Ancient Civilizations · 6th Grade · Ancient Egypt & Kush · Weeks 10-18

The New Kingdom: Pharaohs & Empire

Students will investigate the New Kingdom, highlighting famous rulers like Hatshepsut, Akhenaten, and Ramses II, and Egypt's imperial ambitions.

• Common Core State Standards
• C3: D2.His.14.6-8
• C3: D2.Civ.6.6-8

About This Topic

The New Kingdom (roughly 1550-1070 BCE) was Egypt's imperial height, a period when pharaohs commanded armies, built temple complexes of staggering scale, and extended Egyptian influence from Nubia deep into the Levant. Three rulers are central to US 6th grade curricula: Hatshepsut, one of the few women to rule as pharaoh; Akhenaten, who attempted a revolutionary shift to monotheism; and Ramses II, whose 66-year reign produced some of Egypt's most iconic monuments.

Hatshepsut's story is particularly instructive for developing historical thinking skills. She ruled successfully for approximately 20 years, conducting trade expeditions to Punt and commissioning major building projects at Deir el-Bahri. After her death, her successor Thutmose III systematically defaced or removed her image from monuments -- a deliberate erasure that historians debated for centuries. Her eventual identification through mummy analysis in the early 21st century illustrates how archaeology continues to reshape historical understanding.

Ramses II's reign offers a study in imperial ambition and political messaging: his depiction of the Battle of Kadesh as a great victory despite the battle ending in a stalemate is one of ancient history's earliest known examples of political propaganda. Active learning approaches that ask students to analyze competing accounts directly build the source-evaluation skills that C3 Framework standards prioritize.

Key Questions

1. Justify how Hatshepsut successfully ruled as a female Pharaoh.
2. Analyze the reasons why Ramses II earned the title 'the Great'.
3. Compare the foreign policy of the New Kingdom with previous Egyptian eras.

Learning Objectives

• Justify Hatshepsut's successful rule as a female pharaoh by citing evidence of her building projects and trade expeditions.
• Analyze the motivations behind Akhenaten's religious reforms and their impact on Egyptian society.
• Evaluate Ramses II's claim to the title 'the Great' by comparing his military achievements with his monumental construction projects.
• Compare the foreign policy strategies of the New Kingdom, including expansion and diplomacy, with those of the Old and Middle Kingdoms.
• Synthesize information from primary and secondary sources to explain the significance of the New Kingdom as a period of Egyptian imperial power.

Before You Start

Geography of Ancient Egypt

Why: Students need to understand the Nile River's importance and Egypt's geographical context to grasp the scope of New Kingdom expansion and trade.

Old Kingdom: Pyramids and Centralized Power

Why: Understanding the foundations of pharaonic rule and state organization in the Old Kingdom provides a baseline for comparing the New Kingdom's imperial ambitions and governance.

Middle Kingdom: Stability and Expansion

Why: Knowledge of the Middle Kingdom's efforts to re-establish order and expand influence sets the stage for understanding the greater scale of New Kingdom imperialism.

Key Vocabulary

Pharaoh	The supreme ruler of ancient Egypt, considered a divine intermediary between the gods and the people.
Hatshepsut	A powerful female pharaoh of the New Kingdom, known for her successful reign, extensive building programs, and trade expeditions.
Akhenaten	A New Kingdom pharaoh who attempted to institute monotheistic worship of the sun disk, Aten, leading to significant religious and artistic changes.
Ramses II	A long-reigning New Kingdom pharaoh, often called 'the Great', celebrated for his military campaigns, extensive building projects, and diplomatic achievements, including the first known peace treaty.
Imperialism	The policy, practice, or advocacy of extending the power and dominion of a nation, especially by direct territorial acquisition or by gaining political and economic control of other areas.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Women could not hold power in ancient Egypt.

What to Teach Instead

While rare, female pharaohs existed and governed effectively. Hatshepsut ruled for approximately 20 years with significant accomplishments. Analyzing the primary evidence of her achievements directly challenges assumptions about gender and power in the ancient world, and the story of her erasure raises important questions about how history gets written.

