Lesson #5

For our last lesson of our unit, Catherine R. and I wanted the students to really experience what daily life was like in ancient Egypt. We wanted the students to sense the class divisions and to see all of the different types of people that comprised ancient Egyptian society. We felt the best way to do this was not to read a book to the students or have then watch a movie but reenact it themselves. Our second graders love role-playing because they have a chance to get up out of their chairs and express themselves. A little bit of undercover learning! We found a great book called Voices of Ancient Egypt that described the lives of about 10-12 different types of Egyptians. This book was the inspiration for a lot of our “casting.”

We first walked into the classroom and sat down all of our props in the back of the room. In the fifteen minutes we had before teaching, we went to the teachers’ bathroom and transformed ourselves into ancient Egyptian women. We had made neck bands of jewels and paint and long robes with a sash tied around the middle. We had eye makeup to resemble Egyptian women and a lot of big jewelry around our necks and wrists. Catherine R. even had made a wig out of yarn to indicate her high-class status. We walked into the class and the kids exclaimed with excitement. Even Mr. F. was laughing in the back of the classroom saying, “What are you two up to now?” I loved seeing Mr. F. so excited about what we were doing.

The kids listened very attentively as we told them about our lives in ancient Egypt. Again, I loved being able to bring the subject to life for them. I wish that Catherine R. and I had been more versed in the details of our lives. The students loved hearing about my “children” and how I only give them wooden toys to play with. Besides bothering us with “No, you’re really Ms. Brown!” they asked us questions about our jobs, our homes, and how we felt about being women. Catherine R. and I had hoped that this personal interaction would help the students remember the information a little more than if they had just read about Egyptian daily life in a textbook.

Catherine R. and I were flattered to watch Mr. F. go through the hallway and get all of the teachers to come and see what his “UVA students” were up to. With all of the anxiety we had felt in planning our unit, it seemed to be worth Mr. F.’s approval. He is a veteran teacher of 20 or so years and Catherine R. were glad to know that he approved of our innovative lesson plans.

The role-playing activity went exactly as planned. We took time to explain each role and then had a time of questioning each character. What do you like to do for fun? Are you happy about being in the desert all day? Most of the students really got into their characters as we reminded them about their acting skills and using their imaginations (Mr. F. acts in local performances so he loved this too). We then allowed about 3 minutes for the students to interact with each other while Catherine R. and I walked around and prompted some discussion of different character roles. We observed the noblemen and women demanding the clothes-washers to wash and fold their clothes in the Nile. The Pharaoh ruled from his throne and ordered the slaves to build his pyramids. The second graders successfully created a scene of ancient Egyptian life.

I realized during this activity that I don’t think the second graders are reading independently about ancient Egypt. I wish their book bins were filled with books on ancient Egypt and they had a selection to choose from during the week. This would have enhanced our lessons and their entire study of ancient Egypt.