Ancient Civilizations: Egyptians!: With 25 Social Studies Projects for Kids

By Carmella Van Vleet and Tom Casteel

A full-color book that explores the world of ancient Egypt through hands-on STEAM projects, fascinating facts about everyone from gods to ordinary people, and essential questions that get kids ages 7 to 10 thinking critically about what we can learn from artifacts.

Did the ancient Egyptians have pets? Why were the kings of ancient Egypt buried in pyramids? What did kids do for fun in ancient Egypt? Ancient Civilizations: Egyptians! With 25 Social Studies Projects for Kids takes readers on a journey through the land of the Nile, making stops to study the pyramids, learn about the kings and queens who ruled this land—including the famed King Tutankhamun—discover what ordinary people ate, played, and wore for clothing, and learn about the different jobs people performed. Fascinating links between today’s world and ancient Egyptian culture offer opportunities for real-world connections while fun STEAM activities promote critical and creative thinking.

• This book brings daily life from thousands of years ago into today’s reality through fun illustrations, fascinating facts, essential questions, and hands-on projects such as constructing model bridges and pyramids, planting floating gardens, and translating hieroglyphics.

• Explores the sites of ancient architectural wonders such as the pyramids of Giza, the Temple of Amun-Ra, the Temple of Hatshepsut, and the Great Sphynx.

• Introduces key people associated with ancient Egypt, including King Tutankhamen, King Rameses II, and Queen Cleopatra.

About the Explore Ancient Civilizations set and Nomad Press

Ancient Civilizations: Egyptians! is part of a set of four Explore Ancient Civilization books that bring to life the vibrant cultures of the distant past. The other titles in this series are Ancient Civilizations: Aztecs, Maya, Incas!; Ancient Civilizations: Romans!, and Ancient Civilizations: Greeks!.

Nomad Press books in the Explore Your World series integrate content with participation, encouraging readers to engage in student-directed learning. Combining content with inquiry-based projects stimulates learning and makes it active and alive. Nomad’s unique approach simultaneously grounds kids in factual knowledge while allowing them the space to be curious, creative, and critical thinkers.

All books are leveled for Guided Reading level and Lexile and align with Common Core State Standards and National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies. All titles are available in paperback, hardcover, and ebook formats.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nomad Press
• Release date: Nov 6, 2019
• ISBN: 9781619308367

Book preview

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CONTENTS

Glossary*Metric Conversions

Resources*Essential Questions*Index

Interested in primary sources? Look for this icon. Use a smartphone or tablet app to scan the QR code and explore more! Photos are also primary sources because a photograph takes a picture at the moment something happens.

TIMELINE

EARLY DYNASTIC PERIOD, C. 3100–2686 BCE:

*Upper and Lower Egypt are united.

*Hieroglyphics are developed.

*Towns and villages are built.

OLD KINGDOM, C. 2686–2181 BCE:

*Pharaohs are in power and build many pyramids.

*The inundation (yearly flooding) of the Nile helps ancient Egyptians grow crops.

*King Khufu builds the Great Pyramid and the Great Sphinx.

FIRST INTERMEDIATE PERIOD, C. 2181–2055 BCE:

*Pharaohs lose their power and Egypt splits back into two countries.

MIDDLE KINGDOM, C. 2055–1650 BCE:

*Upper and Lower Egypt are reunited.

*Pharaohs regain their power.

*The pharaohs build their last pyramids.

SECOND INTERMEDIATE PERIOD, C. 1650–1550 BCE:

*Outsiders from Palestine gradually move into northeastern Egypt, adopt to Egyptian culture, and take power.

NEW KINGDOM, C. 1550–1069 BCE:

*The ancient Egyptians have their greatest period of peace and development.

*The first pharaohs are buried in the Valley of the Kings.

*Hatshepsut becomes the first female pharaoh.

*King Tut becomes the Boy King.

THIRD INTERMEDIATE PERIOD, C. 1069–644 BCE:

*Egypt grows weaker and is eventually invaded by the Assyrians, from Mesopotamia (the country we now call Iraq).

LATE PERIOD, C. 644–332 BCE:

*The Persians, from the Near East (the countries we now call Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel), conquer Egypt.

*Demotic script is developed.

GREEK AND ROMAN EGYPT, C. 332 BCE–639 CE:

*Alexander the Great (from Greece) conquers Egypt. The Greeks begin to rule Egypt, bringing Greek culture and language to the area.

*Cleopatra, the last Greek pharaoh, dies.

*Augustus, the emperor of the Roman Empire, conquers Egypt.

*The Romans rule Egypt for more than 600 years.

*The Rosetta Stone is carved.

Many of the words and names in this book are hard to say, but you can hear them spoken online. Go to symbol next to your word to hear it spoken.

MERRIAM-WEBSTER

INTRODUCTION

LET’S EXPLORE ANCIENT EGYPT!

You’ve probably played in sand, gone swimming, or traveled by boat. Chances are you’ve also played a board game or helped around the house. Maybe you’ve taken care of a pet or slept outdoors. Kids who lived in ancient Egypt did these things, too!

Ancient Egypt was a civilization that thrived for 3,000 years, beginning about 5,000 years ago. Even though it was probably different in nearly every way from how you live now, people did many of the same things. By looking back at how ancient Egyptians learned, played, worked, and dressed, we can learn more about past cultures.

WORDS TO KNOW

ancient: from an early time in history.

civilization: a community of people that is advanced in art, science, and government.

culture: the beliefs and way of life of a group of people.

WORDS TO KNOW

Sahara Desert: the largest, hottest desert in the world.

desert: a landscape that gets very little rain.

preserve: to store something in a way that protects it from rotting.

When you learn about ancient cultures, you can see how they are part of our lives today.

DID YOU KNOW?

King Tut is called the Boy King because he was just nine years old when he took over Egypt’s throne.

WHERE IN THE WORLD?

Ancient Egypt was in the northeastern part of Africa, where modern Egypt is today. It was in the Sahara Desert, the biggest and hottest desert in the world. Ancient Egypt’s daytime temperatures rose to more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius). The heat and the sand made life tough for the ancient Egyptians. They had to be careful about sunburn, and sand got into everything. It even got into the bread they baked, which caused their teeth to wear down.

But the desert also had its advantages. For example, it protected ancient Egyptians from enemies. Invaders did not want to