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U. S. Department of Education Title VI Project, The Middle East and Cross-Regional Connections
Burial Practices in Ancient Egypt
Linda Fellag / lfellag@ccp.edu
Community College of Philadelphia
Course: English 073: Advanced Listening and Speaking for Non-Native Speakers of English
Target Audience
Non-native speakers of English
Unit Goals
To comprehend academic lecture material
To comprehend academic readings
To develop academic vocabulary
To develop key terminology related to the academic fields of archaeology, anthropology, history, religion, and humanities
To engage in academic speaking activities
To clarify and analyze the meaning of text (e.g. through simple outlining or note-taking and summarizing)
To develop note-taking skills
To summarize an academic lecture
To improve listening skills in English
To improve speaking skills in English
To improve stress and intonation of academic vocabulary and key terminology in English
To gain knowledge of religious beliefs and burial practices in ancient Egypt
To apply content knowledge to academic tasks such as taking tests or completing other work that would be required by an instructor, based on subject matter content
To enhance awareness of study/reading skills necessary when reading for academic purposes
To transfer insights gained from readings and lectures to other contexts
Reading and Lectures
Reading: "Religious Beliefs in Ancient Egypt" - an overview
of polytheism in ancient Egypt and beliefs regarding the afterlife
Lectures: Main Lecture - "Burial Practices in Ancient Egypt" - history and description of the three main types of burial practices in ancient Egypt: the mastaba, stepped pyramid, and pyramid. Short Lecture for Lecture Test - "Pyramid Texts" - descriptions of hieroglyphic texts on walls of burial structures.
Visual Materials
Photographs of (1) mastaba, (2) stepped pyramid, (3) pyramid in lower
Egypt, (4) hieroglyphics on walls of burial structures.
Line drawings of (1) interior of pyramid (including interior chambers, shaft, burial chamber), and (2) hieroglyphs.
Assignments
Students prepare an audiotaped summary of two parts of the lecture. In
the audiotape, students are instructed to first introduce the entire lecture,
then introduce each part and retell the main ideas in each part. The audiotape
is evaluated by the instructor using a rubric that assesses content, development,
and language use. (In preparation, students will have completed the activities
explained in the "Classroom activities" section, below.)
Classroom Activities
In the unit, students engage in the following activities in preparation
for the Main Lecture:
Activity 1
Students examine and discuss photographs of the three burial structures,
using guiding questions.
Activity 2
Students preview vocabulary that appear in the unit reading and lecture.
They practice pronunciation of high-frequency generic academic words that
will occur in the lecture (Coxhead 2000). Then, they define the words.
Instructor explains key discipline-specific terminology. (See the activities
below.)
Vocabulary Syllable/Stress and Definitions
Mark the syllables and stress of these academic words, which appear in
the reading and lecture.
Example 1. aspects [2 - 1]*
1. aspects [2 - 1]
2. transitional [ - ]
3. linking [ - ]
4. significance [ - ]
5. attributes [ - ]
6. eventually [ - ]
7. versions [ - ]
8. restored [ - ]
9. oriented [ - ]
10. principle [ - ]
11. equivalent [ - ]
12. procedure [ - ]
13. complex [ - ]
14. accompanied [ - ]
15. conception [ - ]
*The notation [2-1] indicates the number of syllables (2) and stressed syllable (1st) in the target vocabulary item.
Next, write the number of the word that corresponds to the definition or synonym below.
___ after time
___ parts
___ process
___ having many parts
___ characteristics
___ forms or types
___ rule or law
___ related to
___ equal to
___ went along with
___ fix up or bring back
___ importance
___ start or formation
___ connecting
___ middle
You will also need to understand these key terms in archaeology, anthropology,
and history. These words are relevant to the study of these academic disciplines
and to ancient Egypt.
Egyptian
polytheistic
deity
Nile
archaeologists
anthropologists
Hathor
Osiris
Isis
Set
afterlife
myth
mythology
Phoenicia
ka
mummification
mummified
afterworld
tombs
temples
pyramids
chamber
King Zoser
Imhotep
pharaoh
Cheops
Chefren
Mycerinus
divine
statue
ritual
Saqqara
Giza
Activity 3
Students read and check comprehension of reading, "Religious Beliefs
of Ancient Egypt" to gain background knowledge for lecture.
Students discuss reading, using guiding questions to check comprehension.
