Spend the Day in Ancient Egypt: Projects and Activities That Bring the Past to Life (Spend The Day Series) (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Dawn comes early on this summer day over the Nile Delta, and Ipy wakes with the sun..." (more)
Key Phrases: cubit stick, felt circle, pyramid site, New York, Upper Egypt (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-6-Honan utilizes craft projects as a means of introducing the culture and lives of ancient Egyptians. A fictionalized family is followed throughout a single day. Separate chapters cover dress, food, music, religion, education, etc., through brief discussions, sidebars on specific facts, and several crafts that are outlined in adequate detail with attention given to the need for adult supervision. Utilitarian black-and-white line drawings appear throughout; they are helpful in clarifying activities. This is a serviceable resource for unit studies when used in conjunction with historical texts. Avery Hart's Pyramids: 50 Hands-On Activities to Experience Ancient Egypt (Williamson, 1997) is an equally useful title.
Cynthia M. Sturgis, Ledding Library, Milwaukee, OR
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

Royal jubilees, towering pyramids, face painting, and jewelry making? The sky’s the limit when you spend the day in ancient Egypt! Picture this: You get out of bed and, as you go to brush your teeth, you suddenly realize that you’ve traveled back in time over 4,500 years to ancient Egypt. The sun is shining, the Nile River is almost flooding, and everywhere you look, humongous pyramids are being erected. … You have a strong hunch that it’s going to be a truly amazing day. You’ll spend the day with a family in the land of Giza during the Fourth Dynasty and learn all about Egyptian culture with loads of exotic and fun-filled activities. Join ten-year-old Meryt as she practices playing the harp for the festival of Bastet, and make your own music with a string of menat rhythm beads. Be an apprentice scribe to the pyramid builders with Meryt’s twelve-year-old brother, lpy, as you learn to count with hieroglyphs. Join the family for a round of Senet, a traditional Egyptian board game, using a board and game pieces you’ve made yourself. Then, before your day in Egypt is through, make a delicious feast fit for a pharaoh! Ages 8 to 12 Collect the whole Spend the Day series! Spend the Day in Ancient Greece Spend the Day in Ancient Rome

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Wiley (September 7, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471290068
• ISBN-13: 978-0471290063
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #80,063 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #9 in	Books > Children's Books > History & Historical Fiction > Africa
  #52 in	Books > Children's Books > History & Historical Fiction > Ancient

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars nice assortment of activities, August 9, 2008

By	That Crazy Lady "welikethemoon" (Phoenix, AZ) - See all my reviews

We checked out every Egyptian craft book from our library for a homeschool unit (grade 5, and this was among the top 3 that we actually used. The projects in this book go beyond mummies and pyramids, and some are very unique (hippopotamus statue) while others are a bit cheesy (masks out of posterboard). This would be great for a classroom teacher as most of the projects can be completed in a short time and with few materials other than posterboard. I would strongly recommend that measurements are taken for costume parts and the directions modified if needed. We made the boy's kilt following the directions and they were too small for my boys (ages 11 and 7 and athletic build). All in all, it is a good book with a lot of ideas, however there are a couple books that take it a step further and try to really bring the feel of authenticity to the projects.

For anyone looking for additional resources that are more than toilet paper tube arm cuffs and construction paper collars, I suggest you also try:
Great Ancient Egypt Projects You Can Build Yourself (Build It Yourself series)

Make History: Ancient Egypt : Re-Create Authentic Jewelry, Toys, and Other Crafts from Another Place and Time (Make History)

and if cooking is your thing,
Cooking in Ancient Civilizations (The Greenwood Press Daily Life Through History Series) is awesome (but pricey), especially if you will also be studying other ancients like the Greeks and Romans. We held a "feast day" at the end of our unit and the kids loved the food! They are now asking for these recipes again!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent craft book!, May 9, 2007

By	J. Fisak "hot librarian" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Not only does this book have wonderful crafts that are fun to make, it is also chock full of interesting information! It starts with a description of an Egyptian family, then describes various aspects of their daily lives. The directions for the two games you can make are a bit confusing (I had to look up Senet online to figure out how to play), but the sheer variety of projects, recipes, and background information more than make up for it.

5.0 out of 5 stars An adventure in learning for your young Egyptologist!, September 27, 2009

By	J. Arena (Williamsburg, VA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Amazon Verified Purchase

Spend the Day in Ancient Egypt; Projects and Activities That Bring the Past to Life (Spend The Day Series) is a superlative way to use arts and crafts to bring the past to life. Face-painting and jewelry making is only part of the fun. You can get to know an Egyptian family, dress like them, know what their life was like and much, more.

What a great way to use a creative approach to education. This makes history an adventure with hands-on activities.