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.

• 6th Grade
• Ancient Civilizations
• 3 activities
• 20 min–45 min

Learning Objectives

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

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?

Prepare & details

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.

Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor

Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs

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

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.

Prepare & details

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.

Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials

Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template

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

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.

Prepare & details

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.

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

Teaching This Topic

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.

What to Expect

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.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

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

What to Teach Instead

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.

Common Misconception

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

What to Teach Instead

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.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

After the Gallery Walk: New Kingdom Rulers, present students with three images and ask them to label each with the pharaoh it is most associated with and write one sentence explaining its historical significance.

Discussion Prompt

During the Collaborative Investigation: The Battle of Kadesh -- Two Accounts, facilitate a brief class discussion where students share their findings and debate whether Ramses II’s self-promotion was justified, using evidence from the primary sources.

Exit Ticket

After Think-Pair-Share: Hatshepsut's Legacy, ask students to write a short paragraph explaining one way Hatshepsut’s reign differed from earlier periods of Egyptian history, focusing on her authority or building projects.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge early finishers to research another New Kingdom pharaoh not covered in class and present a 1-minute “elevator pitch” on why they deserve the title ‘the Great.’
• Scaffolding for struggling students: Provide sentence starters for the Think-Pair-Share, such as “Hatshepsut proved she was a strong leader by...”
• Deeper exploration: Have students analyze a modern political campaign poster using the same lens they used for Ramses’ self-promotion, noting similarities in narrative construction.

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.