Augmented Reality Resources

The Great Pyramid at Giza is the largest pyramid ever built in ancient Egypt. There are two main chambers inside. A third chamber was started and was carved into the rock below the pyramid but never finished. The pyramid was built as a tomb, probably for the pharaoh Khufu (sometimes refereed to as Cheops or Keops). It would have been the pharaoh's eternal resting place along with his family and riches. When it was completed, it would have been encased in a polished, white stone called limestone. The pyramid would have been an even more incredible sight, glistening in the Egyptian sun.

To look inside the Great Pyramid, open Sandbox on your iPad and tap 'Load Sandbox from QR'. Point your camera at the QR code above to load a sandbox with Great Pyramid. Place the Sandbox on a table or a flat surface. Can you see inside and spot where the body of the Pharaoh was kept? Khufu's remains have never been found and it is believed that the tomb was emptied by grave robbers many centuries ago. Only three artefacts were ever recovered.

As you view the interior of the Great Pyramid, can you imagine climbing inside and exploring? Why not record a video of your discovery in Sandbox and describe what you see and what you think it might be?

What would it feel like to uncover a lost temple or a monument buried in the sand, lost for generations? Imagine the excitement you would feel as you peer through a gap in the stones or maybe even crawl inside! Would you be scared? Or just excited?

During the Romantic Era, the discovery of ancient Egyptian sites and artifacts really captured the imagination around the world. This inspired many people who could afford it, to travel to places like Luxor in search of the next great discovery. It also inspired writers, artists and poets to create works based on the great discoveries and historical figures of ancient civilisations.

One of the most famous poems from this era was the English Romantic poet, Percy Bysshe Shelley. His poem, 'Ozymandias' is probably based on the arrival of a fragment of a statue of Ramesses II at the British Museum around 1813. Ozymandius is a greek name for Ramesses

Using the Sandbox app, scan the QR code to the right to download the temple builder kit.

Create your own undiscovered Egyptian temple and imagine you are the first to enter it after thousands of years buried in the desert sands. When you have built your temple why not write a poem or a script, describing how you feel as your eyes see newly discovered wonders from an ancient civilisation. Using Sandbox, record a video of your temple as you narrate your poem or script. If you have the space (try outside), go full scale and walk around your creation. You could even get a friend to film you as you present your very own 'Discovery in the Desert.

Do you need some inspiration to get going? A start to your story? Why not pick up where we left off?

"The sand stings and tingles on your cheeks. You pull the scarf tighter around your mouth as the sand whips into your face, blown by the wind that has lifted the dunes into the air and into your lungs. You can barely see through the goggles gouging tightly around your eyes, and the effort of walking is making your breath short and hard. Yet you are happy. Your heart is beating with excitement and anticipation. The effort of walking and breathing as you push forward through the sandstorm mixes with your excitement, and you feel your heart beat faster and harder.

Out of the swirling sands you glimpse it. Surely you are right. Could this be the lost monument that you have been told about? Just as the wind drives a plume of sand across your view, you see it again, the unmistakable angular stone, just visible above the surface, unmistakably the work of human hands. The sight of this hint of an ancient life amidst the desert spurs you on and you drop your head out of the wind, grit your teeth and push even harder forwards..."

Over to you! tell us the story of your incredible discovery and how you felt! Use Sandbox to film, record and share with your teacher or class

Why not use Sandbox as the ultimate virtual CGI studio!? Using some easily available equipment, you can create a CGI greenscreen set in your school. It's easy to use a greenscreen with your iPad. This is what you will need:

Essential

• Discovery Education Sandbox app (free)

• Apple iMovie app (free)

• Green cloth

Recommended

• Tripod with iPad holder

• If you are using full scale, lots of space

• Props and costumes

Make sure that you have a good space to make your film. The key to good green screening is to keep your sandbox camera still (most of the time) and to have your green screen as evenly lit as possible.

You don't need to have special lights, just make sure that you don't have lots of shadows. Some schools have painted green walls which are great, but we recommend green cloth as this can be wrapped on and around objects and people (like an invisibility cloak). Cloth can also extend onto the floor which allows your actors to be fully in the scene from head to toe. Remember that your virtual set works when your actors are behind the virtual props. Experiment to get the hang of it.

Full size sandbox: Plan your sandbox carefully so you have enough space for your virtual set and props when they are full size. Use the biggest space you have like your hall or sports hall if you have one.

Tabletop size: This makes everything easier as everything is smaller including your green screen! This is great for making voice-over videos of your creations against a green screen, with your sandbox camera acting like a virtual helicopter flying over your virtual set.

Stop motion: In tabletop mode, use Plasticine and other toys and models as props. You will need to take a series of photos for every second. We recommend 10 photos (frames) per second for best quality. There are lots of apps on the app store that let you combine your photos into an animation. It takes lots of planning and patience but is a fantastic and satisfying project.

Scan the QR code on the right to download a simple ancient Egypt virtual set that will fit in a small space. Remember: you can edit the placing and size of the models and even add more whilst in life-size mode. This makes it much easier to fit your stage into a smaller space.