Social Studies' Culminating Activity
Museum Display (Virtual Tour)
Stage of Literacy Development:
Stage 3: Literacy for GrowthAges:
8-12
Grade Range:
3rd 4th 5th 6thFood Groups:
Primary: Knowledge Building, Writing Processes and Strategies Secondary: Text Structures and Genres
Transcript
At the beginning of our Social Studies unit, we visited the local museum in order to deepen our understanding and knowledge around ancient societies. Students loved the display cases that were there. As well as the information that accompanied the various artifacts. As a culminating activity, I knew I wanted to do something that involved art as well as writing. Really, it was an opportunity for students to showcase what they knew and what they had learned throughout our ancient society unit. Students really showed an interest in ancient Egypt, and that is why I decided to focus on that. Students were asked to create a sarcophagus, and of course, there was lots of modeling that went around in terms of creating this case. It incorporated many different elements of math because students had to measure the pieces, building them from scratch. Students learned about the various steps of mummification. Through procedural writing, we organized all of the information in order. From there, students created their own mummy. Some students chose kings, others chose Pharaohs, and some even chose animals. Throughout our studies, we also learned about various social classes. Not everyone was buried in a sarcophagus. Those who were always had possessions with them, and they were their most prized possessions. Therefore, students were asked to create various objects that they would place inside their sarcophagus with their mummy. Finally, students were asked to write about it. They were asked to write about what type of mummy they created as well as the objects, and the reasoning behind selecting those objects.
Related References
Activity Objective
The goal of Social Studies' Culminating Activity: Museum Display (Virtual Tour) is to incorporate knowledge from the ancient civilizations unit with math, art and procedural writing. The students are asked to create a sarcophagus, making a model and incorporating elements of math such as measuring and building from scratch. They learn about the steps of mummification and through procedural writing, they organize the information in order. They then build a mummy by choosing kings, Pharaohs, or animals. Using knowledge about social classes, the students are asked to create objects as possessions that go with their mummy. Following that, the students write about what they created and the reasoning for selecting those objects.
Quick Tips
Additional Comments:
- Try having a gallery walk so that students have the opportunity to showcase their work to others. - If possible, take your students on a field trip to a local museum for inspiration.
Other Recipes by this Teacher
Make It Personal: Connecting Students to Texts (Virtual Tour)
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All About Me: Building Class Community and a Sense of Identity (Virtual Tour)
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Early Societies Inquiry: Creating a Timeline About Ancient Egypt (Virtual Tour)
4th - 6th
Building Class Community: Ancient Egyptian Charm Bracelets (Virtual Tour)
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Social Studies' Culminating Activity: Performance (Virtual Tour)
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