Early Societies

3000 BCE-1500 CE

Ancient Egypt

Curricular Expectations
Overall Expectation
A3. demonstrate an understanding of key aspects of a few early
societies (3000 BCE1500 CE), each from a different region and era
and representing a different culture, with reference to their political
and social organization, daily life, and relationships with their
environment and with each other

Related Concept of Social Studies Thinking:

SIGNIFICANCE

Specific Expectations
A3.1 identify the location of some different early societies on a globe or on print, digital,
and/or interactive maps, and demonstrate the ability to extract information on early
societies relationship with the environment from thematic maps (e.g., climate, physical,
topographical, vegetation maps)
A3.2 demonstrate the ability to extract information on daily life in early societies from
visual evidence (e.g., art works such as paintings, sculptures, carvings, masks, mosaics;
monuments; artefacts such as household utensils, religious articles, weapons)
A3.7 describe how two or more early societies were governed (e.g., early democracy in
Greece or Haudenosaunee society; city states on the Swahili Coast; emperors in China;
the roles of nobles, priests, and the military in Aztec society, of kings, nobles, and knights
in medieval France, or of chiefs in the Haida nation)
A3.8 describe the social organization of some different early societies (e.g., a slaveowning society, a feudal society, an agrarian society, a nomadic society) and the role and
status of some significant social and work-related groups in these societies (e.g., women,
slaves, peasants, nobles, monarchs, warriors, knights, priests/priestesses, druids,
shamans, imams, monks, nuns, merchants, artisans, apprentices, scribes, midwives,
healers)

Overall Learning Goals

-

Students will be able to identify historic

and significant contributions made by
Egyptians
Investigate different perspectives on the
historical and contemporary experience
of Egyptians in Canada
Demonstrate and understanding of the
experiences of, and major changes and
aspects of life in Egypt

Unit Plan: Ancient Egypt

Lesson One

Lesson Two

Lesson Three

Lesson Four

Lesson Five

Lesson Six

Introduction to
Egypt

Government &
Hierarchy in
Egypt

Language &
Hieroglyphics

Where in the
World is Egypt?

Field Trip to the

ROM!

A Day in the
Life of an
Egyptian

KWL Chart

Location and
Geography
Mapping
Lesson

Culminating
Task

Lesson One: Introduction to Egypt

Success Criteria: I can demonstrate a basic understanding about

important Egyptian concepts.
Minds On: Introduce the lesson by asking the students about their
prior knowledge on Egypt. The class will fill out the what I
already know column of the KWL chart.
Hands On: Once we have some general points about prior
knowledge on Egypt, the class will discuss what they would like
to know or wonder about by filling out this specified column.
*This is an essential tool for teachers so that they can plan their
future lessons in the unit using inquiry-based learning. The
class will then watch a short video on the history of Egypt, with
the opportunity to look through Egyptian books after the video.
Consolidation: During consolidation the class will reflect on what
they have learned in the first lesson from previous knowledge,
the video and books, and any new connections they made.

Lesson Two: Social Classes

Success Criteria: I can demonstrate an understanding of the social structure in
Ancient Egypt.
Minds On: Begin the lesson by asking the students how they would feel if a teacher
asked them to clean the entire hallway of the school with a toothbrush. We will
discuss this as a class and the students will reflect on the posed question and how
they would feel if they were put in that position. This will lead into a discussion of
social class. Students will be asked to define social class and use any prior
knowledge of Egypt or simply make predictions about the different social classes in
Egypt.
Hands On: The students will be asked about social roles in our society today? The
social hierarchy pyramid will be introduced with a short description of the different
levels and students thoughts on the different characteristics of each. Now using the
knowledge that we already have about our Canadian social structure / roles today
and the knowledge gained from the social hierarchy pyramid, we will construct a
Venn diagram to compare the similarities and differences between the two time
periods.
Consolidation: Students will be given a social hierarchy self-reflection worksheet to
complete using the knowledge that they gained throughout the lesson and
connecting it to experiences in their own life or life of their parents.

Communication
What are some of the ways people have
communication in the past and the present?
Past

Present

talked to each other

books

hieroglyphics

telephone

pictures/drawings

texting/technology

What writing systems have been developed in

other cultures at other times?

Can anyone tell me what this sentence

says?

Lesson Three:
Hieroglyphics
Success Criteria: I can understand the use of
hieroglyphics as a written language.
Hieroglyphics was the written language of the
ancient Egyptians. It was composed of sacred
characters called hieroglyphs that were used for
religious and governmental purposes. These
characters can be seen today on temples, tombs
and other sites of importance.
It could be written in almost any direction; left to
right, right to left, or top to bottom. The reader
would figure out which way to read it by the
direction of the symbols.

The Rosetta Stone

In 1799 a French soldier
found a special stone in
the city of Rosetta. This
stone had the same
message written in
hieroglyphics, demotic
and Greek. This was
important because it
helped to translate what
the hieroglyphics said
and could be used to
help translate other
hieroglyphics as well.

Ancient Egyptian Alphabet - Hieroglyphics

Your Task:
Imagine you are an illiterate boy or girl and you do
not know any form of writing.
Construct your own alphabet (A - H) using pictures
like the Egyptians did. Finally, do not forget to give
you new language a name.

Be creative!

Bringing it all together!

Can I have 2 or 3 volunteers to show the class their
letters and explain why they used the symbols
that they did?

Lesson Four: Where in the World

is Egypt?
Success Criteria: I can label and colour in a map of
Ancient Egypt by referring to resources given to me.
Minds On:
Using the globe and map as a class, we will ask students if
anyone knows where Egypt is located.
Hands On:
Students will use a blank map of Ancient Egypt and use the
resources given to label and colour their own maps
Consolidation:
Students can come up to our big class map and locate
something that they were able to find on their own map

Map of the World

Mapping Handout

Map of
Ancient
Egypt

Lesson Five: Field Trip!

There is a exhibit on Ancient Egypt going on at the
ROM!

Students will use the handout given to record

information that will be used during their
culminating project.

Field Trip Handout

Lesson
Six:
A
Day
in
the
Life
Success Criteria:I can effectively demonstrate a thorough
understanding about an aspect of Egyptian life.
Minds On: During minds on students will be put into groups and
begin researching an Ancient Egyptian person, food,
government, geographic area, etc. that interests them. The
topic must have been used in one of the previous 5 lessons.
Hands On: During the action period, students will be given
additional time to do further research (books, internet, field trip
information) to work with their group and create a poster board
including their topic, main points, why it is important to Egypt,
pictures, etc.
Consolidation: As a group the students will present their poster
board and demonstrate an understanding of their topic by
providing facts, making connections to current history and
explaining why they chose that topic and if they enjoyed