If you are doing lessons on ancient Egypt, mummifying a chicken could be an interesting and fun group project to learn the techniques and procedures used during the rituals. This experience can be memorable for students in the more advanced elementary classes who will be able to participate in the project, complete it and observe the result with your help. Learn what materials will be needed and how to turn this experiment into a fun project.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Preparations
Step 1. Allow enough time to complete the project
Depending on the structure of your course, you will need to allow enough time to complete each step. The total time it takes for a chicken to mummify is around 40-50 days, if done correctly. Since it is unlikely that you want to spend all this time talking about ancient Egypt, it might make sense to distribute these lessons within the learning unit, during the history hours, as you see fit.
Alternatively, you could use a trick and start preparing the chicken a little earlier, starting the project yourself, so that it can be finished by your students. You could also start preparing the chicken, let it mummify slowly and check it once the teaching unit is over. Make the project timeline fit your needs
Step 2. Obtain the materials needed to complete the mummification process
Everything you need is easily retrievable at the supermarket, at a relatively low cost. The most expensive thing will be chicken.
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A raw chicken. It would be best to buy a chicken of about 1.3 kg or less, so that it dries better and faster. A larger one will require more material and will produce a more intense unpleasant smell during the mummification process.
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Isopropyl alcohol. You will need little, just to plug the inside and outside of the chicken.
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Rubber gloves for students. If your pupils will handle the chicken, they will need to wear rubber gloves and wash their hands before and after work.
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Fresh flavors, such as sage, rosemary and thyme, can be used to celebrate a "ritual" after the chicken has been mummified.
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A roll of gauze will be used to wrap the mummy at the end of the project.
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A plastic tray. It is important that the container in which the chicken is mummified closes perfectly. The process will produce a rather unpleasant odor, so keeping the chicken tightly closed in the airtight container will avoid spreading the stink throughout the class.
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A mixture of salt and baking soda in equal parts. You will need about 1.8kg of this mixture throughout the project, but it depends on how big the chicken is.
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Step 3. Rinse the chicken well
When you are ready to start the project, it is important to thoroughly rinse the chicken and dry it to eliminate both bacteria and other particles from the surface that could cause it to become moldy. If there is a sink in the classroom, use it to do this and then remember to clean it well.
Rub the chicken well with absorbent paper to remove all the moisture and then dab both the inside and the outside with a little ethyl alcohol
Step 4. Mix the baking soda and salt
You'll need a good supply of these two ingredients throughout the project, so you might want to buy a couple of half-pound packs of each to start with. You could mix them in a resealable plastic bag to keep the mixture fresh and to have it readily available during class, or have students mix the two as part of the project.
You will have to change the mixture of salt and baking soda every ten days throughout the project, so you can ask each student to bring some of the two ingredients from home to make sure you have a sufficient supply
Part 2 of 3: Starting the Mummification
Step 1. Line the plastic tray with the preservation mix
Pour a little of the mixture into the bottom of the container, then place the chicken on it. Cover it completely with the mixture of salt and baking soda, both inside and outside, particularly rubbing all the exposed parts of the chicken. Pour a little more of the mixture on top to make sure it is well covered.
If students help you, make sure everyone is wearing rubber gloves and that they wash their hands thoroughly after this
Step 2. Store the airtight plastic container in a cool, dry place
After you've covered the chicken with the mixture, close the pan with the lid and place the chicken in a cool, dry, dark place. If there are hidden closets in your classroom, this is the perfect place to transform into the mummification chamber. If you use a transparent tray, you can let students observe what happens over time without having to open it.
Step 3. Renew the salt and baking soda every 7-10 days
Gradually, they will absorb the moisture from the chicken, leaving it dry and dry. When you begin to see that the salt crust has hardened and browned, it's time to make the switch. Remove the chicken from the pan and shake it to remove all the old mixture, also eliminating it from the inside. Remove as much of the old mixture as possible and throw it away.
Add new salt and baking soda, as you did before. You can choose to have this part of the process fit into the lesson or do it yourself while the students are doing something else. Alternatively, you can get help from a small group of students while the others are engaged in different activities
Step 4. Have students observe the mummification process and ask them to take notes on what they see
Whenever you take out the chicken and change the mixture, it's a good idea to have your pupils observe the changes. How has the texture of the chicken skin changed? How has the color changed? Have the chicken touch the skin and have them describe what differences they notice.
Each student must keep some kind of "mummy diary" or something similar to record their observations and keep laboratory records. This can be both fun and educational for students
Step 5. Deodorize the area around the container
Even if the tray is sealed, a bad smell may come out. Therefore, it is a good idea to deodorize the area regularly to avoid spreading the stench throughout the class. You can use air fresheners, a spray disinfectant, or other types of deodorants.
Warn school workers and your superiors that you are carrying out this project, to avoid that they are faced with a disgusting surprise by opening the closets in your classroom
Step 6. Remove the mummy from the tray after 40 days
After changing the salt and baking soda mixture four times, the chicken should be well preserved, so you should be able to take it out of the pan and wrap it to complete the project. Remove all the salt mixture from the chicken's body and let the students observe the result.
Depending on the humidity level in your area, it may take more or less time to complete the project. Always check the chicken to make sure it is not rotting and moldy, you should do this just over a month after starting the mummification process
Part 3 of 3: Finishing the Project
Step 1. Dilute a little glue with water
To wrap the mummy you will use strips of gauze, but these will need to be soaked in a solution that makes them harder to form a sort of outer shell for the chicken. To create this mixture, dilute a little vinyl glue (such as Vinavil) with hot water until it drips evenly from a spoon.
Step 2. Dip the gauze into the glue mixture
Make enough gauze strips to wrap all of the chicken tightly and then start dipping them in the glue mixture. You can also allow students to do this by dividing them into small groups. Soak the gauze for only a few seconds, so that it is evenly covered with the glue mixture.
Step 3. Wrap the mummy
Use cheesecloth to wrap the chicken, starting with the fattest part of the body and letting the students wrap around the legs and other parts of the chicken. In general, the more gauze you use, the better the result and students will have a lot of fun completing this part of the process.
- Let the shell harden well before moving on. The outer layer will dry in about 24 hours, during which time you can put the chicken back into the plastic tray after cleaning it thoroughly.
- Chicken should be able to be left out without fear of spoiling it but, just to be safe, it's a good idea to put it back in the plastic container to avoid being greeted by a bad smell in the classroom if something goes wrong. It was common to put aromatic herbs in the cavities of real mummies, to help control the smell and purify, a step that could be interesting to include in the project for your students.
Step 4. Decorate the outside
Have the students decorate the outside of the mummy with symbols, sketches and drawings using paint. If you have studied Egyptian symbols and mummification, you can ask students to use the figures you have learned or to create an original representation of the chicken and its life. Have fun at this stage and let your pupils decorate the project however they like.
It can also be fun to make a sarcophagus out of a shoe box and decorate it. Have students draw one each or create one for the whole class, and then place the chicken to rest inside
Step 5. Make a ceremony in the classroom
When all is done, this could be a good conclusion to the project and your study hours of ancient Egypt. Have a party or organize some kind of ceremony to say goodbye to the chicken. Light some incense, create an atmosphere of peace and do other things typical of Egyptian rituals.
Advice
- You could make a tomb for the mummy. To make it, decorate a shoe box however you like. Now go all out! You also have to bury the chicken!
- Use common sense. If one step has not been completed, do not move on to the next one; rather, put it off for a week!
