1. Introduction
Chapter Introduction
This chapter will introduce you to Ancient Egypt and Nubia. You will learn all about the cultures of those two regions, as well as the way geography affected people’s lives.
Section 1: Egypt Under the Pharaohs
Section 2: Art, Architecture, and Learning in Egypt
Section 3: Egypt and Nubia

2. Egypt Under the Pharaohs
Section 1
Egypt Under the Pharaohs
Objective: Students will know how Egypt’s geography shaped its civilization, that dynasties of pharaohs ruled Egypt & that Egypt worshiped many gods.

3. Key Ideas Egypt’s unique geography helped shaped
Egypt Under the Pharaohs
Key Ideas
Egypt’s unique geography helped shaped
its civilization and farming methods.
Pharaohs belonging to dynasties ruled Egypt
and were seen as gods.
Egyptians worshiped many gods.

4. Key Terms cataract—group of rocky rapids
Egypt Under the Pharaohs
Key Terms
cataract—group of rocky rapids
delta—a flat plain formed on a seabed where a river deposits material over many years
artisan—skilled worker who practices a handicraft
pharaoh—king of ancient Egypt
Students should use the Word Wise feature in this chapter of their Student Journal to explore Key Terms.

5. Key Terms dynasty—a series of rulers from the same family
Egypt Under the Pharaohs
Key Terms
dynasty—a series of rulers from the
same family
bureaucracy—a system of
government officials who carry out
government rules and regulations
mummy—a body that has been preserved
so it will not decompose
Students should use the Word Wise feature in this chapter of their Student Journal to explore Key Terms.

6. The Nile River Valley (pgs. 144 & 145)
Egypt Under the Pharaohs
The Nile River Valley (pgs. 144 & 145)
At about 3,500 miles, the is the world’s longest river. Its sources are the Blue Nile and White Nile.
The Nile divides Egypt into Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt separate the two parts.
Egyptians called the fertile area along the river “ ” Floods renewed “the Black Land” for farming. Floods could also cause much destruction.
Egyptians called the deserts “ .”

7. The Nile River Valley, cont. (pgs. 144 & 145)
Egypt Under the Pharaohs
The Nile River Valley, cont. (pgs. 144 & 145)
Where do the Blue Nile & White Nile meet to form the Nile?
Why might it be significant that cataracts make traveling upstream difficult on the Nile?
Which was more valuable to the Egyptians, the Black Land or the Red Land?
How did the Nile influence the Egyptian food supply?

8. Civilization Develops (pg. 146)
Egypt Under the Pharaohs
Civilization Develops (pg. 146)
How did technology aid Egypt’s food production?
How did increased food production
affect people’s livelihoods?
What are artisans?

9. The Kingdoms of Egypt (pg. 147)
Egypt Under the Pharaohs
The Kingdoms of Egypt (pg. 147)
Egypt was first united in about The pharaoh then wore a
The lasted several hundred years.
The lasted about 400 years and ended in civil war. The was the high point of Egyptian power and prosperity. It was destroyed by foreign invaders.
The Egyptian handled government business. It was a model for later governments.

10. Two Great Rulers (pg. 148) How were the reigns of Hatshepsut and
Egypt Under the Pharaohs
Two Great Rulers (pg. 148)
How were the reigns of Hatshepsut and
Ramses II different from each other?
Hatshepsut
Ramses II
Have students fill in the chart with ways in which the two rulers were different from each other. Discuss students’ charts as a class.

11. Egyptian Society (pg. 149) How was Egyptian society structured?
Egypt Under the Pharaohs
Egyptian Society (pg. 149)
How was Egyptian society structured?
What does it mean that the pharaoh is
“at the top of the pyramid”?
Which social group was at
the bottom of the social pyramid?
Refer students to this feature in Section 1 of the Student Edition.

12. Egyptian Religion (pgs. 150 & 151)
Egypt Under the Pharaohs
Egyptian Religion (pgs. 150 & 151)
Some Egyptian Gods
Ask students to fill in a name of an Egyptian god in each column. Have them write a brief description of the god based on the information in the Student Edition.

13. Mummification (pgs. 150 & 151) What was the significance of
Egypt Under the Pharaohs
Mummification (pgs. 150 & 151)
What was the significance of
mummification for the ancient Egyptians?
How did the process of mummification advance the Egyptians’ knowledge of anatomy?
How did mummification advance the arts in ancient Egypt?
Direct students to the Mummies and Mummification feature in section 1. Remind them that “anatomy” in this context means the structure of the human body.

