What would an Egyptian pyramid cost to build today?

During this project you will be asked to estimate the cost of building a pyramid using modern materials and ancient methods. In teams you will plan, collect data, submit a bid for the job (only the lowest bidding company will be awarded the job), create a scale drawing and model, and present a final report to the class. Remember to use all of your knowledge learned this year in math, science, and social studies to complete this project.

Before you begin, you will be trained to utilize e-mail and other Internet research techniques and tools.

Here is the invitation to bid:Invitation to Bid
Here are the required calculations for the final report:Required Calculations
Here are the final report requirements:Final Report

Here is an extra credit option:Extra Credit

Each construction team will consist of 4-5 members, each with their own responsibilities. The members (and their responsibilities) will be as follows:

Project Director
Accountant
Engineer (1&2)
Secretary

You will need to consult Pyramid by David Macaulay while building your pyramid. You may also find it beneficial to communicate with Mr. Pitonyak, a general contractor, libraries, museums, and engineers regarding the construction of the pyramids and other structures.

Several links to other web sites may be of interest to you. They are:

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
Pyramids
Explore Khufu
Construction Techniques
Visit Pyramids!
NOVA Pyramids
Egyptian Architecture
Evolution of the Pyramid
Lots of Egyptian Pyramid Links
Terraserver
Alta Vista
MetaCrawler
Yahoo
Excite
University Museum
Mr. Pitonyak's Math Page

Sample Construction Bid
Sample Spreadsheet

Vocabulary Pre-Assessment
Pre-Assessment #2
Pythagorean Theorem
Citing On-line Sources
Final Interview Questions
Final Grade Sheet

To contact Mr. Pitonyak, e-mail him at:Mr. Pitonyak

Check out Welsh Valley Middle School's Web Page!WVMS

Read the article Mr. Pitonyak wrote about the project! Technology & Learning Article

The Pyramid Project was awarded a Blue Web'n!

Mr. Pitonyak's Pyramid Puzzle was recently reviewed by Education World! It received an "A" rating!
To read the review, go to: Education World

Science NetLinks has also reviewed the Pyramid Project. To read the review, go to: Review
To find more interesting ideas, check out Science NetLinks

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