Molloy College

Division of Education
Student: Nick Berardi
Professor: Dr. Esposito
Course: EDU 544
Date: 6/27/16
Grade: 6th
Topic: Ancient Egyptian Pyramids Content Area: Social Studies

Instructional Objective(s) (Lesson Objective(s)*)

The students will examine the Ancient Egyptian pyramids and will be
able to identify the purpose and importance that pyramids had in Ancient Egyptian civilization.
Content Objective(s):

The students will take notes during an interactive presentation and

will also read, A Tour through an Ancient Egyptian Pyramid. When this has been completed, the
students will be able to describe the purposes of Egyptian Pyramids in a well-developed
paragraph, addressing all task prompts that will require the students to identify and explain the
key functions of the ancient Egyptian pyramids.
Language Objective(s):

CCLS / +NYS STANDARDS AND INDICATORS

EXAMPLES OF STANDARDS AND INDICATORS
NYS SS S.6.3d Political and social hierarchies influenced the access that groups and individuals
had to power, wealth, and jobs and influenced their roles within a society.
- Students will examine the unique achievements of each of the selected complex
societies and civilizations that served as lasting contributions.
Indicator: This will be evident when students read A tour through the Great Pyramid of Egypt
using the reading to help them understand and learn the reasons that the pyramids were built and
were used for.
Common Core Grade 6 Standard (W.6.2): Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a
topic and convey ideas, concepts and information through the selection, organization and
analysis of relevant content
b. Develop the topic with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations or other
information and examples.
Indicator: This will be evident when students complete their Exit Ticket. The Exit Ticket will
require students to answer the learning objectives for this lesson. The students will provide and
cite evidence from their notes and reading to support their explanation on their Exit Ticket.

Molloy College, Division of Education, Rockville Centre, NY 11571- 04/19/11

Revised 8/7/13
*edTPA academic language

MOTIVATION (Engaging the learner(s)*)

The students will be shown a picture of an Ancient Egyptian Pyramid and be asked, What do
you think the Egyptians used this for? The students will share their answers with the class, be
asked to explain their answer. This will allow for students to be creative in brainstorming ideas
about what these pyramids could be used for and what might be inside, as well as allow students
to access their prior learning experiences about pyramids and share those with the class.

MATERIALS
SMARTBoard, PowerPoint presentation, Virtual Reality tour video, A Tour Through the Great
Pyramid of Egypt reading (differentiated versions), Exit Slip (differentiated versions)

STRATEGIES (Learning Strategies*)

Direct Instruction:
This will be evident when students follow along with a PowerPoint presentation that will review
or introduce new ideas, concepts, and vocabulary about the ancient Egyptian pyramids.
Independent Learning:
This will be evident when the students who are at the native and commanding level complete
their reading and assignment independently.
Cooperative Learning:
This will be evident when students work with a partner or in a small group, taking turns to read
the text, highlight important information, and share and discuss their answers.
Group Discussion:
This will be evident at the open of the lesson when the students will discuss the possible
purposes and uses for the ancient Egyptian pyramids.

ADAPTATIONS (Exceptionality*)
Adaptations:
For the students who are English language learners, the teacher will provide them with
additional vocabulary to assist in their comprehension of the reading passage.
For the students who are English language learners, the teacher will show them a virtual
tour of the inside of a pyramid to help with their comprehension of the reading passage
and end of lesson assessment.

DIFFERENTIATION OF INSTRUCTION
Differentiated Content:
The students who are at a commanding level or are native speakers will read the passage as is.
The students who are transitioning will read the same passage but have key vocabulary defined
in the margins or within the text itself to help with understanding. The students at the emerging
Molloy College, Division of Education, Rockville Centre, NY 11571- 04/19/11
Revised 8/7/13
*edTPA academic language

level will read the same passage as the transitioning students, while also watching a virtual
reality tour of the inside of a pyramid.
Differentiated Process:
The students that are at the commanding and native levels will complete the reading and
highlighting of information independently. The students that are transitioning will work with a
partner or small group and take turns reading the passage aloud, helping one another to identify
important information. The students that are at the emerging level will work in one small group
with the teacher. The teacher will read the passage aloud, stopping after each paragraph to clarify
questions, as well as prompt students to check if any information in the previous paragraph
addresses an Exit Slip task prompt.
Differentiated Product:
The Exit Slip for students at the commanding and native levels will require students to develop a
well-developed paragraph, in which they will answer all task prompts describing the use of
pyramids. The transitioning students will also write a well-developed paragraph, but will have
sentence starters for each prompt to help them in their process. The emerging students will
complete the Exit Slip by using phrases or key vocabulary from a word bank to complete a
paragraph that is outlined by sentence starters.

