Egyptian Portraits

Fourth graders learned all about ancient Egyptian mythology, customs, traditions and artwork with this project.  Just as Native American, Australian, Greek and Roman cultures have creation myths and gods and goddesses, ancient Egypt has hundreds of their own.  We talked about the importance of these figures to Egyptian culture, and discussed some of the creation myths surrounding these figures.  Each mythical god and goddess had a unique power and appearance.  They were often depicted in profile, or from the side, as artists felt this was the most  flattering angle.  Images and carvings of them were filled with hieroglyphics, or the ancient alphabet of Egypt that used images and shapes to tell stories. Not only did students hone in on their portrait-drawing skills, but they tried their hand at writing in hieroglyphics – and printing in them as well.