Download Life and Beliefs in Ancient Egypt - Pearson-Global

Grade 6, Unit 2 On Level
Life and Beliefs in Ancient Egypt
By Rena Korb
Summary
Thousands of years ago, the ancient Egyptians built a rich civilization that
depended upon the flooding of the Nile River. To help bring order to this uncertain world, Egyptians developed a complex religion that included numerous
gods and goddesses. Religious ideas shaped almost all aspects of life. People told
myths about the gods, humans, and other things in nature. Egyptians believed
that after death, people who led good lives would go on to an afterlife. Because of
this belief, dead bodies were buried as mummies. Tombs were filled with objects
people would need in the afterlife along with the Book of the Dead to guide them
on their journey. To protect the bodies of their pharaohs, Egyptians also built
pyramids. Beginning in the 330s B.C., foreign invaders brought new ideas to
Egypt. By the A.D. 640s, most Egyptians had become Muslims.
Building Background
Build background for the book by allowing students to observe the book’s art and predict what
some of the topics covered will be. Make sure
students are familiar with the key vocabulary
and concepts. Encourage students to discuss and
share what they may already know about ancient
Egypt.
Vocabulary
pharaoh, myth, shrine, afterlife, tomb, mummy,
pyramid
Comprehension Skill: Summarize
A summary is a short statement that describes
important information briefly and clearly from a
longer piece of text. A summary should include
only the main ideas. Learning to summarize can
help you remember the most important parts of
what you read. As you read, think about how you
would summarize the main ideas of the book.
During Reading
Think Critically
1. Why was life around the Nile River so uncertain? (Egyptians depended on the Nile for
their crops. If the floods came too early or too
late, the crops could die, and people would not
have enough to eat.)
2. Why do you think the ancient Egyptians
worshipped so many gods? (Answers will vary.
Sample answer: They worshipped many gods
because they thought different gods controlled
different parts of the natural world.)
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3. Which god was most important to farmers?
(Osiris)
4. What kind of judgment did a person face after
journeying the underworld? (The god Anubis
placed the person’s heart on one side of a
scale. A feather was placed on the other side.
If the person had done evil, the heart would
weigh more than the feather. The person
would not be able to live in the afterlife. If the
person had not done evil, Osiris would take
the person to the afterlife.)
After Reading
Writing
What beliefs held by the ancient Egyptians do
you find most interesting? Write two paragraphs
describing these beliefs and explain why you find
them interesting. Write your paragraphs on a
separate sheet of paper.
Organize Information
Graphic Organizer: Summarize Chart
Have students use the Summarize chart to summarize the main ideas of the book.
© Pearson Education, Inc.
Before Reading
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Name:
Summarize the main ideas of the book.
✔ Summarize the main ideas of the book.
✔ In the top five boxes, write five main ideas.
© Pearson Education, Inc.
Summarize
✔ In the bottom box, summarize the five main ideas.
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