Courtesy of Kara Cooney

When Women Ruled the World

STUDY GUIDE
November 10, 2018 | 7:30PM
Table of Contents
About Society for the Performing Arts ........................................................................................................ 3
Mission ............................................................................................................................................. 3
History .............................................................................................................................................. 3
SPA’s Education and Community Engagement Programs ....................................................................... 3
Public Programs ................................................................................................................................ 3
Student Programs.............................................................................................................................. 3
Educator Programs ........................................................................................................................... 3
Theater Etiquette ...................................................................................................................................... 4
Before the Show ................................................................................................................................ 4
During the Show ............................................................................................................................... 4
After the Show .................................................................................................................................. 4
About Kara Cooney .................................................................................................................................. 5
Biography ............................................................................................................................................ 5
Let’s Talk Geography ............................................................................................................................... 6
Pre-Show Discussion ......................................................................................................................... 6
Post-Show Discussion ........................................................................................................................ 7
National Geographic Photos of Egypt ................................................................................................ 7
What is Anthropology? ............................................................................................................................. 8
Pre-Show Discussion ......................................................................................................................... 8
Post-Show Discussion ........................................................................................................................ 8
Understanding Ancient Egypt: Activity ....................................................................................................... 9
Discuss language and writing systems. .............................................................................................. 9
Activity.................................................................................................................................................. 9

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About Society for the Performing Arts
Mission
To enrich the cultural life of Houston, in an affordable way, by presenting the world’s best in multi-discipline
performing arts and artists and by delivering the most comprehensive education program of its kind in the
city.

History
Founded in 1966, Society for the Performing Arts (SPA) is the largest independent non-profit presenting
organization in the southwest United States. Since its inception, SPA has sponsored more than 1,000
performances of the world’s finest music, dance, and theatre events, in adherence to the belief that the arts
are fundamental to the overall enrichment and quality of life within the community. In addition to presenting
artists, SPA seeks to provide a variety of learning experiences for adults and children through master classes,
lectures and special student performances, as well as build relationships between the performing arts and
other interests within the greater Houston area and throughout the state of Texas.

SPA’s Education and Community Engagement Programs

Public Programs
Children and adults are invited to participate in various public programs offered throughout the season. On
performance night, guests can arrive early to enjoy Performance Preludes, highlighting local performing
groups of all ages, and Arts Talks, pre- or post-performance discussions with artists or experts giving insight
to the evening’s performance. Master Classes provide young, emerging dancers and musicians an
opportunity to learn from the world-class artists SPA brings to Houston. Additionally, SPA presents Community
Events such as drum circles and open rehearsals, as well as special front of house programming celebrating
family, student, college, and young professional audiences.

Student Programs
SPA is dedicated to enriching the lives of youth throughout the greater Houston area through various student-
centered programs. Student Matinee performances introduce thousands of students to live performances
every season, supported by classroom study guides. The Wells Fargo Student Art Contest showcases the talent
of Houston-area visual artists in grades K through 12, offering winners a bevy of prizes. Movement Toward
Literacy is a collaborative initiative between SPA and Writers in the Schools that explores the connection
between words and dance or creative movement, introducing the power of the arts in classroom learning.
Finally, Backstage Experiences support technical theater and sports medicine students at the high school and
university level with uniquely crafted observations, tours, lectures, and discussions surrounding lighting, stage
management, design, injury prevention, nutrition, and health management.

Educator Programs
SPA offers a selection of professional development opportunities for Fine Arts and Core subject educators,
including Visual Art workshops in conjunction with the annual Wells Fargo Student Art Contest, classroom
study guides and resources in conjunction with Student Matinees and other education-specific performances,
and opportunities to receive CPE credit for attendance at various master classes and lectures. Current
educators who are members of the SPA Teacher’s Club also receive rush discount tickets to most shows.

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Theater Etiquette
Attending a live theater performance is an exciting and unique experience shared between the performers
on stage and the people in the audience. Because the performance is live, the performers on stage can hear
noises coming from the audience; therefore, as a courtesy to the performers and other people around you,
it is very important to review and understand the following tips before you attend a live theater performance.

