Welcome to the podcast series that my students and I worked to develop in a course I created called, GE30CW : "Now as Then: A Cultural Examination of the Reception of "Ancient Egypt" as Myth Through Time." This class was developed as part of the Cluster series at UCLA, which is a unique series of classes designed for freshmen to help them get their GE credits out of the way. Thus, because this particular cluster series offered credits in the humanities and social sciences, it was taken largely by STEM majors. I wanted to develop a course that would help these students develop the skills needed to be responsible researchers, without forcing them to memorize facts about a long-dead culture they would probably never have to learn about again. So, I decided to treat ancient Egypt as a case study for these students to examine how bias affects interpretation--an important theme relevant to every area of inquiry. It was also important to me that the students leave the class with a sense of why the past matters and how its study is relevant to their own lives. The students were tasked with choosing a topic from ancient Egypt and developing a podcast in groups. The podcast was meant to examine how the reception of their particular cultural material changed through time and the significance underlying those changes. The only requirements were that: 1) they incorporate a graduate student interview; 2) they discuss an item from UCLA's Library Special Collections; and 3) they discuss their cultural material from an ancient Egyptian perspective, an "early traveler" perspective (think, Herodotus through the Victorian period), and from a modern, Egyptomania viewpoint. Deadlines were set up throughout the quarter to help them with time management, and class-time was spent developing a fluency with methods of assessing and conducting independent research. Overall, the class depended largely on the students' self-motivation to learn and grow. I hope you enjoy their final projects! -Robyn Price
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Welcome to the podcast series that my students and I worked to develop in a course I created called, GE30CW : "Now as Then: A Cultural Examination of the Reception of "Ancient Egypt" as Myth Through Time." This class was developed as part of the Cluster series at UCLA, which is a unique series of classes designed for freshmen to help them get their GE credits out of the way. Thus, because this particular cluster series offered credits in the humanities and social sciences, it was taken largely by STEM majors. I wanted to develop a course that would help these students develop the skills needed to be responsible researchers, without forcing them to memorize facts about a long-dead culture they would probably never have to learn about again. So, I decided to treat ancient Egypt as a case study for these students to examine how bias affects interpretation--an important theme relevant to every area of inquiry. It was also important to me that the students leave the class with a sense of why the past matters and how its study is relevant to their own lives. The students were tasked with choosing a topic from ancient Egypt and developing a podcast in groups. The podcast was meant to examine how the reception of their particular cultural material changed through time and the significance underlying those changes. The only requirements were that: 1) they incorporate a graduate student interview; 2) they discuss an item from UCLA's Library Special Collections; and 3) they discuss their cultural material from an ancient Egyptian perspective, an "early traveler" perspective (think, Herodotus through the Victorian period), and from a modern, Egyptomania viewpoint. Deadlines were set up throughout the quarter to help them with time management, and class-time was spent developing a fluency with methods of assessing and conducting independent research. Overall, the class depended largely on the students' self-motivation to learn and grow. I hope you enjoy their final projects! -Robyn Price
Ever heard of Isis? (Hint: you probably did.) Ranging from the Christian Roman Empire to the painting on Nefretiti’s tomb, Isis has been here, there, and everywhere. Interestingly, there seems to be a cyclical relationshipContinue readingSeason 3 Episode 3: Isis & Women
The ancient Egyptian pyramids have been admired for thousands of years and along with that admiration has come varying theories for how the pyramids were constructed. Over the years, many alternative western theories have arose,Continue readingSeason 3 Episode 5: Deconstructing the Construction of the Pyramids
This podcast aims to explore the intimate connections between divinity and the Nile during three specific time periods: that of Ancient Egypt, Greco-Roman exploration of Egypt, and the Renaissance into the Enlightenment Era. Through primaryContinue readingSeason 3 Episode 4: The Nile and Divinity
Cleopatra has become a captivating figure throughout the world. Yet, her depiction in the media may not be representative of who she truly was. From Western Asia to Ancient Egypt, these views deserve the sameContinue readingSeason 3 Episode 2: Cleopatra
The deity Seth is intimately associated with Ancient Egypt’s sense of duality with how he opposes Osiris and Horus. But as time moves forward, when other cultures begin to take Ancient Egypt’s religion and useContinue readingSeason 2 Episode 1: Seth Apart
With a river as widely known as the Nile, you’d think the average would know a little more about it. You’re in luck! Listen in, and I’ll tell you everything you need to know aboutContinue readingSeason 2 Episode 2: Journey Down the Nile
You’ve probably heard of the famous King Tut. Be it museum exhibits or Tut-themed paraphernalia, it seems like the whole world is obsessed with this boy king. But why does he so enamor us today,Continue readingSeason 2 Episode 3: Tutmania
We discuss how the goddess Isis has changed throughout time from when she was first created in ancient Egypt to nowadays where she is still revered by some in the world. Transcript [Introduction-0:00] Gabriela Ramirez:Continue readingSeason 2 Episode 4: The Purpose of Isis
Have you ever wanted to explore the old tombs of Ancient Egypt? Ever wonder why they were made? Or what exactly the journey to the underworld looked like? In this episode of Now as Then,Continue readingSeason 2 Episode 5: Tombs, Funerals, and Underworlds, Oh My!
In this episode, we will discuss how Egyptian pyramids have changed as a symbol of power, from mythological and foundational elements in ancient Egypt to a source of commercialization and attraction in modern Egypt. WeContinue readingSeason 2 Episode 6: Pyramids: Mighty to Shiny
Welcome to the podcast series that my students and I worked to develop in a course I created called, GE30CW : "Now as Then: A Cultural Examination of the Reception of "Ancient Egypt" as Myth Through Time." This class was developed as part of the Cluster series at UCLA, which is a unique series of classes designed for freshmen to help them get their GE credits out of the way. Thus, because this particular cluster series offered credits in the humanities and social sciences, it was taken largely by STEM majors. I wanted to develop a course that would help these students develop the skills needed to be responsible researchers, without forcing them to memorize facts about a long-dead culture they would probably never have to learn about again. So, I decided to treat ancient Egypt as a case study for these students to examine how bias affects interpretation--an important theme relevant to every area of inquiry. It was also important to me that the students leave the class with a sense of why the past matters and how its study is relevant to their own lives. The students were tasked with choosing a topic from ancient Egypt and developing a podcast in groups. The podcast was meant to examine how the reception of their particular cultural material changed through time and the significance underlying those changes. The only requirements were that: 1) they incorporate a graduate student interview; 2) they discuss an item from UCLA's Library Special Collections; and 3) they discuss their cultural material from an ancient Egyptian perspective, an "early traveler" perspective (think, Herodotus through the Victorian period), and from a modern, Egyptomania viewpoint. Deadlines were set up throughout the quarter to help them with time management, and class-time was spent developing a fluency with methods of assessing and conducting independent research. Overall, the class depended largely on the students' self-motivation to learn and grow. I hope you enjoy their final projects! -Robyn Price
