Wiki Activity Module

The purpose of this page is to illustrate one way a wiki can be used to collaboratively create a student activity. For this demonstration a fictional user has posted their work under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 license. That initial material serves as the starting point for other editors to modify the activity in a variety of ways (specifying links to the OLPC Library and other educational resources, adding their own scholarship, suggesting ties into other activity modules and lesson plans). The result is a generally improved activity that also showcases the applicability of wikis for use in teaching knowledge and skills across the multiple academic disciplines of curricula.

Activity Module: Ancient Egyptian Mummification

Goal / Purpose

In this activity, students will learn a rudamentary proceedure for mummification in the Ancient Egyptian style. The activity is to mummify a chicken.

Materials

one chicken from supermarket
rubber gloves
zip-lock bag
paper towel roll
salt
baking soda
olive oil
rosemary
gauze

Proceedure

You will need to wear gloves for this activity!

Remove the neck, liver and gizzards from the chicken.
Place each organ in a separate zip lock bag.

Thoroughly wash the chicken, inside and out. Pat dry with paper towels.
Make a mixture of ½ salt and ½ baking soda. Fill the inside of the chicken with the mixture.
Place the chicken in a zip lock bag. Completely cover the chicken with the salt and baking soda mixture.

Change the mixture every 5 days for 2 weeks.
After 2 weeks, change the mixture every 10 days.

After 45 days remove the chicken and rinse with olive oil.
Rub rosemary on chicken and pat dry with a paper towel.
Wrap the chicken with gauze and decorate.

Resources

British Museum Aegyptica Copyright Trustees of the British Museum
Encyclopedia Smithsonian Mummy Site for Educational Use with Attribution. No Modification of Materials.
Animal Mummies at the Yale University Peabody Museum