Subject area:

class, art.

Social Studies-World History and Cultures

Lesson title: Commemorating the Dead: Similarities in burial

rituals of Egypt and other ancient cultures. In this lesson,
students will learn how artist conveyed the importance of
burial rituals through the representation of various art
forms.
Intended grade level: This lesson is intended for a high
school World History and Cultures students-generally 10th
and 11th grade students.
Goals/objectives:
-goals: Using visual arts, the student will understand how 4
cultures from ancient times are simila in the eay that they
commemorated their dead, focusing on burial rituals.
Students will create a movie or slideshow that will
commemorate a burial ritual from the modern world/their own
life.
-common core standards: Iowa Social Studies Standards-The
student will understand the roll of culture and cultural
diffusion in the development and maintenance of societies
from today and the past.
-ISTE Standards: Students demonstrate creative thinking,
construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and
processes using technology.
Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct
research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed
decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources.
Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues
related to technology and practice legal and ethical
behavior.
Technology Skills:Students will need to know how to use
Photopeach or Windows Movie Maker. They will also need
familiarity with navigating through databases: iclipart for
schools, Learn 360, CultureGrams, and Gale. At this point
in the school year, these will have already been taught and

reviewed again during student assignment phase.

Procedure/Instructional Strategies: Step 1:(whole class)
Anticipatory set: Students will be shown a picture of King
Tutankhamen's sarcophagus(via AP Images photos)with
discussion as follows: What is this a photo of? What was it
possibly used for? Have you seen this photo before, if so,
where? What do think it says about King Tutankhamen and
Ancient Egypt?
Step 2:(whole class) Connection to prior knowledge:
discussion: What do we already know about King Tutankhamen?
Review of mummification process with a video review via
Learn 360.
Step 3:Instruction:(whole class) class discussion and short
lecture-with picture slide show accompaniment from
Photopeach on the following:
-Review of mummification process from Ancient Egypt from
previous lesson.
-Discussion of how Egyptian artists commemorated the dead
with their art. 10-15 photos will be shown from the inside
of tombs, famous tombs, sculptures,etc. Pictures will be
taken from iclipart for schools and AP Images.
-Discussion of how other Ancient societies commemorated
their dead through art. For comparison purposes, we will
compare Ancient Rome, Ancient Greece and the Olmec
societies. A photo slideshow using Photopeach to show
artwork from these 3 societies and photos from iclipart for
schools. Questions used in class discussion are listed
below.

Student Questions:-How would you explain why each societies'

artists came up with such different ways to commemorate art?
-Which society came up with the most complex way to
commemorate their dead?(explain) What would happen if
artists didn't find ways in each ancient society to
commemorate their dead? How would you rate the importance
of burial rituals in each society?(similarities and

differences) -In today's world, how would you rate the

imporance of burial rituals in the United States? Other
countries? What kinds of burial rituals are there today?
Extensions: Learning about and comparing how more than just
3 or 4 ancient societies commemorated their dead through
artwork. We could also study, in depth, how different
societies/countries/religions today commemorate their dead-compare and contrast them. It might also help to extend
knowledge by getting a trunk from the Joslyn Art Museum to
get some hands on artifacts and art as well as more
resources to spend time on from the AEA(medianet.)
Student Assignment: Students will create their choice of a
movie or photo slide show using photo peach to show how
we(in the modern world) commemorate buiral rituals.
Students may choose to use their own family background as an
example to make it personal or use a common way used in any
culture today(for example, using a specific country or
religion). Students will compare a society today and one
ancient culture. In this comparison, they must compare 4
different categories, two of which must be: funeral rituals
and how artists in that culture commemorate their dead.
Students will use either Photopeach, Windows Movie Maker or
equivalent to create their project. Photos, information and
images will be obtained from, but not limited to: AP Images,
iclipart for schools, CultureGrams, Gale,and Learn 360.
Follow up from this assignment will include a write up on
what they learned about todays funeral customs, how artists
today commemorate our dead and how this are similar to
ancient times. Students will also present their assignments
to the class to extend learning of the other students in
class.
Assessment:Informal assessment to test students basic
understanding of concepts taught during classroom
discussion/lecture would be a short 3 question quiz
following the lesson. This will determine student
understanding.
Formal assessment: A rubric will be used to score students
understanding of objectives of the lesson in their

movie/slideshow. The rubric would include use of at least 3

databases for a variety of information and knowledge,
creativity, use of at least 4 ways to compare a society
today and one ancient culture.
Resources:
-AP Images ID: 97100202838
-AP Images ID 97082004071
-http://www.learn360.com/ShowVideo.aspx?ID=316421&SearchText=ancient+egypt
-iclipartforschools 182730, iclipartforschools263599,iclipartforschools 319296,
iclipartforschools 178523, iclipartforschools 302057, iclipartforschools 166289,
iclipartforschools
-flickr.com/photos/rella88/3879864636

Teacher preparation: 1) create slideshow using Photopeach

and images for lesson introduction of King Tut's
sarcophogus. 2) Add to the slideshow artwork that
commemorated the dead from Ancient Egypt, Olmec, Ancient
Rome and Ancient Greece. At least 10 photos from each. 3)
Powerpoint presentation of informal assessment quiz 4)
include in powerpoint and on classroom website the
assignment 5) include in powerpoint review of Ancient Egypts
burial rituals in pictures, if possible.

Contact information:
Name: Catheryne Kuhl
Grade level: high school
Subject: World History and Cultures
School: none at this time

email: ckuhl0803@cox.net