DEVELOPMENTAL PROCEDURES

After the warm-up to the lesson, the students will review the vocabulary words they were
asked to define in their notebooks the previous night for homework. The definitions of
each word will be on the board and will be accompanied by visual supports for each
vocabulary word (pharaoh, tomb, pyramid, afterlife, and sarcophagus).
(What are other names for leaders of a country? Where do we bury people in todays
society? Why might the Egyptians have built their sarcophagus [coffins] out of stone?
What are some different names for the afterlife in your own religion?)

The class will then be split into three groups and will complete a differentiated activity, A
Tour Through the Great Pyramid of Egypt, based on their proficiency and academic
levels. The Exit Slip will then be handed out, as well and the directions and tasks will be
reviewed for the Exit Slip to allow students to have an understanding of what they should
be looking for in the reading and highlight it when they find it.
(After reviewing the Exit slip, what information might you highlight in the reading? What
does the word tour mean? When we work with groups or partners, what are some
important things to keep in mind?)

When the students have completed the reading, I will ask the class review questions
about the reading and ask a few students to summarize the reading passage for the whole
class.
(Why did the pharaoh want to seal his tomb completely from both the inside and outside?
Who wanted to break into the pharaohs tomb? Why? What type of things would the

Molloy College, Division of Education, Rockville Centre, NY 11571- 04/19/11

Revised 8/7/13
*edTPA academic language

pharaoh be buried with? Why? About how large was the Great Pyramid/What did the
compare the Great Pyramid to?)
The students will have the last five minutes of class to answer all task requirements on
their Exit Slip, which are based off the information they read in the reading passage.
What vocabulary word is the task asking you about? Can you find that word in the
reading or your notes?)

ASSESSMENT
Assessment:
The students will successfully complete an Exit Slip as their assessment to this lesson. The
assessment is based on the learning objectives for this lesson, which will require the students to
show their understanding of pyramids and a pyramids purpose by answering several task
prompts, according to their academic and proficiency levels. The teacher will assess the students
based on the completion of all task prompts, as well as accuracy of facts. Any misunderstanding
will be addressed in a private setting or with the whole class, in the case of multiple students
misunderstanding a certain idea or concept. The assessment will be differentiated as such:
The students at the commanding and native levels will require students to develop a welldeveloped paragraph, in which they will answer all task prompts describing the use of
pyramids.
The transitioning students will also write a well-developed paragraph, but will have
sentence starters for each prompt to help them in their process.
The emerging students will complete the Exit Slip by using phrases or key vocabulary
from a word bank to complete a paragraph that is outlined by sentence starters.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE
INDEPENDENT PRACTICE:

Following the lesson on the ancient Egyptian pyramids, the students will research about
the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. The students will compare and contrast the differences
between the tombs at the Valley of the Kings and the tombs inside the ancient pyramids.
The students will then evaluate which tomb was better to be buried and explain their
answer with evidence from the lesson and their research.

FOLLOW-UP: DIRECT TEACHER INTERVENTION AND ACADEMIC

ENRICHMENT
Direct Teacher Intervention: The student will work with the teacher to label a blank blueprint
map of a pyramid. After labelling the parts of the pyramid correctly, the student and teacher will
discuss the purpose of each part.

Molloy College, Division of Education, Rockville Centre, NY 11571- 04/19/11

Revised 8/7/13
*edTPA academic language

Academic Enrichment: The student will read a passage about the purposes of other pyramid-like
structures, like ziggurats. The student will then compare and contrast the differences of the two
types of structures.

TEACHER REFERENCES
A virtual 3D tour inside the great pyramid of khufu " cheops " at giza. (2013, September 13).
Retrieved June 5, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCGM0pyCu4M
Einstein, C. (2001). Ancient egypt & king tuts tomb. Lesson Logic. Retrieved June 4, 2016,
from http://eps.schoolspecialty.com/EPS/media/SiteResources/downloads/external/read_write_think/Ancient_Egypt.pdf
Pyramids: Houses of eternity. British Museum (n.d.). Retrieved June 4,2016, from
http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/pyramids/home.html

Molloy College, Division of Education, Rockville Centre, NY 11571- 04/19/11

Revised 8/7/13
*edTPA academic language