Hello, fellow Adventurers, Mr. Marc here!
On today’s episode, we headed to the cradle of civilization
and the ancient land of Egypt. Our adventure started in
the hot, dry desert where we ran into a sand
storm, fell into a mirage, and crossed the
Nile River on the backs of crocodiles. We
even met an archeologist and climbed up
the Great Pyramid.
Thanks to Professor Maddison, we learned an array of interesting
facts about Egypt. We talked about the different kinds of
animals that live in the desert, what an oasis is, and what shapes
make up a pyramid. We also learned about what kinds of foods
are smart snacks for us to eat everyday and the importance of
drinking enough water so the energy we do have can
get around to where it’s needed most!
While we need to exercise our muscles to
keep our bodies fit, we know we need to exercise our minds,
too. That’s why our team at Adventure to Fitness created
these additional “mind adventures” for you to share with
your students. There’s one mind adventure for each grade level,
K-5. We’ve also included vocabulary and literature recommendations to
increase your students’ brainpower even further.
Till next time Adventurers…Keep It Moving!
Mr. Marc
1
vocabulary
1. artifact (noun): An object produced or shaped by human craft,
especially a tool, weapon, or ornament of archaeological or
historical interest.
2. Bactrian camel (noun): A two-humped camel native to central
and southwest Asia.
3. boost (verb): To raise or lift by pushing up from behind or below.
4. chamber (noun): A Neolithic tomb consisting of a chamber built
out of large upright stones with one or more capstones, buried
in an earthen mound.
5. civilization (noun): An advanced state of intellectual, cultural, and material
development in human society, marked by progress in the arts and sciences, the
extensive use of record-keeping, including writing, and the appearance of complex
political and social institutions.
6. corridor (noun): A narrow hallway, passageway, or gallery, often with rooms
opening onto it.
7. Dromedary camel (noun): The one-humped domesticated camel widely used as a
beast of burden in northern Africa and western Asia. Also called Arabian camel.
8. dehydrate (verb): To lose water or bodily fluids.
9. hieroglyphics (adjective): Of, relating to, or being a
system of writing, such as that of ancient Egypt, in which
pictorial symbols are used to represent meaning or sounds
or a combination of meaning and sound.
10. legend (noun): An unverified story handed down from earlier times, especially one
popularly believed to be historical.
2
vocabulary
11. mirage (noun): An optical phenomenon that creates the illusion of water, often
with inverted reflections of distant objects, and results from distortion of light by
alternate layers of hot and cool air.
12. nutrient (noun): A source of nourishment, especially a nourishing ingredient in a
food.
13. oasis (noun): A fertile or green spot in a desert or wasteland, made so by the
presence of water.
14. pharaoh (noun): A king of ancient Egypt.
15. pyramid (noun): A massive monument of ancient Egypt having a rectangular base
and four triangular faces culminating in a single apex, built over or around a crypt
or tomb.
16. Sand dunes (noun): A ridge of sand created by the
wind; found in deserts or near lakes and oceans
17. sarcophagus (noun): A stone coffin often
inscribed or decorated with sculpture.
18. swift (adjective): Moving or capable of moving with great speed.
3
suggested readings
ancient Egypt (curious kids guides)
by Miranda Smith
Egyptian Pyramid (Watch It Grow)
by Elizabeth Longley
If I were a kid in ancient Egypt: Children of the ancient
by Cobblestone Publishing
Ms. Frizzle’s adventures: Ancient Egypt
by Joanna Cole
mummy math: an adventure in geometry
by Cindy Neuschwander
mummies mad in Egypt
by Aliki
the best book of mummies
by Miranda Smith
5,000-year-old puzzle:
Solving a mystery of Ancient Egypt
by by Claudia Logan
Who was king tut?
by Roberta Edwards
4
Story Writing with Hieroglyphics
Suggested Grade Level: Kindergarten
Common Core State Standard: Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate
a single event or several loosely linked events, tell about the events in the order in which they occurred,
and provide a reaction to what happened.
Overview: Over 5,000 years ago, Egyptians wrote things down using pictures. Today
picture writing is better known as hieroglyphics. Archaeologists discovered beautiful
hieroglyphic writing on the walls of ancient Egyptian pyramids and tombs. In this mind
adventure, students will create their own stories using pictures as words.
Content Area: Language Arts
Required Materials:



Brown construction paper
Crayons
Pencils
Time Required: 15-20 minutes
Procedures:
1. Explain that hieroglyphics are pictures that stand for words.
2. As a class, create a couple of hieroglyphics together on the board.
3. Provide each student with a piece of brown construction paper that resembles a
pyramid wall.
4. Instruct students to create a story about an adventure they had with Mr. Marc.
Tell them to use pictures instead of words to write their story.
5. Ask volunteers to share their stories with the class.
5
Sarcophagus Story
Suggested Grade Level: First Grade
Common Core State Standard: Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic
or name the book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply a reason for the opinion,
and provide some sense of closure.
Overview: A sarcophagus was used to bury pharaohs deep inside the pyramids of Egypt.
The Egyptian people believed in surrounding their pharaohs with things that they might
need in their next life. This included such things as food, jewelry, furniture, and even
beloved pets. In this mind adventure students will draw a picture of their sarcophagus
with items they would like to bring with them in their next life.
Content Area: Language Arts
Required Materials:



