Lesson plan based on Model Boat
Simulate a journey down the Nile River to appreciate the river’s size and the slow pace of ancient travel.
Skills and Focus: Geography, Problem Solving, Calculation
Subject Area: Science
Thematic Connection: Geography
Grade Level: Elementary School
Time Needed: 60 minutes
Objectives
• Examine in detail the image of the boat, the equipment, and the rowers and their clothing.
• Develop a sense of the great length of the Nile River and the slow nature of travel in ancient times.
Instructional Materials Needed
Story: Boats in Ancient Egypt
8 1/2 x 11" paper
Scissors
Pens/pencils for each student
Rulers
Activity
Step 1: When watching Boats in Ancient Egypt with the students, make sure they pay close attention to the distance the Nile River travels through Egypt. Assuming that the boat can travel at a speed of 5 mph, ask students to calculate how many days it would take to travel the length of the Nile through Egypt, sailing twelve hours a day.
Step 2: Have each student trace a map of Egypt that includes the course of the Nile River on a sheet of paper. Each student should then draw a small (3") boat like the model boat on another piece of paper. Have students cut out the little boats so they can be moved up and down the Nile.
Step 3: Each student should divide the length of the Nile into ten equal parts (since it would take ten days for the journey). Mark the daily units on the maps with x’s.
Step 4: Allow students to move their boats one day’s worth of travel every ten minutes. During the interim the class could draw detailed versions of the model boat, taking short breaks every ten minutes to move their boats along. This part of the activity could be adapted to last an entire week (actually ten classroom periods), with the students moving their boats along at the beginning of the period, discussing various aspects of Egyptian culture each day using different Cleopatra lesson plans. In this way students would gain a better understanding of how long it might really take to make such a journey in ancient times.
Goals
This activity meets Illinois State Goal 11: Have a working knowledge of the processes of scientific inquiry and technological design to investigate questions, conduct experiments, and solve problems.
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