Sixth Graders "Wrap Up" Their Unit on Ancient Egypt by Mummifying Chickens

Sixth graders wrapped up their social studies unit on ancient Egyptians, putting the work of the ancient priests into practice by mummifying chicken carcasses! Students began the process by removing the internal organs before drying the carcasses with salt, coating them in cinnamon and nutmeg to mask the odor, and then placing them in bags filled with salt. Over the next four to five weeks, the sixth graders will re-spice and re-salt the carcasses and when the “mummies” are ready, the classes will wrap them in gauze and decorate them with Egyptian-style amulets and jewels.

 

In this unit about ancient Egypt, students have learned about the geography of the Nile; researched ancient Egyptian monuments (such as the Great Pyramid at Giza) and the pharaohs who commissioned them; and studied the societal roles of government officials, scribes, artisans, peasants, and priests. Says social studies teacher Allison Stine, “Making the chicken mummies is fun and it helps students imagine what the embalming process was like. Many of the students realized that being a priest was actually hard work and required a lot of responsibility.” MORE PHOTOS