Grade Level: Upper Elementary
Goal: To introduce student to students to the art and culture of Egypt through the creation of a newspaper-stuffed sculpture.
Objectives: Students will produce a life-size representation of a personal mummy case.

Materials:
White paper from roll, or large sheets of drawing paper, taped together
Pencil, erasers, scissors, masking tape, stapler
Hieroglyphic translation sheets, Egyptian symbols and definitions
Tempera paint, brushes
Newspapers

Introduction:
Through the use of movies, books, and magazines, show students examples of Egyptian artwork and discuss Egyptian culture. Explain that they will be making a full-size "mummy case" which they will decorate with their name, painted in hieroglyphics and with other Egyptian symbols that they relate to.

Procedure:
1. Using a sheet of white paper slightly longer than the student is tall (either from roll or by taping sheets of paper together), have student lie down with feet together on the paper and with arms folded across chest.
2. Teacher or another student carefully traces around the student who is lying on the paper, squaring off the end towards the feet. (The tracing is best accomplished by having the students work together in pairs.)
3. Once outline is finished, have student use scissors to cut out the shape, evening it up, if possible, to make it symmetrical.
4. Have student begin drawing "their" mummy case. They are to include a realistic or stylized self-portrait, their name in hieroglyphics, Egyptian symbols that have meaning to them, and patterns that are similar in style to those found in photographs of real mummy cases.
5. After students have completed drawing their designs, they may begin painting them.
6. When the mummy case "cover" has been painted and is dry, have the student trace around another full size sheet of paper and cut out to create a back.
7. Paint this sheet a solid color, and when dry, carefully staple the front and back pieces together, leaving an opening on one side.
8. Using crumpled newspaper, stuff the mummy case (starting with the head and foot area) until it is full, then staple closed.

To order some of the books we used as resources, click on the covers!