Objective

Students will make connections between their own town’s dependence (past and present) on a nearby river and the Ancient Egyptians’ dependence on the Nile.

Key concept:  Cultures (regardless of the era) depend on their watersheds for survival.

Materials

• Markers
• Colored pencils and/or crayons for each group
• Poster paper for each group

Procedure

1.  Visit a nearby river or significant water feature.  Begin with an introductory free writing activity:

2.  Discuss the responses.  Continue to discuss how people depend on watersheds using the following questions:

• Why do people settle in river valleys?
• How does a watershed affect the way a culture (ancient or
• contemporary) develops and survives?
• How do cultures utilize their watershed?
• How do human beings alter watersheds?
• How does the watershed near where you live affect the way you live?
• What can you do to ensure that the watershed is safe now and in the
• future?

3.  Have students work in cooperative groups to brainstorm ways that the Allegheny (your local river) is important (not only personally but culturally).  Just like the Allegheny (your local river) is important to people for all of these different reasons, the Nile was important to the Ancient Egyptians.

4.  Back in class, have students research ways in which the Nile River was utilized by the Ancient Egyptians.  Why was it important to them?

5.  Create a class “T” chart to illustrate the similarities and the differences between your own town’s dependence on a nearby river or water feature and the Egyptian’s dependence on the Nile.

6.  Have groups of students create posters illustrating what they have learned about the importance of watersheds and why they need to be protected.