Lesson Plan – Richard Ammah, Marcia Aitcheson, Jennifer Boneschansker
Date(s): Friday, January 16, 2009
Grade Level: Grade 6
Topic: The ancient Egyptian measurement
system
Time(s): 15 minutes
Objective: To have students understand the history of the Egyptian Measurement system,
and come to a deeper understanding of converting between modern measurement systems
and Egyptian measurement systems.
Curriculum Expectations:
Math-Measurement: demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between estimated
and precise measurements
-estimate, measure and record length using the metric measurement system
Assessment Strategies: Students will be able to figure out the equivalency of certain
measurements by using converting strategies.
Accommodations and Modifications: Students will work in groups, and will have
access to a virtual conversion tool to help them check their work in conversion
Resources:
-chart paper
(enough for each
group)
-markers for each
group
-virtual converter
(online) at
http://www.conve
rtunits.com/info/c
ubit+%5BRoyal+
Egyptian%5D
Introduction:
 have students sitting in table groups, make sure they have
chart paper and a marker, one per table group
 tell students that they will be doing a measurement exercise,
but they will not actually be using any rulers
 ask students to throw out ideas for what they could use as a
standard unit for how they could measure various items in
the class, (for example, hands, feet, pencils, books)
 tell students that we will be using our hands to measure the
length of the table (or desk)
 model putting hand beside hand, to count how many hand
spans it takes to measure the whole table
 ask students to record on the chart paper, all their names,
and how many hand spans it took each person in their group
to measure their desks
 ask groups to nominate one member of their group to bring
up the chart paper and post it in front of the room
 point out similarities and discrepancies in the numbers
 explain that in ancient Egyptian times, they developed their
units of measurement based on their body parts, just like we
did
Middle:
 Go into the history of the Egyptian Measurement system:
 Earliest known standardized system of measurement is the
Egyptian Royal Cubit.
 2700 BCE – Egyptians introduced the earliest developed
base ten numeration system
 There was no symbol for 0; just for numbers 1 to 9
 numerals were inscribed in hieroglyphic form on a royal
mace dating to 3400 BCE
 Measurement system grew out of daily trade and
government transactions
 Oldest mathematics text is the Moscow papyrus. It was
discovered during the Middle Kingdom – 2000-1800 B.C.E.
 Rhind papyrus was discovered in 1650 B.C.E. Rhind
papyrus is the largest surviving mathematical scroll at 5.2
metres long by 32 centimetres wide. Purchased by an
antiquarian named Alexander Henry Rhind in 1858. The
Rhind papyrus is where the remen is first found. Written in
hieroglyphics. The author was Ahmes the Scribe.
 Ahmes wrote that he copied it from a papyrus written in
about 1800 B.C.E.
 Contains 87 mathematical problems and a table of fractions
 Additive, base-10, hieroglyphic system
 Egyptian Royal Cubit – this unit of measurement was used
from 2700 B.C.E.
 Remen
 Egyptians used mathematics in general in the administration
of state and church affairs, to find volumes of granaries,
areas of fields, to convert from one system of measures to
another
 Decimal or base ten system for recording numbers with
symbol
 Each symbol can be repeated up to nine times – i.e. the
symbol for 10 can be repeated 9 times to represent a value
 Number represented by a set of symbols was found by
adding the value of each symbol represented
 If the symbol for any value was written more than 4x,
Egyptians wrote the symbols in two or more rows
 Remen and cubit
Talk about:
 An overview of what the cubit is, the different types and
how cubits are used

How the cubit and remen relates to our measurement
systems now

How body parts are used in measurement

Briefly describe other units of measure, but primarily focus
on measuring length
Conclusion:
-have students measure various items in the class using a metric
ruler. For example, students can measure notebooks, water bottles,
shoes, or anything else that is a reasonable length.
-using the online conversion site at
http://www.convertunits.com/info/cubit+%5BRoyal+Egyptian
%5D have students give the various measurement values that they
found, and input the values into the converter.
-show students the equivalent length of various items in Egyptian
royal cubits.