Teacher's Guide for ODYSSEY ^TM Secret Stones: Science of the Pyramids

Format:
Article, Page
Summary
Skills

"Stairways to Heaven," pg. 6
The Egyptians built pyramids for practical and spiritual reasons. These ancient structures have fascinated scientists and explorers for centuries, and their history continues to unfold.
Critical Thinking, Vocabulary

"Pyramid Engineering Secrets Revealed," pg. 11
Although the ancient Egyptians did not leave records detailing pyramid construction, Egyptologists have used scientific methods to learn something about how it was done. A sidebar (pg. 13) dispels the myth that slaves built the pyramids.
Deductive Reasoning, Application

"Egyptologist Mark Lehner: Investigating the Lives of the Pyramid Builders" (People to Discover), pg. 14
ODYSSEY^TM interviewed archaeologist Mark Lehner about his past 20 years mapping and excavating the Giza Plateau.
Inductive Reasoning, Drawing Conclusions

"Build Your Own Pyramid" (Activity to Discover), pg. 16
Using everyday supplies and your knowledge of geometry, construct a pyramid from posterboard, blocks, or other materials. Send a picture of your pyramid to ODYSSEY^TM for the Web site.
Measurement, Following Directions

"Mummy Work," pg. 18
Animals were mummified in ancient Egypt for a variety of purposes. An archaeologist for the Egyptian Museum in Cairo takes care of the animal mummies -- and even creates her own!
Deductive Reasoning, Hypothesis Testing

"Giza Break! The Strange Pseudoscience of Pyramidology," pg. 20
From alien influences to the lost continent of Atlantis, pyramids inspire the imagination.
Inductive Reasoning, Drawing Conclusions

"Pyramid Rotation" (Brain Strain), pg. 23
Twist, turn, and flip them any way you want, but only four of these pyramids can exist together. Can you find the impostor?
Observation, Spatial Relations

"Mystery at Teotihuac' ¡n," pg. 24
In the past century, archeologists have rediscovered and explored the Pyramid of the Sun, the Pyramid of the Moon, and an ancient city at Teotihuac' ¡n in Mexico.
Inductive Reasoning, Drawing Conclusions

"'Chirping' Pyramids," pg. 28
The 1,100-year-old Pyramid of Kukulkan at Chich' ©n Itz' ¡, Mexico, echoes a chirping sound. The reasons why have acoustics experts, historians, and archaeologists disagreeing.
Hypothesis Formation, Drawing Conclusions

"Making Mayan Echoes" (Activity to Discover), pg. 33
Make echoes as the Mayans did and calculate the speed of sound.
Following Directions, Calculation

"Build a Mayan Computer!" (Activity to Discover), pg. 34
Mayan mathematics used multiples of 20 in much the same way as we use multiples of 10. A sidebar (pg. 36) offers more Mayan math problems.
Following Directions, Mathematical Reasoning

"One Strange Serpent," pg. 37
Serpent Mound is one of the few remaining (and the most spectacular) of the ancient monuments of the Ohio Valley. A sidebar (pg. 39) discusses other ancient earthworks of that region, many of which have been lost forever.
Extrapolation, Inductive Reasoning

"Spying on the Spring Stars" and "A Light Pollution Study Near You" (What's Up and You Can Do Astronomy), pg. 40
Look for Jupiter, Mercury, and Saturn in the evening sky; see Mars and Venus in the morning. Also note the vernal equinox on March 20. Check out the map of light pollution in North America. Experiment to see how much of a problem light pollution is for you.
Observation, Following Directions

"Exploring Giza" (Fantastic Journeys), pg. 46
Join Philippa Snape and her brother, Jack, for a tour of the Pyramid of Menkaure near Cairo.
Observation, Cause and Effect

1. Pyramids are said to be the strongest of geometric shapes. Can you explain why?
2. Think of all you know about the ancient pyramids of Egypt. Then, on paper or on a chalkboard, list things you are certain of, things you think you know but aren't sure about, and things you would like to learn about pyramids. Refer to the chart often as you read this issue and conduct additional research in your library and on the Internet.

