In week eight we told the children about Egypt, the rich land on the banks of the Nile, full of myths and mysteries. We learned about the life and social hierarchy of those times, and about the gods and goddesses of ancient Egypt.
We played, wrote and deciphered hieroglyphs, then became pharaohs and found out about the bonds the Egyptians believed they had with their gods. For a child, hieroglyphic writing is the best possible introduction to the idea that writing is an invention rather than a law of nature. When you have to convey a message through drawings and agree with someone on the signs, you discover first-hand what the alphabet you learn at school is for — and why every sign must mean the same thing to everyone.
Social hierarchy turned out to be a surprisingly lively subject too. The children asked who decided what work each person did, and why it could not be changed. These are good questions, and out of them grows their first idea of how societies of the past differed from the one they live in.
A fascinating week at PlusKids — and it is not over yet.
About the PlusKids Summer School: https://pluskids.ro/en/summer-school