What can we find out about ancient Egypt? - Lesson 6: Mummification

Each of the seven lessons in this Ancient Egypt KS2 pack has a detailed lesson plan with differentiated activity ideas, an engaging slideshow for the teaching input, and a range of printable resources, including worksheets, picture cards, challenges and much more! All you need to do is click the button to download and you're ready to go!

This scheme of work is also part of a Topic Bundle. Perfect if you are teaching 'Egypt' as a cross-curricular topic.

The first lesson in this scheme of work gives your class the chance to reflect on what they already know about ancient Egypt, before going on to explore when the ancient Egyptian civilisation took place and where in the world Egypt is. They will think briefly about what Egypt is like as a country to give them some context into the civilisation.

During their independent learning, they can either expand on what they discussed during the teaching input, or sort a range of picture cards into those that depict ancient Egypt and those that don't, considering chronology and historical clues.

This lesson starts by looking at a map of ancient Egypt and encouraging your class to think about the position of settlements around the River Nile. They will go on to consider some of the uses for the Nile during the ancient Egyptian civilisation, exploring how people used the Nile for farming, fishing, trading, funerals and everyday life. They will also learn the difference between the red land and the black land, and be introduced to some ancient Egyptian burial methods!

This Tutankhamen and Howard Carter KS2 History lesson takes your class on a quest to discover ancient Egyptian tombs in the Valley of the Kings! The provided slideshow presentation take them through Howard Carter's discovery of Tutankhamen's tomb and goes on to explore what Howard Carter found within the tomb itself, including the sarcophagus and death mask of King Tut himself.

Your class can then retell the story of this discovery for themselves in the form of a storyboard or alternatively take a closer look at some of the artefacts within the tomb.

Download this fun Hieroglyphics KS2 lesson for Year 3 or Year 4 to teach your class all about ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics!

The lesson starts by looking at some images of ancient Egyptian artefacts and asking children to explain what we can learn about ancient Egypt from studying each object. The lesson then goes on to look at the Rosetta Stone, explaining the crucial importance of this discovery for the translation of hieroglyphics. Your class can then translate and write some hieroglyphics for themselves! As an alternative activity, children can consider what they would leave behind for future historians study.

Use this Ancient Egypt Daily Life KS2 History lesson to challenge your Year 3 or Year 4 class to find the answers to various questions regarding daily life in ancient Egypt. The included slideshow presentation for the teaching input explores some of the questions they might ask, which they are then challenged to find the answers to during their independent learning.

By the end of the lesson, your class will have a much clearer understanding of what daily life in ancient Egypt was like.

This Mummification KS2 lesson is sure to be a hit with your Year 3 or Year 4 class as they find out about ancient Egyptian beliefs in the afterlife, in particular the mummification process. They will start by finding out the basics of the ancient Egyptian belief system before looking at how and why people were mummified.

During the independent learning within this Mummification KS2 lesson, they can either order the steps of the mummification process and write a set of instructions, or make their own model mummies!

This final lesson gives your class the chance to consolidate their learning and reflect on everything they have found out over the last six lessons. They will need to think back to all the facts they have found out, particularly considering how objects from the past can help us find out what life was like thousands of years ago. They can then express their learning through a variety of fun activities.