General Outline & Objectives of Lesson Plan for
Museums
The general outline of the proposed lesson plan
includes:
a. Background information for the science of
archaeology and the civilization presented in the
movie
b. A Movie with a story of illicit trafficking of a site
(Greece, Egypt, Cyprus).
c. A question and answer session and/or a group
discussion.
d. A practical didactic exercise based on the use of
real artifacts, Legos and replicas and mock
excavation.
The main objectives of the lesson plan are to:
1. Give general background information, including
basic information for the aim and the tools of
archaeology science.
2. Give specialized background information related
to the theme of the three movies on illicit
trafficking.
3. Comprehend differences between proper
excavation procedures vs looting of sites,
recorded artifact from a known context vs an
artifact without provenance seen as a work of
art.
4. Present proper excavation process,
documentation and handling of archaeological
finds.
5. Interpret the information that an archaeological
find provides in terms of its function, application,
manufacturing technology, and value.
“The Tomb of the Hidden Mummies”
Village of Qurna, Luxor, Egypt
In 1871, a young boy called Ahmed El-Rassul accidentally discovered a hidden tomb
in the belly of the mountain near his home. Ahmed and his family looted the tomb for
over a decade, until their activities became known to the Egyptian antiquities
service. When archaeologists arrived, they were stunned by what they saw. The
tomb contained more than fifty royal mummies..
Topics: Value – Loss of Culture – Destruction/Vandalism
Target group: Children between 5 – 8 Years
Duration: 60-75 Minutes
Place: Children´s Museum Cairo (exhibition and work-room)
Main objective:
Children are introduced first to a tomb and then to the group of Ushabtis from a tomb. They learn what
the Ushabtis have a certain meaning in their original context (doing the work their owner is requested to
do in afterlife).
At the end of the workshop the children should have insight and understanding that an object is more
valuable and provides more information if not removed from its context. They should have an
impression that the cultural context of an Ushabti is destroyed when it is taken from its tomb.
Children’s activities:
-
Describing the Ushabtis (Shape, Colour, Material …).
Raising questions about the Ushabtis – what were they used for?
Learning the use of Ushabtis: One Ushabti for the labor of the day, different types of Ushabtis
(supervisors …).
What would we like to have an Ushabti for? (Homework …)
What would the ancient Egyptian owner say when he would be asked: “Shall my Ushabtis been
taken away and sold all over the world?”.
Drawing a conclusion about the value of undisturbed preservation of the tomb (given Example:
Ensemble of Ushabtis).
Children’s manual activities
-
Producing an Ushabti for child’s own favourite kind of work (homework, helping in the house,
job …).
Made from LEGO.
Or embedded in an Ushabti-workshop using other materials
Ethical learning
-
Understanding the value of the cultural context.
Create a feeling that destroying the context and taking the objects away is a loss.
Phase
Contents
Media
Children’s activities
Introduction, guided
tour:
Ancient Egypt belief in
afterlife
Original finds
(Mummy, grave-goods)
Rising attention
First phase
What is an Ushabti?
Ushabtis
Guided tour
What was it used for?
Describing, raising
questions, discussion
Children’s Museum
Why did one person
need many Ushabits?
Ushabtis
Describing, comparing,
discussion
15 Minutes
15 minutes
Second phase
Reflection, Comparing
What would you like to
have the help of an
Ushabti for?
(Replicas?)
10 minutes
Do you think the
Egyptian would like the
loss of the Ushabits?
Why?
Hands-on phase
Production of an
Ushabti (as a helper for
a work child wants).
LEGO or other Material
Production
Presenting own
Ushabti and its
purpose.
Own Ushabti
Telling function of own
Ushabit, comparing to
function of other
Ushabits (recognizing
different needs)
What can you do to
help prevent looting?
Film on a young man
calling the police for
theft of mummies
Discussion, watching
film
(Children’s Museum)
10 – 40 minutes
Reflection and deeper
understanding
10 Minutes
Searching for solutions,
10 minutes
Topics: Value – Loss of Culture – What is archaeology – Destruction/Vandalism
Target group: Different target groups possible
Duration: 60-180 Minutes
Place: Children´s Museum Cairo (exhibition and work-room), Egyptian Museum
Main objective:
Children are introduced to finds that give impressions of daily life in ancient Egypt (tombs with model
workers and/or grave-goods like food, cosmetics …).
