How do I Construct a Pyramid for a Child's Project?

Pyramids have become an icon of ancient Egyptian culture.

Pyramids were built by many different cultures across the world at various times. Pyramidal structures have been found in Greece, North Africa, Asia and the Americas. The most famous pyramids were iconic structures built by the ancient Egyptians, the Aztecs and the Maya. A popular assignment in social studies and history, building a scale model of a pyramid is an enjoyable way to learn about these ancient structures.

Things You'll Need

• Poster board
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Poster paint
• Paint brushes
• Kitchen sponge
• 2 pieces of cardboard 8.5-by-14 inches
• White glue
• Sugar cubes

Instructions

Construct an Egyptian Pyramid

1. 

   Draw an 8-inch square on the center of the poster board.

2. Use each side of the square as the base to draw a triangle. You should now have a square surrounded by four triangles.

3. Cut out the resulting shape.

4. Fold the triangles upward until their points meet. Secure the edges with tape.

Paint an Egyptian Pyramid

1. Mix together equal amounts of brown and white poster paint to make a light tan color. Add a small amount of yellow to create a sandy color.

2. Paint the sides of the pyramid. Add texture by using a damp kitchen sponge instead of a brush.

3. Paint one side of a piece of cardboard with the same paint as the pyramid. Add texture with the kitchen sponge. It may take two or three coats of paint.

4. Allow the paint to dry. Position the pyramid along one corner of the cardboard. Line up the pyramid's edges with the edges of the cardboard. Glue the base of the pyramid to the cardboard.

Construct a Mesoamerican Pyramid

1. 

   Mesoamerican pyramids were step pyramids with a temple on top.

   Sketch an 8-inch square on a large rectangle of cardboard.

2. Cover this square with white glue.

3. Construct a square of sugar cubes by laying them on the glue.

4. Trace another square on top of the first, one sugar cube's distance from the edge. Lay down more glue.

5. Build a second layer. Trace out a third layer on top of the second, one sugar cube's width from the edge. Put down more glue.

6. Build a third layer. Trace out a fourth layer one sugar cube's width from the edge of the third. Add glue.

7. Continue stacking and adding layers until your pyramid is nine layers high. Allow the glue to dry.

Paint a Mesoamerican Pyramid

1. Mix equal amounts of white and black poster paint to make gray.

2. Paint the walls of your pyramid gray to imitate stone.

3. Mix green and black paint to create dark green.

4. Paint the cardboard around the pyramid dark green. Add texture with a kitchen sponge.

Tips & Warnings

• Extra detail can be added to your project with scale figures, plants, grass and even sand from the diorama and model train sections of your local hobby shop.

References

• "pyramid." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008.
• Latin American Archaeological Sites and Cultures

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish