Title: The Great Pyramid at Giza STEAM Lesson Brief
Educators on the team: Deneen Crandall, Missy Herrington, Emily Kaczynski
Dates: 10/15-16/14
Town/State: Naples, FL
Theme: Ancient Egyptian Studies
Specific Topic Concept within theme: Engineering Design Process, Volume of a pyramid, importance of
the sun/stars Egyptian Culture
PROJECT IDEA + brief notes & supplies
BASIC CONCEPTS
Concept: Through an in-depth study of the Ancient
Egyptian culture, students will use the NASA
Engineering Design process to construct a scale
model of The Great Pyramid using knowledge base
from Social Studies, Earth/Space Science and
geometry concepts of volume and surface area as
well as ratios and proportions to build to scale. (SS,
M, S, T&E)
SOCIAL STUDIES:
Concepts – Ancient Egyptian Culture
Standards – NSS-WH.5-12.2 ERA 2: Early
Civilizations and the emergence of pastoral
peoples, 4000-1000 BCE
Careers – Writer, researcher, travel agent,
archeologist, Museum Curator
Project - Students will create and orally present a
timeline of Ancient Egyptian culture including their
agricultural, architectural, artistic developments as
well as their religious beliefs . Students will also
draw diagrams of the Egyptian pyramids
incorporating the engineering process used by the
Egyptians and the depicting the underground
chambers used.
Assessment – Students will present their pieces to
the class and be assessed on their ability to
communicate accurate information
Students will research and explain the engineering
design process used by the Egyptians and explain
how the sun and stars were an integral part of the
process and purpose. Students will collaborate and
document their research and engineering design
process. (T&E, M LA, A)
Students will research the dimensions of the Great
Pyramid, determine the scale ratio and volume, and
construct the pyramid. (SS, M, S, T&E)
Students will orally present knowledge of math
concepts through Ancient Egyptian studies and Earth
Space studies by explaining the engineering design
process used by the Egyptians as well as their group
classroom procedures. (LA, Performing Arts)
All components of the study will incorporate Ancient
Egyptians agricultural, architectural, artistic and
religious contributions to the civilization
chronologically.
The concept should be only a few sentences. A lot of
this can be moved to your basic plan.
Basic Plan:
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SCIENCE:
Concepts – Earth’s place in the universe
Standards – MS-ESS1-1 – Develop and use a model
of the Earth-Sun-Moon system to describe the
cyclic patterns of lunar phases, eclipses of the sun,
and moon and seasons.
Careers – Astronomer, astronaut, NASA Engineer
Project – Student’s will model lunar phases and
solar and lunar eclipses using various sized balls
and a light source. Students will discuss the
importance of the stars in determining seasons in
cultures long ago and model the change of season
due to the revolution around the sun in
conjunction with earth’s 23.5 degree tilt on its axis.
STEAM Education
Lesson Brief
Students will complete an in-depth study of the
Ancient Egyptian culture in Social Studies. In Science
class, students will be introduced to NASA’s
Engineering Design Process and be given the project
criteria and constraints as well as job descriptions for
their teams (scribe, engineer, builder.) In Math class,
students will be taught how to find the volume of a
square pyramid and practice calculations. Teams will
implement the engineering design process in both
math and science classes referring to research
conducted in Social Studies class. In Art, students will
create cartouches using hieroglyphics to represent
their character, culture and family life. In Language
Arts, student will read The Egypt Game by Zilpha
Keatley Snyder and relate the story to their study of
Ancient Egypt. In P.E., students will learn to play
hockey, a sport played in Ancient Egyptian culture
and compare and contrast the similarities and
difference of the ancient sport and the sport as we
know it today. In Music, students will be exposed to
Egyptian music and instruments and compare and
contrast other cultural music pieces and
instrumentation.
Skill level (Grade Range): Grade 6
Timing of Lesson: Math, Science, Social Studies, and
Language arts - 6, 90 minute blocks
Music, P.E.- 3, 45 minute classes
Art – 4, 45 minute classes
Basic Supplies:
All Subjects:
pencils, paper, laptops, iPad, positive work ethic
Individual Subjects:
Science – Various size balls, flashlights, colored
pencils, paper, tacky glue, modeling blocks,
toothpicks, cardboard, hot glue guns, rulers, box
cutter (teacher use only,) graph paper, NASA
Engineering Design process graphic organizer Do you
have a link for this?
Social Studies – chart strips, scissors
Math – models of square pyramids, rulers
PE – Indoor Hockey sticks, hockey puck/ball, cones,
hockey goal
Music – drums, tambourine, harp, finger chimes,
world music selections
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Students will also explore how the appearance of
certain constellations in the sky informed Ancient
Egyptians of the annual flooding of the Nile.
Assessment – Students will take a written
assessment drawing diagrams to demonstrate
understanding of cyclic patterns of lunar phases,
eclipses of the sun, and moon and seasons.
TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING:
Concepts – Implement NASA’s Engineering Design
process
Standards – Define a design problem that can be
solved through development of an object, tool,
process or system and includes multiple criteria
and constraints, including scientific knowledge that
may limit possible solutions. (MS-ETS1-1)
Careers – Architect, Engineers, Programmers,
Builder, Analyst, Mechanics
Project - To construct a scale model of The Great
Pyramid using knowledge base from Social Studies,
Earth/Space Science and geometry math concepts
of volume and surface area as well as ratios and
proportions to build to scale implementing NASA’s
Engineering Design process. What will they be
using to build this model?
