Magnificent Sphinx & Pyramid

Egyptian pyramids were built as stairs for kings to climb after their death. A sphinx was built to guard the pyramids. Create realistic replicas of these famous structures!

• 1.

  To make a pyramid, start with a softball-size piece of clay. Press it on a paper plate to make the bottom flat. Leaving a point on the top, slice away four sides of the ball at angles to form a pyramid. The pyramids have crumbled, so the sides don’t need to be smooth. With a toothpick, score your pyramid to look like it’s made out of limestone blocks. Air-dry the pyramid for several days.

• 2.

  Cover your painting area with newspaper. On a produce tray or other palette, mix Crayola Texture It! Tempera Mixing Medium and yellow Tempera Paint. Paint your pyramid with a brush. Air-dry the paint. Add another coat of Texture It! Experiment to create a rougher, ancient look.

• 3.

  Egyptians made the sphinx with a lion’s body and a ruler’s head. Some anthropologists think this represents the pharaoh’s great strength. To make a replica sphinx body, knead a handful of clay into the shape of a hot dog roll. Roll a ball for the head and press on the body. With your fingers pinch a nose, mold a triangle shape head, and poke holes into the head for eyes. Make two thick rolls for front legs and paws. Press them on the body. Score toes with a toothpick or plastic knife. Make lengthwise lines in the side of your sculpture to create steps. Air-dry the sphinx for several days.

• 4.

  Mix orange and yellow paint with equal amounts of Texture It! for an Egyptian look. Paint your sphinx. Air-dry the paint. To create a golden glow, cover your sphinx with Crayola Pearl It! Tempera Mixing Medium combined with gold Crayola Premier™ Tempera.

Benefits

• Students research how ancient Egyptian structures were created and used.
• Students sculpt realistic replicas of a pyramid and sphinx to demonstrate their knowledge of these famous structures.

Adaptations

• Compare how these structures were built with the way monuments and buildings are made today. All of the pyramids were built using levers and muscle power. The limestone blocks weigh up to 15 tons. Each pyramid took more that 20 years to build.
• Find out what happened to the Great Pyramids and their contents. Even though pyramids were created to secure the pharaohs and their belongings from thieves, by 1000 BCE many of the pyramids had been gutted and robbed of their precious contents.
• Another famous structure, The Great Wall of China, was built without machines. Research how it was made, what materials were used, and how long it took. Make a replica of a portion of the Wall in a similar manner.
• Compare the size of the pyramids to familiar buildings such as the Eiffel Tower or Statue of Liberty. Make a chart showing various building heights.
• Assessment. Determine whether the pyramid and sphinx resemble the real structures in terms of number of sides, details, and finish.