The Suez Canal

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

A canal is a waterway that connects two large bodies of water.

In the past, canals were significant because they were the fastest way to move things and people over large distances. Think about it — if there were no highways, no trains, and no airplanes, water would be the way to go!

Even today, canals remain important. One of the most important canals in the world is the Suez Canal in modern-day Egypt.

Look at this map and trace the Suez Canal from top to bottom with your finger.

About 40 ships pass through that canal daily. That's about 14,000 ships a year! Most of those ships carry cargo — products of every kind from all over the world.

• Do you want to get an idea what it’s like to travel through the Suez Canal?

Watch the following time-lapse video, which makes the ship look like it is sailing much faster than it is.

• How long do you think it takes for a ship to pass through the Suez Canal?

Watch the video and make your best guess.

A ship takes about ten to sixteen hours to pass through the entire Suez Canal.

As you read about the Suez Canal, write down notes to answer the following questions.

• How long is the Suez Canal?
• When did construction on the canal begin? When did it end?
• Why is the Suez Canal so important?

After reading, consider these questions.

• Do you think canals like the Suez Canal are more or less important than they were a hundred years ago? What makes you think so?
• Why do you think some countries have fought over the Suez Canal over its history?
• Now that you’ve collected a few more facts about the canal, what kinds of tools do you think were used to dig it?

You might be shocked that the Suez Canal is not new. In ancient times, the Ptolemy rulers of Egypt built the first canal to connect the Red Sea with the Mediterranean Sea.

• Can you imagine how they could have done such a thing without modern machinery?

In the Got It? section, examine the tools and methods used to build the modern Suez Canal.