At the end of the workshop the children should have insight and understanding that an object is more
valuable and provides more information if not removed from its context. They should have an
impression that the cultural context of an object like a perfume-bottle is destroyed when it is taken from
its tomb. Some things like tiny bits of original food are very valuable to gain knowledge, but they would
be found and analyzed only by experts who know how.
Children's activities:
-
Describing things from every day life.
Raising questions about these things – what were they used for?
Learning about the context.
Drawing a conclusion about the value of undisturbed preservation (for example a tomb).
Children´s manual activities depend on the special target of the workshop. (Some examples: Workshops
on dresses, Workshop on perfume, Workshops on oil-lamps and cooking).
-
Copies of ancient dresses (Workshops on dresses)
Oil, wax, scents, colours, stove (Workshop on perfumes)
Clay, forms (Workshops on oil-Lamps)
Different ingredients, stove (cooking)
Ethical learning
-
Understanding the value of the cultural context.
Create a feeling that destroying the context and taking the objects away is a loss.
Introductory film
15 minutes
Guided tour
35 minutes
Second phase
Technical instructions
Contents
Media
Children´s activities
Film leading up to the
main subject:
Importance of saving
antiquities
Film
Watching film, short
discussion, raising
sensibility about topic.
Describing pictures of
people – what do they
use cosmetics for.
Tools for preparing and
containers for keeping
cosmetics.
Finds concerning
cosmetics
Describing, raising
questions, discussion
How were cosmetics
made?
Technical equipment,
ingredients
Learning about
ingredients and the
way to make some kind
of cosmetics
Making own sample of
cosmetics
Fat, carcoal (for
“eyeliner)” or oil, wax,
scent (for perfume)
Mixing and trying
samples (“eyeliner” on
paper?)
What did you learn
about cosmetics? Why
does a single perfumebottle (a mirror …) not
tell the whole story?
Own cosmetics
Discussion, formulating
an opinion
10 minutes
Hands-on phase
(Children´s Museum)
10-30 minutes
Reflection and deeper
understanding
10 minutes
Topics: Value – What is Archaeology? – Loss of Culture – Destruction/Vandalism
Target group: Children between 6 – 14 Years
Duration: 120-180 minutes
Place: Children´s Museum Cairo (exhibition and work-room), Egyptian Museum Cairo
Main objective:
Children are introduced to objects which have been separated from and removed out of their original
context (in this case jewellery of pharaohs and normal people).
At the end of the workshop the children should have insight and understanding that an object is more
valuable and provides more information if not removed from its context, and as such they should be
able to formulate an opinion on destruction and vandalism concerning ancient artefacts.
Children's activities:
-
Raising questions about jewellery: what kind, like chains or bracelets, what material,
to whom it belonged: pharaohs, normal people, man or woman, what symbols, like scarabs or
falcon and the meaning of it.
-
Describing the jewellery and finding more about the person who the jewellery belonged to in
looking at some other objects of the context of those persons.
Describing the life of those persons.
Drawing a conclusion in order to gain as much information as possible from the artefact.
-
Children´s manual activities
-
Working with material similar to the original ones – metal foils
Pressing motifs in metal foil with a nail or ball point pen an cut it out
Ethical learning
-
Understanding and evaluating jewellery as an object of beauty and a valuable source of cultural
information.
Getting nearer to understanding the people of the past by using their techniques and
experiencing that these methods are still valid.
Formulating their own opinion about illegal digging and selling of archaeological objects.
Jewellery Workshop
Egyptian Museum/Cairo
Phase
Contents
Media
Children´s activities
Introductory film
Film leading up to the main
subject: Importance of
saving antiquities
Film
Watching film, short
discussion, raising
sensibility about topic.
How can we describe the
jewellery?
