Title III Technology Literacy Challenge Grant

Learning Unit

LU Title: "Down the Nile"	Author(s): Susan Dean, Nancy Palmateer
Grade Level: Grade 3	School : Canton Central School
Topic/Subject Area: Ancient Egypt/ Integrated Arts (Art, Music, Library)	Address: 99 State Street, Canton, NY 13617
Email: sdean@cantonbsd.neric.org npalmateer@cantonbsd.neric.org	Phone/Fax: 315.386.8561/315.386.1323

OVERVIEW

Down the Nile is an integrated arts unit for third grade dealing with the culture of Ancient Egypt - its music, its art and architecture, and its language. The music teacher, the art teacher, and the library media specialist teach this unit simultaneously for approximately a one-month period. The topic of Ancient Egypt coincides with the local third grade social studies curriculum which includes the study of the art, music, and writing of historic cultures and the comparison of the differences and similarities in traditions and beliefs between our own culture and others.

CONTENT KNOWLEDGE

Art components are printed in red, library in blue, and music in green.

Declarative	Procedural
The purpose of the Egyptian burial mask differs from other uses of masks.	Students will make a mask in the style of an Egyptian burial mask.
Ancient Egyptians believed in an afterlife; in order to enjoy the afterlife, the body needed to be preserved. Mummification is the process of drying and preserving the body.
The pyramids were designed as tombs for the afterlife and as monuments to the pharaohs buried in them.	Students will be able to use the CD-ROM Destination Pyramids and its fact book to read information about the pyramids: their construction, their purpose.
The ancient Egyptians developed hieroglyphics, a form of picture writing to record and communicate information.	Students will be able to translate their own names into hieroglyphics using a decoder card.
Camels, as an important domestic animal in Ancient Egypt, were featured in Egyptian music, art and language.	Students will be able to accurately sing songs about camels. Students will read the musical notation necessary to perform the camel songs. Students will perform camel songs on classroom instruments.
Students will learn that the distinctive quality of Egyptian music is due to the types of instruments employed.	Students will classify ancient instruments by the family types. Students will compare the sound of Egyptian vs. non-Egyptian music.
Students will learn that many Ancient Egyptian instruments have evolved into instruments commonly used today.	Students will identify the instruments from Ancient Egypt and compare them with instruments of today.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

What are the qualities of Egyptian music, art and architecture?

How do we know about ancient Egypt and its culture?

CONNECTIONS TO NYS LEARNING STANDARDS
List Standard # and Key Idea #: Write out related Performance Indicator(s) or Benchmark(s)

The Arts Standard 4: Understanding the Cultural Dimensions and Contributions of the Arts: Students will develop an understanding of the personal and cultural forces that shape artistic communication and how the arts in turn shape the diverse cultures of past and present society.

Key Idea: Students will explore art and artifacts from various historical periods and world cultures to discover the roles that art plays in the lives of people of a given time and place and to understand how the time and place influence the visual characteristics of the art work. Students will explore art to understand the social, cultural, and environmental dimension of human society.

Performance Indicator: Students create art works that show the influence of a particular culture.

Benchmark: This is evident when students create a paper bag mask in a style like that of King Tutankhamen's or Queen Nefertiti's burial mask.

Key Idea: Students will develop a performing and listening repertoire of music of various genres, styles, and cultures that represent the peoples of the world and their manifestations in the United States. Students will recognize the cultural features of a variety of musical compositions and performances and understand the functions of music with the culture.

Performance Indicator: Students identify when listening, and perform from memory, a basic repertoire of folk songs/dances and composed songs from the basic cultures that represent the peoples of the world.

Benchmark: This is evident when students are listening, and can correctly identify the sounds of Egyptian music and musical instruments. They will also be able to correctly perform an Egyptian folksong by singing and using classroom instruments.

Social Studies Standard 2: World History Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in world history and examine the broad sweep of history from a variety of perspectives.

Key Idea: Study of world history requires an understanding of world cultures and civilizations, including an analysis of important ideas, social and cultural beliefs, and traditions.

Performance Indicator: Students study about different world cultures and civilizations focusing on their accomplishments, contributions, values, beliefs, and traditions.