Assessment – Student projects will be assessed
according to the attached rubric Where is this
rubric?
MATH:
Concepts – Determine volume of a pyramid using
algebraic formula
Standards – NCTM: Geometry: Use twodimensional representations of three-dimensional
objects to visualize and solve problems such as
those involving surface area and volume
Careers – Architect, math teacher,
Project – Students will find the volume of the Great
Pyramid as well as their scale model using the
formula for volume of a square pyramid
Assessment – Students correctly compute the
volume of the Great Pyramid and their scale model
LANGUAGE ARTS:
Concepts – Egyptian culture in literature; the
writing process
Standards – Uses new vocabulary that is introduced
and taught directly (VS.LA.6.2.1) The student will
STEAM Education
Lesson Brief
Art – sandpaper, paint, paper, pencils, scissors, paint
brushes, paper towels, examples of Egyptian
cartouches and hieroglyphics
IT Resources:
DiscoveryEducation.com
Laptops/iPads
Internet access for research
Other Resources:
Ask parents to provide boxes of modeling blocks
found at Michael’s/Hobby Lobby (one/student)
Photos:
use background knowledge of subject and related
content areas, pre-reading strategies, graphic
representations, and knowledge of text structure
to make and confirm complex predictions of
content, purpose and organization of a reading
selection. (VS.LA.6.3.1) The student will write
expository essays that include a thesis statement,
supporting details, and introductory and
supporting paragraphs. (VS.LA.6.12.3)
Careers – Writer, researcher, proof-reader
Project – Compose a five paragraph essay on
Egyptian innovation comparing the processes of
building Step Pyramids, The Great Pyramid, and the
Sphinx; Read The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley and
discuss Egyptian rituals and culture integrated
within the plot.
Assessment – Students can convey to the reader
using the writing process the similarities in the
Egyptian building processes and students can
determine cultural content within the reading
selection
ART:
Concepts – Egyptian cartouches were ovals frames
surrounding hieroglyphs that make up the name of
an Egyptian God or royal person. A looped rope
represents the magical power to protect the name
that is written inside it. A cartouche was meant to
protect against evil spirits both in this life and the
afterlife.
Standards - Connecting Anchor Standard 2: Relate
artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and
historical context to deepen understanding.
Careers – Archeologist, Painter, Art Historian, Art
History teacher
Project – Students will design a cartouche of their
own name and paint them on sandpaper. Students
must use symbols that will represent their
character, culture and family life.
Assessment – Students can explain how the
symbols in their cartouche represent themselves
and how we might use Egyptian cartouches to learn
about their culture.
PE
Concepts – Ancient Egyptians have been depicted
playing hockey. Students will increase their
knowledge regarding parts of the hockey stick, of
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STEAM Education
Lesson Brief
basic rules and strategy in floor hockey, their ability
to handle a puck while dribbling around an obstacle
course and in game play. Students will increase
their ability to pass and shoot as needed in a floor
hockey game and activities.
Standards – Standard 2 - The physically literate
individual applies knowledge of concepts,
principles, strategies and tactics related to
movement and performance.
Careers – Hockey player, sports sales, sports news
reporter, referee, sporting equipment designer,
sporting goods sales and marketing
Project – Student will play floor hockey applying
skills learned
Assessment – Students will take the pass test by
passing with a partner to acquire a score. Students
will dribble through a set of cones to acquire a
timed score. Students will shoot at a goal to
acquire a score.
MUSIC
Concepts – Develop understanding of cultural
differences in music selection and techniques
Standards – MU.68.C.1.1: Develop strategies for
listening to unfamiliar music works.
Careers – Composer, conductor,
Project – Students will listen to music from various
cultures to determine differences in
instrumentation, meter and emotion. Students will
listen and play instruments such as harps, lyres,
lutes, drums, rattles, tambourines, and bells
discussing their use in Egyptian culture. Students
will compose rhythm patterns heard in Egyptian
music selections. Cognition and reflection are
required to appreciate, interpret and create with
artistic intent.
Assessment – Students must correctly identify
music from the Egyptian culture from other cultural
pieces naming instruments used in the Egyptian
selection.
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STEAM Education
Lesson Brief
Links:
www.dl.ket.org/humanities/connections/class/ancient/coffin.htm
www.otagomuseum.govt.nz/assets/Files/mummy.pdf
www.aldokkan.com/art/sarcophagus.htm
Ancient Egyptian Musicwww.youtube.com/watch?v=vGaRZbaosOs
Egyptian Musicwww.youtube.com/watch?v=vslsS-Uu5x4
Egyptian Music - Traditional Arabic Music
www.traditionalarabicmusic.com/music_of_egypt.html
2Hours of Traditional Chinese Music
www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7CseTNRZ_0
Traditional Latin Music
www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3Zu3foSc7A
Roots of Blues
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvsbFc8uzOY
African Music Rhythm
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEwnHf9Q23k
Hieroglyphic Numerals
https://www.easycalculation.com/funny/numerals/egyptian.php
The Great Pyramid
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STEAM Education
Lesson Brief
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/234470/Pyramids-of-Giza
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STEAM Education
Lesson Brief