Pyramids in Egypt and elsewhere provide inspiration for craft projects.
One intriguing aspect of history involves the ways in which the ancient Egyptians managed to build such a fantastic example of architecture as the pyramid. In school or at home, you can have children create their own pyramids made out of paper, using a couple of different variations for multiple effects.
Simple Pyramid
Create four equilateral triangles with small tabs along the sides for gluing purposes. Fold the triangles so that they have these tabs. Glue the tab of one triangle to the side without a tab on one of the other triangles. Once you have glued them all together, the pyramid is complete. Before you start folding the triangles, you might want to color them with a sand colored pencil, marker or crayon for a realistic effect.
Pyramid Name Card
Nursery-school students might not have the motor skills necessary to build their own pyramid, so build the paper pyramids for them. Give each of them a label to decorate with their name and some pictures. They can then place the label on the pyramid and use them as name cards. You could also distribute the flat triangles, have the students decorate them with their name and designs and then assemble the triangles for the students.
Bible Pyramid
In a religious school, you might want to incorporate an activity that talks about Moses and the pyramids in Egypt, where the Jewish people were kept in captivity for so many years. Distribute the triangles to the class first. Have them write a Bible passage that relates to Moses and how he freed the Jewish people from Pharaoh. They could also illustrate the pyramid with scenes from the Bible before they put the pyramid together.
Food Pyramid Craft
Not all pyramid crafts require the construction of a three-dimensional piece. Have students cut out a triangle or distribute a triangle to them. Provide a model of the food pyramid on the blackboard. Ask the students to divide their pyramids just as you have divided yours. They can either draw in pictures of appropriate foods for each section or glue on pictures that they find in magazines or newspapers.
