KS2 Ancient Egypt Outstanding Lessons

The lesson helps to cover a range of aspects of the topic including pyramids, the afterlife, gods and pharaohs. And pupils will love working out what the mystery object is.

The completely revised medium-term planner for Ancient Egypt is now uploaded featuring not only your favourite outstanding lessons in a carefully sequenced series of enquiries but also showing how to blend in a study of the other ancient civilizations in a meaningful way.

Ancient Egypt has always been a really popular history topic to teach at Key Stage 2 and one best-suited to Year 3 and 4 pupils. It provides a marvellous context for exploring the characteristic features of one of the most colourful of ancient civilizations. Previously there was no obligation to compare Ancient Egypt with any other ancient society. Now pupils are expected to know about ancient Sumer, the Indus Valley, and The Shang dynasty. Whilst welcoming this broader approach, we do need to maintain a sense of proportion.

Just how comparative a view can very young children have when their sense of chronology is still so undeveloped? My preference is still to teach Ancient Egypt using 5 key enquiry questions with just one question which asks pupils to investigate whether there were any other civilizations like Egypt’s at that time, what they had in common and how can we possibly know?

Featured below are the lessons that flow from the main Ancient Egypt enquiries.

Ancient Egypt KS2 Scheme of Work, Knowledge Organiser, Assessment & Quiz

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All Ancient Egypt Key QuestionsHistorical focus
KQ1 – Launching the enquiry: So you think you know about Ancient Egypt?Prior knowledge and chronology
KQ2 – How can we discover what Ancient Egypt was like over 5,000 years ago?Historical evidence and archaeology
KQ3 Part 1 – The opening of Tutankhamun’s tombEvidence and historical reconstruction
KQ3 Part 2 – So who did build the pyramids? Did the Prince of Egypt film get it right?Evidence and interpretations
KQ4 Part 1 – What can an old clay model and a pair of old sandals tell us about life in Ancient Egypt 5,000 years ago?Everyday life and artefacts
KQ4 Part 2 – Using evidence of life in Ancient EgyptUsing sources and deduction
KQ5 Part 1 – Embalming the dead in Ancient EgyptBeliefs, death and mummification
KQ5 Part 2 – The Ancient Egyptian afterlifeReligion and the afterlife
KQ6 – What did Ancient Egypt have in common with other civilisations at the time?Similarity and difference
pyramids
Dealing with misconceptions – An example from Y3 ancient civilizations

If you are wrestling with the best way to cover all ancient civilizations, rather than just looking at Ancient Egypt, you might be grateful for this new overview activity in…

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ancient egypt
Top tips for planning your KS2 history studies – Ancient civilisations

For most of you, you will continue teaching Ancient Egypt as before, for 80% of this topic. You MUST give pupils a sense of overview of all the named ancient…

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ancient egypt afterlife
Ancient Egypt – assessment task – The afterlife

Key Elements: ideas, attitudes and beliefs This assessment tasks focuses on a single picture.   Pupils are asked how the image shows that the Ancient Egyptians believed in the afterlife. The…

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tut
Ancient Egypt – end of unit quiz

Congratulations on completing your unit on Ancient Egypt! Now that you’ve explored this incredible ancient civilization, it’s time to put your knowledge to the test with a fun and exciting…

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pyramids
Ancient Egypt – SMART task – Puzzle corner: Mystery of the pyramids in the desert

This thinking skills task has been designed to encourage pupils to work out plausible answers to the puzzling question, one which has until recently found no consensus of convincing explanation…

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pyramid 321
The mystery of why the pyramids were built in the desert is finally solved

Many of you teaching Ancient Egypt in depth as part of a broader topic on ancient civilizations will , no doubt, have spent some time exploring Egypt’s iconic pyramids. You…

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Ancient Egypt : a new Pompeii?