Before the Show

• Arrive on time. You may not be allowed into the theater once the performance has started. Late
arrivals can be distracting to both the performers and those in the audience. It is best to arrive about
30 minutes before the show begins.
• Turn off all electronic devices. These devices may interrupt the theater’s sound system and can be
extremely disruptive to both the audience and the performers.
• Do not bring any food, drink, gum or candy into the performance hall.
• Visit the restrooms. Public restrooms and water fountains are open before, during and after the
performance; however, you should only leave your seat before intermission or before the
performance ends in the case of an emergency.
• Sit in your assigned seat. Ushers are available to help you find your seats.
• Be respectful of the audience around you. You may talk quietly in your seats until the performance
begins. Please keep your feet off the seats and do not kick the seat in front of you or stand during
the performance.

During the Show

• No flash photography. Photography and audio/video recording of any kind is prohibited during the
performance.
• Please do not talk, whisper or sing along during the show. It is extremely distracting to other audience
members and the performers.
• Enjoy the performance! Please applaud, laugh, and enjoy the show by having an honest reaction to
what is taking place on stage.
• Do not leave early, unless it is an emergency. This is disruptive to other audience members and the
performers.

After the Show

• Applaud the performers. The performers will end the show with a bow while the audience applauds.
• Exit the theater in a courteous manner. Be sure to stay with your group.

The National Geographic LIVE! 2018-2019 Series is sponsored by:

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About Kara Cooney

Biography

Dr. Kathlyn (Kara) Cooney is a professor of Egyptian Art and

Architecture at UCLA. Specializing in craft production, coffin
studies, and economies in the ancient world, Cooney
received her PhD in Egyptology from Johns Hopkins
University. In 2005, she was co-curator
of Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs at
the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Cooney produced a
comparative archaeology television series, entitled Out of
Egypt, which aired in 2009 on the Discovery Channel and is
available online via Netflix and Amazon.

The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut’s Rise to Power

in Ancient Egypt, Cooney’s first trade book, was released in
2014 and benefits from her expert perspective on Egypt’s
ancient history to craft an illuminating biography of its least
well-known female king. As an archaeologist who spent
years at various excavations in Egypt, Cooney draws from
the latest field research to fill in the gaps in the historical
record of Hatshepsut.
Photo: Elaine Who

Cooney’s current research in coffin reuse, primarily focusing on the 19th and 21st Dynasties, is ongoing. Her
research investigates the socioeconomic and political turmoil that have plagued the period, ultimately
affecting funerary and burial practices in ancient Egypt. This project has taken her around the world over the
span of five to six years to study and document nearly 300 coffins in collections, including those in Cairo,
London, Paris, Berlin, and Vatican City.

National Geographic Education: Kara Cooney | When Women Ruled the World
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/kara-cooney-when-women-ruled-world/

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Let’s Talk Geography
TEKS: Social Studies, Grade 6, Beginning with School Year 2011-2012
§113.18.b.1.A: trace characteristics of various contemporary societies in regions that resulted from historical events
or factors such as invasion, conquests, colonization, immigration, and trade
§113.18.b.3.A: pose and answer geographic questions, including: Where is it located? Why is it there? What is
significant about its location? How is its location related to the location of other people, places, and environments?
§113.18.b.4.D: identify and locate major physical and human geographic features such as landforms, water bodies,
and urban centers of various places and regions
§113.18.b.15.A: define culture and the common traits the unify a culture region

Pre-Show Discussion
Discuss the geographic and cultural definitions of place. Talk about Egypt’s location on the globe, and how
we can understand Egypt as a place, historically, culturally, and geographically.

Introduce the concept of natural characteristics of places.

Explain to students that certain things in nature help to define a place. Write the following list of natural
characteristics on chart paper:
• weather and temperature
• land and soil
• plant life
• animal life
Have students brainstorm and add their ideas to the list.

Introduce the concept of cultural characteristics of places.

Explain to students that the people and cultures in a place also help to define a place. Write the following list
of cultural characteristics on chart paper:
• languages
• religions
• where people settle
• how people get from place to place
• how money is exchanged
• government
Have students brainstorm and add their ideas to the list. Students may include number of people, how people
dress, what they eat, and more. Post the list in the classroom for students to refer to in future activities.

Have students identify these characteristics in Ancient Egypt.

Tell students to think about what they know about Ancient Egypt and what defines it as a place. For each of
the natural and cultural characteristics in Steps 1 and 2, discuss them as a class. Speculate: What would this
have been like in Ancient Egypt?

