Final+Proposal

Stone Lasting Through Time: The Reason for the Egyptian Pyramids
 * Title: **

Caroline Repola
 * Name:**

What did the Egyptian pyramids represent? This question can be answered in many ways, and historians, archaeologists, and those that believe in the occult have offered many different answers. This topic differs greatly from my original idea of mechanical engineering. I would like to study engineering, possibly mechanical, during my time at college, and because I have had little exposure to engineering, my Senior Seminar project seems like a good place to bring it into my life. However, I changed my original idea during my initial research from something on mechanical engineering to something on architecture and building bridges, buildings, and other large-scale structures. The Egyptians and their pyramids I find particularly interesting, and so that will be the main focus on my topic. During my initial research I gained a lot of knowledge on the building of pyramids and I am now prepared to add my own insight to the facts I have gathered. My research will focus on the art and purpose of the pyramids as well as how they were built.
 * Background:**

While I will not be able to do any physical research on the pyramids and I may not contribute greatly to the knowledge and understanding of the pyramids, I still hope to expand my personal knowledge on the pyramids. By presenting my work in the classroom, I also hope to show others the importance of the pyramids. Many people see them as a symbol of Egypt, or possibly a sign of magic. However, they represent the power of mankind and the steps that those in charge will take to prove their place as king.
 * Vision:**

By the end of the semester, I hope to One product of my Senior Seminar project will be the presentation in January in which all my work will come together. I will also produce a thesis paper examining the purpose of the pyramids and how they impacted the time in which they were built. The final component, the hands-on project, will be an actual pyramid--made of Styrofoam--that I will cut, build, and decorate as the Egyptians would have done over 4000 years ago. It will be small, and will only have one inner chamber.
 * Goals:**
 * understand what drove the Egyptians to build the pyramids.
 * discount all magical or alien theories about the pyramids.
 * understand the effect the pyramids have on people today.
 * teach other people the importance of pyramids beyond a physical feat.
 * build a pyramid the same way the Egyptians would have, but much smaller.
 * Products:**

For my thesis paper, I will need many resources. I have to understand who built the pyramids, where they built them, what they were made of, and when they were made. All these facts will lead me to my conclusions of how and why the pyramids were built. I will of course work on the paper during the time the class is in the library, but I will definitely need extra time at home to research and draft. My time line for writing is determined by the due dates for outline, draft, and final paper. For my project, by the end of this month I will have planned out the pyramid with sketches and measurements. I will purchase all my materials: Styrofoam instead of limestone blocks, and paints to imitate the colors of the Great Pyramid at Giza. By the end of December I will have the pyramid built and painted. I will also include a ramp showing how the blocks of stone were brought to the top of the pyramid. I will also document my progress with pictures so others can see what all the layers of a pyramid look like.
 * Task Analysis:**

My mentor is Sam Eisenhandler. My mentor will serve as support as well as an assistant researcher. He will edit my paper and work with me on keeping my project completed on time.
 * Mentor** **Analysis:**

This project requires many different skills, from researching to speech making, from writing to designing. Although my research is almost done, that was a skill I worked on and used to great effect thus far. In my thesis paper, I will be using past experience from writing four term papers in last year's AP US class to write an effective paper that demonstrates my point. Since high school began I've been working on time management, and I only hope to keep building on that skill. For the hands-on project aspect, once I get started I do not anticipate any problem getting it done, because it will be something fun to work on. I will need to keep myself motivated the same way for the paper aspect as well. I want to make this project enjoyable and stress-free for myself, which means working in class and using all the people around me.
 * Conclusion:**