Progression
She showed it
to her slavedriver
who saw the possibilities
He promoted slave Hannah
to supervise
the sawing team
Before,
hundreds pulled the immense stone block
on its log rollers
A team of twenty waited at the back
to grasp the log-load
when it had been run over
The back log had to be
hauled to the front
to be run over yet again
If only the stone could stay still
on the logs while they kept rolling
Clearly impossible. Hannah scowled
But a slice of log sawn from one end
would roll the same way
With a hole in the middle
supporting – well we’d call it an axle
and a second round piece from the log
On her model it worked perfectly
Wheels! Wooden wheels!
The first cart
Wheelbarrows, trains, cars, trucks
cogs, pulleys, clocks, machines
Life on earth would never be the same.
Virginia Lowe
Notes:
The Israelites or Jews were kept slaves by the Egyptians, so I’m imagining it was the same time as they built the pyramids – that’s why I called the slave Hannah, originally a Jewish name.
In fact it wasn’t the same time – the pyramids were built about 300 years before the Israelite’s turned up. But it makes a more interesting story. A very very old story.
I couldn’t think of any way to describe the axle apart from our word, but it’s a concept they wouldn’t have had. I’d like to hear if anyone can think of how the rod holding the two wheels together and on the ground, could be described otherwise.
The Jews escaped from Egypt with the help of Moses, who persuaded the king, Pharaoh, to let them go with the help of ten plagues. It is all there told in the Bible in the book Exodus, and is celebrated each year by the Jewish community as Passover.
Ideas:
Maths: Looking at shape make Pyramids with cardboard
Humanities: Research the logistics of the building of the Pyramids
Learn about Jewish history and culture
Music: “Let my people go” This includes images that will help in learning about
Jewish history
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkEmS3hWmmU
Art: Paint: Make a giant class cardboard pyramid and creatively decorate it
Welcome to the workaday week. Mondays come round quickly don’t they? I hope you’re in creative mood because I’m really interested to see what you come up with in response to this week’s poetry prompt. There are so many possibilities.
Australian Children’s Poetry 