C is for Cleopatra: Library Notes


Cleopatra was my grade eight Halloween costume idea for school as I had a straight haircut just above my shoulders that reminded me of a picture I saw of her. It must have been inspired by the Tutankhamun exhibit at the Royal Ontario Museum. It was very impressive to see the ancient artifacts. Further to that, studying Israel and Egypt in the Bible and thinking of Moses when Pharaoh attempted to maintain control of the empire in the midst of the ten plagues, while not directly related, still made the concept of learning about Cleopatra more intriguing.

As I was impacted by experiences on trips to the Museum and lessons on ancient civilizations, so I wish to inspire you to teach the child(ren) in your life about these historical people and events. They are not fictional but were real people with stories to tell. Just as in learning through biographies, learning about history has relevance and importance in our lives. Knowing the past and how it shaped us today reveals the significance of our current actions as they will shape the future generations and their experiences.

Cleopatra was a powerful woman (a Greek born in Egypt who fled to Rome) but was she a positive role model? The book pictured here is part of Usborne Books biographies series (young readers series 3) and is geared to 7-11 year olds. It introduces children to her life and all its triumphs and woes. Some parents may want to be cautious but it is also a reasonable introduction to a historical figure. Children introduced to men and women of the past will have a broader knowledge base. Knowing something of her story will benefit them in history class and the story-telling aspect will help them in English class. Cleopatra lived at an interesting point in history, alongside Julius Caesar, and the tales will likely be of interest to the children in your life and to you as well. If you prefer, you can focus on Greek, Egyptian or Roman history more broadly and select biographies of other contemporaries to read together.

I think the key is another C word: Curiosity. It is good to be curious and use that to build up knowledge and skills in our lives. Start with a point of interest to your child (like Egyptian princesses) but be sure to expand on that and let curiosity lead to questions of other people and cultures to provide a solid base of knowledge for them to build on throughout life.


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