Students delve into history of ancient Egypt’s Old Kingdom, when the growing nation became a truly great civilization. They begin by encountering the gods and goddesses of ancient Egypt. They proceed to examine the pyramids, which the pharaohs built as tombs and to honor the gods. Finally, students analyze the entire social structure of the kingdom.
Students are introduced to the Old Kingdom as a period when Egypt became a great civilization and review the lesson objectives. They view an image of the sky goddess Nun and read a short description of the scene. Students then read The Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt, including the introductory page and the Story section, to learn basic features of Egyptian religion. Using a word cloud, they generate words or short phrases that describe ancient Egyptian religion based on the story. Next, they use the Explore menu on the same site to click through several gods and goddesses and learn more about them. Finally, students respond on a discussion wall to a prompt imagining a video game where Egyptian gods and goddesses are the main characters, choosing two deities they would like to play as and explaining why.
Teacher MovesIntroduce the experience and objectives, highlighting that students will explore religion, pyramids, and social structure in the Old Kingdom. After students submit word cloud responses, draw attention to ideas such as many gods, polytheism, and creation myths. During the video game–style wall activity, you may share your own example while keeping the focus on the Egyptian deities rather than commercial games.
Students view an image of Ra traveling through the underworld and read that religion, death, and the afterlife were central to ancient Egyptian society. They watch the video Ancient Egypt to understand how religious beliefs about gods, death, and the afterlife connected to social and political life. While watching, they complete a three-part graphic organizer with notes on gods and goddesses, death and the afterlife, and embalming and tombs. Students then read a short text explaining how religion influenced medicine, mathematics, technology, the economy, and government in Egypt. Using a discussion wall, they write about how Egyptian religion had both positive and negative effects on society, supporting their opinions with reasons, and then reply to at least two classmates with questions or positive comments.
Teacher MovesUse student notes and wall posts to prompt discussion about how religion shaped Egyptian achievements and institutions, guiding students to consider both benefits and drawbacks of religion’s influence on society.
Students view an image of the Great Sphinx and a pyramid and read an introduction explaining that pyramids were monumental tombs and symbols of belief in the afterlife. Working in small groups, they read Pyramids and choose one of its three sections as the focus for a group report. For their chosen section, they write a summary of the major points, locate and download one or more images of a pyramid (inside or outside), and write captions that identify the pyramid and key details such as date, location, whose tomb it was, and notable features. A designated group note taker posts the report or a link to a multimedia presentation (e.g., Prezi, online presentation, Glogster) on a small-group discussion wall.
Teacher MovesReview group reports and share one or more interesting or exemplary examples with the whole class to support discussion of pyramid construction, purpose, and significance.
Students view an image labeled “Pharaoh” and read about the pharaoh as an all-powerful king whose authority came from the gods in a theocratic system. They explore Pharaoh: Lord of the Two Lands to learn more about the pharaoh’s powers, then answer a multiple-choice question about why the pharaoh held the titles “Lord of the Two Lands” and “High Priest of Every Temple.” Next, they read selected sections from the article Egypt to gain additional detail about the role of the pharaoh in Early and Old Kingdom Egypt. Drawing on these readings, students write a wall post in which they imagine themselves as a pharaoh explaining their job to a visiting king, describing their responsibilities and powers in one or more paragraphs, and then respond to at least two classmates with questions or positive comments.
Teacher MovesEncourage students to consult The Old Kingdom from the Student Pack for more information about rulers and achievements. Use students’ wall posts to launch a discussion about the powers of the pharaoh, comparing them to those of a modern president and examining the advantages and disadvantages of combining political and religious authority. Invite students to reflect on how ancient Egyptians might have felt about their pharaoh.
Students view an image of an ancient Egyptian slave market and read an introduction to Egypt’s complex social structure. They read Egyptian Social Structure, which describes each social level from top to bottom. Using a graphic organizer, they take notes on the roles and responsibilities of each group: pharaoh; officials, nobles, and priests; soldiers; scribes; merchants; artisans; farmers; and servants and slaves. Then, on a discussion wall, they complete a creative task in which they imagine themselves as pharaoh and rearrange the ranking of the eight social classes, listing their new order and explaining the reasons for their changes.
Teacher MovesHighlight one or more thoughtful or creative responses for whole-class discussion. Use students’ posts to guide conversation toward the idea that, despite differences in status and prestige, all social classes contribute in important ways to building and sustaining a civilization.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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