Download Egypt Teaching Packet - Raise the Barn

History of Ancient Egypt Teaching
Trunk
USU Museum of Anthropology
Letter To Teachers,
Dear Teachers,
We have designed this teaching trunk for the use of kindergarten to sixth grade classes.
By using the trunk, students will learn about anthropology and its four subcategories:
linguistics, cultural anthropology, biological anthropology and archaeology. The trunk is
designed with five lesson plans that take about an hour to complete, and should be spread
throughout the week.
Each lesson plan has several resources, which include items (such as extra books, toys
and DVDs) that can found in the trunk, Power Points and web links, along with activities
that follow after each lesson. If you ever find that the activities listed under your grade
are not to your liking, simply turn to the “Extra Activities” section, where additional
activities and instructions are listed.
At the end of the week, please go through the inventory at the back of this binder. Make
sure that all the items are back in the trunk and in the right place. Before you return the
trunk, fill out a copy of the survey, which can also be found in the back, so that we can
know what we are doing well and what we need to improve on.
We hope that you enjoy using this teaching trunk and come to visit us at the museum.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
The Utah State University Anthropology Museum
Table of Contents
Monday: Mummification
Sixth Grade
Lesson
Activity: Mummify An Apple
Worksheet (all grades)
Fifth Grade
Lesson
Activity: Mummify An Apple
Fourth Grade
Lesson
Activity: Mummify An Apple
Third Grade
Lesson
Activity: Mummify An Apple
Second Grade
Lesson
Activity: Mummify An Apple
First Grade
Lesson
Activity: Mummify An Apple
Kindergarten
Lesson
Activity: Art Activity
Anubis Picture
Tuesday: Mythology
Sixth Grade
Lesson
Activity: Write Your Own Myth
Fifth Grade
Lesson
Activity: Write Your Own Myth
Fourth Grade
Lesson
Activity: Write Your Own Myth
Third Grade
Lesson
Power Point: Egyptian Art
Activity: Bracelet Art
Bracelet Template (all grades)
Second Grade
Lesson
Activity: Story Telling Activity
First Grade
Lesson
Activity: Bracelet Art
Kindergarten Grade
Lesson
Activity: Bracelet Art
Wednesday: Linguistics
Sixth Grade
Lesson
Activity: Translate into Ancient
Egyptian Hieroglyphs!
Writing Worksheet
Hieroglyph Index (all grades)
Fifth Grade
Lesson
Activity: Translate into Ancient
Egyptian Hieroglyphs!
Fourth Grade
Lesson
Activity: Translate into Ancient
Egyptian Hieroglyphs!
Third Grade
Lesson
Activity: Hieroglyph Math
Math Worksheet
Second Grade
Lesson
Activity: Egyptian Trades In Art
Power Point
First Grade
Lesson
Activity: Make A Cartouche
Kindergarten
Lesson
Activity: Make A Cartouche
Thursday: Egyptian History
Sixth Grade
Lesson
Activity: Who’s Who of
Egyptian Pharaohs
Worksheet (6&5th)
Fifth Grade
Lesson
Activity: Who’s Who of
Egyptian Pharaohs
Fourth Grade
Lesson
Activity: History Debate
Worksheet
Third Grade
Lesson
Activity: Egyptian Cinderella
Second Grade
Lesson
Activity: Egyptian Cinderella
Worksheet (2nd&1st)
First Grade
Lesson
Activity: Egyptian Cinderella
Kindergarten Grade
Lesson
Activity: Egyptian Cinderella
Worksheet
Friday: Life On The Nile
Sixth Grade
Lesson
Activity: Build the Pyramids!
Pyramid Parts -pyramids
big through small- for
copying (all grades)
Fifth Grade
Lesson
Activity: Build the Pyramids!
Fourth Grade
Lesson
Activity: Build the Pyramids!
Third Grade
Lesson
Activity: Build the Pyramids!
Second Grade
Lesson
Activity: Build the Pyramids!
First Grade
Lesson
Activity: Build the Pyramids!
Kindergarten
Lesson
Activity: Build the Pyramids!
Extra Activities
Worksheets w/o water mark
Inventory and Survey
Monday: Mummification
6th Grade Lesson Plan
Objectives
o Students will learn what a mummy is, and what it was used for.
o Students will learn how Anthropologists use biological and scientific methods in
their work.
o Students will learn the process of Mummification and apply that knowledge in a
scientific experiment.
Lesson: Mummification (information taken from)
http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/mummies/story/main.html
http://www.spurlock.illinois.edu/explorations/online/mummification/index.html
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2005/06/king-tut/williams-text/1
o What is a mummy?
 A mummy is a preserved body.
o How is a mummy made?
 A mummy can be created by natural forces or manmade ones.

In Ancient Egypt, mummies were first created by natural forces. The
Egyptians would bury their dead out off in the sands of the Sahara Desert.
The sun heated the sand, drying out the body before it could start to decay.
As the desert wind blew the sand about, these mummified bodies were
uncovered and found by the Egyptians.

Around 2613-2498 BCE, the Ancient Egyptians started mummifying their
dead before burial, using salts and resin in a process known as embalming.
o The Process of Embalming
 Step one: After a person died, they were first taken to the place of
purification known as an ibu, which was a special tent located on the Nile.
There the body was washed with perfume and water from the river.

Step two: Then the body was cut open and all of the internal organs except
the heart were removed. This was an important step because these are the
first things in the body to start decomposing. The heart was left untouched
because it was believed that the deceased needed it at the time of judgment
in the afterlife. The brain was removed by inserting a long, sharp hook that
reached up through the nose into the brain, and then the brain was slowly
pulled out through the nostrils. After the brain was removed, it was thrown
away. Embalmers did this because they thought the brain was useless,
which was due to the belief that man did all his thinking with his heart.
The liver, lungs, stomach, and intestines were removed, rinsed, covered
with Natron salt and left to dry. The body was also filled and covered in
Natron salt.

Step three: After forty days the body and organs were uncovered and the
Natron was removed. Then the body was washed once more with water
from the Nile River. After it was washed, the body was covered in a sticky
oil called resin which acted as a seal, keeping bacteria from reaching the
body and decomposing it. The dried up, or dehydrated, organs were then
wrapped in linen and placed in special containers filled with Natron salt
called Canopic Jars. Each organ had its own special Canopic Jar,
identified by the head of a specific god found at the top of each jar. The jar
with the falcon headed god Qebehsenuef held the intestines. The jar with
the jackal headed god Duamutef held the stomach. The jar with the
human-headed god Imsety held the liver, and the jar with the baboonheaded god Hapy held the lungs. These four jars were eventually buried
with the body of their owner.

Finally, the body was placed in a casket that was shaped to look like the
person and then carried in a tomb. The tomb was filled with all of the
person’s worldly possessions and anything else they might need in their
next life. The tomb was then sealed shut. The wealthy were able to afford
larger and more decorative tombs, while the common people were often
simply embalmed and buried somewhere out in the desert without a coffin
or tomb because it was cheaper.
o King Tutankhamen
 The pyramids of Ancient Egypt are the tombs of the pharaohs and their
families. The pyramids were filled with treasure such as money, precious
gems and statues. Because of the riches that can be found in pyramids,
they have become the targets of thieves and it is rare to find an untouched
pyramid. This is why the discovery of King Tutankhamen, also known as
King Tut, is so well known and influential to the history of Ancient Egypt.
Before King Tut’s tomb was discovered by a British Anthropologist
Howard Carter in 1922, it had been left undisturbed for centuries. The
information that anthropologists were able to record provides us with
some of the most accurate data about Egyptian mummification and burial.

King Tut is an excellent example of how anthropologists can use modern
forensic techniques to learn more about ancient people. A few years ago
King Tut’s remains were sent through a CT scanner which took about
1,700 X-Rays of his body. By looking at the X-rays, anthropologists were
able to determine many things about King Tut’s life and his death.

By looking at the x-rays of his teeth, anthropologists have been able to
determine that King Tut was about nineteen years old when he died. By
also looking at the x-rays of his head, anthropologists found out that he did
not die from being hit on the back of the head, which was the common
belief before the x-rays were taken. From what we know of his history, it
seems that King Tut was a strong, athletic warrior and it seems likely that
he was killed in a battle of some kind. It was also discovered that King
Tut’s mummy was missing its ribs. Many explanations can account for
this but the true answer is still unknown. As medicine and forensic
technology improves, anthropologists may be able to learn more about the
secrets surrounding King Tut. But for now, he still remains a mystery to us
all.
Check for Understanding:
o What is a mummy?
o True or false? Mummies are always human made.
o What type of salt did the Egyptians use in the mummification process?
o How many Canopic jars were there, and what was their purpose?
o True or false? The brain was removed and saved due to its great importance in the
afterlife.
o True or false? By studying the body of King Tut, anthropologists have been able
to determine many things including how he died.
o True or false? Anthropologists use modern medical technology to study ancient
human remains.
o True or false? Only the Pharaohs had enough money and power to be mummified.
Activity
o Experiment: Mummify an Apple (Taken from)
 http://australianmuseum.net.au/Uploads/Documents/7799/Apple%20mum
mification%20experiment.pdf
 http://www.unmuseum.org/exmum.htm
o
OBJECTIVES:
 To have students further learn about and understand the Ancient Egyptian
Mummification Process.

o
To teach students to use the scientific inquiry process to formulate a hypothesis,
create an experiment to test their hypothesis, make observations and record data,
interpret results, and draw conclusions from their experiment.
MATERIALS NEEDED:
 You provide
 Enough apples for each group of four students to get 2 segments of
apple.
 Copies of the provided worksheet for students


We provide
 1 apple slicer
 Baking Soda
 Salt
 Plastic cups (3 per group)
 A scale
 2 measuring cups (each is 1/3 of a cup)
The teacher should divide the students up into groups of about four.
o
METHODS:
o
Teachers Note:
 The experiment is designed for students to complete in groups of about four.
It is also designed to last at least a full week. The cups containing the apple
slices should be stored in a dark place out of direct sunlight, but should be
accessible for students to make further observations throughout the week.
Remember not to uncover the buried apple until the week is over and you
are ready to make final observations.
(Have students fill out worksheet below)
Name: ________________________
_____________________
Date:
Mummify an Apple Experiment
Step 1 Based on what you know about mummification create a hypothesis about what
you think will happen to the apple covered in salt.
Step 2 Send two people from your group up to get all the materials you will need from
your teacher.
You will have: 3 empty plastic cups, 2 apple slices (do NOT eat)
Then once you all finish writing your hypothesis send two group members up to the
teacher with one of the plastic cups to get 1/3 cup of baking soda, and 1/3 cup of salt. Stir
the salt and baking soda together with a pencil. With a marker write the number 1 on one
apple slice, on the other apple slice write the number 2. Then weigh each individual apple
piece on the scale and record its weight.
Apple Slice 1 Starting Weight
Apple Slice 2 Starting weight
Step 3 Place apple slice 1 into one of the remaining plastic cups, then write the number 1
on the outside of the cup. On the last plastic cup write the number 2. Have two
different group members pour enough salt and baking powder to cover the bottom
of cup 2. Now place the remaining apple slice (slice 2) in the partially filled cup 2.
Pour more salt around and on top of apple slice 2, make sure that all of slice 2 is
covered. Then set cup 1 and cup 2 aside in a dark place that doesn’t get any sun
for about a week. Clean up, and then answer questions below.
1. Why did you weigh the apple slices before conducting the experiment?
2. Why is only one of the apples covered in salt? What purpose does the
uncovered apple serve?
Step 4 After a week remove both apple slices from the cups, and reweigh them. Record
your findings you should use the back of your page. (For example, what do the
apples look like? What do they smell like? Do they weigh any different?)
Starting Weight
Ending Weight
Apple Slice 1
Apple Slice 2
Step 5 What are some conclusions that can be drawn from the results of this experiment?
5th Grade Lesson Plan
Objectives
o Students will learn what a mummy is, and what it was used for.
o Students will learn how Anthropologists use biological and scientific methods in
their work.
o Students will learn the process of Mummification and apply that knowledge in a
scientific experiment.
Lesson: Mummification (information taken from)
http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/mummies/story/main.html
http://www.spurlock.illinois.edu/explorations/online/mummification/index.html
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2005/06/king-tut/williams-text/1
o What is a mummy?
 A mummy is a preserved body.
o How is a mummy made?
 A mummy can be created by natural forces or manmade ones.

In Ancient Egypt, mummies were first created by natural forces. The
Egyptians would bury their dead out off in the sands of the Sahara Desert.
The sun heated the sand, drying out the body before it could start to decay.
As the desert wind blew the sand about, these mummified bodies were
uncovered and found by the Egyptians.

Around 2613-2498 BC, the Ancient Egyptians started mummifying their
dead before burial, using salts and resin in a process known as embalming.
o The Process of Embalming
 Step one: After a person died, they were first taken to the place of
purification known as an ibu, which was a special tent located on the Nile.
There the body was washed with perfume and water from the river.

Step two: Then the body was cut open and all of the internal organs except
the heart were removed. This was an important step because these are the
first things in the body to start decomposing. The heart was left untouched
because it was believed that the deceased needed it at the time of judgment
in the afterlife. The brain was removed by inserting a long, sharp hook that
reached up through the nose into the brain, and then the brain was slowly
pulled out through the nostrils. After the brain was removed, it was thrown
away. Embalmers did this because they thought the brain was useless,
which was due to the belief that man did all his thinking with his heart.
The liver, lungs, stomach, and intestines were removed, rinsed, covered
with Natron salt and left to dry. The body was also filled and covered in
Natron salt.

Step three: After forty days the body and organs were uncovered and the
Natron was removed. Then the body was washed once more with water
from the Nile River. After it was washed, the body was covered in a sticky
oil called resin which acted as a seal, keeping bacteria from reaching the
body and decomposing it. The dried up, or dehydrated, organs were then
wrapped in linen and placed in special containers filled with Natron salt
called Canopic Jars. Each organ had its own special Canopic Jar,
identified by the head of a specific god found at the top of each jar. The jar
with the falcon headed god Qebehsenuef held the intestines. The jar with
the jackal headed god Duamutef held the stomach. The jar with the
human-headed god Imsety held the liver, and the jar with the baboonheaded god Hapy held the lungs. These four jars were eventually buried
with the body of their owner.

Finally, the body was placed in a casket that was shaped to look like the
person and then carried in a tomb. The tomb was filled with all of the
person’s worldly possessions and anything else they might need in their
next life. The tomb was then sealed shut. The wealthy were able to afford
larger and more decorative tombs, while the common people were often
simply embalmed and buried somewhere out in the desert without a coffin
or tomb because it was cheaper.
o King Tutankhamen
 The pyramids of Ancient Egypt are the tombs of the pharaohs and their
families. The pyramids were filled with treasure such as money, precious
gems and statues. Because of the riches that can be found in pyramids,
they have become the targets of thieves and it is rare to find an untouched
pyramid. This is why the discovery of King Tutankhamen, also known as
King Tut, is so well known and influential to the history of Ancient Egypt.
Before King Tut’s tomb was discovered by a British Anthropologist
Howard Carter in 1922, it had been left undisturbed for centuries. The
information that anthropologists were able to record provides us with
some of the most accurate data about Egyptian mummification and burial.

King Tut is an excellent example of how anthropologists can use modern
forensic techniques to learn more about ancient people. A few years ago
King Tut’s remains were sent through a CT scanner which took about
1,700 X-Rays of his body. By looking at the X-rays, anthropologists were
able to determine many things about King Tut’s life and his death.

By looking at the x-rays of his teeth, anthropologists have been able to
determine that King Tut was about nineteen years old when he died. By
also looking at the x-rays of his head, anthropologists found out that he did
not die from being hit on the back of the head, which was the common
belief before the x-rays were taken. From what we know of his history, it
seems that King Tut was a strong, athletic warrior and it seems likely that
he was killed in a battle of some kind. It was also discovered that King
Tut’s mummy was missing its ribs. Many explanations can account for
this but the true answer is still unknown. As medicine and forensic
technology improves, anthropologists may be able to learn more about the
secrets surrounding King Tut. But for now, he still remains a mystery to us
all.
Check for Understanding:
o What is a mummy?
o True or false? Mummies are always human made.
o What type of salt did the Egyptians use in the mummification process?
o How many Canopic jars were there, and what was their purpose?
o True or false? The brain was removed and saved due to its great importance in the
afterlife.
o True or false? By studying the body of King Tut, anthropologists have been able
to determine many things including how he died.
o True or false? Anthropologists use modern medical technology to study ancient
human remains.
o True or false? Only the Pharaohs had enough money and power to be mummified.
Activity
o Experiment: Mummify an Apple (Taken from)
 http://australianmuseum.net.au/Uploads/Documents/7799/Apple%20mum
mification%20experiment.pdf
 http://www.unmuseum.org/exmum.htm
o
OBJECTIVES:
 To have students further learn about and understand the Ancient Egyptian
Mummification Process.

o
To teach students to use the scientific inquiry process to formulate a hypothesis,
create an experiment to test their hypothesis, make observations and record data,
interpret results, and draw conclusions from their experiment.
MATERIALS NEEDED:
 You provide
 Enough apples for each group of four students to get 2 segments of
apple.
 Copies of work sheet

We provide
 1 apple slicer
 Baking Soda
 Salt
 Plastic cups (3 per group)
 A scale
 2 measuring cups (each is 1/3 of a cup)
 The teacher should divide the students up into groups of about four.
o
METHODS:
o
Teachers Note:
 The experiment is designed for students to complete in groups of about four.
It is also designed to last at least a full week. The cups containing the apple
slices should be stored in a dark place out of direct sunlight, but should be
accessible for students to make further observations throughout the week.
Remember not to uncover the buried apple until the week is over and you
are ready to make final observations.
(Have students fill out worksheet see below)
4th Grade Lesson Plan
Objectives
o Students will learn what a mummy is, and what it was used for.
o Students will learn how Anthropologists use biological and scientific methods in
their work.
o Students will learn the process of Mummification and apply that knowledge in a
scientific experiment.
Lesson: Mummification (information taken from)
http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/mummies/story/main.html
http://www.spurlock.illinois.edu/explorations/online/mummification/index.html
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2005/06/king-tut/williams-text/1
o What is a mummy?
 A mummy is a preserved body.
o How is a mummy made?
 A mummy can be created by natural forces or manmade ones.

In Ancient Egypt, mummies were first created by natural forces. The
Egyptians would bury their dead out off in the sands of the Sahara Desert.
The sun heated the sand, drying out the body before it could start to decay.
As the desert wind blew the sand about, these mummified bodies were
uncovered and found by the Egyptians.

Around 2613-2498 BC, the Ancient Egyptians started mummifying their
dead before burial, using salts and resin in a process known as embalming.
o The Process of Embalming
 Step one: After a person died, they were first taken to the place of
purification known as an ibu, which was a special tent located on the Nile.
There the body was washed with perfume and water from the river.
.

Step two: Then the body was cut open and all of the internal organs except
the heart were removed. This was an important step because these are the
first things in the body to start decomposing. The heart was left untouched
because it was believed that the deceased needed it at the time of judgment
in the afterlife. The brain was removed by inserting a long, sharp hook that
reached up through the nose into the brain, and then the brain was slowly
pulled out through the nostrils. After the brain was removed, it was thrown
away. Embalmers did this because they thought the brain was useless,
which was due to the belief that man did all his thinking with his heart.
The liver, lungs, stomach, and intestines were removed, rinsed, covered
with Natron salt and left to dry. The body was also filled and covered in
Natron salt.

Step three: After forty days the body and organs were uncovered and the
Natron was removed. Then the body was washed once more with water
from the Nile River. After it was washed, the body was covered in a sticky
oil called resin which acted as a seal, keeping bacteria from reaching the
body and decomposing it. The dried up, or dehydrated, organs were then
wrapped in linen and placed in special containers filled with Natron salt
called Canopic Jars. Each organ had its own special Canopic Jar,
identified by the head of a specific god found at the top of each jar. The jar
with the falcon headed god Qebehsenuef held the intestines. The jar with
the jackal headed god Duamutef held the stomach. The jar with the
human-headed god Imsety held the liver, and the jar with the baboonheaded god Hapy held the lungs. These four jars were eventually buried
with the body of their owner.

