The Oldest Buildings

Objective: Read, evaluate, and interpret text for specific mathematical content meaning

Preview Words

Egyptian

pyramid

triangle

ton

chamber

weigh

The early people of Egypt were very smart. They studied numbers, science, and the stars. The Egyptians left us the oldest buildings in the world. Shaped like triangles, they are called “pyramids”. Although they are as much as 5,000 years old, they are still solid and strong.

Each pyramid has several million blocks. These blocks weigh 2 1/2 tons each. That's more than a car weighs! How did people lift them? How did they fit them tightly together without cement? Even now, you can't put a knife between the blocks. We do know that it took about 20 years to build each one. More than 100,000 men worked on each pyramid, each year.

People did not live inside the pyramids. Kings and queens were buried in them. Treasures like gold and jewels were placed next to their bodies. At least one pyramid has no one buried in it. It was meant for King Cheops who lived in 2570 B.C. As far as we know, the king's burial chamber has always been empty. Was his body stolen? Was the pyramid built to fool grave robbers? Or could his body be hidden nearby? The answer is a big mystery.

Review

Directions: Follow the instructions below to complete the assignment.

Research: Conduct research on the Sphinx, and write a descriptive paragraph. Include at least 2 facts and 2 opinions, as well as at least one mathematical term (word). Be sure to include the URLs of each resource you used in your research.