Benchmark: This is evident when students read about mummies, mummification and the after-life, use CD-ROM resources to learn about the pyramids, and translate their names into hieroglyphics.

INITIATING ACTIVITY

Dr. Robert Washburn, a retired music professor from the Crane School of Music, presented a half-hour assembly program for all third grade classes. Beginning with a slide show of his many travels along the Nile, he gave the audience an overview of the Egyptian countryside, the city of Cairo, and glimpses of Egypt's past art and architecture, as well as the present. Dr. Washburn proceeded to use taped music to demonstrate the sounds of many Egyptian instruments and also showed many of the instruments that created the sounds. He followed up with a brief question and answer session.

We had also considered asking other people in our community who have traveled in Egypt to present their slides and memorabilia. Dr. Washburn was the first asked and graciously accepted. Another year we might consider a PowerPoint presentation of sights and sounds of Egypt.

LEARNING EXPERIENCES
In chronological order including acquisition experiences and extending/refining
experiences for all stated declarative and procedural knowledge.

During the first art period, students are shown pictures of Egyptian art, focusing on sarcophagi and the burial masks of King Tutankhamen and Queen Nefertiti. The purpose of the burial mask and its realistic presentation is contrasted to the more common use of the mask to hide or transform. Some of the stylistic conventions as outlined in the Book of the Dead are presented, along with the stylistic elements and materials common in burial masks. Students are introduced to the materials and procedures for creating their own masks from paper bags.

The next two art periods are used to continue and complete construction of the masks. The completed masks are displayed when students invite parents in for a musical concert. See appendix for mask directions.

During the first library class of the unit, the library media specialist reads Tutankhamen's Gift by Robert Sabuda. Sharing information from other books on mummies, the process of and reasons for mummification are presented, along with information about Egyptian beliefs about the afterlife.

In the second library class period, use of the CD-ROM Destination Pyramids' Fact Book is demonstrated using a large computer monitor. The art, architecture, and artifacts found in the pyramids have provided windows into the life of Ancient Egypt. Students are then invited to learn more about the pyramids by using the program in small groups on the library's computers.

The third library class explores hieroglyphics as a means of communication. Hieroglyphics are introduced as a set of sound based symbols used to express ideas. Until the Rosetta Stone was able to be interpreted by Jean Francois Champollion in 1822, hieroglyphics were not understood in modern times. Once interpreted, historians have learned a great deal about life in Ancient Egypt as recorded in hieroglyphics. Students are invited to translate their names into hieroglyphics using decoder cards and, then, to check their interpretations using an Internet website bookmarked on the library's web browsers.

In the first music class period, students will learn the song, "Alice's Camel" as a call and response song. They will play it on recorders and other melodic instruments. Students will complete the K part of the KWL about what they know about camels. Two videotapes "Eyewitness, Desert" and "Amazing Animals: Desert Animals", will give students facts about camels. Only the parts of the videos about camels will be used. Students will listen to the Arnold Lobel fable, "The Camel Dances", and a simple melody added. This melody will be used at intervals throughout the story. Students will be asked to interpret the musical notation (note letter names, rhythmic values, appropriate instruments).

The second music lesson will begin with a piano solo, "Camilla, the Camel", by Martha Mier. Students will be asked to imagine what desert travel in ancient times would have been like, and discuss their answers with a partner. Using the book, Life in the Deserts, by Lucy Baker be camels will be shown to be the predominate means of travel. Work will continue on "Alice's Camel", and "The Camel Dances". Pictures of Egyptian instruments (oud, durbakke, duff, qanun, nay, rababa, kemanja) will be shown and discussed. An Egyptian song, "Tafta Hindy" will be learned, and the classroom versions (hand drum and finger cymbals) of the Egyptian instruments will be added. Awareness of the repetitiveness of the rhythmic cycles of Egyptian music will start to be developed.

In the third lesson, students will be paired in small groups of four or five. They will complete a "Descriptive Pattern" graph as they listen to the book, "Look What Came From Egypt", by Miles Harvey. The mini-musical, "Tales of Temples and Tombs", by Donna Amorosia , arranged by Lori Weidemann will be started. Working in their small groups, students will develop ideas for costumes to be used in the final performance for their parents.