Finally, the body was placed in a casket that was shaped to look like the
person and then carried in a tomb. The tomb was filled with all of the
person’s worldly possessions and anything else they might need in their
next life. The tomb was then sealed shut. The wealthy were able to afford
larger and more decorative tombs, while the common people were often
simply embalmed and buried somewhere out in the desert without a coffin
or tomb because it was cheaper.
o King Tutankhamen
 The pyramids of Ancient Egypt are the tombs of the pharaohs and their
families. The pyramids were filled with treasure such as money, precious
gems and statues. Because of the riches that can be found in pyramids,
they have become the targets of thieves and it is rare to find an untouched
pyramid. This is why the discovery of King Tutankhamen, also known as
King Tut, is so well known and influential to the history of Ancient Egypt.
Before King Tut’s tomb was discovered by a British Anthropologist
Howard Carter in 1922, it had been left undisturbed for centuries. The
information that anthropologists were able to record provides us with
some of the most accurate data about Egyptian mummification and burial.

King Tut is an excellent example of how anthropologists can use modern
forensic techniques to learn more about ancient people. A few years ago
King Tut’s remains were sent through a CT scanner which took about
1,700 X-Rays of his body. By looking at the X-rays, anthropologists were
able to determine many things about King Tut’s life and his death.

By looking at the x-rays of his teeth, anthropologists have been able to
determine that King Tut was about nineteen years old when he died. By
also looking at the x-rays of his head, anthropologists found out that he did
not die from being hit on the back of the head, which was the common
belief before the x-rays were taken. From what we know of his history, it
seems that King Tut was a strong, athletic warrior and it seems likely that
he was killed in a battle of some kind. It was also discovered that King
Tut’s mummy was missing its ribs. Many explanations can account for
this but the true answer is still unknown. As medicine and forensic
technology improves, anthropologists may be able to learn more about the
secrets surrounding King Tut. But for now, he still remains a mystery to us
all.
Check for Understanding:
o What is a mummy?
o True or false? Mummies are always human made.
o What type of salt did the Egyptians use in the mummification process?
o How many Canopic jars were there, and what was their purpose?
o True or false? The brain was removed and saved due to its great importance in the
afterlife.
o True or false? By studying the body of King Tut, anthropologists have been able
to determine many things including how he may have died.
o True or false? Anthropologists use modern medical technology to study ancient
human remains.
Activity
o Experiment: Mummify an Apple (Taken from)
 http://australianmuseum.net.au/Uploads/Documents/7799/Apple%20mum
mification%20experiment.pdf
 http://www.unmuseum.org/exmum.htm
o
OBJECTIVES:
 To have students further learn about and understand the Ancient Egyptian
Mummification Process.

o
To teach students to use the scientific inquiry process to formulate a hypothesis,
create an experiment to test their hypothesis, make observations and record data,
interpret results, and draw conclusions from their experiment.
MATERIALS NEEDED:
 You provide
 Enough apples for each group of four students to get 2 segments of
apple.
 Copies of work sheet
 Rulers

We provide
 1 apple slicer
 Baking Soda
 Salt
 Plastic cups (3 per group)
 A scale
 2 measuring cups (each is 1/3 of a cup)

o
The teacher should divide the students up into groups of about four.
METHODS: (Have students fill out worksheet provided)
 Teachers Note:
 The experiment is designed for students to complete in groups of
about four. It is also designed to last at least a full week. The cups
containing the apple slices should be stored in a dark place out of
direct sunlight, but should be accessible for students to make further
observations throughout the week. Remember not to uncover the
buried apple until the week is over and you are ready to make final
observations.
3rd Grade Lesson Plan
Objectives
o Students will learn what a mummy is, and what it was used for.
o Students will learn how Anthropologists use biological and scientific methods in
their work.
o Students will learn the process of Mummification
o Expose students to other cultural rituals and ceremonies than their own.
Lesson: Mummification (information taken from)
http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/mummies/story/main.html
http://www.spurlock.illinois.edu/explorations/online/mummification/index.html
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2005/06/king-tut/williams-text/1
o What is a mummy?
 A mummy is a preserved body.
o How is a mummy made?
 A mummy can be created in nature or by people.

In Ancient Egypt, mummies were first created by natural forces. The
Egyptians would bury their dead out off in the sands of the Sahara Desert.
The sun heated the sand, drying out the body before it could start to decay.
As the desert wind blew the sand about, these mummified bodies were
uncovered and found by the Egyptians.

Eventually the Ancient Egyptians started mummifying their dead before
they were buried, using salts and plant sap in a process known as
embalming.
o The Process of Embalming
 Step one: After a person died they were first taken to the place of
purification. There the body was washed with perfume and water from the
Nile River.

Step two: The body was then cut open and all of the organs except the
heart were removed. This was an important step because these are the first
things in the body to start decomposing. The heart was left untouched
because it was believed that it was needed at the time of judgment in the
afterlife. The brain was removed by inserting a long, sharp hook that
reached up through the nose into the brain, and then the brain was slowly
pulled out through the nostrils. After the brain was removed it was thrown
away because it was seen as useless, which was due to the belief that man
did all his thinking with his heart and not his head. The liver, lungs,
stomach, and intestines were removed rinsed then covered with a special
type of salt called Natron salt and left to dry. The body was also filled and
covered in this salt.

Step three: After forty days the body and organs were uncovered and the
salt was removed. Then the body was washed once more with water from
the Nile River. After it was washed the body was covered in a sticky sap
called resin, which is a lot like tree sap. The resin acted as a seal, keeping
bacteria from reaching the body and decomposing it. When the resin dried,
the body was wrapped in cloth bandages. The dried up organs were also
wrapped in cloth and placed in special containers filled with Natron salt
called Canopic Jars. Each organ had its own special Canopic Jar,
identified by the head of a specific god that is found at the top of each jar.
The jar with the falcon headed god held the intestines. The jar with the
jackal headed god held the stomach. The jar with the human-headed god
held the liver. While the jar with the baboon-headed god held the lungs.
These four jars were eventually buried with the body of their owner.

The body was then placed in a casket that was shaped to look like the
person and carried into a tomb. If the dead person’s family could afford,
they often had the casket decorated in jewels and gold. The tomb was
filled with all of the person’s worldly possessions and anything else they
might need in their next life, and then sealed shut. The wealthy were able
to afford larger and more decorative tombs, while commoners were buried
simply somewhere out in the desert without a coffin or tomb because it
was cheaper.
o King Tutankhamen
 The pyramids of Ancient Egypt are the tombs of the pharaohs and their
families. The pyramids were filled with treasure such as money, precious
gems and statues. Because of the riches that can be found in pyramids,
they have become the targets of thieves and it is rare to find an untouched
pyramid. This is why the discovery of King Tutankhamen, also known as
king Tut, is so important. Before King Tut’s tomb was discovered it had
been left undisturbed for centuries. The information that anthropologists
were able to record provides them with some of the most accurate data
about Egyptian Mummification and burial.

King Tut is also an excellent example of how modern Medical techniques
can be used to by anthropologists to learn more about ancient people. A
few years ago, King Tut’s remains were sent through a CT scanner which
took about 1,700 X-Rays of his body. By looking at the X-rays
anthropologists were able to determine many things about King Tut’s life
and his death.

By looking at the x-rays of his teeth it has been determined that King Tut
was about nineteen years old when he died. Also, by looking at the x-rays
of his head, anthropologist found out that he did not die from being hit on
the head. Before the x-rays were taken, people believed that someone had
tried to murder King Tut by hitting him in the back of the head. From what
we know of his history, it seems that King Tut was a strong, athletic
warrior and it seems more likely that he was killed in a battle of some
kind, possibly when his county was fighting in a war.
Check for Understanding:
o What is a mummy?
o True/False Mummies are always human made.
o What type of salt did the Egyptians use in the mummification process?
o How many Canopic jars were there, and what was their purpose?
o True/False The brain was removed and saved due to its great importance in the
afterlife.
o True/False By studying the body of King Tut, we have been able to determine
many things including how he may have died.
o True/False Anthropologists use modern medical technology to study ancient
human remains.
Activity
o Experiment: Mummify an Apple (Taken from)
 http://australianmuseum.net.au/Uploads/Documents/7799/Apple%20mum
mification%20experiment.pdf
 http://www.unmuseum.org/exmum.htm
o
OBJECTIVES:
 To have students further learn about and understand the Ancient Egyptian
Mummification Process.

o
To teach students to use the scientific inquiry process to formulate a hypothesis,
create an experiment to test their hypothesis, make observations and record data,
interpret results, and draw conclusions from their experiment.
MATERIALS NEEDED:
 You provide
 Enough apples for each group of four students to get 2 segments of
apple.
 Copies of work sheet
 Rulers

We provide
 1 apple slicer
 Baking Soda
 Salt
 Plastic cups (3 per group)
 A scale
 2 measuring cups (each is 1/3 of a cup)
 The teacher should divide the students up into groups of about four.
o
METHODS: (Have students fill out worksheet provided)
 Teachers Note:
 This experiment may be better if the entire class participates in one
experiment demonstrated by the teacher. Individual teachers sould
assess the developmental level of their students and decide for their
class how best to conduct the experiment.

If the teacher decides to conduct the experiment in small groups,
then the experiment is designed for students to complete in groups of
about four. It is also designed to last at least a full week. The cups
containing the apple slices should be stored in a dark place out of
direct sunlight, but should be accessible for students to make further
observations throughout the week. Remember not to uncover the
buried apple until the week is over and you are ready to make final
observations.
2nd Grade Lesson Plan
Objectives
o Teach students what a mummy is, and what it was used for.
o Show students how Anthropologists use biological and scientific methods in their
work.
o Students will learn the process of Mummification
o Expose students to other cultural rituals and ceremonies than their own.
Lesson: Mummification (information taken from)
http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/mummies/story/main.html
http://www.spurlock.illinois.edu/explorations/online/mummification/index.html
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2005/06/king-tut/williams-text/1
o What is a mummy?
 A mummy is a preserved body.
o How is a mummy made?
 A mummy can be created in nature or by people.

In Ancient Egypt, mummies were first created by natural forces. The
Egyptians would bury their dead out off in the sands of the Sahara Desert.
The sun heated the sand, drying out the body before it could start to decay.
As the desert wind blew the sand about, these mummified bodies were
uncovered and found by the Egyptians.

Eventually the Ancient Egyptians started mummifying their dead before
they were buried, using salts and plant sap in a process known as
embalming.
o The Process of Embalming
 Step one: After a person died they were first taken to the place of
purification. There the body was washed with perfume and water from the
Nile River.

Step two: The body was then cut open and all of the organs except the
heart were removed. This was an important step because these are the first
things in the body to start decomposing. The heart was left untouched
because it was believed that it was needed at the time of judgment in the
afterlife. The brain was removed by inserting a long, sharp hook that
reached up through the nose into the brain, and then the brain was slowly
pulled out through the nostrils. After the brain was removed it was thrown
away because it was seen as useless, which was due to the belief that man
did all his thinking with his heart and not his head. The liver, lungs,
stomach, and intestines were removed rinsed then covered with a special
type of salt called Natron salt and left to dry. The body was also filled and
covered in this salt.

Step three: After forty days the body and organs were uncovered and the
salt was removed. Then the body was washed once more with water from
the Nile River. After it was washed the body was covered in a sticky sap
called resin, which is a lot like tree sap. The resin acted as a seal, keeping
bacteria from reaching the body and decomposing it. When the resin dried,
the body was wrapped in cloth bandages. The dried up organs were also
wrapped in cloth and placed in special containers filled with Natron salt
called Canopic Jars. Each organ had its own special Canopic Jar,
identified by the head of a specific god that is found at the top of each jar.
The jar with the falcon headed god held the intestines. The jar with the
jackal headed god held the stomach. The jar with the human-headed god
held the liver. While the jar with the baboon-headed god held the lungs.
These four jars were eventually buried with the body of their owner.

The body was then placed in a casket that was shaped to look like the
person and carried into a tomb. If the dead person’s family could afford,
they often had the casket decorated in jewels and gold. The tomb was
filled with all of the person’s worldly possessions and anything else they
might need in their next life, and then sealed shut. The wealthy were able
to afford larger and more decorative tombs, while commoners were buried
simply somewhere out in the desert without a coffin or tomb because it
was cheaper.
o King Tutankhamen
 The pyramids of Ancient Egypt are the tombs of the pharaohs and their
families. The pyramids were filled with treasure such as money, precious
gems and statues. Because of the riches that can be found in pyramids,
they have become the targets of thieves and it is rare to find an untouched
pyramid. This is why the discovery of King Tutankhamen, also known as
king Tut, is so important. Before King Tut’s tomb was discovered it had
been left undisturbed for centuries. The information that anthropologists
were able to record provides them with some of the most accurate data
about Egyptian Mummification and burial.

King Tut is also an excellent example of how modern Medical techniques
can be used by anthropologists to learn more about ancient people. A few
years ago, King Tut’s remains were sent through a CT scanner which took
about 1,700 X-Rays of his body. By looking at the X-rays anthropologists
were able to determine many things about King Tut’s life and his death.
By looking at the x-rays of his teeth it has been determined that King Tut
was about nineteen years old when he died. Also, by looking at the x-rays
of his head, anthropologist found out that he did not die from being hit on
the head. Before the x-rays were taken, people believed that someone had
tried to murder King Tut by hitting him in the back of the head. From what
we know of his history, it seems that King Tut was a strong, athletic
warrior and it seems more likely that he was killed in a battle of some
kind, possibly when his county was fighting in a war.
Check for Understanding:
o What is a mummy?
o True/False Mummies are always human made.
o Why did the Egyptians use salt to mummify a body?
o How many Canopic jars were there, and what was their purpose?
o Why was the brain thrown away?
o Why was the discovery of King Tut important?
o Do Anthropologists use modern medical technology to study ancient human
remains?
Activity
o Experiment: Mummify an Apple (Taken from)
 http://australianmuseum.net.au/Uploads/Documents/7799/Apple%20mum
mification%20experiment.pdf
 http://www.unmuseum.org/exmum.htm
o
OBJECTIVES:
 To have students further learn about and understand the Ancient Egyptian
Mummification Process.

o
To teach students about how an object changes over time.
MATERIALS NEEDED:
 You provide
 Enough apples for each group of four students to get 2 segments of
apple.
 Copies of work sheet
 Rulers

We provide
 1 apple slicer
 Baking Soda
 Salt
 Plastic cups (3 per group)
 A scale
 2 measuring cups (each is 1/3 of a cup)
 The teacher should divide the students up into groups of about four.
o
METHODS: (Have students fill out worksheet provided)
 Teachers Note:
 This experiment was originally designed to be completed in small
groups of about four students. However, considering the age level of
the students the experiment has been modified so that it can be done
by the teacher as a class demonstration

This experiment is designed to last at least a full week. The cups
containing the apple slices should be stored in a dark place out of
direct sunlight, but should be accessible for students to make further
observations throughout the week.

The students will observe the physical change of an object over time.
Every day uncover the apple for a short amount of time so that the
students can make observations. Then once they are done recover
the apple. Make sure that when you are recovering the apple that the
entire surface area of the apple is covered.
1st Grade Lesson Plan
Objectives
o Students will learn what a mummy is and how they are made.
o Students will learn the steps used in the mummification process.
o Students will be exposed to other cultural rituals and ceremonies than their own.
Lesson: Mummification (information taken from)
http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/mummies/story/main.html
http://www.spurlock.illinois.edu/explorations/online/mummification/index.html
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2005/06/king-tut/williams-text/1
o What is a mummy?
 A mummy is a dried out body.
o How is a mummy made?
 A mummy can be created in nature or by people.

In Ancient Egypt, mummies were first created by nature. The Egyptians
would bury their dead in the desert. The sun and sand dried out the body
before it could start to rot. As the wind blew about the sand, the bodies
were uncovered and found by the Egyptians.

Eventually the Egyptians started mummifying their dead before they were
buried, using salt and plant sap in a process known as embalming.
o The Process of Embalming
 Step one: After a person died, they were taken to the place of cleansing.
There the body was washed with water from the Nile River.

Step two: Then the body was cut open and all of the insides, except the
heart, were removed. This was an important step because these are the first
things in the body to start rotting. The heart was left alone because they
believed that they needed it to get into heaven. The brain was taken out by
sticking a long, sharp hook through the nose into the brain. After the brain
was taken out it was thrown away because the Egyptians didn’t think it
was important. They believed that a person does their thinking with the
head, not the brain. The liver, lungs, stomach, and intestines were
removed, washed off and then covered with a special type of salt before
being left to dry. The body was also filled and covered in salt.

Step three: After about forty days the body and organs were uncovered
and the salt was taken out of the body. Then the body was washed again
with water from the Nile River. After it was washed, the body was
covered in a sticky sap called resin, which is a lot like tree sap. This sap
acted as a seal, keeping germs from reaching the body and breaking it
down. When the sap dried and got hard, the body was wrapped in strips of
cloth. The dried up organs were also wrapped in cloth and placed in
special containers filled with salt called Canopic Jars. Each organ had its
own special jar, identified by the head of a specific god that is found at the
top of each jar. The jar with the falcon (bird) head held the intestines. The
jar with the jackal (dog) head held the stomach. The jar with the human
head held the liver. While the jar with the baboon (monkey) head held the
lungs. These four jars were later buried with the body of their owner.

The body was then placed in a box that was shaped to look like the person
and was then carried into a tomb. If the dead person’s family could pay for
it, the box was decorated in jewels and gold. The tomb was filled with all
of the person’s special things, and anything else they might need in their
next life like food, water, clothes, and games. The tomb was then shut.
The wealthy were able to afford larger and more decorative tombs, while
the common people often were buried somewhere out in the desert without
tomb because it didn’t cost as much.
o King Tutankhamen
 The pyramids of Ancient Egypt are the tombs of the ruling family. The
pyramids were filled with treasures often money, precious gems, gold, and
statues. Because of the treasures that can be found in pyramids, they have
become the targets of thieves and finding a pyramid that is still sealed is
hard to do. This is why the discovery of King Tut was important. Before
King Tut’s tomb was discovered, it had not been broken into by anyone.

King Tut is an excellent example of how anthropologists can use modern
medicine to learn more about ancient people. A few years ago, King Tut’s
remains were sent through a CT scanner which took about 1,700 X-Rays
or pictures of his bones. By looking at the pictures, anthropologists were
able to determine many things about King Tut’s life and his death.

By looking at the pictures of his teeth, they have been able to determine
that he was about nineteen years old when he died. Before the pictures
were taken, many people believed that someone had tried to murder King
Tut by hitting him in the back of the head. But after looking at the
pictures, anthropologists found out that this was not true. From what we
know of his history, it seems that King Tut was a strong, good at sports
and was a warrior. Anthropologists now think that he was killed in a battle
of some kind; possibly he was fighting for his county in a war.
Check for Understanding:
o What is a mummy?
o Are mummies always made by humans?
o What did the Egyptians use to dry out the body?
o How many Canopic jars were there?
o Why was the brain thrown away?
o Why was the discovery of King Tut important?
o Do anthropologists use modern medicine to study ancient human bodies?
Activity
o Experiment: Mummify an Apple (Taken from)
 http://australianmuseum.net.au/Uploads/Documents/7799/Apple%20mum
mification%20experiment.pdf
 http://www.unmuseum.org/exmum.htm
o
OBJECTIVES:
 To have students further learn about and understand the Ancient Egyptian
Mummification Process.

o
To teach students about how an object changes over time.
MATERIALS NEEDED:
 You provide
 Enough apples for each group of four students to get 2 segments of
apple.
 Copies of work sheet
 Rulers

We provide
 1 apple slicer
 Baking Soda
 Salt
 Plastic cups (3 per group)
 A scale
 2 measuring cups (each is 1/3 of a cup)
 The teacher should divide the students up into groups of about four.
o
METHODS: (Have students fill out worksheet provided)
 Teachers Note:
 This experiment was originally designed to be completed in small
groups of about four students. However, considering the age level of
the students the experiment has been modified so that it can be done
by the teacher as a class demonstration.

This experiment is designed to last at least a full week. The cups
containing the apple slices should be stored in a dark place out of
direct sunlight, but should be accessible for students to make further
observations throughout the week.

The students will observe the physical change of an object over time.
Every day uncover the apple for a short amount of time so that the
students can make observations. Then once they are done recover
the apple. Make sure that when you are recovering the apple that the
entire surface area of the apple is covered.
Kindergarten Lesson Plan: Mummification
Objectives
o Students will learn what a mummy is and how they are made.
o Students will learn the steps used in the mummification process.
o Students will be exposed to other cultural rituals and ceremonies than their own.
Lesson: Mummification (information taken from)
http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/mummies/story/main.html
http://www.spurlock.illinois.edu/explorations/online/mummification/index.html
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2005/06/king-tut/williams-text/1
o What is a mummy?
 A mummy is a dried out body.
o How is a mummy made?
 A mummy can be created in nature or by people.