Common Misconception

Ramses II won the Battle of Kadesh decisively.

What to Teach Instead

The Battle of Kadesh (c. 1274 BCE) ended in a stalemate and led to one of history's earliest known peace treaties. Ramses' own account framed it as a personal victory -- a lesson in how leaders shape historical narratives. Comparing primary sources from both Egyptian and Hittite perspectives makes this concrete and memorable.

Active Learning Ideas

Think-Pair-Share: Hatshepsut's Legacy

Students read a brief account of Hatshepsut's reign and the later defacement of her monuments. In pairs, they discuss why Thutmose III would want to erase her memory and what this tells us about political power. The class then debates: does erasure from history ever truly succeed, and why or why not?

20 min·Pairs

Inquiry Circle: The Battle of Kadesh -- Two Accounts

Groups receive both the Egyptian account (Ramses II's victory inscription) and a Hittite account of the same battle. Students identify the discrepancies, then discuss what each side wants the reader to believe. This is a foundational source analysis exercise in propaganda detection and perspective evaluation.

45 min·Small Groups

Gallery Walk: New Kingdom Rulers

Stations for Hatshepsut, Akhenaten, Nefertiti, Tutankhamun, and Ramses II each include an image, a short biography, and one primary source excerpt. Students visit each station and complete a graphic organizer analyzing how each ruler used their position differently and what legacy each left behind.

40 min·Individual

Real-World Connections

• Museum curators and archaeologists, like those at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, study artifacts from the New Kingdom to reconstruct ancient Egyptian life and understand the motivations of rulers such as Hatshepsut and Ramses II.
• International relations experts analyze historical examples of empire building and diplomacy, such as the treaties negotiated by Ramses II, to inform modern diplomatic strategies and understand the dynamics of power between nations.
• Architectural historians examine the construction techniques and scale of New Kingdom temples, like Karnak and Abu Simbel, to understand ancient engineering capabilities and the use of monumental architecture for political and religious messaging.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

Present students with three images: one of Hatshepsut's mortuary temple, one depicting the Battle of Kadesh, and one showing Atenist art. Ask them to label each image with the pharaoh it is most associated with and write one sentence explaining its historical significance.

Discussion Prompt

Facilitate a class debate using the prompt: 'Was Ramses II truly 'the Great'?' Encourage students to use evidence from his reign, including military campaigns, building projects, and longevity, to support their arguments. Prompt them to consider counterarguments regarding the accuracy of his self-promotion.

Exit Ticket

Ask students to write a short paragraph explaining one way the New Kingdom was different from earlier periods of Egyptian history, focusing on either imperial expansion or religious change. They should name at least one pharaoh associated with this change.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Hatshepsut and why is she significant?

Hatshepsut was one of ancient Egypt's few female pharaohs, ruling for approximately 20 years during the New Kingdom. She conducted major trade expeditions to Punt, commissioned significant building projects, and governed effectively by most historical accounts. After her death, her successor attempted to erase her from monuments, but modern archaeology has reconstructed her legacy in detail.

What did Ramses II accomplish?

Ramses II ruled for 66 years (c. 1279-1213 BCE), oversaw military campaigns across the Levant, commissioned enormous construction projects including Abu Simbel, and negotiated one of history's first recorded peace treaties after the Battle of Kadesh with the Hittites. His extensive self-promotion through art and inscription makes him a compelling case study in political messaging.

What was Akhenaten's religious revolution?

Akhenaten attempted to shift Egyptian worship from the traditional polytheistic system to exclusive veneration of the Aten (the sun disk). He built a new capital city called Akhetaten and suppressed other cults. After his death, his successor Tutankhamun reversed these changes and restored traditional religion, and Akhenaten's memory was largely removed from official records.

How can active learning help students analyze the New Kingdom?

Comparing competing primary source accounts -- such as Egyptian and Hittite records of the Battle of Kadesh -- puts students in the role of historian rather than passive recipient of information. This kind of structured source analysis directly supports C3 Framework standards for evaluating perspective, identifying bias, and corroborating evidence across sources.