Ed Tech Lesson Plan

Brief Description

In this lesson, students will investigate some of the technology used in ancient Egypt. Then they will hypothesize how life might have been different in ancient Egypt if modern technology had been available. This will allow students to reflect on the purposes and uses of modern technology.

Standards and Frameworks

Technology Standards

2T-E3. Demonstrate knowledge of current changes in technologies and the effect those changes have on the workplace and society

Academic Standards

W-E4. Write an expository essay that contains effective introductory and summary statements and fully develops the ideas with details, facts, examples and descriptions
1SS-E9. Describe the geographic, political, economic, and social characteristics of the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, and China and their contributions to later civilizations

Objectives

Academic

Students will hypothesize what life in ancient Egypt would be like with modern technology.

Technological

Students will be able to state what technologies are important in their lives.
Students will be able to discuss the impact technology has on their lives.

Pre-Requisite Technology Skills

Students will need to know how to navigate a webpage in frames.
Students will need to be familiar with several modern technologies such as computers, satellites, clocks, etc.

Materials

Computer or computers with Internet access
The web page found at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/sci_tech/highlights/001116_pyramids.shtml

Accommodations for Special Needs

Special Education/ESL: Depending on individual needs, students may need to be partnered with a stronger reader, be allowed extra time to finish the task, be given a worksheet on which to take notes, dictate their essay instead of writing it, answer specific questions about what they have learned instead of writing an essay.

Gifted: Gifted students can be encouraged to investigate other ancient civilizations and their technologies and apply the same thinking about how life would be different with today’s technology. Students could also think about what some future technologies might be and what impact they will have on society.

Procedures

This is at least a two day lesson. Plan on at least one day for investigating the web pages, and another day or two for the reflection. This lesson will be most effective when conducted in conjunction with a unit on ancient Egypt.

Day One:

Students will investigate ancient Egyptian technology using this web page: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/sci_tech/highlights/001116_pyramids.shtml
Students should take notes about the different technologies that the ancient Egyptians used to create their pyramids, mummify their dead, and keep track of time and astronomy. Students will later use this information to write about how life in ancient Egypt might have been different with today’s technologies.

Day Two:

Using what students know about ancient Egypt and modern technology, students will create a vision of what ancient Egypt might have been like had modern technology been available. Students will write an essay that describes what they think might have been different in ancient Egypt if they Egyptians had had our modern technologies. Students should focus on the processes and technologies discussed in the web pages examined previously: mummification, time keeping, astronomy, tools, and building.
In order to guide students, a class discussion of some modern technologies and their impacts on the students’ own lives should be conducted. Students should realize that they depend heavily on technologies that the ancient Egyptians never even dreamed of.
Students’ visions should include descriptions of at least three modern technologies (computers, satellites, clocks, construction machinery, etc.) and how those technologies would have been used by the ancient Egyptians, again focusing on the processes and technologies discussed in the web pages.

Assessment

Assessment will be based on the students’ visions. The following rubric can be used for written essays.

	5 points	3 points	1 point
Ancient Processes and Technologies	Student addresses at least four of the processes/technologies discussed in the web pages.	Student addresses two or three of the processes/technologies discussed in the web pages.	Student addresses less than two of the processes/technologies discussed in the web pages.
Modern Technologies	Essay includes more than three modern technologies.	Essay includes three modern technologies.	Essay includes fewer than 3 modern technologies.
Feasibility of Vision	Student shows a great understanding of how modern technology might have been used by the ancient Egyptians.	Student shows a moderate understanding of how modern technology might have been used by the ancient Egyptians.	Student shows little or no understanding of how modern technology might have been used by the ancient Egyptians.
Writing Conventions	Student follows all major writing conventions, including paragraphing, sentence construction, capitals, periods, and spelling.	Student follows most major writing conventions, including paragraphing, sentence construction, capitals, periods, and spelling.	Student follows few major writing conventions, including paragraphing, sentence construction, capitals, periods, and spelling.
Scoring	A 18-20 B 14-17 C 10-13 D 8-9 F 4-7

Teacher Name: Liesl Mitchell
Site: Coronado K-8
Date Submitted: May 12, 2003