In Ancient Egypt, mummies were first created by nature. The Egyptians
would bury their dead in the desert. The sun and sand dried out the body
before it could start to rot. As the wind blew about the sand, the bodies
were uncovered and found by the Egyptians.

Eventually the Egyptians started mummifying their dead before they were
buried, using salt and plant sap in a process known as embalming.
o The Process of Embalming
 Step one: After a person died, they were taken to the place of cleansing.
There the body was washed with water from the Nile River.

Step two: Then the body was cut open and all of the insides, except the
heart, were removed. This was an important step because these are the first
things in the body to start rotting. The heart was left alone because they
believed that they needed it to get into heaven. The brain was taken out by
sticking a long, sharp hook through the nose into the brain. After the brain
was taken out it was thrown away because the Egyptians didn’t think it
was important. They believed that a person does their thinking with the
head, not the brain. The liver, lungs, stomach, and intestines were
removed, washed off and then covered with a special type of salt before
being left to dry. The body was also filled and covered in salt.

Step three: After about forty days the body and organs were uncovered
and the salt was taken out of the body. Then the body was washed again
with water from the Nile River. After it was washed, the body was
covered in a sticky sap called resin, which is a lot like tree sap or glue.
This sap acted as a seal, keeping germs from getting into the body and
breaking it down. When the sap dried and got hard, the body was wrapped
in strips of cloth. The dried up organs were also wrapped in cloth and
placed in special jars filled with salt called Canopic Jars. Each organ had
its own special jar, identified by the head of an animal god found at the top
of each jar. The jar with the bird head held the intestines. The jar with the
dog head held the stomach. The jar with the human head held the liver.
And the jar with the monkey head held the lungs. These four jars were
later buried with the body of their owner.

The body was then placed in a box that was shaped to look like the person
and was then carried into a tomb. If the dead person’s family could pay for
it, the box was decorated in jewels and gold. The tomb was filled with all
of the person’s special things, and anything else they might need in their
next life like food, water, clothes, and games. The tomb was then shut.
The wealthy were able to afford larger and more decorative tombs, while
the common people often were buried somewhere out in the desert without
tomb because it didn’t cost as much.
o King Tutankhamen
 The pyramids of Ancient Egypt are the tombs of the ruling family. The
pyramids were filled with treasures often money, precious gems, gold, and
statues. Because of the treasures that can be found in pyramids, they have
become the targets of thieves and finding a pyramid that is still sealed is
hard to do. This is why the discovery of King Tut was important. Before
King Tut’s tomb was discovered, it had not been broken into by anyone.

King Tut is a good example of how anthropologists can use medicine to
learn more about ancient people. A few years ago, King Tut’s remains
were sent through a CT scanner which took about 1,700 pictures of his
bones. By looking at the pictures, anthropologists were able to determine
many things about King Tut’s life and his death.

By looking at the pictures of his teeth they found out that he was nineteen
years old when he died. Before the pictures were taken, many people
believed that someone had tried to murder King Tut by hitting him hard in
the back of the head. But after looking at the pictures, anthropologists
found out that this was not true. We know he was a strong, really good at
sports, and was a warrior, so they think that he was killed in a battle or war
fighting for his county.
Check for Understanding:
o What is a mummy?
o Are mummies always made by humans?
o Why did they dry out the body?
o Why was the brain thrown away?
o Do we use medicine to study ancient human bodies?
Activity
o
o
Have students get into small groups have them mummify each other or a toy in toilet
paper.
Glue yarn to provided image.
Tuesday: Mythology
6th Grade Lesson Plan
Objectives:
o Students will learn that the Egyptians were a deeply spiritual people by studying
their religion.
o Students will use their language skills and creativity to create their own myths
using the Egyptian gods.
Lesson: Egyptian Mythology
o The Egyptians, like many cultures, centered their lives on their religion. They
worshiped over a hundred gods and goddesses who they believed ruled over the many
different aspects of life. The Egyptians were careful to live their lives in a way that
was pleasing to the gods. They believed that if they did anything to upset the gods,
such as breaking the moral code known as Ma’at, they would lose their favor. If this
happened, the gods might have leave Egypt and take their blessings with them.

Some gods ruled over abstract or moral concepts such as love, truth and
chaos, while others ruled over things that happened in daily life. For example,
Tawaret was the goddess of childbirth and protector of pregnant woman and
Hapy was the god responsible for the yearly flooding of the Nile.

These gods were often the main characters of stories, or what we call myths,
which the Egyptians told to explain the world around them. Some stories told
the origins of the universe and the gods, while others explained why certain
natural events took place.
o Like the Greeks, the Egyptians depicted many of their deities with human-like
qualities.

Deities such as Osiris, the lord of the Underworld, and Isis, goddesses of
marriage and the family, had the bodies of normal humans. On the other hand
there were gods like Anubis, who was the god of embalming, which had
animal-like features. Anubis had the head of a jackal and Horus, his halfbrother, had the head of a hawk.

Though the gods were immortal beings their lives were depicted as being very
similar to the humans who worshiped them. All the gods were born, married,
had children and some, like Osiris, experienced death.
o The Egyptians believed in life after death.

After death, the Egyptians believed their souls would have to go through a
long, treacherous journey in order to reach the afterlife or “heaven”. Along
the way, they would go through several trials that would test the purity of
their hearts. If they passed all the trials, they could enter into the afterlife.
If they could not, their souls would be destroyed and they would cease to
exist.

The most famous of these trials involved having their hearts weighed
against a feather. If they had lived a good life, their heart would be lighter
than a feather and they would be allowed into the afterlife. If their heart
was full of sin, it was heavier then the feather. If this was the case, their
heart would be rejected and it, along with their soul, would be cast down
into a dark pit and eaten by a monstrous crocodile.
o The Egyptians believed that they had two types of “spirits”. One was the soul,
called Ka, and the other was Ba, or the life force of the body. They believed that
these souls were linked, even after death, and that one could not exist without the
other. Because of this, the Egyptians preserved their bodies by mummifying them.

During the process of mummification, spells and sacred items would be
placed within the different layers of bandages. It was thought that these
items could help the deceased along their journey to the afterlife. A person
would also be buried with their belongings because the Egyptians believed
that they could take objects into the afterlife if they were buried with them.
The things inside of a person’s tomb ranged from those that were
necessary for life, to things that were extravagant and bizarre. In the tomb
of a Pharaoh, for example, not only would there be food, water and
clothing but also weapons, gold, mummified servants and the remains of
beloved pets.
Check for understanding:
1. Name one of the gods or goddesses that had that head of an animal.
2. What sorts of things did the gods rule over? Only physical aspects of life, or did they rule
over more “abstract” things too? Can you think of what some of those things might be?
3. Why did the Egyptians mummify their dead?
Activity: Writing Myths
o
Let your students use their writing skills and explore their creativity by writing their own
myths. Below are two links students can use to spark their imaginations. The first is a link
to a list that has several of the major gods and goddesses with a description of what they
looked like and what the Egyptians thought they did. The other is a link to a version of
the Osiris and Isis myth, which just so happened to be written by a sixth grader. Let your
students use this as an example of a) how myths can be written and b) that someone their
age can write a good story.
o
MythResources:http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/gods/explore/main.html,
http://www.guardians.net/egypt/kids/myth_of_osiris_and_isis.htm (Osiris and Isis myth,
written in an essay format)
5th Grade Lesson Plan
Objectives:
o Students will learn about the gods and goddesses of Ancient Egypt and how the
different aspects of an environment affect culture.
o Students will use their imagination to write myths about America.
Lesson: Egyptian Mythology and Geography
o Geography is the study of the all the different elements that make up the earth’s
surface. These things include mountains, forests, lakes and deserts. No one place on
the earth has the same geography and because of this no two cultures are the same.

The Ancient Egyptians lived a hot, dry environment where the only main
source of water was the Nile River. Though the area around the Nile was lush,
everything else was scorching desert. Living in an environment like this
affected the way the Egyptians saw the world, and thus their environment
helped shape their culture, especially their religion.
o As part of their Religion, the Egyptians worshipped several gods and goddesses. (In
fact, the Egyptians worshipped over a hundred different deities!) Not only did these
gods and goddess control the more spiritual aspects of Egyptian life, such as their
being gods who ruled over the afterlife and truth, but they also helped humans with
their physical lives as well. There were gods who reigned over childbirth, wisdom,
family life and the different elements of Nature.

There were many gods and goddesses who ruled over things that were unique
to Egypt. For example, Hapy is the Egyptian god who was responsible for the
yearly flooding of the Nile. The annual flooding an event that was celebrated
by the Egyptians because the nutrients from the river bottom enriched the soil
that they used to grow crops. So for the Egyptians, Hapy was very important
but for another culture, such as the people living in South Africa who never
came in contact with the Nile, such a god would be insignificant.
o Though some of the Egyptian gods had features that were similar to humans, many of
the gods had the heads or body parts of an animal. Having a god look like an animal
not only conveyed how powerful he or she was, but also helped show what they ruled
over.

One of the most well known gods in Egyptian mythology is Anubis, the god
of embalming. Anubis was one of the gods who was depicted as having the
head of an animal, in his case he was seen as having the head of a jackal (a
wild, black dog in Egypt.) Jackals are scavengers and would often eat dead
bodies that hadn’t been buried properly. Because of this behavior, the
Egyptians came to see them as a symbol of death. By giving Anubis the head
of the jackal, the Egyptians would always remember that he was a god
associated with the afterlife and embalming.

The animals that were associated with the gods were the animals that the
Egyptians encountered in their daily lives, just like the Native peoples of
North America. But because of where they lived, these two different cultures
have associated different meanings to different animals. For example, while
an ancient person living America might have carried a grizzly bear tooth
symbol of strength, an Egyptian wouldn’t because they had never seen a
grizzly bear. To an Egyptian, a symbol of strength might tokens from animals
like hippos or crocodiles.
Check for understanding:
o How did the Egyptians surroundings affect their religion?
o If the Egyptians had lived in the Americas, what do you think would have
changed about their religion? Do you think their gods would looked the same or
different?
o Can you think of ways that American geography, including plants and animals,
has affected our culture?
Activity: Writing Myths
o The Egyptians told myths to explain the world around them. Some stories told the
origins of the gods while others explained why certain natural events took place.
Let your students use their writing skills and explore their creativity by writing
myths about America. These myths can be anything from making their own tall
tales, such as the story of Johnny Appleseed, to creating their own pantheon of
gods and goddesses who ruled over ancient America.
o Examples of the types of stories they can write:
 How were the different mountain ranges created?
 How did certain animals (such as wolves, bears and foxes) come into being?
 The Greeks had Hercules, the Egyptians had Horus, but what type of mythical
heroes were in ancient America? Did their actions have any effects on the
geography or ancient culture of the America?
4th Grade Lesson Plan: Egyptian Mythology
Objectives:
o Students will learn about the gods and goddesses of Ancient Egypt and how the
different aspects of an environment affect culture.
o Students will use their imagination to write myths about Utah.
Lesson: Egyptian Mythology and Geography
o Geography is the study of the all the different elements that make up the earth’s
surface. These things include mountains, forests, lakes and deserts. No one place
on the earth has the same geography and because of this no two cultures are the
same.

The Ancient Egyptians lived a hot, dry environment where the only main
source of water was the Nile River. Though the area around the Nile was
lush, everything else was scorching desert. Living in an environment like
this affected the way the Egyptians saw the world, and thus their
environment helped shape their culture, especially their religion.
o As part of their Religion, the Egyptians worshipped several gods and goddesses.
(In fact, the Egyptians worshipped over a hundred different deities!) Not only did
these gods and goddess control the more spiritual aspects of Egyptian life, such as
their being gods who ruled over the afterlife and truth, but they also helped
humans with their physical lives as well. There were gods who reigned over
childbirth, wisdom, family life and the different elements of Nature.

There were many gods and goddesses who ruled over things that were
unique to Egypt. For example, Hapy is the Egyptian god who was
responsible for the yearly flooding of the Nile. The annual flooding an
event that was celebrated by the Egyptians because the nutrients from the
river bottom enriched the soil that they used to grow crops. So for the
Egyptians, Hapy was very important but for another culture, such as the
people living in South Africa who never came in contact with the Nile,
such a god would be insignificant.
o Though some of the Egyptian gods had features that were similar to humans,
many of the gods had the heads or body parts of an animal. Having a god look
like an animal not only conveyed how powerful he or she was, but also helped
show what they ruled over.

One of the most well known gods in Egyptian mythology is Anubis, the
god of embalming. Anubis was one of the gods who was depicted as
having the head of an animal, in his case he was seen as having the head
of a jackal (a wild, black dog in Egypt.) Jackals are scavengers and would
often eat dead bodies that hadn’t been buried properly. Because of this
behavior, the Egyptians came to see them as a symbol of death. By giving
Anubis the head of the jackal, the Egyptians would always remember that
he was a god associated with the afterlife and embalming.

The animals that were associated with the gods were the animals that the
Egyptians encountered in their daily lives, just like the Native peoples of
North America. But because of where they lived, these two different
cultures have associated different meanings to different animals. For
example, while an ancient person living Utah might have carried a cougar
tooth symbol of strength, an Egyptian wouldn’t because they had never
seen a cougar. To an Egyptian, a symbol of strength might tokens from
animals like hippos or crocodiles.
Check for understanding:
o How did the Egyptian’s surroundings affect their religion?
o If the Egyptians had lived in Utah, what do you think would have changed about
their religion? Do you think their gods would look the same or different?
o Can you think of ways that our surroundings (landscape, plants and animals) have
affected our culture here in Utah?
Activity: Writing Myths
o
The Egyptians told myths to explain the world around them. Some stories told the origins
of the gods while others explained why certain natural events took place. Let your students
use their writing skills and explore their creativity by writing myths about America. These
myths can be anything from making their own tall tales, such as the story of Johnny
Appleseed, to creating their own pantheon of gods and goddesses who ruled over ancient
America.
o
Examples of the types of stories they can write:
 How were the different mountain ranges created?
 How did certain animals (such as cougars, bears and foxes) come into being?
 The Greeks had Hercules, the Egyptians had Horus, but what type of mythical
heroes were in ancient America? Did their actions have any effects on the
geography or culture of the Native peoples?
3rd Grade Lesson Plan
Objectives:
o Students will learn about how mythology affected the daily life of the Ancient
Egyptians.
o Students will create their own golden bracelets.
Lesson: Information taken from:
(http://www.carnegiemnh.org/programs/online/egypt/dailylife.html
http://www.philae.nu/akhet/Religion1.html )
,
o Religion played an active role in influencing the actions, morals and perspective
of the Ancient Egyptians.

Egyptians believed that, in order to live a good life and keep the universe
in working order, a person had to live by the guidelines of Ma’at. Ma’at
was seen as being the universal force of balance and justice that was
sustained by those who followed it, or destroyed by those who went
against it.


One of the laws of Ma’at forbade the Egyptians from killing one
another, just as one of the Ten Commandments forbids Christians
from committing murder. From their perspective, killing someone
was not only a crime, but also brought harm to the universe.
The Egyptians believed in life after death. They also believed that a
person’s actions during life affected their existence in the world beyond.
Just like the religions we have today (Christianity, Islam, Judaism, etc),
the Egyptians believed that once they were dead their deeds in life would
be judged. One of the major judgments was weighing a person’s heart
against a feather on a scale. If the person had lived a good life, then the
heart would be lighter then the feather. But if the person had lived a bad
life, his heart and soul would be cast down into a pit and eaten by a
monstrous crocodile.
o Worship of the gods could be found in all aspects of Egyptian life. Priests would
conduct rituals for the people inside of temples, while the people could worship
privately by building shrines to the gods in their homes.

The Egyptian’s belief in their gods was so great that they thought that their
king, known as the Pharaoh, was of godly decent. Egyptians not only
worshiped their king, but looked to him for spiritual guidance. As a
descendent of the gods, he severed as a kind of ambassador to them. He
was in charge of keeping the gods pleased and making sure that the people
of Egypt were doing what they were supposed to.
o Religion also served as inspiration to the artists of Egypt. Examples of this
include: (Pull up Egyptian Art PowerPoint and display the images of Egyptian art
as you explain them to the class.)
 Hieroglyphics: The language of Ancient Egypt served as both an art form
and a way of keeping records.

Temples and Pyramids: Architecture is considered a type of art form. The
Egyptians built beautiful temples and Pyramids (tombs) made from
limestone.

Jewelry: Though the Ancients Egyptians dressed simply, most wore a lot
of jewelry. This jewelry could simply be decretive or also serve as good
luck charms.
Check for understanding:
o What is Ma’at?
o How did it affect the behavior of the Egyptians?
o How did the Egyptian’s religion affect their art?
o Does religion still influence today’s art? In what ways?
Activity:
o
Egyptian Bracelets
o What you will need:
 Card stock
 3 dimensional paint
 Gold spray paint
 Scissors
 Tape.
o What to do:
 Copy the patterns (see next two pages.)
 Use three-dimensional paint to outline the shapes. When the paint is dry
use gold spray paint to paint over the entire bracelet. Add more 3D paint
on top. Cut out the bracelet to fit your arm or ankles and tape them on.
©2007, Carolyn Warvel -
*, www.dannielsplace.com
2nd Grade Lesson Plan
Objectives:
o Students will learn about the basic elements of Egyptian mythology and
storytelling.
o Students will develop listening skills by having a story from Egyptian Myths read
to them.
Lesson:
o Thousands of years ago, many ancient cultures believed that the world was ruled
not by one but several gods. These gods were all powerful and ruled over the
many different aspects of life. Each god or goddess ruled over a specific thing.
Which one was responsible for making the sun set and rise every day, another was
in charge of protecting new born babies. Every culture had their own unique set of
gods and goddess, what we today call a pantheon.

The Ancient Egyptians believed in over a hundred different gods and
goddesses. Some of these gods looked like humans, while others had the
heads or body parts of animals. The most well known of these gods are
Anubis (god of embalming), Set (god of chaos and storms), Isis (goddess
of marriage and family) and Osiris (the lord of the Underworld).
o The Egyptians told stories, or myths, about their gods to help explain where the
gods came from and how they influenced the natural world. These stories were
very important to the Egyptians because they helped them know how to keep the
gods happy with them and how they should act. Myths are also important today
because they help us understand the culture and history of the Egyptians.

The following are examples of things that were important to the
Egyptians and how these things were incorporated into their beliefs
and mythology.

The yearly flooding of the Nile was important because it
brought rich nutrients from the river bottom and deposited it on
to the soil where the Egyptians grew their crops. This was so
important to the Egyptians that they had their own specific god
whose job was to make sure that this event happened every
year.

Life after death was very important to the Egyptians and they
had several stories and gods that were connected to the
Afterlife. For example, Anubis taught the people how to
mummify their dead, thus ensuring that their spirits would live
on after death. They also had stories, such as the heart being
measured against a feather on a scale, which let them know
what would happen after they died and began their journey to
the Afterlife.
Check for understanding:
1. What does the word ‘pantheon’ mean?
2. Why were myths so important to the Ancient Egyptians?
3. Is storytelling still important today?
Activity:
Read a story, or a few of the shorter stories, from the book Egyptian Myths, which can be
found in the teaching trunk. Once you are finished, talk with your students about the
different themes from the story, and what they think was important to the Egyptians
based on that certain myth (or myths) that you have read to them.
1st Grade Lesson Plan: Egyptian Mythology
Objectives:
o Students will learn the basics of Egyptian Mythology.
o Students will create their own golden bracelets.
Lesson:
o
o
The Ancient Egyptians believed in over a hundred different gods and goddesses. They
believed that these gods were all powerful and did their best to keep the gods pleased
with them.

Some gods ruled over ideas and feelings, such as Ma’at being the goddess of
truth. Others ruled over things that happened in daily life such as the yearly
flooding of the Nile, which was controlled by Hapy.

These gods were often the main characters of stories, what we now call myths,
which the Egyptians told to explain the world around them. Some stories told the
Egyptians how the gods came to be and how they influenced nature.
The Egyptians depicted many of their deities with human-like features.
 Deities such as Osiris and Isis had the bodies of normal humans, while others
gods like Anubis had the body-parts of animals. Anubis had the head of a Jackal
while the god Horus, Anubis’ half brother, had the head of a Hawk.

o
o
Though the gods were immortal beings their lives were depicted as being very
similar to the humans who worshiped them. All the gods were born, married, had
children and some, like Osiris, experienced death.
The Egyptians believed in life after death.
 After death, the Egyptians believed their souls would have to go through a long,
treacherous journey in order to reach the afterlife or “heaven”.