National Geographic Education: Characteristics of Place

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/activity/characteristics-of-place/?utm_source=BibblioRCM_Col

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 Post-Show Discussion
Review the continents, countries, or areas that the speaker presented. Ask: What continents, countries, or
areas does the speaker work in? Have younger students imagine that these places were characters in the
stories that Kara Cooney shared. Ask: What role did place play in Kara Cooney’s story? Why was location
important to the story? How did the characteristics of the place influence the story?

Make observations about the physical and cultural landscapes in an Egypt photo gallery (see links below).
Write the following questions on the board for students to refer to:
• Does this photo look like Egypt to you? Why or why not?
• Where do you think this is located? What clues in the photo helped you determine the location?
• What else can you see in this photo? What is happening? How can you tell?

Visit one of the National Geographic Egypt Photos pages (see links below), and either project the full-
screen option or look at the photos on a computer together. Be sure to minimize the captions, which
include location information. Pause on each photo and provide students with enough time to take notes
about their observations about the physical and cultural landscapes. As students look at each photo,
encourage them to think about the questions on the board. Continue until students have completed the
worksheet for the full photo gallery. Students may have some difficulty classifying physical and human
features in photos of landscapes when there is some ambiguity. For example, if a line of trees was planted
for effect, students may not know if it should be classified as natural or human. Provide support, as
needed.

Have students make inferences about the locations, places, and people in the photos.
Divide students into small groups. In groups, have students share the observations they made and note the
differences and similarities between observations. Then have students use their observations as a basis to
make inferences about the locations, the places, and the people and list them on the backs of their
worksheets.

Discuss students' observations and inferences as a class.

Regroup the whole class. Invite volunteers to share their observations and the inferences they made based
on those observations. Allow other students to ask questions and comment.

Confirm and identify on a map the location of each photograph.

Share the Egypt photo gallery a second time. Scroll through the gallery, pausing on each photo to read
aloud its caption. Have students show, by raising their hands, if they correctly inferred the location of each.
Invite volunteers to share what geographic clues helped them infer correctly.

National Geographic Education: Observing Physical and Cultural Landscapes

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/activity/observing-physical-and-cultural-
landscapes/?utm_source=BibblioRCM_Col

National Geographic Photos of Egypt

25 Captivating Photos of Egypt:
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/destinations/africa/egypt/beautiful-photos-pictures-your-shot/

Egypt Photos: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/egypt-photos/

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What is Anthropology?
TEKS: Social Studies, Grade 6, Beginning with School Year 2011-2012
§113.18.b.15.A: define culture and the common traits the unify a culture region
§113.18.b.15.B: identify and describe common traits that define cultures
§113.18.b.15.E: analyze the similarities and differences among various world societies
§113.18.b.18.A: explain the relationships that exist between societies and their architecture, art, music, and literature
§113.18.b.30.A: use social studies terminology correctly

Pre-Show Discussion
Have students read the anthropology encyclopedic entry on the National Geographic site (more expanded
definition found at link below).

Anthropology is the study of the origin and development of human societies and cultures. Culture is
the learned behavior of people, including their languages, belief systems, social structures,
institutions, and material goods. Anthropologists study the characteristics of past and present
human communities through a variety of techniques. In doing so, they investigate and describe how
different peoples of our world lived throughout history.
Anthropologists aim to study and present their human subjects in a clear and unbiased way. They
attempt to achieve this by observing subjects in their local environment. Anthropologists then
describe interactions and customs, a process known as ethnography. By participating in the
everyday life of their subjects, anthropologists can better understand and explain the purpose of
local institutions, culture, and practices. This process is known as participant-observation.
As anthropologists study societies and cultures different from their own, they must evaluate their
interpretations to make sure they aren’t biased. This bias is known as ethnocentrism, or the habit of
viewing all groups as inferior to another, usually their own, cultural group.
Taken as a whole, these steps enable anthropologists to describe people through the people's own
terms.

After reading, ask: What is anthropology and how does it relate to culture and history of different groups?
How can we understand world cultures better through anthropology? What can anthropological studies teach
us about others? Describe the role of an anthropologist. What do you think a typical day of an anthropologist
in the field might look like?

