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A Lesson on Egypt Grade: Grade 4
Subject: English Language Arts
Created by: Taylor Buck
Lesson Length: 1 hour 45 minutes
Keywords/Tags: Egypt, reading, writing, history
Lesson Description: This lesson will focus on students using context clues to understand complex words. Students will use the reading passage to understand why Egypt had an interesting history. They will think critically and come up with ideas as to why the people of Egypt live near the Nile River. Students will learn new vocabulary and think critically about another culture.
Common Core Standards Covered with This Lesson
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.1: Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.4: Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.1: Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.1b: Provide reasons that are supported by facts and details.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
 
     
     
 
Lesson Content: Reading
Instructions: Please read the following reading passage as many times as needed (aloud and silent) before starting to go through other lesson pages. Understanding the content of this passage is very important since the lesson activities will be all about this content. Feel free to print the passage if needed.

Egypt

Egypt is a country in Africa. It is at the north part of the continent. The north side of Egypt borders the Mediterranean. East of it is the Red Sea, Sudan to the south and Libya to the west. Other countries are on its other sides. It is in a very special location. It is a place that is close to Asia. 

The capital of Egypt is Cairo. That is a really great city. It has been an important city for a long time. It is the largest city in Africa. If you visit that city, you will find a very modern place. You will see many cars. You will see many businesses, schools, and homes. 

About 82 million people live in Egypt. They have a rich history. Long ago, Egyptians made this the greatest place in the world. They built pyramids. These very smart people invented ways to farm. 

Long ago, Egyptians were wonderful leaders. They built great buildings. They set up schools. They invented a special way of writing. That was called hieroglyphics. They looked like pictures instead of alphabet letters. 

You will still see hieroglyphics in Egypt today. But they are not used to read and write. They are a part of history. Egypt has a long history. It has been a leader for a long time. If you read Egypt’s history, you will know how great this country has been. 

Today most Egyptians live near the banks of the Nile River. This is where the only good land to farm is. It’s a great place to live. There are other parts that are difficult to live—they are deserts. So not many people live there. 

About half of Egypt's residents live in cities. Those big cities are in the area of the Nile River. If you go to Cairo, the biggest city, you will find millions of people. 

Egypt has had some problems. There have been wars. There have been problems of poverty. Poor people in the cities need jobs. They need homes. Egypt is working to solve those problems. 

Egypt is making its schools better. The school leaders are making plans to help students learn more. They are planning ways to help parents help their children learn more, too. 

Egypt is a great country. It has a wonderful history. It will have a great future because people are working hard. They are working together to get more jobs and homes. 
 
     
     
 
Task 1: Vocabulary Activity (20 points)
Instructions: Please complete the following vocabulary activity by choosing the correct meaning of each word selected from the passage and use of each word correctly in a sentence.
Vocabulary Questions
Word/Phrase: Rich | Tier: 2 | Points: 5
Q1 In the story, the author says "They have a rich history." What does "rich" mean in this sentence?
A. Old
B. Bad
C. Abundant *
D. Poor
Select the sentence that uses the word "rich" correctly.
A. The soil was rich with nutrients. *
B. Rich decided to take a break from the race to relax.
C. I was going to have rich for breakfast today.
D. The food did not taste good. I think it was rich and old.
Word/Phrase: Invented | Tier: 2 | Points: 5
Q2 In the story, the author says "They invented a special way of writing." What does the word "invented" mean?
A. Stole
B. Captured
C. Faked
D. Created *
Select the sentence that uses the word "invented" correctly.
A. I invented to my neighbor yesterday.
B. Shelby assumed that invented was required for this class.
C. I invented a new way to bake a cake. *
D. Invented was the right way to answer the question.
Word/Phrase: Banks | Tier: 3 | Points: 5
Q3 The author in this story says "...most Egyptians live near the banks of the Nile River." What does the word "banks" in this sentence mean?
A. Place that holds money
B. Forest
C. Ice
D. Land alongside a river *
Which one of the sentences below uses the word "banks" correctly?
A. I went to the banks to get some ice cream.
B. I like hiking by the banks of the mountain.
C. When kayaking down the river, we like to camp by the banks of the river. *
D. Banks are commonly found in the desert along the sand dunes.
Word/Phrase: Modern | Tier: 3 | Points: 5
Q4 In the story, the author says that in Egypt "...you will find a very modern place." What is the definition of the word "modern"?
A. Ancient
B. Referring to the present time *
C. Central
D. Historical
Select the sentence that uses the word "modern" correctly.
A. The art festival was for modern work that represented present day designs. *
B. The statue was so modern that it dated back to the 18th century.
C. I wanted to do a project on the modern Viking ship.
D. The modern dinosaur was spectacular!
Standards Covered with This Lesson Activity: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.1, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.4,
 
     
     
 
Task 2: Discussion Activity (35 points)
Instructions: This discussion forum will have questions for students to respond. Read the posted questions, and respond to each. Students are responsible for posting one initial and and two peer responses for each topic.
  Topic Title Replies
Message Farming in Egypt
Why do you think it is important for Egyptians to farm near the Nile River instead of more inland?
Sent on: Oct 3, 2017 by: Taylor Buck		 0
Message Hieroglyphics
Do you think some people can still read hieroglyphics? Do you think these artifacts are being preserved?
Sent on: Oct 3, 2017 by: Taylor Buck		 0
Message History
Do you think Egyptians are proud of their history? Use 2 examples from the text to back up your reasoning. 
Sent on: Oct 3, 2017 by: Taylor Buck		 0
Standards Covered with This Lesson Activity: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.1b,
 
     
     
 
Task 3: Writing Activity (45 points)
Instructions: Write between 6-8 sentences about the difference between Ancient Egypt and Modern-Day Egypt. Are there any differences or similarities? If so, quote those examples and explain. 
Standards Covered with This Lesson Activity: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.1, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.9,
 
     

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