Riddles of the Sphinx (Video)
Find out who built the Sphinx, what it symbolized to ancient Egyptians, and how it reflected their social and spiritual practices. (Chapter 2, approx. 10 min.)

The Dream Stela of Thutmosis IV (Interview)
Egyptologist Kasia Szpakowska decodes a mysterious stone monument erected between the Sphinx's front paws.

Making Mummies (Audio Slideshow)
Take a guided tour through the steps of a "classic" mummification like those performed on Eighteenth-Dynasty pharaohs.

Undiscovered Tombs (Article)
Could another crypt as rich as King Tut's still lie buried in Egypt's fabled Valley of the Kings?

This Is Rotten (Lesson)
The ancient Egyptians used mummification to preserve bodies after death. Observe what happens to unpreserved organic material by investigating the rate of microbial growth at different temperatures.

Curriculum Connections
Microbial growth rates, variables, observations, samples, predictions, microorganisms, archeology

Standards
Grades 5-8
Standard A: Science as Inquiry: Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry, Understanding about scientific inquiry
Standard C: Life Science: Populations and ecosystems

Grades 9-12
Standard A: Science as Inquiry: Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry, Understanding about scientific inquiry
Standard C: Life Science: Matter, energy, and organization in living systems, Behavior of organisms

Mummy Who Would Be King (Lesson)
Determine the culture and method of mummification of various mummies by using descriptive clues.

Curriculum Connections
Mummies; resins; embalming; tissue preservation; mapping; Egyptian, South American, Incan, and other embalming cultures

Standards
Grades 5-8
Standard A: Science as Inquiry: Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry, Understanding about scientific inquiry
Standard G: History and Nature of Science: Science as a human endeavor, History of science

Grades 9-12
Standard A: Science as Inquiry: Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry, Understanding about scientific inquiry
Standard G: History and Nature of Science: Science as a human endeavor, Historical perspectives