During the journey, their souls would go through several trials or tests. One of
these tests was having a person’s heart weighed against a feather. If they had
lived a good life, their heart would be lighter than a feather and they would be
allowed into the afterlife. But if they had done bad things during their life, their
heart would be heavier then the feather. If this was the case, wouldn’t be allowed
into the afterlife.

The Egyptians believed that their spirit and the body were connected. Even after
death, their soul wouldn’t survive if their body started to decompose. So in order
to keep their souls safe, the Egyptians mummified the bodies of their dead.
When the Egyptians buried someone, they put their belonging in their tomb with them.
They did this because they believed a person could take things with them into the
Afterlife. Some of the things found inside of the tombs were the basic things a person
needed to survive, such as food and water, along with other objects that the person liked
such as favorite weapons, pieces of jewelry or favorite pets.
Check for understanding:
4.
5.
6.
7.
Name one of the gods or goddesses of Egyptian Mythology.
What does the word ‘myth’ mean?
Why did the Egyptians mummify their dead?
If you were mummified, what sorts of things would you want to be buried with?
Activity:
o Egyptian Bracelets
o What you will need:
 Card stock
 3 dimensional paint
 Gold spray paint
 Scissors
 Tape.
o What to do:
 Copy the patterns (see next two pages.)
 Use three-dimensional paint to outline the shapes. When the paint is dry
use gold spray paint to paint over the entire bracelet. Add more 3D paint
on top. Cut out the bracelet to fit your arm or ankles and tape them on.
©2007, Carolyn Warvel -
*, www.dannielsplace.com
Kindergarten Lesson Plan: Egyptian Mythology
Objectives:
o
Students will learn the basics of Egyptian Mythology.
o Students will create their own golden bracelets.
Lesson:
o
o
o
The Ancient Egyptians believed in over a hundred different gods and goddesses. They
believed that these gods were all powerful and did their best to keep the gods pleased
with them.

Some gods ruled over ideas and feelings, such as Ma’at being the goddess of
truth. Others ruled over things that happened in daily life such as the yearly
flooding of the Nile, which was controlled by Hapy.

These gods were often the main characters of stories, what we now call myths,
which the Egyptians told to explain the world around them. Some stories told the
Egyptians how the gods came to be and how they influenced nature.
The Egyptians depicted many of their deities with human-like features.

Deities such as Osiris and Isis had the bodies of normal humans, while others
gods like Anubis had the body-parts of animals. Anubis had the head of a Jackal
while the god Horus, Anubis’ half brother, had the head of a Hawk.

Though the gods were immortal beings their lives were depicted as being very
similar to the humans who worshiped them. All the gods were born, married, had
children and some, like Osiris, experienced death.
The Egyptians believed in life after death.


After death, the Egyptians believed their souls would have to go through a long,
treacherous journey in order to reach the afterlife or “heaven”.
During the journey, their souls would go through several trials or tests. One of
these tests was having a person’s heart weighed against a feather. If they had
lived a good life, their heart would be lighter than a feather and they would be
allowed into the afterlife. But if they had done bad things during their life, their
heart would be heavier then the feather. If this was the case, wouldn’t be allowed
into the afterlife.

o
The Egyptians believed that their spirit and the body were connected. Even after
death, their soul wouldn’t survive if their body started to decompose. So in order
to keep their souls safe, the Egyptians mummified the bodies of their dead.
When the Egyptians buried someone, they put their belonging in their tomb with
them. They did this because they believed a person could take things with them
into the Afterlife. Some of the things found inside of the tombs were the basic
things a person needed to survive, such as food and water, along with other
objects that the person liked such as favorite weapons, pieces of jewelry or
favorite pets.
Check for understanding:
1. Name one of the gods or goddesses of Egyptian Mythology.
2. What does the word ‘myth’ mean?
3. Why did the Egyptians mummify their dead?
4. If you were mummified, what sorts of things would you want to be buried with?
Activity:
o
Egyptian Bracelets
o What you will need:
 Card stock
 3 dimensional paint
 Gold spray paint,
 Scissors
 Tape.
o What to do:
 Copy the patterns (see next two pages.)
 Use three-dimensional paint to outline the shapes. When the paint is dry
use gold spray paint to paint over the entire bracelet. Add more 3D paint
on top. Cut out the bracelet to fit your arm or ankles and tape them on.
©2007, Carolyn Warvel -*, www.dannielsplace.com
Wednesday: Linguistics
6th Grade Lesson Plan
Objectives:
o Students will learn about the Rosetta Stone, and be able to describe the translation
process.
o Students will explain how languages are introduced into a new area, and why
some languages are considered “dead”.
o Students will translate phonetic sounds from hieroglyphs as they write messages
to each other.
Lesson: The Rosetta Stone (information taken from
http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/writing/rosetta.html and
http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/egypt/hieroglyphics/rosettastone.html)
o The Rosetta Stone has two languages, Egyptian and Greek, but uses three scripts:
hieroglyphics, demotic, and Greek.
 Think of it this way: you can use cursive or print when you write in
English. For the Egyptians, this is how the hieroglyphic and demotic
scripts worked.

All three languages were used in Egypt at the time when the Rosetta Stone
was created, which was about 196 BC.
 Hieroglyphic was the script used for important or religious
documents. It was first used 5000 years ago.
 Demotic was the common script in Egypt.
 Greek was the language used by the rulers of Egypt.
o Hieroglyphics had been used in Egypt for thousands of years. After Alexander
the Great came to Egypt, he introduced the Greek language to the Egyptians.

During the Ptolemic dynasty (think Ptolomy, Cleopatra, and Augustus
Caesar), Egyptian and Greek were used simultaneously. The Rosetta Stone
was created between the time of Alexander the Great and Cleopatra.

Egypt came under Rome’s rule when Augustus Caesar was the Principate.
Within a hundred years, hieroglyphics were no longer used and no one
understood them anymore – they became a dead language. At this point,
Greek and Latin were the dominate languages of Egypt.
o The Rosetta Stone was fond in 1799 by French soldiers who were rebuilding a
fort in Egypt, near the village Rosetta.
 No one knew what the hieroglyphs said, and many people tried to
decipher, or decode, them over the next twenty years.

Jean-François Champollion was able to decipher the hieroglyphs in 1822.
 He could read Greek and Coptic, an Egyptian language that came
after demotic. He studied the demotic symbols and was able to
figure out which Coptic and demotic symbols were the same. He
then traced the demotic symbols back to the hieroglyphics.

Champollion was able to figure out what some hieroglyphics stood
for, and then made educated guesses from based on his knowledge
of the Greek text.

He found that hieroglyphics were a phonetic and symbolic
alphabet. What that means is that, just like the English alphabet,
different signs in hieroglyphics represented different sounds. Some
signs symbolized specific words or places, such as temple,
pyramid, or pharaoh.
o The Rosetta Stone was written by a group of priests in Egypt to honor an
Egyptian Pharaoh, and to praise all the good things he did for the priests and the
people of Egypt during his reign.
Check for understanding
o What three languages are on the Rosetta Stone?
o What languages were used throughout Egypt’s history?
o Why could no one read the hieroglyphs?
o What is a dead language?
o How was Champollion able to decipher the hieroglyphs?
Activity: Translate into Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs!
o Make enough copies of the provided Writing Worksheet so that all students can
have a copy of the reading passage.
o Provide dictionaries to students in case there are some words that they do not
understand, or give the definitions beforehand.
 Expected vocabulary words:
 Scribe, bureaucracy, overcome, sustenance.
o Make copies of the Hieroglyph Index handout provided, also available at
http://www.neferchichi.com/hieroglyphs.html or, print the complete article and
have students read it and then explain to a partner how hieroglyphs work.
o Explain to students that hieroglyphs are phonetic.
 If your name is Sally, the sounds are: s – short a – l – long e
 If you want to write phone, the sounds are: f – long o – n
o Explain that at the end of the word, there was a symbol to help explain what the
object is. For Sally, it would include a picture of a girl. For a school, there would
be a picture of a building.
o Have students write their names in hieroglyphs.
 Other ideas include: vocabulary words, sentences, or notes.
o Display a sentence in hieroglyphs. Have students translate it into English.
o Students can then write hieroglyphic letters to each other.
Name: __________________________
Date: _______________
Writing Worksheet
Read the passage and answer the questions at the end. Circle any words you do not
know and look them up in your classroom dictionary.
To the Ancient Egyptians, the greatest art was writing. A scribe who mastered the hieratic
and hieroglyphic writing systems was guaranteed a good job in the bureaucracy, and a
chance to rise as high as his ability (and the king's favor) would take him.
Hieroglyphs were called medew netjer - the words of god. Writing could overcome
distance and time to send and receive messages, and to preserve the wisdom of the past.
Beautifully composed and painted texts could magically bring sustenance to the spirits of
the dead, and preserve a person's name and deeds for all time.
The Pyramid Texts are an example of the power of words. These prayers and spells,
carved into the walls of a royal burial chamber, could help the king to overcome death
and join the gods who dwelt in the sky with the stars, or with Osiris in the Underworld.
So powerful were these words that the images of dangerous animals, such as the horned
viper that represented the sound 'f,'' were cut in two so that they could not magically
come alive and harm the king.
Hieroglyphs are a writing system that represents the sounds of an ancient Egyptian
language. This language is closely related to modern Coptic, and distantly related to
Arabic, Hebrew and West African languages such as Wolof.
Egyptian writing is beautiful and satisfying because it is made up of images from the
natural world such as birds, animals, plants and pieces of landscape. Some of these signs
function as letters, used for their sound - an owl, for example, signifies the sound 'm'.
Questions
1) What was another name for hieroglyphs?
2) What sorts of things were carved into the walls of the pyramids?
3) Why were the images of dangerous animals cut in half?
From http://www.rom.on.ca/programs/activities/egypt/learn/writing.php
Hieroglyph Index
http://www.neferchichi.com/hieroglyphs.html
Sound
Example
Short A
cat, bar
Long A
make, air, way, hey
B
baby
Soft C
(actually S)
nice, circus
Hard C
(actually K)
camel, sick, Christmas
CH
cheese, catch, picture
D
dog, add
Short E
earn, pet
Long E
be, bleach, Mary, radio
F
fish, phone, tough
Hieroglyph
Soft G
gorgeous, gym, judge
Hard G
girl, ghost
H
how, who
Short I
hid, bit
Long I
hide, bite, eye
J
jungle, judge
K
pick, kid, technology,
clique
L
lead, bell
M
mummy
N
Nile
Short O
dog, all, shawl, daughter
Long O
rose, sew, mow, boat
OO
food, blue
OO
book, push
P
pet
QU
(actually KW)
Q+U sounds like K+W, so
combine the K and W
hieroglyphs.
R
rain
Soft S
sit, nice, rats
Sharp S
fission, measure
Z-Like S
rays, loser
SH
ship, sugar, mission,
fiction, machine
T
tiger, thyme
TH
Egyptians had no sound for
TH as pronounced in this
and that. The closest match
is the D sound.
TH
Egyptians had no sound for
TH as pronounced in think
and math. The closest
match is the T sound.
Short U
cut, about, ugly
Long U
rude, food, blue
V
viper
W
wind, what, cow
X
(actually KS)
fix
Hard Y
crayon, yes
Vowel Y
(actually long E)
Use hieroglyph for Long E
in words like ready and
Mary.
Vowel Y
(actually I)
Use hieroglyph for Short I
and Long I in words like
gym and byte.
Z
zebra, dogs, Xerox
From http://www.neferchichi.com/hieroglyphs.html
5th Grade Lesson Plan
Objectives:
o Students will learn about the Rosetta Stone and be able to describe the translation
process.
o Students will explain how languages are introduced into a new area, and why
some languages are considered “dead” and will compare them to pre-Columbian
hieroglyphs.
o Students will translate phonetic sounds from hieroglyphs as they write messages
to each other.
o Students will examine photographs of architecture in Egypt and in the United
States to look for similarities and differences, and will brainstorm why are there.
Lesson: The Rosetta Stone (information taken from
http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/writing/rosetta.html and
http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/egypt/hieroglyphics/rosettastone.html)
o The Rosetta Stone has two languages, Egyptian and Greek, but uses three scripts:
hieroglyphics, demotic, and Greek.
 Think of it this way: you can use cursive or print when you write in
English. For the Egyptians, this is how the hieroglyphic and demotic
scripts worked.

All three languages were used in Egypt at the time when the Rosetta Stone
was created, which was about 196 BC.
 Hieroglyphic was the script used for important or religious
documents. It was first used 5000 years ago.
 Demotic was the common script in Egypt.
 Greek was the language used by the rulers of Egypt.
o Hieroglyphics had been used in Egypt for thousands of years. After Alexander
the Great came to Egypt, he introduced the Greek language to the Egyptians.

During the Ptolemic dynasty (think Ptolomy, Cleopatra, and Augustus
Caesar), Egyptian and Greek were used simultaneously. The Rosetta Stone
was created between the time of Alexander the Great and Cleopatra.

Egypt came under Rome’s rule when Augustus Caesar was the Principate.
Within a hundred years, hieroglyphics were no longer used and no one
understood them anymore – they became a dead language. At this point,
Greek and Latin were the dominate languages of Egypt.
o The Rosetta Stone was fond in 1799 by French soldiers who were rebuilding a
fort in Egypt, near the village Rosetta.

No one knew what the hieroglyphs said, and many people tried to decode
them over the next twenty years.

Jean-François Champollion was able to decipher the hieroglyphs in 1822.
 He could read Greek and Coptic, an Egyptian language that came
after demotic. He studied the demotic symbols and was able to
figure out which Coptic and demotic symbols were the same. He
then traced the demotic symbols back to the hieroglyphics.

Champollion was able to figure out what some hieroglyphics stood
for, and then made educated guesses from based on his knowledge
of the Greek text.

He found that hieroglyphics were a phonetic and symbolic
alphabet. What that means is that, just like the English alphabet,
different signs in hieroglyphics represented different sounds. Some
signs symbolized specific words or places, such as temple,
pyramid, or pharaoh.
o The Rosetta Stone was written by a group of priests in Egypt to honor an
Egyptian Pharaoh, and to praise all the good things he did for the priests and the
people of Egypt during his reign.
Check for understanding
o What three languages are on the Rosetta Stone?
o Why could no one read the hieroglyphs?
o What is a dead language?
o How is the Egyptian language similar to the pre-Columbian languages that we
have already studies, specifically the Maya?
 Review Mayan hieroglyphs.
Activity: Translate into Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs!
o Make copies of the hieroglyph translation chart provided, also available at
http://www.neferchichi.com/hieroglyphs.html.
o Explain to students that hieroglyphs are phonetic.
 If your name is Sally, the sounds are: s – short a – l – long e
 If you want to write phone, the sounds are: f – long o – n
o Explain that at the end of the word, there was a symbol to help explain what the
object is. For Sally, it would include a picture of a girl. For a school, there would
be a picture of a building.
o Have students write their names in hieroglyphs.
 Other ideas include: vocabulary words, sentences, or notes.
o Display a sentence in hieroglyphs. Have students translate it into English.
o Students can then write hieroglyphic letters to each other.
4th Grade Lesson Plan
Objectives:
o Students will learn about the Rosetta Stone and be able to describe the translation
process.
o Students will explain how languages are introduced into a new area, and why
some languages are considered “dead”.
o Students will translate phonetic sounds from hieroglyphs as they write messages
to each other.
o Students will look at Ancient Egyptian artifacts and determine the meaning of
their artifact.
Lesson: The Rosetta Stone (information taken from
http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/writing/rosetta.html and
http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/egypt/hieroglyphics/rosettastone.html)
o The Rosetta Stone has two languages (Egyptian and Greek) but uses three scripts
(hieroglyphics, demotic, and Greek).
 Think of it this way: you can write in cursive or print when you write in
English. That is like the hieroglyphics and demotic.

All three were used in Egypt at the time the Rosetta Stone was created,
about 196 BCE.
 Hieroglyphic was the script used for important and religious
documents. It first was used 5000 years ago.
 Demotic was the common script in Egypt.
 Greek was the language that the rulers of Egypt used at the time.
o Hieroglyphics had been used in Egypt for thousands of years. After Alexander
the Great came to Egypt, he introduced the Greek language to the Egyptians.

During the Ptolemic dynasty (think Ptolomy, Cleopatra, and Augustus
Caesar), Egyptian and Greek were used simultaneously. The Rosetta
Stone was created between the time of Alexander the Great and Cleopatra.

Egypt came under Rome’s rule when Augustus Caesar was the Principate.
In Egypt, only Greek and Latin were used. Within a hundred years, the
Egyptian hieroglyphics were no longer used and no one understood them
anymore – it was a dead language.
o The Rosetta Stone was fond in 1799 by French soldiers who were rebuilding a
fort in Egypt, near the village Rosetta.
 No one knew what the hieroglyphs said, and many people tried to
decipher, or decode, them over the next twenty years.

Jean-François Champollion was able to decipher the hieroglyphs in 1822.
 He could read Greek and Coptic, an Egyptian language that came
after demotic. He studied the demotic signs and was able to figure
out which Coptic and demotic signs were the same ones. He then
traced the demotic signs back to the hieroglyphic signs.
 Champollion was able to figure out what some hieroglyphics stood
for, and then make educated guesses from there, based on his
knowledge of the Greek part.

He found that hieroglyphics were a phonetic and symbolic
alphabet. That means that, like our alphabet, different signs mean
different sounds. Some signs symbolized specific words or places,
such as temple, pyramid, or pharaoh.
o The Rosetta Stone was written by a group of priests in Egypt to honor the
Egyptian pharaoh, and to praise all the good things he did for the priests and the
people of Egypt.
Check for understanding
o What three languages are on the Rosetta Stone?
o Why could no one read the hieroglyphs?
o What is a dead language?
o What did the Rosetta Stone describe?
Activity: Translate into Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs!
o Make copies of the hieroglyph translation chart, available at
http://www.neferchichi.com/hieroglyphs.html or, print the complete article and
have students read it and then explain to a partner how hieroglyphs work.
o Explain to students that hieroglyphs are phonetic.
 If your name is Sally, the sounds are: s – short a – l – long e
 If you want to write phone, the sounds are: f – long o – n
o Explain that at the end of the word, there was a symbol to help explain what the
object is. For Sally, it would include a picture of a girl. For a school, there would
be a picture of a building.
o Have students write their names in hieroglyphs.
 Other ideas include: vocabulary words, sentences, or notes.
o Display a sentence in hieroglyphs. Have students translate it into English.
o Then students can write hieroglyphic letters to each other.
3rd Grade Lesson Plan
Objectives:
o Students will identify that language is an important aspect of culture.
o Students will explain how languages are introduced into a new area.
o Students will translate phonetic sounds from hieroglyphs as they write messages
to each other.
o Students will do math problems in hieroglyphs.
Lesson: The Rosetta Stone (information taken from
http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/writing/rosetta.html and
http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/egypt/hieroglyphics/rosettastone.html)
o The Rosetta Stone has two languages, Egyptian and Greek, but uses three scripts:
hieroglyphics, demotic, and Greek.

Think of it this way: you can use cursive or print when you write in
English. For the Egyptians, this is how the hieroglyphic and demotic
scripts worked.

All three languages were used in Egypt at the time when the Rosetta Stone
was created, which was about 196 BC.
 Hieroglyphic was the script used for important or religious
documents. It was first used 5000 years ago.
 Demotic was the common script in Egypt.
 Greek was the language that the rulers of Egypt used at the time.
o Hieroglyphics were used in Egypt for thousands of years until the coming of
Alexander the Great. After he came to Egypt, he introduced the Greek language
to the Egyptians.

Egypt came under Rome’s rule when Augustus Caesar was the Principate.
Within a hundred years, the Egyptian hieroglyphics were no longer used
and no one understood them anymore – they had become a dead language.
Greek and Latin were now the only languages used in Egypt.
o The Rosetta Stone was fond in 1799 by French soldiers who were rebuilding a
fort in Egypt, near the village Rosetta.
 No one knew what the hieroglyphs said, and many people tried to
decipher, or decode, them over the next twenty years.

Jean-François Champollion was able to decipher the hieroglyphs in 1822.
 He could read Greek and Coptic, an Egyptian language that came
after demotic. He studied the demotic symbols and was able to
figure out which Coptic and demotic symbols were the same ones.
He then traced the demotic symbols back to the hieroglyphics.

Champollion was able to figure out what some hieroglyphics stood
for, and then make educated guesses based on his knowledge of the
Greek text.

