Description
        This lesson will introduce the physical and political geography of Egypt to students.  By making a model of the country, including cities, the Nile River, and deserts, students will become acquainted with the visual aspects of Egypt.

   Grade Level
        1st through 4th grades

   Time Needed
        1 hr and 30 min

   Subjects
        Social Studies and Geography

   Goal
        To help students gain an accurate and useful visual representation of Egypt.

   Objective
        The learner will become aware of the physical and political geography of Egypt by the end of the unit by making a model of Egypt.

   Materials
        modeling dough (2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon water)
        sheets of cardboard
        overhead reference maps (political and physical)
        toothpicks
        paper cut into thin strips
        markers/ pens
        tape

   Procedure
        1. Distribute to each student one sheet of cardboard and enough ingredients for one batch of modeling dough.
        2. Have students prepare dough.*
        3. With the overhead physical map of Egypt on, help students form the shape of Egypt with their dough on the cardboard.
        4. Point out and have students label, using the strips of paper, tape and toothpicks, the physical features of Egypt, i.e. the Nile River, the Libyan, Arabian and Sahara deserts within Egypt, Mt. Sinai, the Suez Canal, the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx, and Lake Nasser.
        5. Replace the physical map of Egypt with the political map.
        6. Point out and have students label, using the strips of paper, tape and toothpicks, Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor, Giza, and the Sinai Peninsula.
        7. Using markers, have the students label the features surrounding Egypt, i.e. the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aqaba, the Gulf of Suez, Sudan and Libya.

    *For younger students, this step may be eliminated and the dough prepared before class begins.

   Tying it all together
        1. This lesson allows students to "create" Egypt, while learning where some important features of Egypt are.
        2. This lesson helps students see the difference in physical geography between their country and Egypt.