Module Twenty One

Egypt

Introduction: This module is comprised of four learning activities. The completion of all activities in this module may take about four 50 minute class periods. Teachers may decide to teach the entire module or to select among the learning activities that fit their needs.

Overview: The purpose of this module is to introduce students to the country of Egypt -and to end the misconception that Egypt is not a part of Africa. This module will first introduce students to Egypt by describing the geography and economy of the country in Activity One. Next, Activity Two gives an overview of Egypt’s rich ancient history and information on Egyptian society. Activity Three will cover the modern history of Egypt. The final activity, Activity Four, will cover a modern and historically controversial issue in Egypt: water.

The learning activities are designed to be used sequentially. However, each activity can be engaged in on its own. Completion of the entire unit will take approximately four 50 minute class periods.

Purpose: This module was created to provide students and teachers with the opportunity to study and learn about the Northern African country of Egypt. There is often a misconception that Egypt is solely in the Middle East, but in fact it is also an integral part of North Africa. In addition to providing students with learning activities that will enhance their general knowledge and understanding of the history, geography, societies and cultures of Egypt, this module will engage students in discussion, debates, critical readings, and statistical data that will inform them more about Egypt and develop their critical thinking and reasoning skills while learning about a country of Africa.

Objectives:

There are several objectives to this module.

  1. Students will learn about the geography and history of Egypt.
  2. Students will learn to use graphs, tables, and charts as a representative model of date and will also be able to draw conclusions based on those models.
  3. Students will learn about current issues that face Egypt, such as water, economic issues, and historical artifacts (tourism).
  4. Students will learn to debate and take a position and use evidence and opinions to state their position.
  5. Students will read about current events from websites, articles, and newspaper reports and draw their own conclusion from the variety of perspectives they read.

Photograph Notes:

Please remember that there are numerous photographs being used in this module. They DO NOT necessarily represent Egypt at all times and in all places. A photograph is one of many ways the country of Egypt could be represented at a certain place and time. They do help illustrate, especially for those who have never been to Egypt, some of the places, activities, and practices that occur in the country. They are NOT a uniform representation of Egypt.

Begin this module with Activity One or select one of the other activities of the module