Upper Key Stage 2 Earliest Civilisations: Ancient Egyptians
Introduction to Ancient Egypt

Build your knowledge of the period when the Ancient Egyptians were a world power. Compare the Ancient Egyptian civilisation with the society, climate and terrain of Britain at the time. Discover how the Ancient Egyptian civilisation came to an end and learn about the remains of Ancient Egypt that exist in Egypt today.

Session 1 Back in time

Objectives

History

  • Know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world: the nature of ancient civilisations; characteristic features of past non-European societies.
  • Gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between short- and long-term timescales.
  • Understand the abstract term ‘civilisation’.

English

  • Identify the audience for and purpose of the writing, selecting the appropriate form.
  • Use further presentational devices to structure text.
  • Draw on reading and research where necessary.

Lesson Planning

Place the Ancient Egyptian civilisation on a world history timeline; describe what society was like in Britain, the terrain and climate of Britain at the start of the Ancient Egyptian civilisation.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To place the Ancient Egyptians on a timeline of other ancient civilisations & British history.
  • To establish what society was like in Britain during the Ancient Egyptian civilisation.
  • To write labels for a world history timeline and write a description of society in Britain in 3000 BCE.

Children will:

  • Place the Ancient Egyptian civilisation on a world history timeline.
  • Describe what society was like in Britain at the start of the Ancient Egyptian civilisation.
  • Describe the terrain and climate of Britain at the start of the Ancient Egyptian civilisation.
  • Add significant dates & events to a world history timeline.

Provided Resources

  • Earliest civs timeline
  • Ancient Egyptians timeline
  • Timeline cards
  • Blank timeline cards
  • Ancient civilisations maps
  • Picture of Standing Stones of Stenness

You Will Need

  • String and pegs for washing line timeline
  • Laminator
  • Globe
  • World map
  • Information books about the Neolithic era in Britain

Session 2 Snapshot

Objectives

History

  • Gain and deploy a historically grounded understanding of abstract terms such as ‘civilisation’.
  • Know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world: the nature of ancient civilisations.
  • Characteristic features of past non-European societies.

Geography

  • Locate the world’s countries, using maps and focussing on their environmental regions and key physical characteristics.
  • Use maps, atlases, globes and digital/computer mapping to locate countries and describe features.
  • Describe and understand key aspects of physical and human geography.

Lesson Planning

Explain where Ancient Egypt was located and label a map; describe Ancient Egypt as being part of the Fertile Crescent (Cradle of Civilisation); describe the terrain and climate of Egypt.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To appreciate where the Ancient Egyptian located and how it was composed civilisation was.
  • Label a map of Ancient Egypt and its surroundings.
  • Locate the Fertile Crescent and identify the countries in that area today.
  • Describe the physical and human geography of Ancient Egypt.

Children will:

  • Explain where Ancient Egypt was located.
  • Label a map of Ancient Egypt and its surroundings.
  • Describe Ancient Egypt as being part of the Fertile Crescent (Cradle of Civilisation).
  • Describe what society was like at the start of the Ancient Egyptian civilisation.
  • Describe the terrain and climate of Egypt.

You Will Need

  • Access to internet
  • Globe
  • World map

Session 3 End of Ancient Egyptian civilisation

Objectives

History

  • Know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world: the nature of ancient civilisations.
  • characteristic features of past non-European societies; Gain and deploy a historically grounded understanding of abstract terms such as ‘empire’ and ‘civilisation’.
  • Understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, and cause and consequence, and use them to make connections, frame historically-valid questions and create their own structured accounts.

Geography

  • Use maps, atlases, globes and digital/computer mapping to locate countries.

English

  • Identify the audience for and purpose of the writing, selecting the appropriate form.
  • Use further presentational devices to structure text.
  • Draw on reading and research where necessary.

Lesson Planning

Describe the end of the Ancient Egyptian civilisation; mark on a map of the region where the various invaders came from; research facts and write a biography of Alexander the Great or Cleopatra, last Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To be able to describe the end of the Ancient Egyptian civilisation.
  • To use maps to locate the origin of various peoples who invaded Egypt in the last few hundred years of the Ancient Egyptian civilisation.
  • To write a biography of Alexander the Great or Cleopatra, the last Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh.

Children will:

  • Describe the end of the Ancient Egyptian civilisation.
  • Mark on a map of the region where the various invaders came from.
  • Research facts and write a biography of Alexander the Great or Cleopatra, last Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt.

Provided Resources

  • Maps of Alexander the Great’s empire
  • Map of The Roman empire
  • Blank Mediterranean map

You Will Need

  • Access to internet
  • Information books about Alexander the Great and Cleopatra

Session 4 Return to the present

Objectives

History

  • Know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world: the nature of ancient civilisations.
  • Characteristic features of past non-European societies.

English

  • Retrieve, record and present information from non-fiction.
  • Provide reasoned justifications for their views.
  • Participate in discussions and debates. Consider and evaluate different viewpoints, attending to and building on the contributions of others.
  • Speak audibly and fluently.

Lesson Planning

Understand that evidence of Ancient Egypt can still be seen in Egypt today. You will appreciate that the effect of the River Nile has been changed by the construction of the Aswan High Dam and contribute to a debate about the construction of the Aswan High Dam.

Teaching Outcomes:

  • To appreciate the evidence for the Ancient Egypt civilisation that can still be seen today.
  • To find out about the history of the Aswan Dam.
  • To research material for and make notes for a debate, then contribute to a debate.

Children will:

  • Understand that evidence of Ancient Egypt can still be seen in Egypt today.
  • Appreciate that the effect of the River Nile has been changed by the construction of the Aswan High Dam.
  • Contribute to a debate about the construction of the Aswan High Dam.
  • Explain that the number of tourists visiting some ancient sites is causing problems.

Provided Resources

  • Aswan Dam fact file
  • Aswan Dam for and against

You Will Need

You do not need any particular resources for this session.