Technology Integration: Social Studies
Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks for History & Social Science:
Standard 7.16 = Summarize important achievements of Egyptian civilization
Standard 7.16 = Summarize important achievements of Egyptian civilization
Internet Integration Strategy:
The British Museum offers a great website that has gives students information background , then asks them to examine a digital representation of a museum artifact to learn more and ties the targeted concepts together with an interactive game or activity that relates to the topic at hand in an engaging way. To navigate the site, select a topic, either in the side-bar or by selecting the corresponding hieroglyph. In each topic, click on the image to access the story-explore-challenge menu.
screenshot from British Museum's site.
Problem Statement
Students may not fully understand how archeologists piece together the history and culture of a society through examining their artifacts.
Integration Strategy
This site might be introduced for whole group instruction by a teacher using an interactive white board, using the information found in the "story" section. Discussion, review of the terms, and a group examination of the artifacts shown can take place.
Then groups of 1-3 students could work on laptops to delve into the experience of researching an artifact (in the "explore" section) to see how an archeologist builds an understanding of a people from the objects that remain. If there are 5 groups, then each group could explore a single piece in great detail and re-cap for the whole group. The students will see not only that single piece, but other artifacts that reinforce the importance of the pictured object/activity in daily life.
Students could use the challenge page to play an online version of the ancient game of Senet in teams. (This could be done in either pairs, small groups, or as a whole class divided into 2 teams). The students could then create a physical copy of a Senet board for their own use.
Then groups of 1-3 students could work on laptops to delve into the experience of researching an artifact (in the "explore" section) to see how an archeologist builds an understanding of a people from the objects that remain. If there are 5 groups, then each group could explore a single piece in great detail and re-cap for the whole group. The students will see not only that single piece, but other artifacts that reinforce the importance of the pictured object/activity in daily life.
Students could use the challenge page to play an online version of the ancient game of Senet in teams. (This could be done in either pairs, small groups, or as a whole class divided into 2 teams). The students could then create a physical copy of a Senet board for their own use.
Relative Advantage
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Expected Outcome
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Tool Based Software:
The web-based tool, Hieroglyphic Typewriter, offers a way for students to explore and evaluate an alternate system of encoding information, creating images similar to what Egyptians would have been familiar with.
This hieroglyphic message reads:
Technology can help to make abstract concepts more meaningful.
Technology can help to make abstract concepts more meaningful.
Problem Statement
Students may not fully understand the significance of the Egyptians' use of hieroglyphs in their writing system as a way of encoding phonetic information and how it differs from the Cunieform script previously studied.
Integration Strategy
The teacher can use the hieroglyphic typewriter to create/ display messages for the students to decode. The group can discuss the ease at which message can be created.
As a group, staff and students can review the writing system (cuneiform) used in Mesopotamia and can compare it to that used by the Egyptians. In particular, the students can examine how the earliest form of cuneiform, a vast set of pictographs conveying concepts, differ from the Egyptian hieroglyphs which included a small set of pictures and symbols to convey phonetic information.
Students can use use the hieroglyphic typewriter to create a unique statement about themselves. They can print the hieroglyphic message. The students names can be placed on bottom of the page and folded over. Students can then play the role of archeologists and decipher the clues, seeing if they can then identify to which student the message refers. (This could also be done on an interactive white board, if the students saved an screenshot of their message and uploaded it to a group presentation).
As a group, staff and students can review the writing system (cuneiform) used in Mesopotamia and can compare it to that used by the Egyptians. In particular, the students can examine how the earliest form of cuneiform, a vast set of pictographs conveying concepts, differ from the Egyptian hieroglyphs which included a small set of pictures and symbols to convey phonetic information.
Students can use use the hieroglyphic typewriter to create a unique statement about themselves. They can print the hieroglyphic message. The students names can be placed on bottom of the page and folded over. Students can then play the role of archeologists and decipher the clues, seeing if they can then identify to which student the message refers. (This could also be done on an interactive white board, if the students saved an screenshot of their message and uploaded it to a group presentation).
Relative Advantage
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Expected Outcomes
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Instructional Software:
The software program Timeliner XE from Tom Snyder publications comes with 400 pre-made templates covering cross-curricular topics, including Ancient Egypt. Although the MSRP is $99, lower prices can be found online (check Academic Superstore's site). The Timeliner program does more than merely show students historical timelines. It contains a built-in browser that helps students access related multimedia and to correctly cite the materials they use in their research. They can also create multimedia slideshows easily with Timeliner.
Here is a screenshot from the Timeliner website:
Here is a screenshot from the Timeliner website:
Problem Statement
Students may have difficulty connecting different historical events and developments in a society: They may have difficulty in understanding the sequence of events and may memorize facts in isolation without seeing how they relate to the big picture.
Integration Strategy
The teacher can use Timeliner XE to show students, an an engaging multimedia format, how historic events/developments relate to each other. The teacher can use Timeliner XE on an interactive white board to pinpoint the "where/when/what/who" of the day's lesson. In the unit on Ancient Egypt, Timeliner could have daily use as a grounding piece of the lesson ("Let's check where we are today and what's been happening...") to ensure that students are making those essential connections to previous knowledge and have a strong sense of how those pieces of information about the "where/when/what/who" combine to help answer the "why".
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Expected Outcomes
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Productivity Software
Mind mapping software increases productivity by organizing information efficiently and creating visual representations of key concepts and/or events. There are currently many mind map programs available online, some for free (such as bubbl.us) and some that are fairly pricey. The software program, Mindjet's MindManager, unfortunately falls into the latter category, but there is a significant discount for educators and students (as seen here). There is also a free 30-day trial. It is used by many corporations and the final product can be quite professional. Here is a sample screenshot of a mind map about Ancient Egypt, created with MindManager:
Problem Statement
Students may have difficulty organizing their notes into a coherent and meaningful format.
Integration Strategy
Teachers can use MindManager (or a similar mind mapping tool) to create graphic organizers for students to use to organize their notes. They can can also use the mndmaps in class presentations to show how the ideas are connected. Students can use MindManager to re-organize their notes in order to make them more personally meaningful. They can also use such tools to plan their research and to oversee the flow of a project.
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Expected Outcomes
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More Resources
Check out these additional resources for further information and more ideas about integrating technology into the content area of Social Studies.
- The website 3D virtual tours presents a tour of the inside of the pyramid at Khufo. (Press on the little foot on the top of box to step inside the pyramid. Use your arrow buttons to navigate through the structure). As you move within the pyramid, the text under the simulation gives information about the site.
- This LiveBinder is choc-a-bloc full of very useful links & web tools related to Ancient Egypt and was assembled by a teacher who even included lesson plans! A few of the links are broken, but the vast majority work just fine and point teachers toward some great resources
- PBS has produced several documentaries about Ancient Egypt. Their website has additional resources for teachers to use that augment the documentaries. There are lesson plans, additional pictures, and interactive simulations. Check out this PBS site about Egypt's empire past.