HASS · Year 7

Active learning ideas

Building the Pyramids and Tombs

Active learning works for this topic because students need to connect with the lived experiences of ancient Egyptians, not just memorize facts about Pharaohs and pyramids. Through simulations and investigations, students move from abstract ideas to concrete understanding of daily life, beliefs, and social structures.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9H7K04

• 30–40 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Gallery Walk
• 35 min · Pairs

Gallery Walk: Tomb Painting Detectives

Display various tomb paintings showing scenes of farming, feasting, and board games. In pairs, students move from 'wall' to 'wall', using a checklist to find evidence of what Egyptians ate, what tools they used, and how they had fun.

Explain the logistical challenges involved in constructing the Great Pyramids.

Facilitation Tip

During the Gallery Walk, place students in small groups and assign each group a specific tomb painting to analyze for symbols of daily life, not just death rituals.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'If you were an Egyptian overseer managing pyramid construction, what would be your top three logistical challenges and how would you attempt to solve them?' Students should share their ideas and justify their choices, considering labor, resources, and time.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Simulation Game
• 30 min · Small Groups

Simulation Game: The Weighing of the Heart

Students role-play the journey through the underworld. One student is the deceased, others are gods like Anubis and Thoth. They must 'testify' to their good deeds during life to see if their heart is lighter than the feather of Ma'at, helping them understand Egyptian morality.

Analyze what the scale of pyramid building reveals about Egyptian social organisation.

What to look for

Provide students with a short reading passage about the religious significance of tombs. Ask them to identify two specific beliefs that drove the construction of elaborate burial sites and write them down. Review responses for understanding of afterlife concepts.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Inquiry Circle
• 40 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The Mummification 'Recipe'

Groups are given a list of materials (natron, linen, resin, amulets) and their 'costs'. They must decide which items are essential for a 'budget' burial versus a 'luxury' burial, learning about the economic side of Egyptian religion.

Evaluate the religious motivations behind the elaborate burial practices and tomb construction.

What to look for

Students draw a simple diagram showing one method Egyptians might have used to move a large stone block. They must label at least two tools or resources used in their diagram and write one sentence explaining the purpose of the diagram.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Experienced teachers approach this topic by grounding abstract concepts like the afterlife in tangible experiences. Avoid presenting mummification as a morbid process; instead, frame it as a practical and hopeful act to preserve life. Research suggests that simulations like the Weighing of the Heart help students grasp complex beliefs by making them participatory and memorable.

Students should leave these activities able to articulate how ordinary Egyptians’ lives were shaped by their beliefs, environment, and social roles. Success looks like students using evidence from activities to explain why tombs were hopeful spaces and how mummification reflected social status rather than just describing the process.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Gallery Walk: Tomb Painting Detectives, watch for students who focus only on tomb scenes and ignore the daily life imagery in the paintings.

  During the Gallery Walk, direct students to look for symbols of family, food, and work in the paintings, not just death. Ask them to find one example of each and explain how it shows Egyptians’ focus on life.

• During the Simulation: The Weighing of the Heart, watch for students who treat the ceremony as a simple game rather than a reflection of Egyptian beliefs.

  During the Simulation, pause the activity to discuss how the ceremony’s outcome was believed to determine eternal life, not just a moral lesson. Ask students to connect their own actions in the simulation to Egyptian religious practices.

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Methods used in this brief

• Gallery Walk
• Simulation Game
• Inquiry Circle