Paper
Crayons
Pencil
Time Required: 15-20 minutes
Procedures:
1. Share information with your students about a pharaoh’s burial.
2. Tell them that they are going to pretend to be Egyptians, and they will be
illustrating a picture of their own sarcophagus along with four items that they
would want to take with them to their next life.
3. Students should label their items the best that they can.
4. Ask volunteers to share their drawings and explain why they chose the items, they
chose.
6
Pyramid Math
Suggested Grade Level: Second Grade
Common Core State Standard: Fluently add and subtract within 20 using mental
strategies. By end of Grade 2, know from memory all sums of two one-digit numbers.
Overview: Mr. Marc used his muscles to scale the Great Pyramid. Now it’s your students’
turn to scale the Great Pyramid using their minds. In this mind adventure students will
practice discovering number patterns and developing number sense.
Subject Area: Mathematics
Required Materials:


Paper
Pencil
Time Required: 15-20 minutes
Procedures:
1. Recreate the pyramids below using a smart board, transparency, or white board or
print a copy for each student to complete.
2. To scale the pyramid, have your students add adjacent number pairs in each row,
writing the sum in the box above the number pair. They will repeat the same
process until they make it to the top.
3. Try having students make up their own pyramid puzzles for their classmates or
families to solve.
7
PYRAMID MATH
NAME: ________________________________________________________
Add adjacent number pairs in each row. Write the sum in the box above the
number pair.
0
1
2
3
1
1
2
2
8
Pyramid Math
Suggested Grade Level: Third Grade
Common Core State Standard: Fluently multiply and divide within 100, using
strategies such as the relationship between multiplication and division (e.g. knowing that
8x5=40, one knows 40/5=8) or properties of operations. By the end of Grade 3, know
from memory all products of two one-digit numbers.
Overview: Mr. Marc used his muscles to scale the Great Pyramid, now it’s your students’
turn to scale the Great Pyramid using their minds. In this mind adventure, students will
practice discovering number patterns and developing number sense.
Subject Area: Mathematics
Required Materials:


Paper
Pencil
Time Required: 15-20 minutes
Procedures:
1. Recreate the pyramids below using a smart board, transparency, or white board.
2. To scale the pyramid, have your students multiply adjacent number pairs in each
row, writing the product in the box above the number pair. They will repeat the
same process until they make it to the top. They may need to divide to deduce the
number that belongs in each block.
3. Try having students make up their own pyramid puzzles for their classmates to
solve.
9
5
1
2
1
4
0
3
2
1
5
10
Pyramid Math
Suggested Grade Level: Fourth Grade
Common Core State Standard: Multiply a whole number of up to four digits by a onedigit whole number, and multiply two two-digit numbers, using strategies based on place
value and the properties of operations. Illustrate and explain the calculation by using
equations, rectangular arrays, and/or area models.
Overview: Mr. Marc used his muscles to scale the Great Pyramid, now it’s your students’
turn to scale the Great Pyramid using their minds. In this mind adventure students will
practice discovering number patterns and developing number sense.
Subject Area: Mathematics
Required Materials:


Paper
Pencil
Time Required: 15-20 minutes
Procedures:
1. Recreate the pyramids below using a smart board, transparency, or white board.
2. To scale the pyramid, have your students multiply adjacent number pairs in each
row, writing the product in the box above the number pair. They will repeat the
same process until they make it to the top.
3. Try having students make up their own pyramid puzzles for their classmates to
solve.
11
9
11
10
3
2
6
5
2
7
0
12
Pyramid Math
Suggested Grade Level: Fifth Grade
Common Core State Standard: Add, subtract, multiply, and divide decimals to
hundredths, using concrete models or drawings and strategies based on place value,
properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction;
relate the strategy to a written method and explain the reasoning used.
Overview: Mr. Marc used his muscles to scale the Great Pyramid, now it’s your students’
turn to scale the Great Pyramid using their minds. This creative practice activity
facilitates discovery of number patterns and develops number sense.
Subject Area: Mathematics
Required Materials:


Paper
Pencil
Time Required: 15-20 minutes
Procedures:
1. Recreate the pyramids below using a smart board, transparency, or white board.
2. To scale the pyramid, have your students add adjacent number pairs in each row,
writing the sum in the box above the number pair. They will repeat the same
process until they make it to the top.
3. Try having students make up their own pyramid puzzles for their classmates to
solve.
13
0.2
3.1
5.6
7.3
0.4
1/8
3/8
1/8
2/8
2/8
14