- Humanities
- Middle School
In Claudia Edwards' Grade 6 Humanities classes, students are learning about ancient Egypt. They have studied the importance of the Nile River in all aspects of life-including the various uses of the papyrus plant, which grew along its shores. Students used strips of paper bags to mimic how the ancient Egyptians transformed the stalk of the plant into papyrus paper. They used hieroglyphics to write their own name on the papyrus they created. Like Egyptian pharaohs, they wrote their name in a “cartouche” shape to protect it and ensure it lasts forever! This work builds on the Grade 6 study of Cuneiform, the early writing system in ancient Mesopotamia, and asks the question: why were these early writing systems created and what was their purpose?