Internet Field Trip: The Pyramids

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The Egyptian pyramids — they are the last of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Do those words paint mental pictures in your mind? Just the mention of the word "pyramid" and minds start generating all kinds of images, from hot sands to camel caravans. The sites below will help you to expand the mental pictures of your students while also giving them lots of terrific information.

Encyclopedia Smithsonian: The Egyptian Pyramid
http://www.si.edu/resource/faq/nmnh/pyramid.htm
This is a good overview (though perhaps a tad dry?) of the pyramids. This site gives a list of books at the end, so your students will have more resources when they visit the library.

Construction of the Pyramids
http://interoz.com/egypt/construction/construc.htm
Now that you've seen them, and have an overview, it's time to learn about the construction of the pyramids. Of course, since — as I tell my classes — the Egyptians didn't leave us any videotapes about how they did things (my students groan when they hear this), some of the "hows" are of the best-guess genre.

Pyramids and Temples Menu
http://www.discoveringegypt.com/pyr-temp.htm
This page has a map of the Nile River valley, showing the pyramid and temple sites. If you have a browser that is Java-enabled, you will be able to interact with the map, getting images and text immediately. If you don't have a Java-enabled browser, you can simply use the linked list that follows the map. You may want to follow the links down the river, or hit your favorite pyramid first.

Site for Links: Ancient Egypt Resources for K–12
http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/egypt.htm
If exploring the pyramids or Ancient Egypt in general, check out this list of resources. It may be suitable for your students, or could offer sites for your own lesson-planning or personal enjoyment.

Web Hunt: Science & Social Studies (Grades 6-10)
Browse our collection of Web Hunt to learn about various topics in science and social studies. Learn about the American Museum of Natural History, DNA, leeches, mythic creatures, Christopher Columbus, Harriet Tubman and more.

Asian Pacific American Heritage: utopia (concept)
Discusses the concept of a Utopian society as expressed by Saint Thomas More.

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