HISTORY
Year 4
Information
Ancient Egypt
Objectives
•
To classify information in various ways
•
To learn about the range of objects that has survived from Ancient Egypt
Prior learning
To benefit from this lesson, children should:
•
have had some experience with a branching database.
Vocabulary
Sphinx, tomb, pyramid, canopic jar, pharaoh, mummy, scribe, Tutankhamen,
Ushabti, scarab, Rosetta stone
Resources
•
data projector or interactive whiteboard linked to a laptop
•
ICT suite or set of laptops
•
branching database software (in this Example, FlexiTREE)
•
resource file showing images of ancient objects from Egypt (in this Example,
Egypt Powerpoint file)
•
resource file that is a template for note-taking (in this Example, Egypt notetaking Word file)
•
one printed copy of the notes pages from the presentation file
• Internet sites for example :
www.ancient-art.com/artifact.htm
http://bleedingeyeballs.com/basenjiart/dogmummy.htm
http://www2.sptimes.com/Egypt/Artifacts/Artifacts.9.html
www.beloit.edu/~arthist/historyofart/egyptian/artifacts.htm
www.aegypten-online.de/images/giza/pyramid.jpg
ICT skills needed by teachers
To teach this unit, teachers need to know how to:
•
use a data projector;
•
use presentation software;
•
create a branching database.
Preparation for this lesson
Acquaint yourself with the resource file.
Save the resource file into a shared area or onto each child’s computer.
Print the note-taking resource file and give them out before showing the
presentation.
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Refer to the yearly teaching programmes in the Framework for teaching
mathematics from Reception to Year 6 to identify the aspects of data handling that
can be drawn out in this lesson. This will help to make sure that the teaching and
learning of mathematics and history are mutually reinforcing.
Lesson extract
Introduction
Open Egypt Powerpoint file. On this occasion the presentation will not be viewed
as a slide show, but instead you will see the images and the notes. If this is not the
case, then go to View > Normal.
Explain to the children that they will see a presentation of a number of Egyptian
artefacts. They will need to take notes.
Show slide 2, Pyramids. Point out that the notes pane at the bottom of the screen
contains some information about the object pictured. Model note taking by drawing
from the children the most important words or phrases included in the notes, such
as ‘tombs’, ‘pharaohs’, ‘limestone’, ‘2.5 million blocks’, ‘thousands of workers’.
Children should record these key notes on their note-taking sheets.
Main activity
Organise the class to work in pairs or small groups at the computers. Explain to the
children that they will have 10 to 15 minutes to choose six slides from which they
should take and record their own notes on their note-taking sheets. Talk them
through loading the Egypt Powerpoint file presentation.
Circulate as the children are working on this task to discourage copying of
sentences, and praising children who are taking succinct notes.
After 10 to 15 minutes, draw the children back together again.
To assess the success of the note taking, show slide 11, the mummified dog. Draw
from the children which words they have recorded as being most important.
Explain that the children are now going to create a branching database of six
Egyptian artefacts.
If children have used a branching database before, remind them that the objective
is to devise questions to which the answer is ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ that will divide the set of
objects into two roughly equal groups.
Distribute one slide from the printed copies of the presentation notes pages to each
of 12 children. Devise a question, e.g. ‘Was the object made from limestone?’
Children should refer to their notes. Those who are holding a slide for which the
answer is ‘Yes’ should form one group, while the rest of the children form another
group.
Taking the group that answered ‘Yes’ to the question above, help children to
devise a further question to divide this group further, e.g. ‘Was this object found
inside a tomb?’
Continue this activity until all the objects have been separated.
Explain to the children that they will now do the same activity using a branching
database to sort no more than six of the objects. Ask the children to return to the
computers. Load the software and demonstrate how to enter six objects and enter
the first question. Children should then create the rest of their database.
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Circulate to ensure that the children use quality questions based on the notes they
have taken. Discourage the use of subjective or comparative questions, such as ‘Is
it pretty?’ or ‘Is it big?’
Plenary
Draw the children back together. Display the slide for canopic jars. Ask children
who included this artefact in their branching database. Choose one pair of children
to return to their computer and to read out their first question. The class, from the
slide on the screen, answers ‘Yes’ or ‘No’, which the selected pair key in. Continue
with the questions until the object is identified.
Choose another artefact and test it similarly, choosing a different pair of children to
try their database.
During this review, invite children to comment on effective questions or on ways in
which less effective questions could be improved. Remind the children that this
should be constructive criticism.
Next steps
Following this lesson, children could work on the significance of the objects as
historical evidence. For example:
Q What did the Egyptians believe?
Q How did they live?
Q What do the images of the artefacts tell you about the power of the
Pharaohs?
Q What is the importance of the Rosetta Stone?
Notes
Links to QCA schemes of work
The lesson links to:
QCA History Unit 10: What can we find out about Ancient Egypt from what has
survived?
Subject links
Links can be made to reading and writing activities in the literacy hour, to work on
places in geography, and to fashion, architecture and design in art.
Why use ICT?
The advantages of using ICT are as follows.
•
The Internet gives access to a much wider range of information and resource
material than is offered by the traditional print resources in a school.
•
The use of the Internet helps teachers to extend their own knowledge and
understanding about ancient Egypt before teaching the children.
•
ICT allows teachers to project enlarged visual images for whole-class
demonstration and discussion.
•
Using ICT, the teacher can effectively demonstrate how to create a branching
database to classify historical objects. This can easily be modified in the light of
interactions and discussions with children.
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© Crown copyright 2004