If you’re a social studies teacher looking to enhance your curriculum or searching for supplementary resources, you’ve found the right place. I want to help every teacher be their best when teaching your Ancient Egypt unit! The following resources are activities I personally use in my Ancient Egypt units.
Ancient Egypt Bell Ringers
I kick off my Ancient Egypt unit with dynamic, no-prep, skill-based bell ringers. Each bell ringer engages students by reviewing content and practicing crucial reading and writing skills such as subject/verb identification, citation, and sentence writing, with fun drawing prompts included. This approach not only prepares students for the day’s lesson but helps with classroom management, establishing routines and maintaining student expectations.
Ancient Egypt Map and Reading Activity
I start every ancient or medieval world history unit with an immersive map activity. This Ancient Egypt Map and Reading Activity provides students with a hands-on approach to understanding Ancient Egyptian geography, and its impact on empires. Each lesson includes interactive map labeling, coloring tasks, followed by a short reading passage and writing activity on geographic influences, as well as a Google Classroom or printable quiz.
Old Kingdom Report Card Reading Activity
When I plan a reading comprehension activity, I want to make it interesting for students. In the Old Kingdom Report Card Reading Activity, I transform my students into teacher-historians as they study ancient Egypt and the Old Kingdom. Students read GRAPES thematic reading passages about the Old Kingdom, answer questions based on each theme, then grade each theme. Finally, they calculate the empire’s GPA and write teacher comments.
I teach each empire using this approach.
Middle Kingdom Report Card Reading Activity
New Kingdom Report Card Reading Activity
Kush Report Card Reading Activity
Hexagonal Thinking Activities
When I teach writing, I begin with organization. I use one of the four Hexagonal Thinking Activities for ancient Egypt. These are a great way for students to visualize what key terms they will use and how their paragraph will be organized.
Ancient Egypt Documentary
Documentaries provide a great opportunity for students to learn or review using visual mediums. I tell my students that documentaries are like virtual field trips because we get to hear from historians and archaeologists, and see the actual sites students have studied. I also like to mix it up! Documentaries are a nice change of pace for classes, and they are great for sub plans too!
Ancient Invisible Cities – Cairo
The Story of Ancient Egypt’s Mysterious – Lost Queens – Timeline
PBS Rise of the Black Pharaohs
Decline & Fall of the Old Kingdom Simulation
As a social studies teacher, I want my students to develop an understanding of cause and effect. Part of that is understanding how empires rise and fall. In the Decline & Fall of the Old Kingdom Simulation, students explore the complexities of empire decline with our interactive simulation. Students experience the forces that contribute to the decline of the Old Kingdom. And they do this while working to prevent the collapse of their simulated empire. This simulation fosters critical thinking and historical empathy, leaving a lasting impact on student learning.
Ancient Egypt GRAPES Puppet Project
We’ve all had classes that just won’t participate. Whether it’s personalities or just how kids are these days, sometimes it is hard to get a good discussion going in class. The way I promote active participation is by using Gen Z and Alpha slang in the Ancient Egypt GRAPES Puppet Project. Students use slang and key terms to write a script bragging about Egypt and pharaohs. They then translate their slang into academic language. Finally, they talk with other students or perform a puppet show about Egyptian history.
Step Pyramid Project
Engage students with a hands-on 3D project where they construct a Step Pyramid Project. This culminating activity integrates key terms and historical events, encouraging collaborative learning and creative expression. A detailed checklist and rubric ensure project quality and classroom decoration.
Egyptian Monuments & Sculpture Play Doh Activity
Explore an exciting FREE teacher-led activity designed for social studies classes! Teachers will guide students through short lectures and texts on monuments and sculptures from the Old Kingdom, New Kingdom, and Kush Empire. After each segment, students will pause to recreate these monuments, fostering hands-on learning. In the web-quest, students will research significant monuments, sculptures, and achievements, recording their findings, inserting images, and recreating accomplishments. Finally, they will upload their work into a shared Google Doc. This interactive lesson is perfect for engaging students in the fascinating history of ancient civilizations.
Ancient Egypt Test
I used to dread making tests for my ancient and world history units. If you need help writing your unit test for the Ancient Egypt Test, use this assessment covering Egypt geography, the Old, Middle, New Kingdoms and Kush and much more. There is a regular and modified version, a study guide and writing tests.
The Ancient Egypt unit is designed with teachers in mind. It is full of time-saving activities. You will get more student buy-in with interactive simulations, hands-on projects, and insightful discussions on historical figures. Designed for flexibility, the ancient Egypt unit helps teachers be their best!
Be sure to listen to the Middle Ages Podcast for more awesome ideas ancient and world history teachers!