Art from Ancient Egypt: Hieroglyphs and PharaohsActivities & Teaching Strategies
First graders learn best when they can connect ideas to their own surroundings. This topic works because it starts with things they see every day—murals, statues, and monuments—and shows them how art tells stories about people, places, and history.
Learning Objectives
- 1Identify key symbols and figures depicted in Ancient Egyptian tomb paintings.
- 2Explain the function of hieroglyphs as a form of written communication and storytelling.
- 3Compare the visual elements of Egyptian tomb paintings to contemporary forms of visual narrative.
- 4Analyze the symbolic meaning of pharaohs and gods within the context of Egyptian art.
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Inquiry Circle: The School Mural
In small groups, students brainstorm a 'message' they want to send to their school (e.g., 'Be Kind'). They then work together to sketch a large-scale mural design on butcher paper that represents that message.
Prepare & details
Analyze how hieroglyphs tell stories and convey meaning.
Facilitation Tip: During the Collaborative Investigation, circulate quietly and listen for students to use terms like 'story,' 'community,' or 'symbol' in their conversations.
Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials
Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template
Gallery Walk: Neighborhood Detectives
Take a walk around the school or use Google Street View to find examples of public art. Students use a checklist to identify if the art is a statue, a painting, or a monument and what 'clues' tell them about its meaning.
Prepare & details
Compare the art of Ancient Egypt to modern forms of storytelling.
Facilitation Tip: During the Gallery Walk, remind students to look closely at details in the art and to jot quick notes or sketches in their detective notebooks.
Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter
Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback
Think-Pair-Share: Who is it For?
Show a picture of a famous public monument. Pairs discuss who they think the 'audience' is and why the artist chose to put it outside instead of inside a building.
Prepare & details
Explain the significance of specific symbols in Egyptian art.
Facilitation Tip: During the Think-Pair-Share, give students exactly one minute to think and one minute to share before calling on pairs to respond.
Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor
Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs
Teaching This Topic
Teachers know that first graders need concrete examples to grasp abstract ideas like symbols and community values. Use real photographs of local public art alongside examples from Ancient Egypt to help students see the connections. Avoid overloading them with too many symbols at once; focus on two or three that reappear in different artworks. Research shows that when students create their own symbols during activities, they retain the meaning more deeply.
What to Expect
By the end of these activities, students will understand that public art is created for everyone and that it often includes symbols, stories, and people important to a community. They will be able to share their observations, ask questions, and connect art to community values.
These activities are a starting point. A full mission is the experience.
- Complete facilitation script with teacher dialogue
- Printable student materials, ready for class
- Differentiation strategies for every learner
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Common MisconceptionDuring the Collaborative Investigation: The School Mural, watch for students to call all wall decorations 'graffiti' or 'mess.'
What to Teach Instead
Use this moment to point to a section of the mural and ask, 'How is this part different from tagging or scribbles you might see elsewhere? Who do you think decided what should go on this wall?' Guide students to notice the planning, colors, and messages in the mural.
Common MisconceptionDuring the Gallery Walk: Neighborhood Detectives, watch for students to assume all statues are of 'important' people.
What to Teach Instead
Bring a list of who or what the statues represent in your neighborhood. Ask students to find one they think is surprising or unusual, then discuss why that person or thing might be important to the community.
Assessment Ideas
After the Collaborative Investigation: The School Mural, present students with images of three common symbols (e.g., heart, tree, sun). Ask them to draw the symbol and write one sentence about what it might represent based on their mural observations.
During the Gallery Walk: Neighborhood Detectives, show students a section of a local mural or statue. Ask: 'What story do you think this art is trying to tell? How is it similar to or different from a story you see in a book or cartoon?' Record their responses in a class chart.
After the Think-Pair-Share: Who is it For?, provide students with a small piece of paper. Ask them to draw one thing they learned about how public art connects to people and write one word to describe why it matters.
Extensions & Scaffolding
- Challenge students to design a small public art piece for the school hallway that tells a story about their classroom community.
- Scaffolding for students who struggle: Provide sentence starters like 'This art shows _____ about our community because _____.' or 'One symbol in this art might be _____ which could mean _____.'
- Deeper exploration: Invite a local artist or community member to speak about a public art piece in your area and how it was created.
Key Vocabulary
| Hieroglyphs | A system of writing that uses pictures and symbols to represent words, sounds, or ideas, used by ancient Egyptians. |
| Pharaoh | The ruler of ancient Egypt, considered a god on Earth, whose image and power were often depicted in art. |
| Tomb Painting | Artwork found on the walls of tombs, often depicting scenes from the life of the deceased, religious beliefs, and mythological stories. |
| Sarcophagus | A stone coffin, often elaborately decorated with carvings and inscriptions, used for the burial of pharaohs and wealthy Egyptians. |
| Cartouche | An oval frame containing the hieroglyphs that spell out the name of a royal person, usually a pharaoh or queen. |
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