He found that hieroglyphics were a phonetic and symbolic
alphabet. What that means is that, just like the English alphabet,
different signs in hieroglyphics represented different sounds. Some
signs symbolized specific words or places, such as temple,
pyramid, or pharaoh.
o The Rosetta Stone was written by a group of priests in Egypt to honor an
Egyptian Pharaoh, and to praise all the good things he did for the priests and the
people of Egypt during his reign.
Check for understanding
o What languages did the Egyptians use?
o What languages do you use at your home? At school?
o Why do we have language?
o When do you use language?
Activity: Hieroglyph Math
o Make copies of the math information, available at
http://www.greatscott.com/hiero/numbers.html.
o Have students do some math problems. Explain that each symbol means 1, 10,
100, etc. Ask them how we determine place value in our number system.
o Hand out copies of the following worksheet and give the students time to do it.
Encourage them to use the back side of the sheet for creating more numbers.
Name: _____________________
Date: ___________________
Egyptian Hieroglyphs and Math Worksheet
100,000 10,000 1,000 100 10 1
100,000
10,000
1,000
100
10
Write the following numbers in Egyptian:
15
37
236
Write the following numbers in full words:
15
37
__________________________
__________________________________
236
____________________________________________
Write a very big number in Egyptian. Then write it numerically, and then in words.
From http://www.greatscott.com/hiero/numbers.html
1
2nd Grade Lesson Plan
Objectives:
o Students will learn about the Rosetta Stone.
o Students will explain how people entering an area can introduce new concepts to
that area.
o Students will translate phonetic sounds from hieroglyphs as they write messages
to each other.
o Students will draw themselves in their dream job in the Egyptian style of art.
Lesson: The Rosetta Stone (information taken from
http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/writing/rosetta.html and
http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/egypt/hieroglyphics/rosettastone.html)
o The Rosetta Stone has two languages, Egyptian and Greek, but uses three scripts:
hieroglyphics, demotic, and Greek.

All three languages were used in Egypt at the time when the Rosetta Stone
was created, which was about 196 BC.
 Hieroglyphic was the script used for important or religious
documents. It first was used 5000 years ago.
 Demotic was the common script in Egypt.
 Greek was the language that the rulers of Egypt used at the time.
o Hieroglyphics were used in Egypt for thousands of years until the coming of
Alexander the Great. After he came to Egypt, he introduced the Greek language
to the Egyptians.

Egypt came under Rome’s rule when Augustus Caesar was the Principate.
Within a hundred years, the Egyptian hieroglyphics were no longer used
and no one understood them anymore – they had become a dead language.
Greek and Latin were now the only languages used in Egypt.
o The Rosetta Stone was fond in 1799 by French soldiers who were rebuilding a
fort in Egypt, near the village Rosetta.
 No one knew what the hieroglyphs said, and many people tried to
decipher, or decode, them over the next twenty years.

Jean-François Champollion was able to decipher the hieroglyphs in 1822
because he could read Greek and Coptic, a language similar to demotic.

Champollion was able to figure out what some hieroglyphics stood
for, and then make educated guesses based on his knowledge of the
Greek section of the Stone.

He found that hieroglyphics were a phonetic and symbolic
alphabet. What that means is that, just like the English alphabet,
different signs in hieroglyphics represented different sounds. Some
signs symbolized specific words or places, such as temple,
pyramid, or pharaoh.
o The Rosetta Stone was written by a group of priests in Egypt to honor an
Egyptian Pharaoh, and to praise all the good things he did for the priests and the
people of Egypt during his reign.
Check for understanding
o What languages did the Egyptians use?
o What languages do you use at your home? At school?
o Why do we have language?
o When do you use language?
Activity: Egyptian Trades in Art
o Use a projector to show the PowerPoint and read the following story to the class.
The story is taken from http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/trade/home.html.

Slide 1: Craftsmen in ancient Egypt were usually trained and skilled
laborers. They were often well-respected in the community and had a
comfortable lifestyle. Yet every craftsman's lifestyle and social standing
depended on the quality of his skills and experience. Thus, some
craftsmen had more difficult lives than others. Most craftsmen worked in
workshops with others who worked in the same trade. Objects for temples
or the pharaoh were made in temple or palace workshops. Objects for
ordinary people were made by local craftsmen in small workshops.

Slide 2: Explain to students that a “trade” is just another word for a job.
 This story is part of an ancient Egyptian text known as 'The
teaching of Duaf's son Khety'. A father is taking his son to scribe
school where the boy will learn how to read and write. The father
is telling his son why being a scribe is the best profession in the
world. He emphasizes how good the life of a scribe is by
comparing it to the lives of craftsmen. Although the father speaks
badly of the other professions, he probably doesn’t mean it as
strongly as it sounds. More likely, he is making it seem that life is
very bad for other people so that he can convince his son to
become a scribe.

Slide 3: ' The teaching of Duaf's son Khety '
 “I will make you love writing more than your mother. I will show
its beauties to you; It is greater than any trade. There is not one like
it in the land.”

Slide 4: “I have seen the metal-worker working at the mouth of his
furnace; with fingers like the skin of a crocodile, he stinks more than fish
eggs.”

Slide 5: “The carpenter who uses an adze, he is more tired than a worker
in the fields; His field is the wood, his hoe is the adze. His work is
endless.”

Slide 6: “The jeweler drills with his chisel in different kinds of stone.
Once he is done with the inlay of the eyes his arms are weary, he is tired.
Sitting down at sunset, his knees and back ache.”

Slide 7: “The barber is still shaving at the end of the day, to the town he
takes himself, to his corner he takes himself, from street to street he takes
himself to search for people to shave. He works with his arms to fill his
belly, like a bee which can only eat as it has worked.”

Slide 8: “No trade is free from a director, except the scribe’s: he is the
director. But if you know writings, it will be better for you, more than
these trades I have shown you.” The end.

Take any questions from students about the story or the slides.

Slide 9: Ask them what they noticed about the people in Egyptian art.
Egyptians drew heads, eyes, legs, and feet positioned as if you were
looking at them from the side. But they drew the shoulders and the chest
as if you were looking at them from the front. Men were usually drawn
with dark colors. Women were usually drawn with light colors.
o Pass out blank pieces of paper to each student. Instruct them to draw themselves
in the Egyptian style of art, doing the job they want to do when they grow up.
Give them time to draw and color the picture.
1st Grade Lesson Plan
Objectives:
o Students will learn about the Rosetta Stone.
o Students will explain how people entering an area can introduce new concepts to
that area.
o Students will translate phonetic sounds from hieroglyphs as they write messages
to each other.
o Students will learn Egyptian vocabulary words and then complete a word search.
Lesson: The Rosetta Stone (information taken from
http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/writing/rosetta.html and
http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/egypt/hieroglyphics/rosettastone.html)
o The Rosetta Stone has two languages, Egyptian and Greek, but uses three scripts:
hieroglyphics, demotic, and Greek.

All three languages were used in Egypt at the time when the Rosetta Stone
was created, which was about 196 BC.
 Hieroglyphic was the script used for important or religious
documents. It first was used 5000 years ago.
 Demotic was the common script in Egypt.
 Greek was the language that the rulers of Egypt used at the time.
o Hieroglyphics were used in Egypt for thousands of years until the coming of
Alexander the Great. After he came to Egypt, he introduced the Greek language
to the Egyptians.

Egypt came under Rome’s rule when Augustus Caesar was the Principate.
Within a hundred years, the Egyptian hieroglyphics were no longer used
and no one understood them anymore – they had become a dead language.
Greek and Latin were now the only languages used in Egypt.
o The Rosetta Stone was fond in 1799 by French soldiers who were rebuilding a
fort in Egypt, near the village Rosetta.

No one knew what the hieroglyphs said, and many people tried to
decipher, or decode, them over the next twenty years.

Jean-François Champollion was able to decipher the hieroglyphs in 1822
because he could read Greek and Coptic, a language similar to demotic.

Champollion was able to figure out what some hieroglyphics stood
for, and then make educated guesses based on his knowledge of the
Greek section of the Stone.

He found that hieroglyphics were a phonetic and symbolic
alphabet. What that means is that, just like the English alphabet,
different signs in hieroglyphics represented different sounds. Some
signs symbolized specific words or places, such as temple,
pyramid, or pharaoh.
o The Rosetta Stone was written by a group of priests in Egypt to honor an
Egyptian Pharaoh, and to praise all the good things he did for the priests and the
people of Egypt during his reign.
Check for understanding
o What languages did the Egyptians use?
o What languages do you use at your home? At school?
o Why do we have language?
o When do you use language?
Activity:
o ]Then have students make a cartouche.

A cartouche is basically a nametag for the pharaoh or other high ranking
people.

After the students have figured out how to write their names in hieroglyphs,
have the students arrange their hieroglyphic name in an up and down manner
on a piece of yellow construction paper. Have the students also determine an
animal that symbolizes them and draw that underneath their name. Back with
thin cardboard and then cut it into an oval shape. After that, students can
either glue yarn to their cartouche, or trace the symbols with glue and cover it
with glitter. If glitter is used, make sure to provide a tarp or newspaper that the
students can work under to keep from making a mess.

Display the cartouches on a bulletin board.
Kindergarten Lesson Plan
Objectives:
o Students will learn about the Rosetta Stone.
o Students will identify the differences between types of writing from different
cultures.
o Students will use hieroglyphs to write their names and other words.
o Students will design a cartouche that symbolizes them.
Lesson: The Rosetta Stone (information taken from
http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/writing/rosetta.html and
http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/egypt/hieroglyphics/rosettastone.html)
o The Rosetta Stone has two languages, Egyptian and Greek, but uses three scripts:
hieroglyphics, demotic, and Greek.

All three languages were used in Egypt at the time when the Rosetta Stone
was created, which was about 196 BC.
 Hieroglyphic was the script used for important or religious
documents. It first was used 5000 years ago.
 Demotic was the common script in Egypt.
 Greek was the language that the rulers of Egypt used at the time.
o Hieroglyphics were used in Egypt for thousands of years until the coming of
Alexander the Great. After he came to Egypt, he introduced the Greek language
to the Egyptians.

Egypt came under Rome’s rule when Augustus Caesar was the Principate.
Within a hundred years, the Egyptian hieroglyphics were no longer used
and no one understood them anymore – they had become a dead language.
Greek and Latin were now the only languages used in Egypt.
o The Rosetta Stone was fond in 1799 by French soldiers who were rebuilding a
fort in Egypt, near the village Rosetta.

No one knew what the hieroglyphs said, and many people tried to
decipher, or decode, them over the next twenty years.

Jean-François Champollion was able to decipher the hieroglyphs in 1822
because he could read Greek and Coptic, a language similar to demotic.

Champollion was able to figure out what some hieroglyphics stood
for, and then make educated guesses based on his knowledge of the
Greek section of the Stone.

He found that hieroglyphics were a phonetic and symbolic
alphabet. What that means is that, just like the English alphabet,
different signs in hieroglyphics represented different sounds. Some
signs symbolized specific words or places, such as temple,
pyramid, or pharaoh.
o The Rosetta Stone was written by a group of priests in Egypt to honor an
Egyptian Pharaoh, and to praise all the good things he did for the priests and the
people of Egypt during his reign.
Check for understanding
o What is a language?
o What languages did the Egyptians use?
o What languages do you use at your home? At school?
o Why do we have languages?
Activity:
o Then have students make a cartouche.

A cartouche is basically a nametag for the pharaoh or other high ranking
people.

After the students have figured out how to write their names in hieroglyphs,
have the students arrange their hieroglyphic name in an up and down manner
on a piece of yellow construction paper. Have the students also determine an
animal that symbolizes them and draw that underneath their name. Back with
thin cardboard and then cut it into an oval shape. After that, students can
either glue yarn to their cartouche, or trace the symbols with glue and cover it
with glitter. If glitter is used, make sure to provide a tarp or newspaper that the
students can work under to keep from making a mess.

Display the cartouches on a bulletin board.
Thursday: Egyptian History
6th Grade Lesson Plan
Objectives:
o Students will learn that Egyptian history is more than pyramids and mummies.
o Students will be able to explain how the rule of Egypt changed from nationality to
nationality.
o Students will read about pharaohs of their choosing, write facts about them, and
share the facts with other students.
Lesson: Ancient Egyptian History (information taken from
http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/egypt/history/history.html and
http://countrystudies.us/egypt/14.htm)
o Predynastic Period (5464-3414 BCE)
 Hunter-Gathers on the Sahara changed to a farming society. People
gathered into small villages and began developing religious and cultural
conformity, including a strong belief in the afterlife. Writing and art
forms were developed at this time.
o Old Kingdom (3100-2181 BCE)
 The pyramids were built at this time, such as Great Pyramid that was built
by and for Pharaoh Khufu. Egyptians began to trade with other cultures
outside of the area. They also organized their army and created a warrior
caste.
o Middle Kingdom (2125-1650 BCE)
 King Nebhepetre Mentuhotep I united all of Egypt and brought stability to
the country. A lot of construction was going on at this time, including
temples and pyramids. Egyptians mined for gold and expanded their crop
base.
o New Kingdom (1550-1069 BCE)
 There were many military campaigns and a female pharaoh, Hatshepsut.
Another famous pharaoh was King Tutankhamun, otherwise known as
King Tut. During this period, Egypt exploited the people of an African
country called Kush, which resulted in many riches in Egypt for a few
years.
o Greek Dynasty (332-30 BCE)
 Alexander the Great conquered Egypt and began this period. The Ptolemy
kings encouraged art, introduced Greek gods to the already numerous
Egyptian deities, and made Greek the official language.
o Roman Period (30 BCE – CE 330)
 Octavian defeated Marc Antony and Cleopatra’s navies. Roman control
brought strong military and new government organizations to Egypt.
After Constantine divided the Empire between east and west, Egypt was
ruled from Byzantium.
o Pharaohs were the leaders of the Ancient Egyptian people, and their role in
Egyptian society had a strong impact of the history of the country.
 The term pharaoh means "Great House"; though the pharaoh was also
called the "Lord of the Two Lands" and "High Priest of Every Temple".
The Egyptians saw the pharaoh as the living version of the god Horus, son
of Osiris. The pharaoh was the ruler of Upper and Lower Egypt and wore
a crown that was white (Upper Egypt) and red (Lower Egypt) to show the
unity of the two lands.
o The main responsibility of the pharaoh was to make sure Egypt was protected and
at peace. The pharaoh also had many duties such as: making laws, collecting
taxes, leading the army and overseeing all of the temples.
 The pharaoh often carried a flail, which represented the god Osiris, and a
Crook that represented the pharaoh’s authority.
 The pharaohs often wore false beards which symbolized royal authority.
o The pharaohs were very wealthy and lived in huge palaces with servants, making
life for pharaohs and their families very comfortable.
 The pharaoh’s daughter did not usually inherit the title of pharaoh, but her
husband could. Some woman ruled as pharaoh if there was no male heir.
The last Egyptian pharaoh was a woman named Cleopatra.
 In some royal families, sisters married their brothers in order to keep
power in one family and to keep their blood line “pure”.
 Pharaohs were buried in magnificent tombs, with lots of treasures to take
with them to the afterlife.
o Some of the most famous pharaohs were:
 Menes, who was the first pharaoh in and began his reign around
3200BCE. He united Lower and Upper Egypt.
 Ramses II defeated the Hittites and returned the land to Egyptian rule.
 Hatshepsut was a female pharaoh who ruled for 21 years. She took over
the throne for her stepson who was too young to rule. She led Egypt in war
against Nubia, a kingdom south of Egypt. Her large temple is located at
Deir el Bari
 Tuthmosis III became pharaoh around 1450BCE. He extended Egypt's
boundaries.
Check for understanding:
o True or False? The Egyptians started out as a hunter-gather society.
o During which period where the pyramids built?
o What were some of the Egyptian pharaohs like?
o Why did the pharaohs have so much power?
Activity
Schedule a time for students to go to computer lab. At the lab, have the students go to the
website: http://www.eyelid.co.uk/k-q-menu.htm. There are several links that the students
can visit to learn about several pharaohs in Egypt. After that, pass out the “Who’s Who of
Egyptian Pharaohs” document, seen below. Have the students write three things that they
learned about the pharaoh they chose to read about in the space provided. Students will
then research four Pharaohs on their own. If you cannot get to the computer lab, visit the
website, print off the articles about the pharaohs, make copies and have the students read
the articles in small groups.
5th Grade Lesson Plan
Objectives:
o Students will learn that Egyptian history is more than pyramids and mummies.
o Students will be research a few pharaohs and then tell peers about the pharaohs
they read about.
o Students will examine Egyptian maps and then create their own map.
Lesson: Egyptian History (information taken from
http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/egypt/history/history.html and
http://countrystudies.us/egypt/14.htm)
o Predynastic Period (5464-3414 BCE)
 Hunter-Gathers on the Sahara changed to a farming society. People
gathered into small villages and began developing religious and cultural
conformity, including a strong belief in the afterlife. Writing and art
forms were developed at this time.
o Old Kingdom (3100-2181 BCE)
 The pyramids were built at this time, such as Great Pyramid that was built
by and for Pharaoh Khufu. Egyptians began to trade with other cultures
outside of the area. They also organized their army and created a warrior
caste.
o Middle Kingdom (2125-1650 BCE)
 King Nebhepetre Mentuhotep I united all of Egypt and brought stability to
the country. A lot of construction was going on at this time, including
temples and pyramids. Egyptians mined for gold and expanded their crop
base.
o New Kingdom (1550-1069 BCE)
 There were many military campaigns and a female pharaoh, Hatshepsut.
Another famous pharaoh was King Tutankhamun, otherwise known as
King Tut. During this period, Egypt exploited the people of an African
country called Kush, which resulted in many riches in Egypt for a few
years.
o Greek Dynasty (332-30 BCE)
 Alexander the Great conquered Egypt and began this period. The Ptolemy
kings encouraged art, introduced Greek gods to the already numerous
Egyptian deities, and made Greek the official language.
o Roman Period (30 BCE – CE 330)
 Octavian defeated Marc Antony and Cleopatra’s navies. Roman control
brought strong military and new government organizations to Egypt.
After Constantine divided the Empire between east and west, Egypt was
ruled from Byzantium.
o Pharaohs were the leaders of the Ancient Egyptian people, and their role in
Egyptian society had a strong impact of the history of the country.
 The term pharaoh means "Great House"; though the pharaoh was also
called the "Lord of the Two Lands" and "High Priest of Every Temple".
The Egyptians saw the pharaoh as the living version of the god Horus, son
of Osiris. The pharaoh was the ruler of Upper and Lower Egypt and wore
a crown that was white (Upper Egypt) and red (Lower Egypt) to show the
unity of the two lands.
o The main responsibility of the pharaoh was to make sure Egypt was protected and
at peace. The pharaoh also had many duties such as: making laws, collecting
taxes, leading the army and overseeing all of the temples.
 The pharaoh often carried a flail, which represented the god Osiris, and a
Crook that represented the pharaoh’s authority.
 The pharaohs often wore false beards which symbolized royal authority.
o The pharaohs were very wealthy and lived in huge palaces with servants, making
life for pharaohs and their families very comfortable.
 The pharaoh’s daughter did not usually inherit the title of pharaoh, but her
husband could. Some woman ruled as pharaoh if there was no male heir.
The last Egyptian pharaoh was a woman named Cleopatra.
 In some royal families, sisters married their brothers in order to keep
power in one family and to keep their blood line “pure”.
 Pharaohs were buried in magnificent tombs, with lots of treasures to take
with them to the afterlife.
o Some of the most famous pharaohs were:
 Menes, who was the first pharaoh in and began his reign around
3200BCE. He united Lower and Upper Egypt.
 Ramses II defeated the Hittites and returned the land to Egyptian rule.
 Hatshepsut was a female pharaoh who ruled for 21 years. She took over
the throne for her stepson who was too young to rule. She led Egypt in war
against Nubia, a kingdom south of Egypt. Her large temple is located at
Deir el Bari
 Tuthmosis III became pharaoh around 1450BCE. He extended Egypt's
boundaries.
Check for understanding:
o True or False? The Egyptians started out as a hunter-gather society.
o During which period where the pyramids built?
o What were some of the Egyptian pharaohs like?
o Why did the pharaohs have so much power?
Activity
Schedule a time for students to go to computer lab. At the lab, have the students go to the
website: http://www.eyelid.co.uk/k-q-menu.htm. There are several links that the students
can visit to learn about several pharaohs in Egypt. After that, pass out the “Who’s Who of
Egyptian Pharaohs” document, seen below. Have the students write three things that they
learned about the pharaoh they chose to read about in the space provided. Students will
then research four Pharaohs on their own. If you cannot get to the computer lab, visit the
website, print off the articles about the pharaohs, make copies and have the students read
the articles in small groups.
4th Grade Lesson Plan
Objectives:
o Students will learn that Egyptian history is more than pyramids and mummies.
o Students will read a short passage about Egyptian history provided below.
Lesson: Egyptian History (information taken from
http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/egypt/history/history.html and
http://countrystudies.us/egypt/14.htm)
o Predynastic Period (5464-3414 BCE)
 Hunter-Gathers on the Sahara changed to a farming society. People
gathered into small villages and began developing religious and cultural
conformity, including a strong belief in the afterlife. Writing and art
forms were developed at this time.
o Old Kingdom (3100-2181 BCE)
 The pyramids were built at this time, such as Great Pyramid that was built
by and for Pharaoh Khufu. Egyptians began to trade with other cultures
outside of the area. They also organized their army and created a warrior
caste.
o Middle Kingdom (2125-1650 BCE)
 King Nebhepetre Mentuhotep I united all of Egypt and brought stability to
the country. A lot of construction was going on at this time, including
temples and pyramids. Egyptians mined for gold and expanded their crop
base.
o New Kingdom (1550-1069 BCE)
 There were many military campaigns and a female pharaoh, Hatshepsut.
Another famous pharaoh was King Tutankhamun, otherwise known as
King Tut. During this period, Egypt exploited the people of an African
country called Kush, which resulted in many riches in Egypt for a few
years.
o Greek Dynasty (332-30 BCE)
 Alexander the Great conquered Egypt and began this period. The Ptolemy
kings encouraged art, introduced Greek gods to the already numerous
Egyptian deities, and made Greek the official language.
o Roman Period (30 BCE – CE 330)
 Octavian defeated Marc Antony and Cleopatra’s navies. Roman control
brought strong military and new government organizations to Egypt.
After Constantine divided the Empire between east and west, Egypt was
ruled from Byzantium.
Check for understanding:
o True or False? The Egyptians started out as a hunter-gather society.
o During which period where the pyramids built?
o What is King Tut’s real name?
o Who defeated the armies of Marc Antony and Cleopatra?
Activity:
o Egyptian History Debate Activity
o Discussion Question
 Why might the Pharaohs that lived during the time of your kingdom have
chosen the type of burial style they did?
o Methods
 Have students read the following articles that are found on
egypt.mrdonn.org: http://egypt.mrdonn.org/twolands.html,
http://egypt.mrdonn.org/3kingdoms.html; and fill out the provided
worksheet, Ancient Egyptian History.