A few weeks ago, Egyptian archaeologists the discovery of a “lost city” of the pharaohs dating back some 3,400 years that they described as the biggest ancient settlement yet uncovered…

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planner
Outstanding medium term planner for Ancient Civilizations: Egypt Y3

At one point in recent years, there were real fears that Ancient Egypt would be axed from the KS2 curriculum. Mercifully it was reprieved so we now need to make…

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ancient egypt
Ancient Egypt – KQ1 – Launching the Enquiry. So you think you know about Ancient Egypt?

What can we quickly add to what we already know about Ancient Egypt? This way of starting should build on what some pupils already know without slowing down the start….

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Ancient Egypt – KQ2 – How can we discover what Ancient Egypt was like over 5,000 years ago?

Pupils are invited to join an archaeological excavation, using slide 2-5 to set the scene. Before they can begin their preparations, they need to know where they are going (both…

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Tutankhamun's tomb
Ancient Egypt – KQ3 part 1 – The opening of Tutankhamun’s tomb

The opening of Tutankhamun’s tomb: a brilliant reconstruction relay The activity that forms the basis of this lesson is called reconstruction relay. It is GUARANTEED to enthuse even the most…

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Ancient Egypt – KQ3 Part 2 – So who did build the pyramids? Did the Prince of Egypt film get it right?

This active lesson for Year 4 has been adapted from the one featured in the QCA Teacher Assessment Activities for history at Key Stage 2. It involves pupils seeking out…

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Ancient Egypt – KQ4 Part 1 – What can an old clay model and a pair of old sandals tell us about life in Ancient Egypt 5,000 years ago?

What does the evidence tell us about the everyday life for men women and children? Here the focus is on two pieces of evidence which reveal a picture of the…

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crimewatch lesson
Ancient Egypt – KQ4 Part 2 – Using evidence of Life in Ancient Egypt KS2 – Pupils love playing history detectives

Crimewatch Ancient Egypt: Tomb Robbers This fun activity is a brilliant way of developing pupils’ deductive thinking skills in a realistic context.  Pupils are cast in the role of police…

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Ancient Egypt – KQ4 – Additional Smart Task

(NB This is not included on the planner) How can we learn so much about Ancient Egypt from just these 6 objects? After an initial stimulus ‘slow reveal’, pupils working…

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upils use this website to actually assist Anubis in carrying out a mummification
Ancient Egypt – KQ5 Part 1 – Embalming the dead in Ancient Egypt : Great history and great literacy too

Helping the Hopeless Embalmer This really fun lesson, in the style of ‘mantle of expert’, asks the children to help the Hopeless Embalmer whose boss has left him in charge…

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book of the dead image
Ancient Egypt – KQ5 Part 2 – After-life lesson KS2

Understanding the Book of the Dead: from page to stage Using simple drama techniques to make a very old document come alive, this lesson involves pupils becoming the characters in…

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Scene from the Book of the Dead. Pupils take on the role of characters in the image and act out the journey of Ani to Osiris and the afterlife
Ancient Egypt – KQ5 – After-life lesson additional information – Dealing with sensitive issues

This supports the teaching of KQ5. As you know, pupils get very excited by whole topic of mummification. Whilst we rejoice in this enthusiasm, there is a danger that important…

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pyramids
Ancient Egypt – KQ6 – What did Ancient Egypt have in common with other civilizations at the time?

The main activity here is called gallery. Pupils are shown images (printed from the KQ6 PowerPoint) which are displayed around the room, as if an art gallery. Pupils have to…

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ancient world
Ten things your KS2 pupils should know about language and communication in the ancient world.

This article should inform your teaching of the Ancient Civilizations topic Imagine a world without writing-without any writing at all: no literature; no news stories; no history even. No tax…

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Brief 10 question diagnostic assessment task for KS2 Ancient Egypt

Pupils have to answer 10 fairly open ended questions for which answers are provided reflecting the knowledge and understanding outlined in the medium term planner. Q1 How can we know…

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