Name: Thrive! NCHE Homeschool Conference
Start: 2025-05-22T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-05-24T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Winston-Salem, NC

This topic has 6 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 15 years, 3 months ago by wearejenandkev.

Viewing 7 posts - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)

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January 22, 2010 at 9:17 pm
wearejenandkev
Participant
Hi! I started Ancient Egypt this week with my boys, 8yo and 6yo. We have started reading Boy of the Pyramids and we are loving it. But, we skipped the salt dough map because the thought overwhelmed me! I can make salt dough….but, I am not sure what to do with it after that! (My geography skills are very lacking!) I have read the info on the website about it, but I still feel overwhelmed with it! I did not buy the Outline Map Book. Maybe that is my problem. I found the rest of the module books at the library, but didn’t want to spend any more money, so I skipped that. But, now I am having second thoughts and thinking I should go back and do it. Is it easier than it seems? Am I just being a wimp? Also, can I just use any outline map of Africa for the map skills? I found one at Enchanted Learning that I was thinking of using:
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/continents/Africa/labelcountries/label.shtml
Will this be similar to the one you all are using in Uncle Josh’s Outline Book?
Does anyone have any pictures or tips for the salt dough map?
Thanks for the help!
Jennifer

January 22, 2010 at 11:39 pm
Tristan
Participant
Here is a great Squidoo lens on making salt dough maps from Jimmie:

http://www.squidoo.com/salt-dough-maps

She makes it look easy.
January 23, 2010 at 5:04 pm
Sonya Shafer
Moderator
That outline map is similar. The one I use doesn’t have the lines for each country. Really, any outline map of Africa will do fine, Jennifer. You can Google “blank outline map Africa” and look at all the image results for more options.
Don’t stress out about not making the salt dough map. The main thing that it accomplishes is helping the children see why Upper Egypt was south (at the bottom of the country) and Lower Egypt was north (at the top of the country). It seems backwards until you know that the terrain was higher farther inland, and the closer you got to the water the lower the terrain sunk. If you don’t want to deal with the project, don’t worry about it.

January 24, 2010 at 1:57 pm
wearejenandkev
Participant
Tristan, thanks for posting the link to Squidoo. I am a visual person and love pictures! That gave me a lot more peace about trying it! We will probably give it a go this week! Thank you!
Sonya, thanks for looking at that map! I will probably just use it. I would like to buy every recommended book, but it can get expensive! So, I try to find alternatives when possible.
Thanks for the help, ladies!
Jennifer
January 26, 2010 at 4:05 am
wearejenandkev
Participant
May I be one more opinion, oh, wise ones? 🙂
I am trying to decide what should be included on my Egypt map. I am terrible with geography and I have been sorting through maps today trying to decide what is most important and what is not. So, here is what I am thinking of putting…… Am I missing anything?
Nile River, Med. Sea, Red Sea, the slope showing Upper and Lower Egypt…..anything else?
Also, it said to paint the grass green and keep the sand the color of the dough. So, I would only put green on the banks of the Nile, correct? Was there grass anywhere else?
Jennifer
January 26, 2010 at 1:56 pm
Sonya Shafer
Moderator
Beautiful! Nice job.
If you want to get fancy, you might pinch up some dough mountainy regions over near the Red Sea. The relief map on this Links and Tips page will guide you for the grassy regions and mountains. (Look under the heading: Geography of Egypt.) Don’t worry about all the labels on that map; your choices are great.
January 26, 2010 at 10:28 pm
wearejenandkev
Participant
Thank you, Sonya! We are going to do it tomorrow! I am ready!