Jewellery from
pharaohs and other
people
Describing, raising
questions, discussion
Objects of the daily
life of pharaohs and
other people
Describing, comparing,
discussion
Metal foil, nails or
ball point pen, old
newspaper, photos
that can be used as
inspiration
Pressing motifs in
metal foil and cut it out
Children´s jewellery
Discussion, formulating
an opinion
15 minutes
First phase
Guided tour
(Egyptian Museum)
25 minutes
What kind of jewellery?
What material? To whom
did it belong? Pharaohs,
normal people, man,
woman? What symbols do
we see, like scarabs and
falcon and what do they
mean?
What can we learn about
the owner of those
jewellery?
Second phase
Guided tour
20 minutes
Hands-on phase
(Children´s Museum)
What can we learn further
about the people who the
jewellery belonged to,
when we look at some
other objects of the context
of of those people?
Making jewellery from
metal foils
50 – 100 minutes
Reflection and deeper
understanding
10 minutes
What did you learn about
jewellery? What do you
think about taking the
jewellery from excavations
and selling it?
Topics: Value – What is Archaeology? – Loss of Culture – Destruction/Vandalism
Target group: Children between 6 – 14 Years
Duration: 120-180 minutes
Place: Children´s Museum Cairo (exhibition and work-room), Egyptian Museum Cairo
Main objective:
Children are introduced to objects which have been separated from and removed out of their original
context (in this case sarcophagus removed from the tombs).
At the end of the workshop the children should have insight and understanding that an object is more
valuable and provides more information if not removed from its context, and as such they should be
able to formulate an opinion on destruction and vandalism concerning ancient artefacts.
Children's activities:
-
Raising questions about the sarcophagus. What is a sarcophagus? Where was it found? Who is
the mummy inside? How mummification works? What scene is shown on the sarcophagus?
(here the scene of Judgement, the different gods, their attributes and functions, finding out that
the judge (Osiris) asking the dead person about his life, to judge if he comes into heaven or hell).
-
Looking at some other objects that describe the context of a funeral and the belief for life after
death. (Mummies, objects that are given with the mummies, gods statues....)
Children´s manual activities
-
Drawing the gods and other persons and the dead person on thick paper, colour them, cut them
out and put them on a stick each.
Playing the scene of judgement
Ethical learning
-
Understanding and evaluating sarcophagus as an object of beauty and a valuable source of
cultural information.
Getting nearer to understanding the people of the past by playing their rituals.
Formulating their own opinion about illegal digging and selling of archaeological objects.
Phase
Contents
Media
Children´s activities
Introductory film
Film leading up to the main
subject: Importance of saving
antiquities
Film
Watching film, short
discussion, raising
sensibility about
topic.
What is a sarcophagus? What
material? Who is or was
inside? What scene is on the
sarcophagus? Who acts in
this scene? Who are the
gods? What attributes and
functions they have? Who is
the dead person? What is his
role?
A painted
sarcophagus
Describing, raising
questions,
discussion
What can we learn further
about the beyond world?
Putting the sarcophagus in
the context of
mummification, funeral, gods
Statues or paintings
of gods, objects that
are given with the
mummy
Describing,
comparing,
discussion
Production of puppets:
drawing the gods and
persons, colour them, cut
them out and put them on a
stick. Playing the Judgement
scene
Thick paper, pencil,
paint, wood sticks
Producing the
puppets and playing
the scene
Children´s puppets
Discussion,
formulating an
opinion
15 minutes
First phase
Guided tour
(Egyptian Museum)
25 minutes
What is the Judgement scene
like??
Second phase
Guided tour
20 minutes
Hands-on phase
(Children´s Museum)
50 – 100 minutes
If there is not much time it is
also possible that the puppets
are already made before by
the leader of the workshop
and the practical part is only
the theatre play
Reflection and deeper
understanding
10 minutes
What did you learn about
sarcophagus? Why is it
important to preserve them?
Topics: Value – What is Archaeology? – Loss of Culture – Destruction/Vandalism
Target group: Children between 10 – 14 Years
Duration: 120-180 minutes
Place: Children´s Museum Cairo (exhibition and work-room), Egyptian Museum Cairo
Main objective:
Children are introduced to objects which have been separated from and removed out of their original
context (in this case a painting on papyrus shows the nightly boat drive of the sun god Re).