Then divide the students up into three groups. Assign each group to a
different kingdom. Give them ample time to discuss the information about
their assigned kingdom.
After the quiet individual group discussion have students nominate a spokes
person to speak for their group. Have that student present the reasons why the
Pharaohs of their kingdom might have chosen the type of burial style they did.
After all groups have presented open the discussion allowing group members to
defend their positions. Teacher should keep track of their arguments on the board.
Name: _________________________
_________________
Date:
Ancient Egyptian History
1) Draw a Vann Diagram then compare the differences and similarities between Upper and
Lower Egypt.
2) How was the Old Kingdom different from the Middle Kingdom?
3) How was the Middle Kingdom different from the New Kingdom?
4) How was the New kingdom different from the Old Kingdom?
5) Why might the Pharaohs of the different kingdoms have different types of burial
markers? What are the pros and cons of each? (Use back of page if needed.)
3rd Grade Lesson Plan
Objectives:
o Students will learn that Egyptian history is more than pyramids and mummies.
o Students will learn about Egyptian culture through reading a book as a class.
o Students will rewrite a fairy tale or fable in their own way.
Lesson: Egyptian History (information taken from
http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/egypt/history/history.html and
http://countrystudies.us/egypt/14.htm)
o Predynastic Period (5464-3414 BCE)
 Hunter-Gathers on the Sahara changed to a farming society. People
gathered into small villages and began developing religious and cultural
conformity, including a strong belief in the afterlife. Writing and art
forms were developed at this time.
o Old Kingdom (3100-2181 BCE)
 The pyramids were built at this time, such as Great Pyramid that was built
by and for Pharaoh Khufu. Egyptians began to trade with other cultures
outside of the area. They also organized their army and created a warrior
caste.
o Middle Kingdom (2125-1650 BCE)
 King Nebhepetre Mentuhotep I united all of Egypt and brought stability to
the country. A lot of construction was going on at this time, including
temples and pyramids. Egyptians mined for gold and expanded their crop
base.
o New Kingdom (1550-1069 BCE)
 There were many military campaigns and a female pharaoh, Hatshepsut.
Another famous pharaoh was King Tutankhamun, otherwise known as
King Tut. During this period, Egypt exploited the people of an African
country called Kush, which resulted in many riches in Egypt for a few
years.
o Greek Dynasty (332-30 BCE)
 Alexander the Great conquered Egypt and began this period. The Ptolemy
kings encouraged art, introduced Greek gods to the already numerous
Egyptian deities, and made Greek the official language.
o Roman Period (30 BCE – CE 330)
 Octavian defeated Marc Antony and Cleopatra’s navies. Roman control
brought strong military and new government organizations to Egypt. After
Constantine divided the Empire between east and west, Egypt was ruled
from Byzantium.
Check for understanding:
o True or False? The Egyptians started out as a hunter-gather society.
o During which period where the pyramids built?
o What is King Tut’s real name?
o Who defeated the armies of Marc Antony and Cleopatra?
Activity: Egyptian Cinderella Story
o Using the book, The Egyptian Cinderella by Nora Quiñones, included in this
Trunk, the class will read and then discuss what they learned about Egyptian
culture.
o Before reading the book, ask the students if they have read/heard of Cinderella
stories. Ask a student who has to retell it quickly.
o Read the story. After reading, review important vocabulary from the book. Put
the following words on the board and define them: pharaoh, papyrus,
hieroglyphic, pyramids, Nile, barge.
o Ask the students what they learned about Egyptian culture.
o Explain the difference between a folk tale and a fable.
 A fable is another type of story, also passed down from generation to
generation and told to teach a lesson about something. Fables are about
animals that can talk and act like people, or plants or forces of nature like
thunder or wind. The plants may be able to move and also talk and the natural
forces cause things to happen in the story because of their strength. The most
famous fables were written by a man called Aesop. We know them as Aesop’s
Fables, and he wrote more than 600 of them.

Folk and fairy tales are stories written specially for children, often about
magical characters such as elves, fairies, goblins and giants. Sometimes the
characters are animals. Hans Christian Andersen is famous for writing fairy
tales. He was born in Denmark in 1805. Examples of his stories are “The
Little Mermaid”, “Thumbelina” and “The Red Shoes”. In Copenhagen there
is a statue of the little mermaid, sitting on a rock on the beach at the harbor, in
memory of the writer. Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm were brothers, born in
Germany in 1785 and 1786. They are famous because they collected together
many old fairy tales from different parts of Germany and wrote them down for
people to read. We know them as the Brothers Grimm and their collection
includes “Cinderella” and “The Frog Prince”.
o Have students write their own retelling of a Cinderella story. This may be a good
project for a writing workshop spread over a few days.
2nd Grade Lesson Plan
Objectives:
o Students will learn that Egyptian history is more than pyramids and mummies.
o Students will learn about Egyptian culture through reading a book as a class.
o Students will rewrite a fairy tale or fable in their own way.
Lesson: Egyptian History (information taken from
http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/egypt/history/history.html and
http://countrystudies.us/egypt/14.htm)
o Predynastic Period (5464-3414 BCE)
 Hunter-Gathers on the Sahara changed to a farming society. People
gathered into small villages and began developing religious and cultural
conformity, including a strong belief in the afterlife. Writing and art
forms were developed at this time.
o Old Kingdom (3100-2181 BCE)
 The pyramids were built at this time, such as Great Pyramid that was built
by and for Pharaoh Khufu. Egyptians began to trade with other cultures
outside of the area. They also organized their army and created a warrior
caste.
o Middle Kingdom (2125-1650 BCE)
 King Nebhepetre Mentuhotep I united all of Egypt and brought stability to
the country. A lot of construction was going on at this time, including
temples and pyramids. Egyptians mined for gold and expanded their crop
base.
o New Kingdom (1550-1069 BCE)
 There were many military campaigns and a female pharaoh, Hatshepsut.
Another famous pharaoh was King Tutankhamun, otherwise known as
King Tut. During this period, Egypt exploited the people of an African
country called Kush, which resulted in many riches in Egypt for a few
years.
o Greek Dynasty (332-30 BCE)
 Alexander the Great conquered Egypt and began this period. The Ptolemy
kings encouraged art, introduced Greek gods to the already numerous
Egyptian deities, and made Greek the official language.
o Roman Period (30 BCE – CE 330)
 Octavian defeated Marc Antony and Cleopatra’s navies. Roman control
brought strong military and new government organizations to Egypt. After
Constantine divided the Empire between east and west, Egypt was ruled
from Byzantium.
Check for understanding:
o True or False? The Egyptians started out as a hunter-gather society.
o During which period where the pyramids built?
o What is King Tut’s real name?
o Who defeated the armies of Marc Antony and Cleopatra?
Activity: Egyptian Cinderella Story
o Using the book, The Egyptian Cinderella by Nora Quiñones, included in this
Trunk, the class will read and then discuss what they learned about Egyptian
culture.
o Before reading the book, ask the students if they have read/heard of Cinderella
stories. Ask a student who has to retell it quickly.
o Read the story. After reading, review important vocabulary from the book. Put
the following words on the board and define them: pharaoh, papyrus,
hieroglyphic, pyramids, Nile, barge.
o Ask the students what they learned about Egyptian culture.
o Explain the difference between a folk tale and a fable.
 A fable is another type of story, also passed down from generation to
generation and told to teach a lesson about something. Fables are about
animals that can talk and act like people, or plants or forces of nature like
thunder or wind. The plants may be able to move and also talk and the natural
forces cause things to happen in the story because of their strength. The most
famous fables were written by a man called Aesop. We know them as Aesop’s
Fables, and he wrote more than 600 of them.

Folk and fairy tales are stories written specially for children, often about
magical characters such as elves, fairies, goblins and giants. Sometimes the
characters are animals. Hans Christian Andersen is famous for writing fairy
tales. He was born in Denmark in 1805. Examples of his stories are “The
Little Mermaid”, “Thumbelina” and “The Red Shoes”. In Copenhagen there
is a statue of the little mermaid, sitting on a rock on the beach at the harbor, in
memory of the writer. Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm were brothers, born in
Germany in 1785 and 1786. They are famous because they collected together
many old fairy tales from different parts of Germany and wrote them down for
people to read. We know them as the Brothers Grimm and their collection
includes “Cinderella” and “The Frog Prince”.
o Have students write their own retelling of a Cinderella story. This may be a good
project for a writing workshop spread over a few days.
Name: _________________________
___________________
My Cinderella Story
Date:
1st Grade Lesson Plan
Objectives:
o Students will learn that Egyptian history is more than pyramids and mummies.
o Students will be able to explain how the rule of Egypt changed from nationality to
nationality.
Lesson: Egyptian History (information taken from
http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/egypt/history/history.html and
http://countrystudies.us/egypt/14.htm)
o Predynastic Period (5464-3414 BCE)
 Hunter-Gathers on the Sahara changed to a farming society. People
gathered into small villages and began developing religious and cultural
conformity, including a strong belief in the afterlife. Writing and art
forms were developed at this time.
o Old Kingdom (3100-2181 BCE)
 The pyramids were built at this time, such as Great Pyramid that was built
by and for Pharaoh Khufu. Egyptians began to trade with other cultures
outside of the area. They also organized their army and created a warrior
caste.
o Middle Kingdom (2125-1650 BCE)
 King Nebhepetre Mentuhotep I united all of Egypt and brought stability to
the country. A lot of construction was going on at this time, including
temples and pyramids. Egyptians mined for gold and expanded their crop
base.
o New Kingdom (1550-1069 BCE)
 There were many military campaigns and a female pharaoh, Hatshepsut.
Another famous pharaoh was King Tutankhamun, otherwise known as
King Tut. During this period, Egypt exploited the people of an African
country called Kush, which resulted in many riches in Egypt for a few
years.
o Greek Dynasty (332-30 BCE)
 Alexander the Great conquered Egypt and began this period. The Ptolemy
kings encouraged art, introduced Greek gods to the already numerous
Egyptian deities, and made Greek the official language.
o Roman Period (30 BCE – CE 330)
 Octavian defeated Marc Antony and Cleopatra’s navies. Roman control
brought strong military and new government organizations to Egypt. After
Constantine divided the Empire between east and west, Egypt was ruled
from Byzantium.
Check for understanding:
o True or False? The Egyptians started out as a hunter-gather society.
o During which period where the pyramids built?
o What is King Tut’s real name?
o Who defeated the armies of Marc Antony and Cleopatra?
Activity: Egyptian Cinderella Story
o Using the book, The Egyptian Cinderella by Nora Quiñones, included in this
Trunk, the class will read and then discuss what they learned about Egyptian
culture.
o Before reading the book, ask the students if they have read/heard of Cinderella
stories. Ask a student who has to retell it quickly.
o Read the story. After reading, review important vocabulary from the book. Put
the following words on the board and define them: pharaoh, papyrus,
hieroglyphic, pyramids, Nile, barge.
o Ask the students what they learned about Egyptian culture.
o Explain the difference between a folk tale and a fable.
 A fable is another type of story, also passed down from generation to
generation and told to teach a lesson about something. Fables are about
animals that can talk and act like people, or plants or forces of nature like
thunder or wind. The plants may be able to move and also talk and the natural
forces cause things to happen in the story because of their strength. The most
famous fables were written by a man called Aesop. We know them as Aesop’s
Fables, and he wrote more than 600 of them.

Folk and fairy tales are stories written specially for children, often about
magical characters such as elves, fairies, goblins and giants. Sometimes the
characters are animals. Hans Christian Andersen is famous for writing fairy
tales. He was born in Denmark in 1805. Examples of his stories are “The
Little Mermaid”, “Thumbelina” and “The Red Shoes”. In Copenhagen there
is a statue of the little mermaid, sitting on a rock on the beach at the harbor, in
memory of the writer. Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm were brothers, born in
Germany in 1785 and 1786. They are famous because they collected together
many old fairy tales from different parts of Germany and wrote them down for
people to read. We know them as the Brothers Grimm and their collection
includes “Cinderella” and “The Frog Prince”.
o Have students write their own retelling of a Cinderella story. This may be a good
project for a writing workshop spread over a few days.
Kindergarten Lesson Plan
Objectives:
o Students will learn that Egyptian history is more than pyramids and mummies.
o Students will be able to explain how the rule of Egypt changed from nationality to
nationality.
Lesson: Egyptian History (information taken from
http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/egypt/history/history.html and
http://countrystudies.us/egypt/14.htm)
o Predynastic Period (5464-3414 BCE)
 Hunter-Gathers on the Sahara changed to a farming society. People
gathered into small villages and began developing religious and cultural
conformity, including a strong belief in the afterlife. Writing and art
forms were developed at this time.
o Old Kingdom (3100-2181 BCE)
 The pyramids were built at this time, such as Great Pyramid that was built
by and for Pharaoh Khufu. Egyptians began to trade with other cultures
outside of the area. They also organized their army and created a warrior
caste.
o Middle Kingdom (2125-1650 BCE)
 King Nebhepetre Mentuhotep I united all of Egypt and brought stability to
the country. A lot of construction was going on at this time, including
temples and pyramids. Egyptians mined for gold and expanded their crop
base.
o New Kingdom (1550-1069 BCE)
 There were many military campaigns and a female pharaoh, Hatshepsut.
Another famous pharaoh was King Tutankhamun, otherwise known as
King Tut. During this period, Egypt exploited the people of an African
country called Kush, which resulted in many riches in Egypt for a few
years.
o Greek Dynasty (332-30 BCE)
 Alexander the Great conquered Egypt and began this period. The Ptolemy
kings encouraged art, introduced Greek gods to the already numerous
Egyptian deities, and made Greek the official language.
o Roman Period (30 BCE – CE 330)
 Octavian defeated Marc Antony and Cleopatra’s navies. Roman control
brought strong military and new government organizations to Egypt. After
Constantine divided the Empire between east and west, Egypt was ruled
from Byzantium.
Check for understanding:
o True or False? The Egyptians started out as a hunter-gather society.
o During which period where the pyramids built?
o What is King Tut’s real name?
o Who defeated the armies of Marc Antony and Cleopatra?
Activity: Egyptian Cinderella Story
o Using the book, The Egyptian Cinderella by Nora Quiñones, included in this
Trunk, the class will read and then discuss what they learned about Egyptian
culture.
o Before reading the book, ask the students if they have read/heard of Cinderella
stories. Ask a student who has to retell it quickly.
o Read the story. After reading, review important vocabulary from the book. Put
the following words on the board and define them: pharaoh, papyrus,
hieroglyphic, pyramids, Nile, barge.
o Ask the students what they learned about Egyptian culture.
o Explain the difference between a folk tale and a fable.
 A fable is another type of story, also passed down from generation to
generation and told to teach a lesson about something. Fables are about
animals that can talk and act like people, or plants or forces of nature like
thunder or wind. The plants may be able to move and also talk and the natural
forces cause things to happen in the story because of their strength. The most
famous fables were written by a man called Aesop. We know them as Aesop’s
Fables, and he wrote more than 600 of them.

Folk and fairy tales are stories written specially for children, often about
magical characters such as elves, fairies, goblins and giants. Sometimes the
characters are animals. Hans Christian Andersen is famous for writing fairy
tales. He was born in Denmark in 1805. Examples of his stories are “The
Little Mermaid”, “Thumbelina” and “The Red Shoes”. In Copenhagen there
is a statue of the little mermaid, sitting on a rock on the beach at the harbor, in
memory of the writer. Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm were brothers, born in
Germany in 1785 and 1786. They are famous because they collected together
many old fairy tales from different parts of Germany and wrote them down for
people to read. We know them as the Brothers Grimm and their collection
includes “Cinderella” and “The Frog Prince”.
o Have students write their own retelling of a Cinderella story. This may be a good
project for a writing workshop spread over a few days.
Name: _________________________
___________________
My Cinderella Story
Date:
Friday: Life On The Nile
6th Grade Lesson Plan
Objectives:
o Students will learn about the importance of water in an arid environment.
o Students will learn how agriculture and irrigation first developed in ancient
civilizations.
o Students will learn about early class systems, politics and government.
o Students will learn about ancient architecture.
Lesson: Life on the Nile (information taken from…)
o http://www.carnegiemnh.org/exhibitions/egypt/godsreligion.htm
o
o
o
o
o
o
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/nile_01.shtml
http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/Hy-La/Irrigation-Systems-Ancient.html
http://www.crystalinks.com/egyptsocialsystems.html
http://library.thinkquest.org/10098/egypt.htm
http://australianmuseum.net.au/Tombs-in-ancient-Egypt/
http://www.egypt-tehuti.org/temples.html
o The Rise of Agriculture
 The Nile River runs from South to North across Egypt. Its source is Lake
Victoria and it empties into the Mediterranean Sea. The early Egyptians
were dependant on the Nile River for survival. Not only did it provide
early Egyptians with a source of water in a desert environment, it also
supplied the needed nourishment to the plant life that grew along its
banks. These conditions provided a means for the development of
agriculture. The great cities of the ancient Egyptian Empire were also built
along the banks of the Nile.

The dependence of the Ancient Egyptians on the Nile River was also of
great importance to their religion. They saw the Nile River as the source of
life and believed that it was created by the gods. They held rituals during
the flooding of the Nile and the river also came to part of the journey their
souls took after death.

Because of the yearly flooding of the Nile River the banks and
surrounding areas were very fertile. The soil was rich in nutrients and was
excellent for the development of agriculture. Instead of hunting and
gathering for food, people began to settle down in one place and plant it.
After they started farming they faced the problem of getting water to their
crops. As a result the Egyptians developed an irrigation system, one of the
first people to do so before the Greek and Roman Empires. The Egyptians
dug channels that led away from the Nile. The channels, also known as
dikes, formed a checkerboard pattern. When the Nile River overflowed the
dikes would be washed away and would have to be rebuilt. In cases where
the crops were too high for the water to reach, Egyptians would use a
swape. A swape is a bucket hanging by a rope from a long beam or branch
that was counterweighted. During dry times the water did not reach the
crops and as a result the amount of food that could be produced was
limited.
o Politics and the Class System

Like most societies, the Ancient Egyptians had an established system of
power. The Pharaoh was at the top and was regarded as a king and god.
They had the most power and ruled over everyone else. The Egyptians
believed that Pharaohs were chosen by the gods to rule over them.

