Pharaohs and Their Power

Active learning helps students grasp the scale and significance of the pyramids and Pharaohs by making abstract concepts concrete. Hands-on tasks like building models or analyzing artifacts let students experience the challenges of ancient engineering and the symbolism of power firsthand.

• 2nd Year
• Time Travelers: Exploring Our Past and Present
• 3 activities
• 25 min–35 min

Learning Objectives

1. Explain the Pharaoh's dual role as a political leader and a divine figure in Ancient Egyptian society.
2. Analyze specific symbols and regalia, such as the crook, flail, and double crown, to determine their meaning and significance to the Pharaoh's authority.
3. Compare and contrast the absolute power and responsibilities of an Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh with those of a modern democratic leader.
4. Identify the key religious and administrative duties performed by the Pharaoh that reinforced their god-like status.

Role Play

⏱ 35 min·Small Groups

Collaborative Problem Solving: The Pyramid Challenge

Students must work in teams to move a 'heavy' stack of books across the room using only round pencils as 'rollers.' They then discuss how this relates to how Egyptians moved massive stone blocks.

Prepare & details

Explain why the Pharaoh was considered so important to the Egyptian people.

Facilitation Tip: During The Pyramid Challenge, circulate with questions like 'What problem does your team need to solve next?' to keep groups focused on the engineering task.

Setup: Open space or rearranged desks for scenario staging

Materials: Character cards with backstory and goals, Scenario briefing sheet

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Gallery Walk

⏱ 30 min·Whole Class

Gallery Walk: The Pharaoh's Treasures

Display images of items found in Tutankhamun's tomb (throne, chariot, board games, food). Students walk around and guess why the Pharaoh would need each item in the afterlife.

Prepare & details

Analyze the symbols and regalia associated with the Pharaoh and their meaning.

Facilitation Tip: For The Pharaoh's Treasures Gallery Walk, place one key artifact per station and have students rotate in small groups to ensure everyone participates.

Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter

Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback

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

Role Play

⏱ 25 min·Small Groups

Role Play: The Pharaoh's Court

One student acts as the Pharaoh, while others act as advisors (viziers), scribes, and farmers bringing news. They must solve a 'problem' (like a bad harvest) to understand the Pharaoh's power and responsibility.

Prepare & details

Compare the power of a Pharaoh to that of a modern leader.

Facilitation Tip: In The Pharaoh's Court role play, assign roles in advance and provide a script starter to help shy students contribute confidently.

Setup: Open space or rearranged desks for scenario staging

Materials: Character cards with backstory and goals, Scenario briefing sheet

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Teaching This Topic

Experienced teachers approach this topic by balancing awe with analysis, using artifacts to ground discussions in evidence rather than myth. Avoid over-relying on dramatic narratives; instead, focus on primary sources like tomb paintings or worker records to correct misconceptions. Research shows students retain more when they create or analyze something tangible, like a pyramid model or a Pharaoh's decree.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like students explaining how pyramids were constructed using evidence, describing Pharaohs' roles with examples from tomb treasures, and comparing power structures through role play. They should connect their findings to broader themes of belief systems and governance.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During The Pyramid Challenge, watch for students assuming slaves built the pyramids. Redirect them to the provided worker records and tomb paintings showing happy laborers with tools.

What to Teach Instead

Use the Gallery Walk artifacts to show that tomb scenes depict workers receiving food and medical care, and the records list paid laborers like 'bakers' and 'carpenters'.

Common Misconception

During The Pharaoh's Treasures Gallery Walk, watch for students describing mummies as scary or monsters. Redirect them to the tomb paintings and mummy masks showing serene or protective expressions.

What to Teach Instead

Point to the artifacts in the gallery walk: the 'Book of the Dead' spells, the golden death mask of Tutankhamun, and the 'Opening of the Mouth' ceremony as evidence of respectful rituals.

Assessment Ideas

Discussion Prompt

After The Pharaoh's Court role play, pose the question: 'Imagine you are an advisor to a Pharaoh. What three pieces of advice would you give them to maintain their power and divine image?' Facilitate a class discussion where students share and justify their advice, referencing specific aspects of Pharaoh's roles from their role play.

Quick Check

During The Pharaoh's Treasures Gallery Walk, provide students with images of different Pharaohs' regalia (e.g., crowns, staffs). Ask them to label each item and write one sentence explaining what power or status it represents. Collect these to gauge understanding of symbolism.

Exit Ticket

After The Pyramid Challenge, on an index card, ask students to write one similarity and one difference between the power of an Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh and the power of their country's current head of state. This checks their comparative analysis skills.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• After The Pyramid Challenge, challenge early finishers to design a blueprint for a smaller pyramid using the same materials, adding labels to explain their choices.
• For students who struggle, provide pre-cut pyramid templates or a word bank of terms like 'limestone' and 'ramp' to support The Pyramid Challenge.
• During The Pharaoh's Treasures Gallery Walk, invite students to research one artifact further and present a short 'curator's note' to the class as a deeper exploration.

Key Vocabulary

Pharaoh	The supreme ruler of Ancient Egypt, considered both a king and a god.
Divine Kingship	The belief that the Pharaoh was a god on Earth, acting as an intermediary between the gods and the people.
Regalia	The symbols, emblems, and insignia of royalty, worn or carried by the Pharaoh to signify their status and power.
Hieroglyphs	The formal writing system used in Ancient Egypt, often found on monuments and religious texts detailing the Pharaoh's deeds and divine connections.
Cartouche	An oval frame containing the hieroglyphs of a royal name, signifying protection and importance.