UKS2 Topic: Earliest Civilisations: Ancient Egyptians Block C: Pharaohs & Pyramids

Learn about the mighty rulers of Ancient Egypt, their dynasties, battles and burials.Discover their symbols and crowns. Share knowledge and understanding of the pharaohs by staging an Ancient Egyptian exhibition.

Block C: Ancient Egyptians
Pharaohs and pyramids
[9 sessions] / Main outcome:History
Other outcomes: D&T, English, Art, Maths, Science
By the end of this block you will have achieved the following outcomes: /
  • 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, similarity, difference and significance.
  • Gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between short- and long-timescales.
  • Gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between economic, military and social history.
  • Select from and use a wider range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks.
  • Select from and use a wider range of materials and components.
  • Noting and developing initial ideas, drawing on reading and research where necessary.
  • Selecting appropriate grammar and vocabulary.
  • Using further organisational and presentational devices to structure text and to guide the reader.
  • Participate in presentations.
  • Improve their mastery of art and design techniques including sculpture and painting with a range of materials.
  • Find out about great architects in history.
  • Calculate the area of rectangles.
  • Recognise when it is possible to use a formula for area.
  • Identify 3-D shapes, from 2-D representations.
  • Recognise, describe and build simple 3-D shapes, including making nets.

Session 1: History and D&T
Dynasties
Explain how the rulers of Ancient Egypt were divided into families or dynasties and know how rich and powerful the pharaohs were.Describe the crowns and symbols of pharaohs; make a double crown (Pschent) of Ancient Egypt. / Children will
  • Explain how the rulers of Ancient Egypt were divided into families or dynasties.
  • Understand how rich and powerful the pharaohs were.
  • Describe the crowns and symbols of pharaohs.
  • Make a double crown (Pschent) of Ancient Egypt.

Session 2: History and English
Well-known Pharaohs
List some well-known pharaohs.Research and record facts about an individual pharaoh to make a fact file. / Children will
  • List some well-known pharaohs.
  • Research and record facts about an individual pharaoh.
  • Understand that dates and details about many individual pharaohs are approximate.

Session 3: History and D&T
Defence of Ancient Egypt
Name some Ancient Egyptian pharaohs who led their army into battle successfully; list the weapons used by the Ancient Egyptians; design, build and decorate a model of an Ancient Egyptian chariot. / Children will
  • Name some Ancient Egyptian pharaohs who led their army into battle successfully.
  • List the weapons used by the Ancient Egyptians.
  • Design, build and decorate a model of an Ancient Egyptian chariot.

Session 4:History and Art
Early burials
Describe early burials in Ancient Egypt.Explain why mummification was developed to preserve bodies for the afterlife; describe the mummification process; make a model of a mummy; understand the importance of The Book of the Dead. / Children will
  • Describe early burials in Ancient Egypt.
  • Explain why mummification developed to preserve bodies for the afterlife.
  • Describe the mummification process.
  • Make a model of a mummy.
  • Understand the importance of The Book of the Dead.

Session 5: History and Maths
Pyramids
Explain how the structure of pyramids developed over the years. Describe the purpose of the pyramids and make 3D models of pyramids using 2D nets. / Children will
  • Explain how the structure of pyramids developed over the years.
  • Describe the purpose of the pyramids.
  • Make 3D models of pyramids using 2D nets.

Session 6:History and Science
Pyramid building enquiry
Appreciate what a hard task it was for the Ancient Egyptians to build the pyramids.Understand that we cannot be sure of the methods that were used to build pyramids and learn of some of the difficulties they may have faced! / Children will
  • Appreciate what a hard task it was for the Ancient Egyptians to build the pyramids.
  • Understand that we cannot be sure of the methods that were used to build pyramids.
  • Understand that friction is a force that slows down objects moving across a surface.
  • Plan an enquiry to find the best way to pull a ‘block’ up a ramp.
  • Present their findings in writing and orally.

Session 7: History and Art
TheSphinx
Describe the shape of The Sphinx at Giza.Understand the importance of The Sphinx to the Ancient Egyptians and make a model of The Sphinx. / Children will
  • Describe the shape of The Sphinx at Giza.
  • Understand the importance of The Sphinx to the Ancient Egyptians.
  • Make a model of The Sphinx.

Session 8: History and Art
Rock-cut tombs
Explain why it is thought that pyramids were no longer built for Pharaoh’s tombs during the New Kingdom; describe the Ancient Egyptian style of depicting people; draw and paint a figure in the Ancient Egyptian style. / Children will
  • Explain why it is thought that pyramids were no longer built for Pharaoh’s tombs during the New Kingdom.
  • Describe the Ancient Egyptian style of depicting people.
  • Draw and paint a figure in the Ancient Egyptian style.

Session 9: History and English
Exhibition
Bring together your findings about pharaohs and their burials. Prepare and give a presentation to an invited audience, making connections between different periods of Ancient Egyptian history. / Children will
  • Bring together their findings about pharaohs and their burials.
  • Prepare and give a presentation to an invited audience.
  • Make connections between different periods of Ancient Egyptian periods.
  • Give some examples of continuity and change, cause and consequence and similarity, difference and significance of events in Ancient Egyptian history.

Resources

Session 1

Provided:

You will need: Red, white & yellow card; White A3 paper; Double-sided tape; Glue; Scissors; Rulers; Pencils; Egyptian crowns; How to make a crown; Cobra images; Symbols of Pharaohs; The Social Pyramid.

Session 2

Provided: Plan of Tutankhamun’s Tomb; Some Great Pharaohs; Cities of Ancient Egypt.

You will need: Access to internet; Timelines from Block A.

Session 3

Provided: Egyptian chariots; Images of Abu Simbel; Temple of Karnak.

You will need: Junk materials, wheels, dowelling, 1cm square wood strips, matchsticks, lolly sticks, card, paints, brushes, scissors, hacksaws, rulers, glue, glue gun (adult help!).

Session 4

Provided: Burial in sand; Mastaba images; Canopic jars; Mummy making!; Book of the Dead; Make your own Mummy; Mummy images; Shabtis images.

You will need: Access to internet; Modelling clay or Plasticine; Plaster of Paris or Modroc; Water; Aprons; Scissors; Paints (acrylic work best); Fine brushes.

Session 5

Provided:Zoser’s Step Pyramid; Inside the Step Pyramid; Net of a Square-Based Pyramid; Step Pyramid Evaluation Form; Pyramid Development sheets.

You will need: Access to internet; Thin card; Rulers; Protractors; Scissors; Pencils; Glue; Paints; Brushes; Lego® bricks.

Session 6

Provided: Pulling Pyramid Blocks.

You will need: Access to internet; Containers for sand; Sand; Wood plank/blocks for making ramp; Newton meter/force meter; Bull dog clips; Wood for runners/rollers, etc.; Water; Plastic sheet if water is used.

Session 7

Provided: Images of The Sphinx.

You will need: Access to internet; Clay/salt dough; Paints; Brushes.

Session 8

Provided:British Museum powerpoint and notes on reading a papyrus; British Muesumpowerpointand notes on painting a tomb; Valley of the Kings resource.

You will need:Access to internet; Paints: red, blue, yellow, green, white & black; Brushes, including fine ones; Sketching pencils.

Session 9

Provided: Egyptian poems resource.

You will need: Models made previously.

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