Ancient Civilizations · 6th Grade

Active learning ideas

The New Kingdom: Pharaohs & Empire

Active learning works well for this topic because students need to grapple with complex ideas like propaganda, gender roles, and historical interpretation. By analyzing primary sources and engaging in discussions, students move beyond memorizing dates to understanding how power, religion, and legacy shape history.

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

• 20–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Think-Pair-Share
• 20 min · Pairs

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?

Justify how Hatshepsut successfully ruled as a female Pharaoh.

Facilitation Tip

During the Think-Pair-Share on Hatshepsut's Legacy, circulate to listen for students articulating evidence from her mortuary temple or inscriptions that demonstrate her power.

What to look for

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.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

• Inquiry Circle
• 45 min · Small Groups

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.

Analyze the reasons why Ramses II earned the title 'the Great'.

Facilitation Tip

For the Collaborative Investigation of the Battle of Kadesh, assign pairs specific roles—one reads Egyptian accounts, the other Hittite—to ensure all students engage with both perspectives.

What to look for

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.

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

Activity 03

• Gallery Walk
• 40 min · Individual

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.

Compare the foreign policy of the New Kingdom with previous Egyptian eras.

Facilitation Tip

In the Gallery Walk, place images of Akhenaten’s art next to explanations of the Aten cult to help students connect visual and textual evidence.

What to look for

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.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Experienced teachers approach this topic by emphasizing primary sources to reveal the messiness of history. Avoid presenting Ramses II or Akhenaten as straightforward heroes or villains. Instead, use their reigns to model how historians evaluate bias and propaganda. Research shows that when students compare conflicting accounts, they develop critical thinking skills that transfer to other historical studies.

Successful learning looks like students confidently discussing the complexities of New Kingdom rulers and using evidence to support their ideas. They should be able to explain how primary sources reveal different perspectives and why historical narratives can change over time.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Think-Pair-Share: Hatshepsut's Legacy, watch for students assuming women could not hold power in ancient Egypt.

  During Think-Pair-Share: Hatshepsut's Legacy, redirect students to the primary evidence of her mortuary temple and inscriptions that explicitly show her as pharaoh, asking them to cite specific examples of her authority.

• During Collaborative Investigation: The Battle of Kadesh -- Two Accounts, watch for students accepting Ramses II's account of the battle as the definitive truth.

  During Collaborative Investigation: The Battle of Kadesh -- Two Accounts, ask students to identify language in Ramses' account that suggests bias, such as exaggerated descriptions of his personal bravery, and compare it to the Hittite account’s emphasis on stalemate.

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Methods used in this brief

• Think-Pair-Share
• Inquiry Circle
• Gallery Walk