Activity
Episode 21
6th August 2013
Egypt Trouble
Key Learning
Students will develop their historical knowledge and understanding of ancient Egypt. Students will identify a
range of questions about the past to inform historical inquiry on ancient Egypt.
The Australian Curriculum
History / Historical Knowledge and Understanding /
Depth Studies / The Mediterranean world / Egypt
History / Historical Knowledge and Understanding /
Depth Studies / The Mediterranean world / Egypt
The physical features of ancient Egypt (such as the River Nile)
and how they influenced the civilisation that developed
there (ACDSEH002)
Contacts and conflicts within and/or with other societies,
resulting in developments such as the conquest of other lands,
the expansion of trade, and peace treaties (ACDSEH034)
Roles of key groups in ancient Egyptian society (such as the
nobility, bureaucracy, women, slaves), including the influence of
law and religion(ACDSEH032)
The role of a significant individual in ancient Egyptian history
such as Hatshepsut or Rameses II(ACDSEH129)
The significant beliefs, values and practices of the
ancient Egyptians, with a particular emphasis on ONE of the
following areas: everyday life, warfare, or death and funerary
customs (ACDSEH033)
History / Historical Skills / Historical questions and
research
Identify a range of questions about the past to inform a historical
inquiry (ACHHS207)
Discussion Questions
1. What do you know about ancient Egypt?
2. What is ancient Egypt famous for?
3. Where in the world is Egypt? Find using Google Maps.
a. Asia
b. Middle East
c. Europe
4. As a class discuss the current political problems happening in Egypt?
5. How would you describe the current situation in Egypt?
6. Why are the young people in Egypt protesting?
7. What is a dictator?
8. Egypt’s army is the biggest in the Middle East and the oldest in the world. True or false?
9. Imagine what life is like for kids growing up in Egypt. How is it similar or different to growing up in
Australia?
10. The Egypt Trouble story was an example of a...
a. Procedure
b. Argument
c. Report
©ABC 2013
Activities
The ancient past
Develop inquiry questions into the ancient past of Egypt
 Ask students to look at the newspaper headline about the discovery of the oldest pharaoh rock art in
Egypt. http://bit.ly/12TfNp1
 Provide students with some time to think about and discuss the topic with a partner or in small groups.
 Ask what they think the topic might be about and what they would like to find out.
 Students can work in groups or pairs to brainstorm and write down key ideas, then regroup to
summarise ideas as a whole class.
 Help students develop their own inquiry questions to structure their investigation. Refer to the AC
History Units Inquiry Process for step-by-step assistance.
http://achistoryunits.edu.au/verve/_resources/htaa_year_7_ancient_past_the_inquiry_process.pdf
Inquiry questions (examples)
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How do we know about the ancient past?
What do archaeological sources tell us about what happened to the pharaohs of Egypt?
Describe some characteristics of Egypt’s ancient societies?
Why is it important to conserve the remains of the ancient past in Egypt?
Go back to these inquiry questions at the end of the learning sequence to determine what students have
learned from their investigation.
The mystery of the pyramids: Research project
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Students will pose a key question, like how were the pyramids at Giza built? Students will investigate
the inquiry question and understand that there may not be a definitive answer. Students will identify
related questions to inform the inquiry including: What evidence is there? What theories have been
developed?
Inquiry questions (examples)
 Why were the pyramids in Giza built so close to the river Nile?
 What were the roles of key people in ancient Egyptian society (such as the nobility, bureaucracy,
women and slaves) in the building and use of the pyramids?
 Why were the pyramids built? Consider the significant beliefs, values and practices of the ancient
Egyptians.
 How do pyramids help us to know so much about life in ancient Egypt?
©ABC 2013
Explore an ancient Egyptian pyramid using a robot.
http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/multimedia/interactive/maps-tools-explorepyramid/?ar_a=1
Build your own pyramids by taking the Pyramid Challenge! Then build a 3D model of the pyramids of Giza
(include other geographical features such as the river Nile).
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/interactive/games/pyramid_challenge/index_embed.shtml
Watch a reconstructed life story of Nakht, one of the workers who was part of building king Kufu’s great
pyramid of Giza.
http://www.discoveringegypt.com/egyptian_videos/Building-Pyramid1.html
Further Investigation
©ABC 2013
Want to see your name or compose a message in hieroglyphs? Write it out in Middle Egyptian (beginning
around 2100 B.C.) phonetic symbols using the keyboard.
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/egypt/translator.html
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has an amazing and comprehensive timeline of Egypt’s ancient history.
Identify the approximate beginning and end date of this ancient society and compare to other ancient
societies around the world. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/index-africa.html
Visit Here is Today - a simple interactive page that explains the relative time differences between Day,
Month, Year, Century, Millennium, Epoch, Period, Era, Eon and beyond! http://hereistoday.com/
 Related Research Links
CBBC Newsround – Thousands of people gather to protest in Egypt
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/23117559
CBBC Newsround – Egypt Mohammed Morsi supporters won’t end protest
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/23481133
BBC News Africa – Egypt profile
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13313370
Fascinating Egyptian Mummies – Unwrapping history with science
http://www.mcq.org/momies/
BBC – Egyptians
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/
National Geographic – Explore a Pyramid
http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/multimedia/interactive/maps-tools-explorepyramid/?ar_a=1weblink
National Geographic- Brainteaser: Egypt
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/games/puzzlesquizzes/brainteaseregypt/
Liverpool Museums – The Nile File
http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/kids/games-quizzes/nile-file/index.aspx
Portal to the Past – Egypt
http://www.portaltothepast.com/
Behind the News – Egypt
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s3127801.htm
©ABC 2013