Pg. 6 - "Stairways to Heaven"

• Talk It Over:
  1. Why was the Great Pyramid of Giza considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World? What makes the pyramids so special and so fascinating to scientists and nonscientists alike?
  2. Why did the Egyptian monarchs build pyramids for their tombs? List as many possible reasons as you can. Which of the reasons do you find most interesting? Most plausible? Why?
• Connections:
  1. Web Research: The article mentions several Egyptian rulers. Go online to see what you can discover about them. Gather your results into a pamphlet about Egyptian monarchs, dynasties, and royal families.
  2. Language Arts: Find and photocopy the poem "Ozymandias" by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Read the poem and discuss its meaning. What lessons can we take from the poem and from the ancient pyramids we see today? Discuss or write your responses.
  3. Mathematics: The Great Pyramid stands 483.75 feet high. Its sides average 760.01 feet long. Find ways to express these numbers using unconventional units of measurement, such a football fields, car lengths, index cards, or paper clips. For example, it would take more than 580 10-inch water bottles stacked atop one another to rise to the peak of the Great Pyramid.
• Student Assessment:
  1. Writing in a chronological/narrative mode, describe how ancient pyramid building evolved over time. Be sure to make clear how the forms and materials of pyramids changed along with construction techniques.
  2. Create a crossword or word search puzzle using at least 10 key terms from the article. Trade puzzles with classmates and solve.

Pg. 20 - "Giza Break! The Strange Pseudoscience of Pyramidology"

• Talk It Over:
  1. Why do we enjoy conspiracy theories and pseudoscience so much that we push aside common sense? What other examples of pseudoscience can you identify that involve subjects other than pyramids?
  2. How does pseudoscience differ from mainstream science? Draw a Venn diagram and use it to compare and contrast methods of inquiry and problem solving in both domains.
• Connections:
  1. Web Research: Go online to find other examples of pyramid pseudoscience. Begin your search with one of the topics mentioned in the article to discover additional detail. Put your findings together in a display titled "Conspiracy Theories."
  2. Mathematics: The article mentions "pyramid numerology." What is numerology? Research this topic to see what other examples of numerology you can find. Do any of them make sense? Can any be supported by mathematical principles?
  3. Language Arts: Pretend that you lived in ancient Egypt and worked on building a pyramid. Write a letter that you plan to leave inside the pyramid to be discovered by explorers in the 21st century. What will you tell people of the future about your life?
• Student Assessment:
  1. Explain one "wacky idea" mentioned in the article and tell why you think it is wacky -- or maybe not so wacky.
  2. Reread the section "IQ, Refrigeration, Sharp Knives, and the Pyramids." Describe an experiment that could yield evidence to support or refute one of these strange theories. Make sure your description gives a step-by-step procedure, including plans for how data will be collected, analyzed, and interpreted.

"Every nation has a prominent citizen who builds a pyramid." (Edgar Watson Howe)

Small-Group Project: Break the class into teams of three students and challenge each group to research one aspect of mummies -- for example, the mummification process, famous mummies, natural means of mummification, the controversy about the mummy of Nefertiti, or South American mummies. Use your findings to create a school or classroom bulletin board to celebrate Mummy's Day.

"Books are made not like children but like pyramids, and they're just as useless!" (Gustave Flaubert)

Community Connection: Invite a professional or amateur archaeologist to speak to your class. Find out what training archaeologists get, what they do, and what satisfactions they find in their vocation or avocation. Consider also inviting an architect to speak on the construction problems associated with erecting very large structures. Make connections to the massive construction problems posed by the pyramids.

"The Pyramids themselves, doting with age, have forgotten the names of their founders." (Thomas Fuller)

Whole-Class Project: What were the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World? What are their counterparts today? Do some research in your library and on the Internet and compile your findings into a "wonder-full" scrapbook to share with other classes in your school.

"Brute force crushes many plants. Yet the plants rise again. The Pyramids will not last a moment compared with the daisy." (D.H. Lawrence)

Individual Presentations: The pyramids of Egypt and Mexico are massive structures. Constructing such large buildings entails solving complex architectural and engineering problems. Select a very tall building or massive monument of today and present information about it to the class. Make sure you include descriptions of problems encountered and solved during its design and construction.

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Updated: 11/21/08 01:56 pm
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