At the end of the workshop the children should have insight and understanding that an object is more
valuable and provides more information if not removed from its context, and as such they should be
able to formulate an opinion on destruction and vandalism concerning ancient artefacts.
Children's activities:
-
Raising questions about the painting: What kind of paper? Who is on the painting? (in this
painting the sun god Re and other gods to protect him against the Apophis snake)
Why is it dangerous for Re? Who is the enemy? Who protects him? Why is he doing this drive?
How long does it take? What is the underworld?
-
Looking at other paintings that show the two other parts of the Egyptian cosmic regions as the
earth and the heaven.
-
Drawing a conclusion in order to gain as much information as possible from the artefact.
Children´s manual activities
-
Working with material similar to the original ones – painting on papyrus.
Groups of three children will take each a part of the scene and paint it. In the end they put it
together to have the whole story.
Ethical learning
-
Understanding and evaluating papyrus as an object of beauty and a valuable source of cultural
information.
Getting nearer to understanding the people of the past by using their techniques and
experiencing that these methods are still valid.
Formulating their own opinion about illegal digging and selling of archaeological objects.
Painting on papyrus workshop
Egyptian Museum/Cairo
Phase
Contents
Media
Children´s activities
Introductory film
Film leading up to the
main subject:
importance of saving
antiquities
Film
Watching film, short
discussion, raising
sensibility about topic.
How can we describe
the painting?
Painting on papyrus
about the nightly boat
drive of the sun god Re
though the underworld
Describing, raising
questions, discussion
What can we learn
further about the
cosmic regions, the
earth and the heaven
when we look at other
paintings?
Looking at other
paintings to show the
children that the
Egyptian cosmic world
consists of underworld,
earth and heaven
Describing, comparing,
discussion
Hands-on phase
Painting on papyrus
Papyrus, pencils. Paint
(Children´s Museum)
The nightly drive of Re
Groups of three
children paint the
whole story, each child
one part. In the end
they put it together.
Children´s paintings
Discussion, formulating
an opinion
15 minutes
First phase
Guided tour
(Egyptian Museum)
25 minutes
Who is on the painting?
Who is sitting and
standing on the boat?
Why is it dangerous for
the sun god? Who is
the enemy? Why is he
doing the boat drive?
Who protects him?
What is the
underworld?
Second phase
Guided tour
20 minutes
50 – 100 minutes
Reflection and deeper
understanding
10 minutes
What did you learn
about the underworld
and the world of the
gods? What do you
think about taking the
papyrus from
excavations and selling
it?
Topics: Value – What is Archaeology? – Loss of Culture – Destruction/Vandalism
Target group: Children between 10 – 14 Years
Duration: 90-120 minutes
Place: Children´s Museum Cairo
Main objective:
Children understand that an inscription or a text is a very important part of its context and when the
inscription or text is taken away, it can be more difficult or impossible to find out certain information
about the find.
Children's activities:
-
Raising questions about the material: Papyrus (like workshop on painting), stone, other
materials.
Learning form and meaning of the hieroglyphs.
Learning short phrases (from Old, Middle and New Kingdom).
Reproduce phrases on original material (for example Papyrus).
Children´s manual activities
-
Working with material similar to the original ones.
Workshop is suitable for blind children.
.
Ethical learning
-
Understanding that an inscription or text is an important part of a context. Stealing or
vandalizing it is a loss of culture.
Learning that texts and writing is an important part of the culture of ancient Egypt.
Formulating their own opinion about illegal digging and selling of archaeological objects.
Workshop on hieroglyphs
Phase
Contents
Media
Children´s activities
Introductory film
Film leading up to the
main subject:
Importance of saving
antiquities
Film
Watching film, short
discussion, raising
sensibility about topic.
Describing an object
with hieroglyphs in a
context.