Right below the Pharaoh were the High Priests and nobles. These people
often were close to the Pharaoh and were sometimes able to sway his or
her decisions. They always belonged to very wealthy families and had
great influence over the people beneath them.

After the High Priests and nobles were the priests, engineers, and doctors.
These people were often paid to perform services for the people of other
classes. Some of these services included conducting religious ceremonies,
healing the sick and designing buildings.

Next in the cast system were the Scribes. It was the duty of the scribes to
write down anything that needed to be recorded. They were trained from
an early age to write on papyrus scrolls. They interacted with everyone
from the Pharaoh to the farmer.

After the scribes came the craftsmen who bought and sold goods, and
were responsible for maintaining the economy. Below the craftsmen were
the soldiers, famers and tomb builders. They were the lowest class and
they did the physical work earning the least amount of money.
o Architecture
 Pyramids
 Ancient Egyptians are most well known for their architecture. The
most well known structures they built are the pyramids. The people
who built the pyramids were supposed to chisel large stone blocks
into a very specific shape and size. After these blocks were made
correctly the workers waited until the next flooding of the Nile so
that they could put the blocks onto top of barges and float them to
a place near the pyramid. Once that was done the blocks were then
lifted using ropes and levers and placed on top of each other
forming the pyramid. Finally the finishing touches, such as
hieroglyphs and statues, were added and the pyramid was done.
 Tombs
 Before the pyramids were created the pharaohs were buried in
tombs. The body would be buried below ground, and on the
surface above a structure was created. These structures functioned
like a shrines or chapels. The different sizes and decoration of the
tombs indicated the wealth of the individual buried inside of them.
 Temples
 The temples built in Ancient Egypt were used by priests to conduct
rituals and ceremonies and were not places for the public to
worship, as they were sacred. The walls of the temples were
covered in images and designs that were thought to aide in
communication with the gods.
Check for Understanding:
o True or False? The Ancient Egyptian was dependant on the Nile River to survive.
o True/False? The Nile River flooding had no significance to the lives of the
Egyptians.
o What would the Egyptian irrigation system have looked like from the sky looking
down?
o Who had the most power in ancient Egypt?
o Which three groups had the least power in ancient Egypt?
o How did the Egyptians get the blocks used to build the pyramids from the place
they were made to the actual pyramid site?
o What on a tomb indicated the wealth of the dead individual?
o Who could worship in temples?
o Why were there designs and images placed on temple walls?
Activity: Pyramids of Giza
o Materials Needed
 Glue sticks
 Scissors
 Copies of the Pyramid patterns for the class. (template provided on disc)
 Colored pencils, crayons, or markers
 Large sheet of butcher paper
o Instructions
 Divide students into small groups of 4 or 5.
 Pass out the pyramid patterns. Have students color them and cut them out.
 After students have cut out the colored patterns, glue them together.
Students should end up with three pyramids all of different sizes.
 After the three pyramids have been created, have students arrange and
glue them to the butcher paper like the Pyramids of Giza.
 Have students look at an aerial photo of the Pyramids of Giza. Ask
students to draw and label the pyramids and other features they find in the
area.
o Teacher’s Note
 When cutting out the patterns, have students cut along the heavy solid
black lines. There are other solid black lines but they are less thick
and should not be cut out. (this only applies to the base pyramid
patterns)
 When gluing the patterns, have students glue tabs labeled E-H behind
the corresponding line. (These lines will not tab tabs attached to
them.)

There are several web sites that provide good aerial photos. Find one
that suits your needs or refer to the suggested website.
http://www.athenapub.com/aria-aer-Giza1.htm
5th Grade Lesson Plan
Objectives:
o Students will learn about the importance of water in an arid environment.
o Students will learn how agriculture and irrigation first developed in ancient
civilizations.
o Students will learn about early class systems, politics and government.
o Students will learn about ancient architecture.
Lesson: Life on the Nile (information taken from…)
o http://www.carnegiemnh.org/exhibitions/egypt/godsreligion.htm
o
o
o
o
o
o
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/nile_01.shtml
http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/Hy-La/Irrigation-Systems-Ancient.html
http://www.crystalinks.com/egyptsocialsystems.html
http://library.thinkquest.org/10098/egypt.htm
http://australianmuseum.net.au/Tombs-in-ancient-Egypt/
http://www.egypt-tehuti.org/temples.html
o The Rise of Agriculture

The Nile River runs from South to North across Egypt. Its source is Lake
Victoria and it empties into the Mediterranean Sea. The early Egyptians
were dependant on the Nile River for survival. Not only did it provide
early Egyptians with a source of water in a desert environment, it also
supplied the needed nourishment to the plant life that grew along its
banks. These conditions provided a means for the development of
agriculture. The great cities of the ancient Egyptian Empire were also built
along the banks of the Nile.

The dependence of the Ancient Egyptians on the Nile River was also of
great importance to their religion. They saw the Nile River as the source of
life and believed that it was created by the gods. They held rituals during
the flooding of the Nile and the river also came to part of the journey their
souls took after death.

Because of the yearly flooding of the Nile River the banks and
surrounding areas were very fertile. The soil was rich in nutrients and was
excellent for the development of agriculture. Instead of hunting and
gathering for food, people began to settle down in one place and plant it.
After they started farming they faced the problem of getting water to their
crops. As a result the Egyptians developed an irrigation system, one of the
first people to do so before the Greek and Roman Empires. The Egyptians
dug channels that led away from the Nile. The channels, also known as
dikes, formed a checkerboard pattern. When the Nile River overflowed the
dikes would be washed away and would have to be rebuilt. In cases where
the crops were too high for the water to reach, Egyptians would use a
swape. A swape is a bucket hanging by a rope from a long beam or branch
that was counterweighted. During dry times the water did not reach the
crops and as a result the amount of food that could be produced was
limited.
o Politics and the Class System

Like most societies, the Ancient Egyptians had an established system of
power. The Pharaoh was at the top and was regarded as a king and god.
They had the most power and ruled over everyone else. The Egyptians
believed that Pharaohs were chosen by the gods to rule over them.

Right below the Pharaoh were the High Priests and nobles. These people
often were close to the Pharaoh and were sometimes able to sway his or
her decisions. They always belonged to very wealthy families and had
great influence over the people beneath them.

After the High Priests and nobles were the priests, engineers, and doctors.
These people were often paid to perform services for the people of other
classes. Some of these services included conducting religious ceremonies,
healing the sick and designing buildings.

Next in the cast system were the Scribes. It was the duty of the scribes to
write down anything that needed to be recorded. They were trained from
an early age to write on papyrus scrolls. They interacted with everyone
from the Pharaoh to the farmer.

After the scribes came the craftsmen who bought and sold goods, and
were responsible for maintaining the economy. Below the craftsmen were
the soldiers, famers and tomb builders. They were the lowest class and
they did the physical work earning the least amount of money.
o Architecture
 Pyramids
 Ancient Egyptians are most well known for their architecture. The
most well known structures they built are the pyramids. The people
who built the pyramids were supposed to chisel large stone blocks
into a very specific shape and size. After these blocks were made
correctly the workers waited until the next flooding of the Nile so
that they could put the blocks onto top of barges and float them to
a place near the pyramid. Once that was done the blocks were then
lifted using ropes and levers and placed on top of each other
forming the pyramid. Finally the finishing touches, such as
hieroglyphs and statues, were added and the pyramid was done.
 Tombs
 Before the pyramids were created the pharaohs were buried in
tombs. The body would be buried below ground, and on the
surface above a structure was created. These structures functioned
like a shrines or chapels. The different sizes and decoration of the
tombs indicated the wealth of the individual buried inside of them.
 Temples
 The temples built in Ancient Egypt were used by priests to conduct
rituals and ceremonies and were not places for the public to
worship, as they were sacred. The walls of the temples were
covered in images and designs that were thought to aide in
communication with the gods.
o Geography and the Development of Cities
 Geography
 As we learned earlier people need water to survive. As a result
most of the ancient Egyptian cities developed along the Nile River,
the main source of water. This is why when anthropologists search
for new archaeological sites, they tend to focus their investigations
around areas located on or near the Nile River. In fact some of the
most famous ancient Egyptian archaeological sites are found along
the river bank. (see map)
Check for Understanding:
o True/False? The Ancient Egyptian was dependant on the Nile River to survive.
o True/False? The Nile River flooding had no significance to the lives of the
Egyptians.
o What would the Egyptian irrigation system have looked like from the sky looking
down?
o Who had the most power in ancient Egypt?
o Which three groups had the least power in ancient Egypt?
o How did the Egyptians get the blocks used to build the pyramids from the place
they were made to the actual pyramid site?
o What on a tomb indicated the wealth of the dead individual?
o Who could worship in temples?
o Why were there designs and images placed on temple walls?
o Where are the major cities of Ancient Egypt located geographically?
Activity: Pyramids of Giza
o Materials Needed
 Glue sticks
 Scissors
 Copies of the Pyramid patterns for the class. (template provided on disc)
 Colored pencils, crayons, or markers
 Large sheet of butcher paper
o Instructions
 Divide students into small groups of 4 or 5.
 Pass out the pyramid patterns. Have students color them and cut them out.
 After students have cut out the colored patterns, glue them together.
Students should end up with three pyramids all of different sizes.
 After the three pyramids have been created, have students arrange and
glue them to the butcher paper like the Pyramids of Giza.
 Have students look at an aerial photo of the Pyramids of Giza. Ask
students to draw and label the pyramids and other features they find in the
area.
o Teacher’s Note
 When cutting out the patterns, have students cut along the heavy solid
black lines. There are other solid black lines but they are less thick
and should not be cut out. (this only applies to the base pyramid
patterns)
 When gluing the patterns, have students glue tabs labeled E-H behind
the corresponding line. (These lines will not tab tabs attached to
them.)

There are several web sites that provide good aerial photos. Find one
that suits your needs or refer to the suggested website.
http://www.athenapub.com/aria-aer-Giza1.htm
4th Grade Lesson Plan
Objectives:
o Students will learn about the importance of water in an arid environment.
o Students will learn how agriculture and irrigation first developed in ancient
civilizations.
o Students will learn about early class systems, politics and government.
o Students will learn about ancient architecture.
Lesson: Life on the Nile (information taken from…)
o http://www.carnegiemnh.org/exhibitions/egypt/godsreligion.htm
o
o
o
o
o
o
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/nile_01.shtml
http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/Hy-La/Irrigation-Systems-Ancient.html
http://www.crystalinks.com/egyptsocialsystems.html
http://library.thinkquest.org/10098/egypt.htm
http://australianmuseum.net.au/Tombs-in-ancient-Egypt/
http://www.egypt-tehuti.org/temples.html
o The Rise of Agriculture

The Nile River runs from South to North across Egypt. Its source is Lake
Victoria and it empties into the Mediterranean Sea. The early Egyptians
were dependant on the Nile River for survival. Not only did it provide
early Egyptians with a source of water in a desert environment, it also
supplied the needed nourishment to the plant life that grew along its
banks. These conditions provided a means for the development of
agriculture. The great cities of the ancient Egyptian Empire were also built
along the banks of the Nile.

The dependence of the Ancient Egyptians on the Nile River was also of
great importance to their religion. They saw the Nile River as the source of
life and believed that it was created by the gods. They held rituals during
the flooding of the Nile and the river also came to part of the journey their
souls took after death.

Because of the yearly flooding of the Nile River the banks and
surrounding areas were very fertile. The soil was rich in nutrients and was
excellent for the development of agriculture. Instead of hunting and
gathering for food, people began to settle down in one place and plant it.
After they started farming they faced the problem of getting water to their
crops. As a result the Egyptians developed an irrigation system, one of the
first people to do so before the Greek and Roman Empires. The Egyptians
dug channels that led away from the Nile. The channels, also known as
dikes, formed a checkerboard pattern. When the Nile River overflowed the
dikes would be washed away and would have to be rebuilt. In cases where
the crops were too high for the water to reach, Egyptians would use a
swape. A swape is a bucket hanging by a rope from a long beam or branch
that was counterweighted. During dry times the water did not reach the
crops and as a result the amount of food that could be produced was
limited.
o Politics and the Class System

Like most societies, the Ancient Egyptians had an established system of
power. The Pharaoh was at the top and was regarded as a king and god.
They had the most power and ruled over everyone else. The Egyptians
believed that Pharaohs were chosen by the gods to rule over them.

Right below the pharaoh were the High Priests and nobles. These people
often were close to the Pharaoh and were sometimes able to sway his or
her decisions. They always belonged to very wealthy families and had
great influence over the people beneath them.

After the High Priests and nobles were the priests, engineers, and doctors.
These people were often paid to perform services for the people of other
classes. Some of these services included conducting religious ceremonies,
healing the sick and designing buildings.

Next in the cast system were the Scribes. It was the duty of the scribes to
write down anything that needed to be recorded. They were trained from
an early age to write on papyrus scrolls. They interacted with everyone
from the Pharaoh to the farmer.

After the scribes came the craftsmen who bought and sold goods, and
were responsible for maintaining the economy. Below the craftsmen were
the soldiers, famers and tomb builders. They were the lowest class and
they did the physical work earning the least amount of money.
o Architecture
 Pyramids
 Ancient Egyptians are most well known for their architecture. The
most well known structures they built are the pyramids. The people
who built the pyramids were supposed to chisel large stone blocks
into a very specific shape and size. After these blocks were made
correctly the workers waited until the next flooding of the Nile so
that they could put the blocks onto top of barges and float them to
a place near the pyramid. Once that was done the blocks were then
lifted using ropes and levers and placed on top of each other
forming the pyramid. Finally the finishing touches, such as
hieroglyphs and statues, were added and the pyramid was done.
 Tombs
 Before the pyramids were created the Pharaohs were buried in
tombs. The body would be buried below ground, and on the
surface above a structure was created. These structures functioned
like a shrines or chapels. The different sizes and decoration of the
tombs indicated the wealth of the individual buried inside of them.
 Temples
 The temples built in Ancient Egypt were used by priests to conduct
rituals and ceremonies and were not places for the public to
worship, as they were sacred. The walls of the temples were
covered in images and designs that were thought to aide in
communication with the gods.
o Geography and the Development of Cities
 Geography
 As we learned earlier people need water to survive. As a result
most of the ancient Egyptian cities developed along the Nile River,
the main source of water. This is why when anthropologists search
for new archaeological sites, they tend to focus their investigations
around areas located on or near the Nile River. In fact some of the
most famous ancient Egyptian archaeological sites are found along
the river bank. (see map)
Check for Understanding:
o True/False? The Ancient Egyptian was dependant on the Nile River to survive.
o True/False? The Nile River flooding had no significance to the lives of the
Egyptians.
o What would the Egyptian irrigation system have looked like from the sky looking
down?
o Who had the most power in ancient Egypt?
o Which three groups had the least power in ancient Egypt?
o How did the Egyptians get the blocks used to build the pyramids from the place
they were made to the actual pyramid site?
o What on a tomb indicated the wealth of the dead individual?
o Who could worship in temples?
o Why were there designs and images placed on temple walls?
o Where are the major cities of Ancient Egypt located geographically?
o Do you think that the early Mormon Pioneers when settling an area centered their
cities near sources of water like the ancient Egyptians did? Why or Why not?
(Write at least a paragraph.)
Activity: Pyramids of Giza
o Materials Needed
 Glue sticks
 Scissors
 Copies of the Pyramid patterns for the class. (template provided on disc)
 Colored pencils, crayons, or markers
 Large sheet of butcher paper
o Instructions
 Divide students into small groups of 4 or 5.
 Pass out the pyramid patterns. Have students color them and cut them out.
 After students have cut out the colored patterns, glue them together.
Students should end up with three pyramids all of different sizes.
 After the three pyramids have been created, have students arrange and
glue them to the butcher paper like the Pyramids of Giza.
 Have students draw and label the things they would expect to find in
Ancient Egypt on the butcher paper.
o Teacher’s Note
 When cutting out the patterns, have students cut along the heavy solid
black lines. There are other solid black lines but they are less thick
and should not be cut out. (this only applies to the base pyramid
patterns)

When gluing the patterns, have students glue tabs labeled E-H behind
the corresponding line. (These lines will not tab tabs attached to
them.)
3rd Grade Lesson Plan
Objectives:
o Students will learn about the importance of water in an arid environment when
developing agriculture and establishing a settlement.
o Students will learn how agriculture and irrigation first developed in ancient
civilizations.
o Students will learn about early class systems, politics, and government hierarchy.
o Students will learn about different types of early architecture and the cultural
meanings behind them.
Lesson: Life on the Nile (information taken from…)
o http://www.carnegiemnh.org/exhibitions/egypt/godsreligion.htm
o
o
o
o
o
o
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/nile_01.shtml
http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/Hy-La/Irrigation-Systems-Ancient.html
http://www.crystalinks.com/egyptsocialsystems.html
http://library.thinkquest.org/10098/egypt.htm
http://australianmuseum.net.au/Tombs-in-ancient-Egypt/
http://www.egypt-tehuti.org/temples.html
o The Rise of Agriculture

The Nile River runs from South to North across Egypt. Its source is Lake
Victoria and it empties into the Mediterranean Sea. The early Egyptians
were dependant on the Nile River for survival. Not only did it provide
early Egyptians with a source of water in a desert environment, it also
supplied the needed nourishment to the plant life that grew along its
banks. These conditions provided a means for the development of
agriculture farming to develop.

The dependence of the Ancient Egyptians on the Nile River was an
important part of their religion. They saw the Nile River as the source of
life and believed that it was created by the gods. They held festivals during
the flooding of the Nile and it even became part of their belief of what
happened to you after you died.

Because of the yearly flooding of the Nile River the areas around it had
very rich soil. It was full of nutrients and was excellent for farming in.
Instead of wandering around looking for food people began to stay to one
place, grow their own food and build cities. After they started farming
they faced the problem of getting water to their crops, so the Egyptians
developed an irrigation or watering system. The Egyptians dug ditches
that led away from the Nile and from above they looked like a
checkerboard. When the Nile River overflowed these ditches would be
washed away and would have to be rebuilt. In cases where the plants were
too high for the water to reach, like on top of a hill, Egyptians would use a
swape. A swape is a bucket hanging by a rope from a long pole. During
dry seasons there wouldn’t enough water to support the crops, so they
would writher and die.
o Politics and the Class System

Like most societies the Ancient Egyptians had an established system of
power. The Pharaoh was at the top and was seen as both a king and god .
They had the most power and ruled over everyone else. The Egyptians
believed that the Pharaohs were chosen by the gods to rule over them.

Right below the pharaohs were the High Priests and nobles. These people
were friends with the Pharaohs and were sometimes able to change the
pharaoh’s decisions. They always belonged to very rich families and had
great power over everybody else.

After the High Priests and nobles were the regular priests, engineers, and
doctors. These people were paid to help everybody else. They did things
like conduct religious ceremonies, heal the sick and design buildings.

Below these people were the Scribes. It was the duty of the Scribes to
write down anything that needed to be recorded. They were trained from
an early age to write on papyrus scrolls. They interacted with everyone
from the Pharaoh to the farmer.

Next were the craftsmen who bought, sold and made goods, and were
responsible for running the trading system. Below the craftsmen were the
soldiers, farmers, and tomb builders. They did the physical work while
earning the least amount of money.
o Pyramids, Tombs, and Temples

Ancient Egyptians are famous for their architecture. The most well known
structures they built are the pyramids. The people who built the pyramids
were supposed to chisel large stone blocks into a specific shape and size.
After these blocks were made correctly they waited until the Nile flooded
so they could float the blocks down the river on top of barges to a place
near the pyramid. Once that was done the blocks were then lifted using
ropes and levers and placed on top of each other forming the pyramid.
Finally the finishing touches, such as hieroglyphs and statues, were added
and the pyramid was done.

Before the pyramids were created the pharaohs were buried in tombs. The
body would be buried below ground, and on the surface a building was
created as a place of worship. The different sizes and decoration of the
tombs indicated how rich the person buried in the tomb was.

