Format
This live, interactive webinar is taught directly from the museum galleries, giving students the opportunity to see original works of art and also dig deeper with additional digital content. Led jointly by a museum educator and a museum curator, this program begins with an introduction to the MFA followed by close looking and learning centered on several works of art. Participants engage with the MFA via chat to share their questions and comments. Attendees are not visible, cannot be heard, and cannot share questions/comments publicly.
Objectives
1. Students will learn about the artistic achievements of ancient Egyptian craftspeople while looking at Old Kingdom sculpture.
2. Students will have a greater understanding of ancient Egypt's social hierarchy after analyzing sculpture depicting a variety of ancient people.
3. Students will practice visual literacy and critical thinking skills through close looking, observation, and online discussion centered on works of art from the MFA's collection.
Standards Alignment
State Standards
Investigating History
Grade 6: Unit 2, Lessons 12-19 (Cluster 3) Egypt and Nubia
Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for History and Social Science
Grade 6: World Geography and Ancient Civilizations
- Topic 1: Studying complex societies, past and present
[HSS.6.T1.01] Explain how different academic fields in the social sciences concentrate on different means of studying societies in the past and present.
[HSS.6.T1.02] Give examples of ways in which a current historical interpretation might build on, extend, or reject an interpretation of the past.
[HSS.6.T1.03] Give examples of how archaeologists, historians, geographers, economists, and political scientists work as teams to analyze evidence, develop hypotheses, and construct interpretations of ancient and classical civilizations.
- Topic 3c: Western Asia, the Middle East and North Africa: Ancient Egypt, c. 3000-1200 BCE
[HSS.6.T3c.04] Analyze the role of the pharaoh as god/king, and describe how pharaohs were represented in painting and sculpture, the concept of dynasties, and significant acts of at least one pharaoh or queen.
[HSS.6.T3c.05] Describe the relationships among social classes.
[HSS.6.T3c.06] Describe the polytheistic religion of ancient Egypt with respect to beliefs about death, proper behavior, the afterlife, mummification, and the roles of deities.
[HSS.6.T3c.07] Summarize important achievements of the Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms.
Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Arts
Grades 5-6: Visual Arts
[5-6.V.Co.11] Relate artistic ideas and works to societal, cultural and historical contexts to deepen understanding. Identify influential works of art from different periods and their impact on the artistic world.
Grades 7-8: Visual Arts
[7-8.V.R.07] Perceive and analyze artistic work. Analyze elements of a work that are indicative of the historical or cultural context in which it was created.
[7-8.V.R.08] Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work. Explain how an artistic work was influenced by the culture or historical context in which it was created.
[7-8.V.R.11] Relate artistic ideas and works to societal, cultural and historical contexts to deepen understanding. Identify visual ideas from a variety of cultures connected to different historical populations.