Original objects with
inscriptions, people
who are writing
Describing, raising
questions, discussion
Learning about
selected special
phrases
Details on inscriptions
Describing, comparing,
discussion
Writing own short text
Papyrus, pencils (Other
material)
Children have a short
text to write down
(work of a “clerk”)
What did you learn
about writers and
writing? Why is it
important to keep a
text or an inscription in
its context?
Children’ s texts
Discussion, formulating
an opinion
15 minutes
First phase
Guided tour
25 minutes
Second phase
Guided tour
20 minutes
Hands-on phase
20-50 minutes
Reflection and deeper
understanding
10 minutes
Topics: Value – What is Archaeology? – Loss of Culture – Destruction/Vandalism
Target group: Children between 10 – 14 Years
Duration: 120-180 minutes
Place: Children´s Museum Cairo (exhibition and work-room), Egyptian Museum Cairo
Main objective:
Children are introduced to objects which have been separated from and removed out of their original
context (in this case a mummy-portrait removed from the funeral context and its mummy and
subsequently sold on the art market).
At the end of the workshop the children should have insight and understanding that an object is more
valuable and provides more information if not removed from its context, and as such they should be
able to formulate an opinion on destruction and vandalism concerning ancient artefacts.
Children's activities:
-
-
Raising questions about the mummy-portrait and about the real person that was painted.
Approaching and examining the idea that the mummy-portrait underwent different stages: It
was first placed on a wall in the person's house, more or less like a family portrait. After the
death and mummification of the person it was then taken to cover the mummy. The picture
might not have been a true likeness of the person at his/her time of death: It might have shown
the person at a young age, it might have been "airbrushed" to show the more beautiful aspects
of the person and diminish the uglier aspects, it might have shown the person in clothes and
jewellery that the person did not own any longer.
Describing the mummy-portrait and finding out about the age and the sex of the person, the
dresses and jewellery worn, the importance of the hairstyle and other visual attributes.
Differentiating between a single mummy-portrait without a mummy and a portrait still attached
to its mummy.
Drawing a conclusion about the value of undisturbed preservation of the mummy portrait and
its mummy in order to gain as much information as possible from the artefact.
Children´s manual activities
-
Working with material similar to the original ones – wooden panels and egg-based paint
Painting a portrait after the example of the ancient mummy-portraits
Ethical learning
-
Understanding and evaluating mummy-portraits as an object of beauty and a valuable source of
cultural information.
Getting nearer to understanding the people of the past by using their techniques in painting and
experiencing that these methods are still valid.
Understanding that destroying mummies and selling parts like portraits and jewellery is a
cultural loss and a lack of respect toward the ancestors.
Formulating their own opinion about illegal digging and selling of archaeological objects.
Phase
Contents
Media
Children´s activities
Introductory film
Film leading up to the main
subject: Importance of saving
antiquities
Film
Watching film, short
discussion, raising
sensibility about
topic.
How can we describe the
depicted person?
Mummy-portraits
without mummy and
archaeological context.
Describing, raising
questions, discussion
15 minutes
First phase
Guided tour
(Egyptian Museum)
25 minutes
Second phase
Guided tour
20 minutes
What can we learn about the
pictured person? What can we
ask further about the pictured
person?
What can we learn further
about the pictured person if we
are able to take his or her
mummy and its analysis into
consideration?
Example: Person might
die at an old age, but
the portrait might be
the picture of a young
person
- Similar: The mummy
tells about illness, the
mummy does not wear
the jewels depicted on
the portrait
Destruction
Objects presented on the
portrait (Example:
Jewellery)
Mummy with portrait
X-Ray of a mummy and
anthropological data
taken from X-Ray.
Describing,
comparing,
discussion
-
Mummy with
documented context,
completed by photos
from an excavation
Damaged mummy
without mask/portrait
Hands-on phase
(Children´s Museum)
50 – 100 minutes
Reflection and deeper
understanding
10 minutes
Production of a mummyportrait
Showing the own portrait to the
audience
What did you learn about
mummy-portraits? What do you
think about taking the portrait
from its mummy and selling it?
Natural pigments for
tempera, wooden
panels.
Close study of
portraits (photos),
painting
Children´s mummyportraits
Discussion,
formulating an
opinion