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Launching marshmallows with custom-made catapults was just one highlight of the recent sixth grade cross-curricular study of Egypt. Known as McEgypt, the unit was designed to help students make connections between physics and ancient Egyptian culture.

Marshmallow catapults were not the only creation made in science labs. Students built Egyptian shadoofs, which were used to irrigate fields in ancient Egypt. They also constructed Pyramids and other Egyptian buildings to scale and calculated the mechanical advantage the Egyptians experienced by using simple machines.

Creativity was required in social studies classes, too. Students learned about Egypt by working on projects that ranged from developing online scavenger hunts and making death masks to composing songs and mummifying carrots. In addition, lessons about artifacts such as mummies, amulets, canopic jars, and funerary cones gave students a better understanding of ancient Egyptian culture. The sixth graders also learned how to research topics online and use the information to write a paper.

Students wrapped up the unit with class presentations on their projects, which will be on display in the Middle School library until the end February.