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1 Contents DESCRIPTION PAGE Introduction 3 About the pyramids 4 The Shape and Symbol of the pyramids 6 How were they built? 7 Review 11 Worksheet 12 Lesson Plans Grade Activities and Worksheets Wordsearch 40 Crossword Puzzle 42 Double Puzzle 44 Fallen Phrase Puzzle 45 Further Lesson Plans and Resources 46 Make a Paper Pyramid 47 Karel Drbal Pyramid 51 Have an Egyptian Themed Party, including games and snacks 54 Coloring 52 Create a Pyramid Poem 66 Acrostic Poems 68 Alphabet Flash Cards 72 Calendar Pieces 76 Concentration Game 83 Days of the Week Word Wall Cards 84 Number Cards 86 Pyramid Addition 88 Tic-Tac-Toe 93 Pyramid Words 96 Wordsearch 97 How many triangles Activity? 99 Draw the Pyramids Activity 100 Following Instructions Activity 101 Write the Definition (Glossary of Terms) 102 Sentence Construction 104 Vocabulary Word Cards 105 References 112 Acknowledgements and TOU 115 Donnette E Davis All Rights Reserved 2

2 Introduction Our World of Wonders, A Study of The Pyramids We certainly know that the Pyramids existed because they're still with us. Rising out of the desert sands, the Pyramids of Egypt stand as a monument to the skill and determination of the Egyptian pharaohs and their ability to get thousands of people to do hard labor for generations. The word "pyramid" actually comes from the Greek word "pyramis," which means "wheat cake." The word "pyramis" was used to describe the ancient Egyptian buildings because they reminded the Greeks of pointy-topped wheat cakes. The ancient Egyptian word for the pyramids was "Mer." What we know about ancient civilizations comes from what those civilizations left behind. Sometimes it's a shard of pottery, part of a tool, a piece of jewelry. Archaeologists scour the earth for such remnants of ancient civilizations to piece together a picture of the past. But in Egypt there are clues to the past that are hard to miss: they're six and a half million tons, taller than the Statue of Liberty, and as wide as 10 football fields. You don't need a trowel and a brush to discover these artifacts; you can see them from space! This book will briefly highlight, where, how and why the pyramids were built, touching on some of the most famous pyramids of all. Included are worksheets, activities and lesson plans suitable for elementary school, Grades 3 to 6, but can be adapted to older or younger learners, depending on vocabulary and grammar fluency of the learner e.g. when using the vocabulary flash cards. Donnette E Davis All Rights Reserved 3

3 About the Pyramids Our World of Wonders, A Study of The Pyramids The Egyptian pyramids are ancient pyramid-shaped masonry structures located in Egypt. As at 2008 there were 138 pyramids discovered in Egypt. Most of them were built as tombs for the country's Pharaohs and their consorts during the Old and Middle Kingdom periods. The earliest known Egyptian pyramids are found at Saqqara, northwest of Memphis. The earliest among these is the Pyramid of Djoser (constructed 2630 BCE 2611 BCE) which was built during the third dynasty. This pyramid and its surrounding complex were designed by the architect Imhotep, and are considered to be the world's oldest monumental structures constructed of dressed masonry. It is estimated that the number of workers it took to build the pyramids have a wide range from a few thousand, twenty thousand, and up to 100,000. No one really knows with any certainty how many people were required to build a pyramid, or how long it would take them. Historians still don't know for sure how the pyramids were actually built. The stones used to build the Pyramids were massive, weighing many tons. These large stones were way too heavy for people to carry to the tall heights of the top of the Pyramids. Donnette E Davis All Rights Reserved 4

4 It is thought that the slaves used a series of logs rolling on the ground to move the giant stones. Then they put them in place as parts of a pyramid. Stones to build the pyramid were cut from rock quarries using chisels, hammers, and mallets. Since the stones were so large and heavy, the quarries were near the building sites so they would not have to be transported long distances. After all, they were built before cars, trains, or even electricity! To make it easier to move the stones to the pyramid researchers believe that they were placed on wooden sleds that were pulled through canals of water leading to the building. No one knows exactly how the large, incredibly heavy blocks were first lifted and then put into place. Some researchers believe cranes or a system of levers were probably used to position the large blocks. It also seems certain that ramps were used to make it easier to move the blocks. When huge blocks of rock were cut from places many miles away and taken by boat to Giza and other places where pyramids were being built. The most famous Egyptian pyramids are those found at Giza, just outside of Cairo. Some of the Giza pyramids are counted among the largest buildings ever built. The Pyramid of Khufu at Giza is the largest Egyptian pyramid. It is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still in existence. Donnette E Davis All Rights Reserved 5

5 The Shape and Symbol of the Pyramids The shape of Egyptian pyramids is thought to represent the mound from which the Egyptians believed the earth was created. It is also thought to represent the rays of the sun, shining down. Most pyramids were painted with polished, highly reflective white limestone, which gave them a brilliant appearance when viewed from a distance. Pyramids were often also named in ways that referred to the shine and reflection from the sun. For example, the proper name of the Bent Pyramid at Dahshur is The Southern Shining Pyramid, and that of Senwosret at el-lahun was Senwosret is Shining. While it is generally agreed that pyramids were burial monuments, no real agreement has been reached as to the religious thoughts behind building a burial tomb in the shape of a pyramid. One suggestion is that they were designed as a type of "resurrection machine." The Egyptians believed the dark area of the night sky around which the stars revolve was the physical gateway into the heavens. One of the narrow shafts that extends from the main burial chamber through the entire body of the Great Pyramid points directly towards the center of this part of the sky. This suggests the pyramid may have been designed to serve as a means to magically and immediately send the deceased pharaoh's soul directly into the home of the gods. Donnette E Davis All Rights Reserved 6

6 All Egyptian pyramids were built on the west bank of the Nile, which as the site of the setting sun, was associated with the world of the dead in Egyptian mythology The first pyramids were called "Step Pyramids" because they looked like giant steps. The pyramids we most recognize today, the smooth ones, were built later. Some researchers believe the steps were meant to symbolize a stairway to the sky, for the dead pharaoh to climb and become a star. The Pyramids were built over a period of many years. The first great pyramid was ordered built by King Khufu (or Cheops), about 2600 B.C. This is the Great Pyramid, near Giza. It is 481 feet tall and 755 feet wide at each base. Historians believe that about 100,000 workers slaved away for more than 20 years to build this one pyramid. Until the Eiffel Tower was built in France in 1889, it was the tallest building in the world! Other pyramids followed, ordered built by other pharaohs. Historians still don't know how many pyramids were built in all because they are always finding remains of others buried beneath the constantly blowing sands of the Sahara Desert. Donnette E Davis All Rights Reserved 7