The sixth grade students are wrapping up their social studies examination of the ancient Egyptians. In this unit, sixth graders 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, most recently, the priests. After learning about the mummification process, students put the work of the ancient priests into practice by mummifying chicken carcasses! Students removed the internal organs, dried the carcasses out with salt, and coated them in spices to mask the odor of decay. Over the next four to five weeks, they will be responsible for re-spicing and re-salting the carcasses each week. When the "mummies" are ready, the classes will wrap them in gauze and decorate them with Egyptian-style amulets and jewels. 

Exclaims social studies teacher Allison Schwartz, "For many students, learning is doing. It was messy but definitely worth it!" MORE PHOTOS