Year 5 became scientists as they carried out their very own mummification experiment! To help us understand how the Ancient Egyptians preserved bodies, we used apples to model the process.
We placed apple pieces into two separate bags. In one bag, we added a mixture of salt and bicarbonate of soda, while the other bag contained only the apple as a comparison. Over time, we carefully observed the changes in both samples.
The apple in the salt and bicarbonate mixture began to dry out and shrink, showing how the substances helped to remove moisture – just like in real mummification. Meanwhile, the apple in the other bag changed in a very different way, helping us see how important the preservation process is.
The children enjoyed observing and discussing the results and made some excellent scientific predictions and conclusions. It was a fun and fascinating way to bring our Ancient Egypt learning to life!