The fourth and fifth lessons will be used to refine the songs, instrument parts, and dances for the performance. Some time will be allowed to work on the computer generated scenery images and costumes. If any additional time is available, students will be introduced to a game (checkers, marbles or backgammon "trick track") originating in Egypt. The sixth class period is the performance.

CULMINATING PERFORMANCE
Include rubric(s)

The rubric key is as follows: + = exemplary, = satisfactory, - = unsatisfactory

In art the final product of the unit is the paper bag replica of an Egyptian burial mask. The following rubric is used to evaluate the masks.

	+	™	-
Materials				Student can describe actual materials used to make King Tutankhamen's burial mask (gold, lapis lazuli).
				Student can adapt paper to make it resemble the golden burial mask of King Tutankhamen.
Effort and Attitude				Student shows a willingness to follow directions and completes mask tasks independently after demonstration of technique.
				Student works with enthusiasm and aims for precision when following directions.
Understanding				Student verbally demonstrates an understanding of the use of masks in several cultures.
				Student verbally demonstrates an understanding of the use and placement of the burial mask for ancient Egyptian rulers.
Product/ Technique				Student's end product resembles King Tutankhamen's burial mask.
				Student's end product reflects quality craftsmanship.

In library the meaningful use task is translating names into hieroglyphics. The following rubric is used to evaluate the student's work.

	+	™	-
Effort and Attitude				Student listened in class, asked appropriate questions, and used class time provided for independent learning.
				Student worked well with others in group activities.
Understanding				Student translated his or her name into hieroglyphics using the decoder card.
				Student was able to use the translation website to check his or her translation.
Product				Student's translation matched the website translation by at least half of the characters.

In music class, the final product of the unit is the work leading up to the performance for the parents and guests, and the performance itself. The following rubric is used to evaluate student work:

	+	™	-
Materials				Student brings materials for his or her costume (togas, headbands, necklaces, bracelets, headpieces, mummy wrappings, make-up).
				The student's group finds and selects the pictures for its part of the computer generated slide images.
Effort and Attitude				Student shows cooperation in his or her small group and actively contributes to the project.
Understanding				Student verbally demonstrates understanding of the characteristics of Egyptian vs. non-Egyptian music.
				Student correctly identifies the sounds of Egyptian instruments vs. non-Egyptian music.
Product/ Technique				Student develops costume and scenery, and learns the dances, songs and instrument parts.
				Student demonstrates knowledge of performance manners and etiquette, and puts them in to practice.
				Student demonstrates a willingness to perform in the musical performance to the best of his or her ability.

PRE-REQUISITE SKILLS

Mask construction: facility with scissors, glue, and stapler. Students must be able to follow multi-step instructions.

Familiarity with the use of the computer and mouse is important to using the CD-ROM program, Destination: Pyramids, to gather information about pyramids. Basic alphabet and letter sound skills are important in translating English names into hieroglyphics.

A basic knowledge of how to play classroom instruments. Knowledge of, and the ability to read beginning musical notation.

MODIFICATIONS

Students with difficulty reading can still gather information from the program Destination: Pyramids; the program will read the text on the screen in its Fact Book when prompted. By working in groups on the computers, students of mixed abilities can work together to gather information and access the hieroglyphics translation website.

No specific modifications were necessary for this unit.

This unit could be taught by a single classroom teacher or a team of teachers as we have done.

UNIT SCHEDULE/TIME PLAN

This is approximately a one-month unit. After the initial launch, the unit took five 40-minute music class periods and culminated in a performance during a sixth class period. The art component was completed in three 40-minute class periods, as was the library component. Special area classes meet on a six-day rotation. Music classes meet every third day of the cycle with either an art or library class meeting in between each music class.

TECHNOLOGY USE

To present information to students, audio recorded on cassette tape and CD-ROM, images on slides, and both sounds and audio on computer CD-ROM and videocassette are used. During the music performance, a computer and projector are used to project images of Egypt on the wall behind the performers. In addition, an interactive website for translation provides students more information.

APPENDIX

Mask Directions and Sample