* Egyptians School Visits from the History Specialists

e-mail

Egyptian school visits for education. We provide a living history and reenactment service as historical interpreters focusing on the QCA What can we find out about Ancient Egypt from what has survived topic. As re-enactors, we use storytelling/Egyptian myths, dance, writing using reeds and artefacts such as toys and games, full mummification kit etc. to bring the excitement of real history to your classroom.

Some of the locations we travel to for our Egyptians workshops are:

East-Midlands, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire , Warwickshire, Leamington, Leicester Hinckley Nottingham Peterborough Coventry Birmingham, Tamworth, Derbyshire, Derby, Chesterfield, Ilkeston, Swadlincote, Buxton, Matlock, Ashbourne, Nottinghamshire, Mansfield, Worksop, Newark, Leicestershire, Leicester, Loughborough, Melton Mowbray, Coalville, Lutterworth, Rutland - Oakham, Uppingham. Cottesmore, Northampton, Peterborough, Corby, Kettering, Wellingborough, West-Midlands, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Dudley, Coventry, Smethwick, West Bromwich, Solihull, Bedfordshire, Birmingham, Warwick, Nuneaton, Rugby, Solihull, Stratford-upon-Avon.

Now booking for the Summer term, 2012

Invite Cleopatra and her priest into your

school and be transported back in time to the

year 31BCE. Cleopatra is the famous Queen

of the Nile and this exciting Egyptian day

promises to add learning and wonder to your

topic.

The Egyptian school visit can be booked

for one- four classes for a full day or a half

day. We have worked with a whole small

school before and have enough resources and

activities for all to be busy with Egyptian

sessions all day.

Here is an outline of the typical Egyptian school visit:

Introduction

The Living Isis (or sometimes her

priest!) introduces herself and

provides a general background

on the time. Every day clothing,

objects and way of life are

discussed as well as Egyptian

Gods and Goddesses. The

introduction usually features the

Creation Myth also.

The Mummy Maker Session

In this session, children will meet our specially

made life-size Mummification dummy. It also

features a ready made 6ft Mummy; a coffin

and all the equipment needed for

mummifying, as well as the opportunity

for children to create their own replica

artefacts from clay.

The priest (or Cleo!) takes the children through

the complicated process of Mummification,

using his recently dead friend for the children

to practise on. The corpse dummy is designed

to allow for children to take out organs for

storage in the appropriate canopic jar etc.

Volunteers are asked variously

to join in with aspects of the

process, wearing various

masks and even to stand in as

a sacrificial bull - all will

become clear. By the end, the

mummy should be ready to

place in its sarcophagus.

This session incorporates

art/DT skills.

Egyptian

School Visits

Work along the Nile Session

This session is structured in three

sections and offers an amazing

opportunity to handle many authentic

objects most of which are of museum

quality. In groups, children are asked to

problem-solve, working together to work

out their nationality from clues given and

to trade and barter goods with other

civilised nations from Egyptian times.

Then, they must pause their

ordinary lives, as Egyptian

citizens are asked to help to

build pyramids as part of

their taxes. Using fantastic

kits, sourced internationally,

children either build a

pyramid or take part in a

traditional artistic challenge.

Finally, groups handle a remarkable collection of replica artefacts, discussing each object to learn its use and the work role (or job) that matches it.

This session helps children to understand ordinary working lives of Egyptians and incorporates art/DT skills.

The Egyptian Scribe

Children craft their own papyrus

from strips of paper (to be

provided in school, as well as

glue and black paint, please)

and then leave to dry.

Egyptian Hieroglyphic Writing is

explored, with an explanation of

its decoding via the Rosetta

Stone (if teacher-led) and/or its

use in schooling of important

children for official positions in

society.

Children use our (highly

coveted) class set of Egyptian

Hieroglyphic Stencils to learn about hieroglyphs' correspondence to individual letters and write their own name.

Various tools including an authentic Scribe's Writing Set are displayed and children use similar reed pens and paint to draw up an official document of their choosing (ideally on their papyrus if it is dry) - name and address is suggested. This session incorporates art/DT.

Pastimes, games and toys

Egyptian pastimes are discussed and

authentically reproduced toys are shown.

Cleopatra teaches the children some Egyptian

dancing.

Children will have the opportunity to play with

old Egyptian toys such as whipping tops and to

try some games (with teachers' permissions)

eg. leapfrog and tug of war. We bring a class

set of solid wood Mancalas for children to

challenge each other at "the oldest game in the

world" which has been found by archaeologists carved into the stone of the Great Pyramid at Giza.

Egyptian Myths & Storytelling

We always end the day with storytelling as a whole group, ideally fitting in a myth, told traditionally as well as one of our much-appreciated "silly stories" when all can join in together.

We, Greg and Lisa, work fully in role as Egyptians. This means that we use our subject knowledge to respond to questions as Egyptians would do. This historical interpreter's commitment to authenticity is tempered with a teacher's sense of appropriateness though - so we do not swear or use profanities as some reenactors will in school, claiming that this was the way it was! Our focus is on the educational experience for the children and what serves them best, so the sessions are interactive and involve everyone.

Please view our Egyptian replica artefacts

gallery.

SEN Schools

We are experienced in working with

children of a range of ages and abilities.

We understand the need for explorative

learning and incorporate sensory

opportunities. Our Egyptian visit into SEN

schools is less structured and will try to

meet the needs of the children. Please get

in touch to discuss your specific class and

their needs with us. If required, we can

visit in costume but not in role (to

reduce confusion).

Pricing

The costs quoted below cover the service which can be delivered by one or two Specialists, dependent on your area and other factors (see our Terms and Conditions).

Full Day

The full day rate is £175.00 plus petrol (50p per mile round trip from LE9 9HG)

I/2 day.

In our local area, you are more than welcome to book half a day and incorporate some of the above sessions. The cost for ½ day is £100.00 (50p per mile round trip from LE9 9HG)

These rates are held for 2011-12 and there are no hidden costs.

Greg and Lisa McCarthy have many years of experience working with children. Greg is a teacher and Lisa a former Occupational Therapist in learning disabilities. Both have full CRB's and public liability insurance.

Replica resources are meticulously researched and as authentic to the period as possible; many of museum standard. We will bring real animal hide and animal bone objects. We understand if anyone is sensitive to this (Lisa is a vegetarian in real life!) but please be prepared. Our bone replica artefacts really are made of bone - not plastic!

Whilst the day features a real African Gazelle skin, for obvious reasons, the leopard "skin" for the Mummification session is faux fur!