Lesson Plan - Should Mummies Be in Museums?

Watch a Slideshow: How Mummies Are Made
Discuss: What steps did ancient Egyptians follow to mummify bodies?  

Preview Words to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know. 

• pharaohs
• eternally

Set a Purpose for Reading
As students read, have them think about reasons that some mummies are in museums.

1. How was the parade described at the beginning of the article “unlike any other”?
This parade was unusual in that it featured a series of golden trucks carrying mummies of ancient Egyptian rulers. The mummies were being taken to a museum.
^{R.3 Explaining Ideas}

2. Why does Peter Lacovara argue that museums displaying mummies are doing what the dead would have wanted? 
Lacovara argues that the point of mummification was to live on. He says that the mummified dead would have liked the idea of being preserved, visited, and remembered.
^{R.8 Reasons and Evidence}

3. Summarize the arguments made by those who say museums should not display mummies.
One argument they make is that the dead did not give permission to be put on display. Others are that displaying mummies makes them seem less human, is unnecessary, and can scare visitors.
^{R.2 Summarizing}

FEATURED SKILL: Class Discussion
Use “Let’s Discuss It!” to prepare for a class discussion.
^{SL.1 Collaborative Discussions}