The temples built in Ancient Egypt were used by priests to conduct rituals
and ceremonies. They were not places for the public to worship, as they
were seen as sacred. The walls of the temples were covered in pictures and
drawings that were suppose to help the priests talk to the gods.
o Geography

As we learned earlier people need water to survive. As a result most of the
ancient cities developed along the Nile River, the main source of water.
This is why when anthropologists search for new archaeological sites they
tend to look for them around places located on or near the Nile River.
Some of the most famous ancient Egyptian archaeological sites are found
along the Nile River. (see map)
Check for Understanding:
o True/False? The Nile River flooding did not affect the lives of the Egyptians.
o What would the Egyptian irrigation system have looked like from the sky looking
down?
o Who had the most power in ancient Egypt?
o Which three groups had the least power in ancient Egypt?
o How did the Egyptians get the blocks used to build the pyramids from the place
they were made to the actual pyramid?
o Who could afford large decorative tombs?
o Who could worship in temples?
o Why were there designs on temple walls?
o Where are the major cities of Ancient Egypt located?
Activity: Pyramids of Giza
o Materials Needed
 Glue sticks
 Scissors
 Copies of the Pyramid patterns for the class. (template provided on disc)
 Colored pencils, crayons, or markers
 Large sheet of butcher paper
o Instructions
 Divide students into small groups of 4 or 5.
 Pass out the pyramid patterns. Have students color them and cut them out.
 After students have cut out the colored patterns, glue them together.
Students should end up with three pyramids all of different sizes.
 After the three pyramids have been created, have students arrange and
glue them to the butcher paper like the Pyramids of Giza.
 Have students draw and label the things they would expect to find in
Ancient Egypt on the butcher paper.
o Teacher’s Note
 When cutting out the patterns, have students cut along the heavy solid
black lines. There are other solid black lines but they are less thick
and should not be cut out. (this only applies to the base pyramid
patterns)
 When gluing the patterns, have students glue tabs labeled E-H behind
the corresponding line. (These lines will not tab tabs attached to
them.)
2nd Grade Lesson Plan
Objectives:
o Students will learn about the importance of water in an arid environment when
developing agriculture and establishing a settlement.
o Students will learn how agriculture and irrigation first developed in ancient
civilizations.
o Students will learn about early class systems, politics, and government hierarchy.
o Students will learn about different types of early architecture and the cultural
meanings behind them.
Lesson: Life on the Nile (information taken from…)
o http://www.carnegiemnh.org/exhibitions/egypt/godsreligion.htm
o
o
o
o
o
o
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/nile_01.shtml
http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/Hy-La/Irrigation-Systems-Ancient.html
http://www.crystalinks.com/egyptsocialsystems.html
http://library.thinkquest.org/10098/egypt.htm
http://australianmuseum.net.au/Tombs-in-ancient-Egypt/
http://www.egypt-tehuti.org/temples.html
o The Rise of Agriculture

The Nile River runs from South to North across Egypt. Its source is Lake
Victoria and it empties into the Mediterranean Sea. The early Egyptians
were dependant on the Nile River for survival. Not only did it provide
early Egyptians with a source of water in a desert environment, it also
supplied the needed nourishment to the plant life that grew along its
banks. These conditions provided a means for the development of
agriculture farming to develop.

The dependence of the Ancient Egyptians on the Nile River was an
important part of their religion. They saw the Nile River as the source of
life and believed that it was created by the gods. They held festivals during
the flooding of the Nile and it even became part of their belief of what
happened to you after you died.

Because of the yearly flooding of the Nile River the areas around it had
very rich soil. It was full of nutrients and was excellent for farming in.
Instead of wandering around looking for food people began to stay to one
place, grow their own food and build cities. After they started farming
they faced the problem of getting water to their crops, so the Egyptians
developed an irrigation or watering system. The Egyptians dug ditches
that led away from the Nile and from above they looked like a
checkerboard. When the Nile River overflowed these ditches would be
washed away and would have to be rebuilt. In cases where the plants were
too high for the water to reach, like on top of a hill, Egyptians would use a
swape. A swape is a bucket hanging by a rope from a long pole. During
dry seasons there wouldn’t enough water to support the crops, so they
would writher and die.
o Politics and the Class System

Like most societies the Ancient Egyptians had an established system of
power. The Pharaoh was at the top and was seen as both a king and god .
They had the most power and ruled over everyone else. The Egyptians
believed that the Pharaohs were chosen by the gods to rule over them.

Right below the haraohs were the High Priests and nobles. These people
were friends with the Pharaohs and were sometimes able to change the
pharaoh’s decisions. They always belonged to very rich families and had
great power over everybody else.

After the High Priests and nobles were the regular priests, engineers, and
doctors. These people were paid to help everybody else. They did things
like conduct religious ceremonies, heal the sick and design buildings.

Below these people were the Scribes. It was the duty of the Scribes to
write down anything that needed to be recorded. They were trained from
an early age to write on papyrus scrolls. They interacted with everyone
from the Pharaoh to the farmer.

Next were the craftsmen who bought, sold and made goods, and were
responsible for running the trading system. Below the craftsmen were the
soldiers, farmers, and tomb builders. They did the physical work while
earning the least amount of money.
o Pyramids, Tombs, and Temples

Ancient Egyptians are famous for their architecture. The most well known
structures they built are the pyramids. The people who built the pyramids
were supposed to chisel large stone blocks into a specific shape and size.
After these blocks were made correctly they waited until the Nile flooded
so they could float the blocks down the river on top of barges to a place
near the pyramid. Once that was done the blocks were then lifted using
ropes and levers and placed on top of each other forming the pyramid.
Finally the finishing touches, such as hieroglyphs and statues, were added
and the pyramid was done.

Before the pyramids were created the pharaohs were buried in tombs. The
body would be buried below ground, and on the surface a building was
created as a place of worship. The different sizes and decoration of the
tombs indicated how rich the person buried in the tomb was.

The temples built in Ancient Egypt were used by priests to conduct rituals
and ceremonies. They were not places for the public to worship, as they
were seen as sacred. The walls of the temples were covered in pictures and
drawings that were suppose to help the priests talk to the gods.
Check for Understanding:
o True/False? The Nile River flooding did not affect the lives of the Egyptians.
o What would the Egyptian irrigation system have looked like from the sky looking
down?
o Who had the most power in ancient Egypt?
o Which three groups had the least power in ancient Egypt?
o How did the Egyptians get the blocks used to build the pyramids from the place
they were made to the actual pyramid?
o Who could afford large decorative tombs?
o Who could worship in temples?
o Why were there designs on temple walls?
Activity: Pyramids of Giza
o Materials Needed
 Glue sticks
 Scissors
 Copies of the Pyramid patterns for the class. (template provided on disc)
 Colored pencils, crayons, or markers
 Large sheet of butcher paper
o Instructions
 Divide students into small groups of 4 or 5.
 Pass out the pyramid patterns. Have students color them and cut them out.
 After students have cut out the colored patterns, glue them together.
Students should end up with three pyramids all of different sizes.
 After the three pyramids have been created, have students arrange and
glue them to the butcher paper like the Pyramids of Giza.
 Have students draw and label the things they would expect to find in
Ancient Egypt on the butcher paper.
o Teacher’s Note
 When cutting out the patterns, have students cut along the heavy solid
black lines. There are other solid black lines but they are less thick
and should not be cut out. (this only applies to the base pyramid
patterns)
 When gluing the patterns, have students glue tabs labeled E-H behind
the corresponding line. (These lines will not tab tabs attached to
them.)
1st Grade Lesson Plan
Objectives:
o Teach students about the importance of water in an arid environment on daily life.
o Show students how agriculture and irrigation were first developed.
o Teach students about early power systems.
o Students will learn about different types of early architecture.
Lesson: Life on the Nile (information taken from…)
o http://www.carnegiemnh.org/exhibitions/egypt/godsreligion.htm
o
o
o
o
o
o
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/nile_01.shtml
http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/Hy-La/Irrigation-Systems-Ancient.html
http://www.crystalinks.com/egyptsocialsystems.html
http://library.thinkquest.org/10098/egypt.htm
http://australianmuseum.net.au/Tombs-in-ancient-Egypt/
http://www.egypt-tehuti.org/temples.html
o The Rise of Agriculture

The Nile River runs from South to North across Egypt. Its source is a
mountain lake and it empties into the sea. The Egyptians were dependant
on the Nile River for survival. It provided the Egyptians with water in a
dry place it also supplied the water needed for plant life to grow.

The dependence of the Ancient Egyptians on the Nile River was an
important part of their religion. They saw the Nile River as the source of
life and believed that it was created by the gods. They held festivals during
the flooding of the Nile and it even became part of their belief of what
happened to you after you died.

Because of the yearly flooding of the Nile River the areas around it had
very rich soil. It was full of nutrients and was excellent for farming in.
Instead of wandering around looking for food people began to stay to one
place, grow their own food and build cities. After they started farming
they faced the problem of getting water to their crops, so the Egyptians
developed an irrigation or watering system. The Egyptians dug ditches
that led away from the Nile and from above they looked like a
checkerboard. When the Nile River overflowed these ditches would be
washed away and would have to be rebuilt. In cases where the plants were
too high for the water to reach, like on top of a hill, Egyptians would use a
swape. A swape is a bucket hanging by a rope from a long pole. During
dry seasons there wouldn’t enough water to support the crops, so they
would writher and die.
o Politics and the Class System
 Like most societies the Ancient Egyptians had an established system of
power. The Pharaoh was at the top and was seen as both a king and god .
They had the most power and ruled over everyone else. The Egyptians
believed that the Pharaohs were chosen by the gods to rule over them.

Right below the pharaohs were the High Priests and nobles. These people
were friends with the Pharaohs and were sometimes able to sway the
Pharaoh’s decisions. They always belonged to very rich families and had
great power over everybody else.

After the High Priests and nobles were the regular priests, engineers, and
doctors. These people were paid to help everybody else. They did things
like conduct religious ceremonies, heal the sick and design buildings.

Below these people were the Scribes. It was the duty of the Scribes to
write down anything that needed to be recorded. They were trained from
an early age to write on papyrus scrolls. They interacted with everyone
from the Pharaoh to the farmer.

Next were the craftsmen who bought, sold and made goods, and were
responsible for running the trading system. Below the craftsmen were the
soldiers, farmers, and tomb builders. They did the physical work while
earning the least amount of money.
o Pyramids, Tombs, and Temples
 Ancient Egyptians are probably most well known for building the
pyramids. The people who built the pyramids were supposed to chip large
stone blocks into a specific shape and size with special tools. After these
blocks were made the right way they were put on boats and floated to a
place near the pyramid. The blocks were then lifted using ropes and placed
on top of each other forming the pyramid. Decorations were then added to
the outside, and once that was done the pyramid was considered finished.

Before the pyramids were created the pharaohs were buried in tombs. The
body would be buried below ground, and on the surface a building was
created that was like a church. The different sizes and decoration of
different tombs indicated how rich the person buried in the tomb was.

The temples built in Ancient Egypt were used only by priests to conduct
rituals and ceremonies. They were not places for everybody to go to, as
they were seen as special places meant for the gods. The walls of the
temples were covered in pictures and drawings that helped the priest talk
to the gods.
Check for Understanding:
o What would the Egyptian irrigation system have looked like from the sky looking
down?
o Who had the most power in ancient Egypt?
o Which three groups had the least power in ancient Egypt?
o How did the Egyptians get the blocks used to build the pyramids from the place
they were made to the actual pyramid?
o Who could afford large decorative tombs?
o Who could worship in temples?
o Why were there designs on temple walls?
Activity: Pyramids of Giza
o Materials Needed
 Glue sticks
 Scissors
 Copies of the Pyramid patterns for the class. (template provided on disc)
 Colored pencils, crayons, or markers
 Large sheet of butcher paper
o Instructions
 Divide students into small groups of 4 or 5.
 Pass out the pyramid patterns. Have students color them and cut them out.
 After students have cut out the colored patterns, glue them together.
Students should end up with three pyramids all of different sizes.
 After the three pyramids have been created, have students arrange and
glue them to the butcher paper like the Pyramids of Giza.
 Have students draw and label the things they would expect to find in
Ancient Egypt on the butcher paper.
o Teacher’s Note
 When cutting out the patterns, have students cut along the heavy solid
black lines. There are other solid black lines but they are less thick
and should not be cut out. (this only applies to the base pyramid
patterns)
 When gluing the patterns, have students glue tabs labeled E-H behind
the corresponding line. (These lines will not tab tabs attached to
them.)
Kindergarten Lesson Plan
Objectives:
o Teach students about the importance of water in daily life.
o Show students how farming was developed.
o Teach students about early power systems.
o Students will learn about different types of early architecture.
Lesson: Life on the Nile (information taken from…)
o http://www.carnegiemnh.org/exhibitions/egypt/godsreligion.htm
o
o
o
o
o
o
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/nile_01.shtml
http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/Hy-La/Irrigation-Systems-Ancient.html
http://www.crystalinks.com/egyptsocialsystems.html
http://library.thinkquest.org/10098/egypt.htm
http://australianmuseum.net.au/Tombs-in-ancient-Egypt/
http://www.egypt-tehuti.org/temples.html
o The Rise of Agriculture
 The Nile River runs across Egypt. The water comes from a lake in the
mountains and it goes to the sea. The Egyptians needed the Nile River to
survive. It gave the Egyptians water in the middle of a desert, plants water
to grow.

The Nile River was an important part Egyptian religion. They thought the
river was the source of life and thought that it was created by the gods.
They held celebrations during the flooding of the river every year. They
even believed your spirit had to cross the river when you died.

Because of the flooding of the Nile the areas around it had rich soil,
making it great for farming. Instead of wandering around looking for food
people began to stay to one place, grow their own food and build cities. To
get water to their crops Egyptians developed a watering system. They dug
ditches that led away from the river, and let the water run through the
ditches to the plants. When the Nile River overflowed these ditches would
be washed away and would have to be rebuilt. When the plants were too
high for the water to reach, like on top of a hill, they had to carry water to
their plants using buckets.
o Politics and the Class System

Like most societies the Ancient Egyptians had an established system of
power. The Pharaoh was at the top and was seen as a king and god. The
Egyptians believed that the pharaohs were chosen by the gods to rule over
them. Below everyone else in Egypt were the soldiers, farmers, and tomb
builders. They did the physical work while earning the least amount of
money.
o Pyramids, Tombs, and Temples

Ancient Egyptians are famous for building the pyramids. The people who
built the pyramids were supposed to chip large stones into specific shapes
with special tools. After these blocks were made the right way they were
put on boats and floated to a place near the pyramid. Then the blocks were
then lifted up using ropes and placed on top of each other forming the
pyramid.

Before the pyramids were created the pharaohs were buried in tombs. The
body would be buried below ground, and above it a building was built that
was like a church.

The temples built in Ancient Egypt were used only by priests to conduct
rituals and ceremonies. They were not places for everybody to go to, as
they were seen as special places meant for the gods. The walls of the
temples were covered in pictures and drawings that helped the priest talk
to the gods.
Check for Understanding:
o Why is water important?
o Who had the most power in ancient Egypt?
o Which three groups had the least power in ancient Egypt?
o How did the Egyptians get the blocks used to build the pyramids from the place
they were made to the actual pyramid?
o Who could afford large decorative tombs?
o Who could worship in temples?
o Why were there designs on temple walls?
Activity: Pyramids of Giza
o Materials Needed
 Glue sticks
 Scissors
 Copies of the Pyramid patterns for the class. (template provided on disc)
 Colored pencils, crayons, or markers
 Large sheet of butcher paper
o Instructions
 Divide students into small groups of 4 or 5.
 Pass out the pyramid patterns. Have students color them and cut them out.
 After students have cut out the colored patterns, glue them together.
Students should end up with three pyramids all of different sizes.
 After the three pyramids have been created, have students arrange and
glue them to the butcher paper like the Pyramids of Giza.
 Have students draw and label the things they would expect to find in
Ancient Egypt on the butcher paper.
o Teacher’s Note
 When cutting out the patterns, have students cut along the heavy solid
black lines. There are other solid black lines but they are less thick
and should not be cut out. (this only applies to the base pyramid
patterns)
 When gluing the patterns, have students glue tabs labeled E-H behind
the corresponding line. (These lines will not tab tabs attached to
them.)
Extra Activities
Activity: Map Making (Sixth Grade)




Show students pictures of Egypt. Talk about the landscape and climate of the area.
Hand out copies of the blank map of Egypt, found at:
http://geography.about.com/library/blank/blxegypt.htm).
Ask them to create a map that includes rivers, cities, and other major landmarks. If it
isn’t perfect, that’s ok. Ask the students where they would build a city if they lived in the
desert. Why would they build near rivers?
On the back of their maps, have students write a paragraph about the climate in Egypt
and why people lived where they did in Egypt.
Activity: Museum Exhibits (Sixth Grade)
 Tell the students that they are historians and must create a museum exhibit about
one of the topics who have discussed this week. They must draw the artifacts or
pictures they would use in their exhibit and then write a paragraph of information
about the topic for museum visitors to read.
 Pass out crayons and paper. After the students are done, have them share the
artifacts that they would use in their exhibit in small groups. Display the artifacts
around the room.
Activity: Architectural Analysis (Fifth Grade/Linguistics)
 Using the PowerPoint included in this Teaching Trunk, facilitate a discussion
about the architectural similarities between buildings in the United States and
Egypt. A heavy emphasis will be on the Classical Greek influence and the
purpose of monuments.
 Be sure to review the notes on that PowerPoint for background about monuments
and things to tell the students.
 After the class has looked at the monuments, ask them to write a paragraph about
why they think that people create monuments and what messages the monuments
convey.
 Explain that architecture is a way that people give messages. There are many
ways that we communicate without using writing. Brainstorm as a class on the
board for other ways that we communicate without using written words.
Activity: Egyptian Art (Fourth Grade/Linguistics)
o Book the school computer lab in advance. Make copies of the “Egyptian Art”
worksheet included at the end of this lesson.
o Have the students go to
http://www.clevelandart.org/explore/department.asp?deptgroup=1&recNo=0&dis
play=list, the website for the Cleveland Museum of Art. This is a section for the
Ancient Egyptian artwork that the museum has.
o Have your students explore the images of the Ancient Egyptian artwork. Have
them select an artifact, print out the image of the artifact, and fill out the first page
of the “Egyptian Art” worksheet about their artifact.
o When you return to the classroom, have students the students fill out the second
page of the “Egyptian Art” worksheet.
o Divide the students in small groups and have them share their artifacts with each
other, especially the message.
Egyptian Teaching Trunk Inventory
Step 1: Go through the trunk, and make sure that all of the items, listed on the
following page, are in the trunk and in their proper place.
Step 2: Make sure all papers, CDs, flash drives and other teaching trunk materials
have been returned to the binder.
Step 2: Make sure that the inside of the trunk is clean and free of any extra items
or garbage.
Step3: Fill out the “Teaching Trunk Survey”.
Step 4: Put the completed survey at the front of the binder. Then place the binder
in the trunk before locking it.
Egyptian Teaching Trunk Inventory
Books:
The Ultimate Ancient Egypt Sticker Book
You Wouldn’t Want to be a Pyramid Builder!
Jacqueline Morley, illustrated by David Antram
The Egyptian Cinderella
Shirely Climo, illustrated by Ruth Heller
Egyptian Myths
Retold by Jacqueline Monely, illustrated by Giovanni Caselli
Eyewitness: Ancient Egypt
George Hart
Mummies, Masks & Mourners
Margaret Berrill
DVD:
National Geographic: King Tut’s Final Secrets
One long, plastic container
Items to be placed inside of said container:
The Hieroglyphic Transliteration (One sheet for copying)
Ornate Papyrus (One large, two small)
Post cards (10)
Egyptian Mirror
Ankh replica
Hawk Rubber stamp
One red bag of Mur
One blue bag of frankincense
Egyptian Replicas
Papyrus with Hieroglyphic Alphabet
Papyrus
Canopic Jars
Rosetta Stone
Game of Egyptian Pharoahs
Gold figurine mirror
1 large gold pharoah figurine
1 dog figurine
1 bust of Queen
1 removable mummy figurine
2 pharoah figurines with spears
1 gold cross with hieroglyphics
1 wooden incense figurine
1 blue hippo figurine
1 Nefertiti head figurine
1 scarab figurine/1 gold scarab figurine that opens
1 blue ceramic goblet
1 replica wall painting with hieroglyphics
1 blue clay pharoah and plastic bag of misc. clay items
Egyptian Jewelry and Toys
Mirror with decorative frame
Lift the Lid on Mummies (take apart mummy)
Mysteries of Egypt (mummies)
1 necklace
Other Egyptian Materials
Myrrh and Frankincense
Hawk rubber stamp
Wall Chart (Eyewitness)
Activity I: Mummify an Apple
One bag of cups
Box of plastic bags
One bag of baking soda
Two plastic containers of baking soda and salt
One apple slicer
One jar container of salt
One scale
Activity II: Egyptian Bracers
6 Containers of orange, 3-D paint
4 spray cans of gold paint