National Geographic Education: Anthropology

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/anthropology/

Post-Show Discussion
Discuss and define any unfamiliar terminology that the speaker used. Ask: What vocabulary words did Kara
Cooney use that were new to you? Invite volunteers to write the words on the board, and have the class
define them as a group using the information they learned from the speaker or through research.

National Geographic Education: Kara Cooney | When Women Ruled the World
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/kara-cooney-when-women-ruled-world/

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Understanding Ancient Egypt: Activity
Discuss language and writing systems.
How are hieroglyphics different from the way we communicate in writing today?

Why is having a written language important? What do we use writing for? (Think about business, government,
social activities.)

Activity
Read the hieroglyphics information on the next page and then complete hieroglyphic worksheet. Discuss
hieroglyphics: how they function, how they are similar or different to our written language, what they remind
us of.

*Bonus Worksheets* Learn more about some of the powerful women in Ancient Egypt!

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 Ancient Egyptian Life
Script and Hieroglyphics
Hieroglyphics Hieratic Demotic

Hieroglyphics were started in Egypt. They were
images carved in to temples and many buildings
in ancient times. The images represented sounds
that twhen combined make a word. Sometimes
the images represents what the images is,
like water , reeds ,or the sun . needed a shorthand version of hieroglyphics.
Greek and Roman writing is partially based on
ancient Egyptian writing, and thus, our own
modern writing is based on it.
Hieratic is a writing that came after hieroglyphics. It is
seen by most experts to be a common version that the
people of ancient time used for their own writing. It is
often seen on papyrus with ink and reed pen, rather than
carved in stone. The writing was used by scribes who
Demotic writing is similar to Hieratic writing.
It is the last known ancient Egyptian writing.
Demotic is seen in the latest periods of Egyptian
times, before the invasion of the Romans.
By this time, most Egyptian citizens could read
read and write. Small stones are found all throughout
Egypt with this type of writing on it. Some are lists,
other are simple personal notes.

Copyright C 2012-2013 by Education.com More worksheets at www.education.com/worksheets

 =A =B =C =D =E =F =G
=H =I =J =K =L =M =N
=O =P =Q =R =S =T =U
=V =W =X =Y =Z
Draw and write your name inside this
CARTOUCHE. Ancient pharaohs would
carve their names into all the buildings they
made and statues of themselves.

Why did the mummy go to the doctor??

Decode the Hieroglyphics to find out!

!
 Ancient Egyptian Life
Great Queen - Hatshepsut
What do you think?
Why do you think she wore masculine garments?
Hatshepsut was considered to be a successful
female pharaoh. She lived between 1508 and 1450 BC.
Do you think it was necessary for her to rule?
She came to power after her husband, Thutmose II, died.
Hatshepsut took on all the practices of a great pharaoh
including wearing a beard and traditional Egyptian
kilt. Her statues show her in more female clothing
sometimes as well.

During her reign she built and expanded trade routes

with neighboring countries that brought in new
luxuries like myrrh trees.

Hatshepsut’s tomb,
at Deir el-Bahari,
is considered very unique
for its shape and design,
as are the tall obelisks
she had constructed in
other parts of Egypt.
Vocabulary Terms
Myrrh - A plant that is found in Africa prized for its sap.
Obelisk - A tall 4 sided stone monument with pointed top.
Royal- A family that rules an area often over a long time.

Copyright C 2012-2013 by Education.com More worksheets at www.education.com/worksheets

 Ancient Egyptian Life
Great Queens - Nefertiti
Draw a Headdress or Crown!
Queen Nefertiti
Nefertiti, sometimes called Great Royal Wife, lived around
the mid 1300s BC. She was the wife of Pharaoh Akhenaten,
and is believed to later on taken on the role of co-consort to
him. The Pharaoh and his queen became worshipers of
of Aten, the sun disc, changing the known religion of
worshiping many gods to worshiping one god only.
She became famous after a stunning bust of her
was found by archaeologists.

Up until then most ancient Egypian art had not shown

accuracy in human facial features. Her bust is accredited
to the pharaoh’s sculptor at the time, Thutmose. She is also
believed by some to be King Tutankhamun’s aunt.

What do you think?

Why do you think most ancient Egyptian art did not show
accuracy in human facial features?

Copyright C 2012-2013 by Education.com More worksheets at www.education.com/worksheets