient Egyptian civilization. We also discussed the meaning of the word, fact, and searched for facts from reliable sources during the research project.
Academic Content: Students worked in research teams to find facts about an assigned Pharaoh using an online encyclopedia and informational books. They compiled their research on a poster about the Pharaoh. I was impressed with the research skills of the young Egyptologists! They discerned which information was factual and relevant for the posters.
To synthesize what we learned about storytelling and mythology, students acted out a tale from ancient Egypt. Students learned about their characters and created masks/props for their performance. They worked with a team to retell one portion of a story about Osiris, Isis, Set(h), and Horus. Ask your child to re-enact their part of the skit at home. They did a great job with this and showed creativity in their storytelling.
Civilization Simulation: I introduced the systems model used at SAVY. We completed a graphic organizer together to consider how the River Nile is a system. Then, students worked with their Shipwrecked team to complete an organizer as they considered how their civilization functions as a system. They answered prompts based on generalizations about systems.
Thursday Preview: Tomorrow, we will have a virtual visit from an archaeologist! Help your child prepare for this by talking about questions they have about archaeology. Each student will ask our guest one question.
We will also take a virtual field trip to a tomb inside a pyramid and visit the Valley of the Kings archaeological site. Our focus tomorrow is mummies and pyramids. The junior Egyptologists are working hard and gaining so much new knowledge. Ask your child which aspect of ancient Egypt they would like to study more. I hope this class sparks an interest in research, anthropology, and history.
See you in the morning!