Sixth-grade students at Lansing Middle School stepped back in time this week as they explored the ancient Egyptian mummification process.

As part of their Ancient Egypt unit, students in Mrs. Cheryl Borgeson's and Ms. Lilly Webster's social studies classes became "embalmers for a day," rotating through stations designed to demonstrate the steps ancient Egyptians used to preserve the dead.

Set up throughout the sixth-grade commons area and Mrs. Borgeson’s classroom, each station represented a different stage of the mummification process. Students explored the rituals of washing the body, removing the brain through the nose, drying the body using "natron," wrapping the body in linen, and placing the finished mummy in a sarcophagus.

Throughout the activity, students used their iPads to document their learning, record observations, and reflect on each step of the process.

The lesson gave students an opportunity to move beyond textbooks and experience history in a memorable way. By participating in the process themselves, students gained a deeper understanding of ancient Egyptian burial practices and the cultural beliefs surrounding them.

Thank you to Mrs. Borgeson and Ms. Webster for providing our students with such a memorable learning experience!