The sixth graders have been busy in Ancient Egypt! They spent time on a virtual tour of the Pyramids of Giza. The highlight of this tour was a virtual 360 degree tour of a pharaoh's tomb where the students could examine the hieroglyphs on the walls as well as see the relative size of the underground tomb. Our Egyptologists also learned about the mummification process. After reading about the process and its mythology, students mummified an apple slice using a combination of salt and baking soda. The apples were stored in highly decorated bags to mimic the highly decorated tombs. After three weeks, the students became archeologists to unearth their mummified apple brushing off the remaining salt mixture. Finally, it was wrapped in gauze and entombed in a miniature pyramid! They even made sure their apple mummy travelled with a valuable jewel, just like a pharoah. The unit concluded by learning the Ancient Egyptian game of Senet - which was described by the students as a cross between checkers and backgammon. A Senet tournament was held to see who had the most luck in the 6th grade. The 6th grade is off to Ancient African and Ancient China after the holiday break.