Activity 4
Students preview and discuss questions in note-taking outline. (See questions
below.)
PART 4 - LECTURE
Take notes to answer these questions about each part of the lecture.
Part 1 - Introduction
1. What are the main ideas that the lecture will cover?
Part 2 - Mastabas
1. What is a mastaba?
2. What were the three important sections of a mastaba?
3. Why did ancient Egyptians put a ka statue inside the burial structure?
Part 3 - Stepped Pyramids
1. What did a stepped pyramid look like?
2. Who built the stepped pyramid for King Zoser? How do we know who built it?
3. Why was the stepped pyramid important in the history of the world?
Part 4 - The Great Pyramids
1. When were the great pyramids built?
2. Why did the ancient Egyptians use the pyramid shape?
3. In what way are the great pyramids mathematically accurate?
Part 5 - Commonalities and Differences
1. What was the first common feature of all 3 types of burial structures?
2. What was the second commonality?
3. In what common way were the bodies treated in all thee burial structures?
Activity 4
Students work with a partner to compare their answers. If students disagree
on an answer, the instructor re-reads the part of the lecture in question
rather than providing the answer.
Activity 5
Students work with a partner to retell the lecture. Students take turns
retelling the lecture, part by part.
Activity 6
Students prepare an audiotaped summary of two parts of the lecture. (See
the "Assignments" section.)
Activity 7
Students listen and take notes on a shorter lecture on a similar topic,
"Pyramid Texts." Students do not have a note-taking question
outline to guide them; this is "raw" note-taking practice.
Activity 8
Students ask questions to clarify their notes.
Activity 9
Students use their notes to take a lecture comprehension test. (Test questions
are not included.)
Museum or Other Co-curricular Activities
In Spring 2005, when the unit was taught, students attended a lecture
by University of Pennsylvania Egyptologists. Their assignment was to take
notes, and use the notes to answer comprehension questions. Students showed
strong interest in the subject in their subsequent discussion.
In future semesters, students would be encouraged to visit the University of Pennsylania archaeology museum for extra credit and give an oral presentation on the Egyptian exhibits.
Student Resources
Students are encouraged to research pyramids, the afterlife, and ancient
Egyptian religion using college library and Internet resources. (See list
of related websites, below.)
Instructor Bibliography
A. Benton, et al (2005). "Religious Practices in Ancient Egypt,"
Arts and Culture, Volume I: An Introduction to the Humanities, 2/e. Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall. pp. 40-41. (Source for reading)
Coxhead, A. (2000) "A New Academic Word List." TESOL Quarterly, 34, 213 - 238.
Jones, S., S. Kalbach, and Fellag, L. (2005). "Beginning Language Learners, Advanced Thinkers." TESOL International Convention. San Antonio, TX.
Perry, M., et al (2003). The Humanities in the Western Tradition: Ideas and Aethetics, Volume I: Ancient to Medieval. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. (Source for lecture test)
Related Websites
OsirisNet.com - http://www.osirisnet.net/e_centra.htm
Mysteries of Egypt - http://www.civilization.ca/civil/egypt/egca05e.html
Egyptian Pyramids - http://ancienthistory.about.com/library/weekly/aa031098.htm
Egypt - Monuments and Temples - http://www.discoverychannelasia.com/egypt/monuments_temples/index.shtml
Egyptology Online - http://www.egyptologyonline.com/pyramids.htm
Syllabus
The following is part of the schedule of activities in a syllabus for
English 073, showing the Burial Practices of Ancient Egypt unit.
English 073 - Advanced Listening and Speaking for Non-Native Speakers of English
Topics Activities
Week 1
Sept. 3-5
(First class day - Tuesday, Sept. 2) Introduction
Unit 1: "Burial Practices in Ancient Egypt"
Recognizing syllable stress in academic vocabulary
Learning the meanings of academic vocabulary
Learning the meanings of key discipline-specific terminology
Reading before listening to lecture
Taking notes on important points in a lecture
Comparing and clarifying lecture notes with classmates
Week 2
Sept. 8-12--Unit 1 continued
Week 3
Sept. 15-19
Asking questions for clarification after a lecture
Retelling the main points of a lecture
Preparing a short oral summary (audiotaped)
Preparing for a lecture test
Week 4
Sept. 22-26
Begin Oral Communication 4 (OC), Ch. 1: "The Development of Money"