14. Arts, Architecture, & Learning in Egypt
Section 2
Arts, Architecture, & Learning in Egypt
Objective: Students will summarize ancient Egypt’s main accomplishments & develop cultural awareness about the role of mathematics in building the pyramids.

15. Key Ideas Egyptians developed one of the first systems
Art, Architecture, and Learning in Egypt
Key Ideas
Egyptians developed one of the first systems
of writing and some of the world’s earliest
literature.
Egyptians built impressive pyramids and
produced beautiful works of art.
Egyptians were accomplished
mathematicians and scientists.

16. Art, Architecture, and Learning in Egypt
Key Terms
hieroglyphic—drawing or symbol that stands for a word, idea, or sound
papyrus—a writing surface similar to paper which ancient Egyptians made from reeds that grew along the Nile
Students should use the Word Wise feature in this chapter of their Student Journal to explore Key Terms.

17. Key Terms pyramid—structure with triangular sides
Art, Architecture, and Learning in Egypt
Key Terms
pyramid—structure with triangular sides
sculpture—statue or other free-standing piece
of art made of clay, stone, or other materials
anatomy—study of the structure of the body
and its organs
Students should use the Word Wise feature in this chapter of their Student Journal to explore Key Terms.

18. Writing and Literature (pgs. 152 & 153)
Art, Architecture, and Learning in Egypt
Writing and Literature (pgs. 152 & 153)
What is a hieroglyphic?
How does keeping records make
a complex civilization possible?
What is The Book of the Dead? (pg. 153)
Refer students to the feature on Egyptian Writing in their student editions for more on hieroglyphics.

19. Papyrus (pg. 153) Egyptians invented a material called papyrus.
Art, Architecture, and Learning in Egypt
Papyrus (pg. 153)
Egyptians invented a material called
papyrus.
What material that we use today is similar
to papyrus?
List two qualities of papyrus that made it
better than clay for keeping records.
Think about the advantages (easy to make and carry) and disadvantages (tears, burns, disintegrates easily) of a material such as papyrus for recordkeeping.

20. Art, Architecture, and Learning in Egypt
Architecture (pgs. 154 & 155)
What figure stands near the pyramids at Giza?
Why do you think the Egyptian kings built large tombs?
Where did the pharaohs construct
their tombs after about 2200 B.C.?
What did Egyptians believe about
their spirits in the afterlife?
Encourage students to consider the role that tomb-building and the pyramids played in Egyptian religion.

21. Painting and Sculpture (pg. 155)
Art, Architecture, and Learning in Egypt
Painting and Sculpture (pg. 155)
We know about daily Egyptian life from
in tombs.
The tombs were decorated so the person buried
there could the things shown
on the walls.
were placed in tombs so that if a
mummy were destroyed, the person’s spirit could
live in the .
How did the pyramids and their decoration advance art in Egypt?

22. Egyptian Calendars (pgs. 156 & 157)
Art, Architecture, and Learning in Egypt
Egyptian Calendars (pgs. 156 & 157)
What were the two Egyptian calendars based on?
What was the lunar calendar used for?
What was the solar calendar used for?
How were Sirius & the Nile connected?
Why is a leap year needed in a solar calendar?
Refer students to the feature on the Egyptian calendar in their student editions. How does having a calendar change a society’s concept of time?

23. Mathematics (pg. 157) How does the construction of the pyramids
Art, Architecture, and Learning in Egypt
Mathematics (pg. 157)
How does the construction of the pyramids
prove the Egyptians were skilled at mathematics? .
List three other facts from the section
that prove the Egyptians had a good knowledge
of mathematics.

24. Science and Technology (pg. 157)
Art, Architecture, and Learning in Egypt
Science and Technology (pg. 157)
The Egyptians had an advanced knowledge of
astronomy. They used a , a tool used
to observe the stars & planets by using its line &
weight to measure angles.
The Egyptians were masters of engineering,
developing the pyramids and that
provided water to crops & relieved excess flooding.
The Egyptians invented , , and
some .
Encourage students to think about what makes a society complex or advanced. In what areas does a society show its complexity—the arts, practical areas, politics, or all of these?

25. Egyptian Medicine (pg. 157)
Art, Architecture, and Learning in Egypt
Egyptian Medicine (pg. 157)
What is anatomy?
How did Egyptian doctors gain such
a deep knowledge of the human body?
How did Egyptians use their knowledge of the human body?
Mummification is one aspect that almost all students will recognize as part of Egyptian civilization. Use this idea as a point of departure for exploring Egyptian religion, architecture, medicine, and arts, all of which were connected to the practice of mummification.

26. Section 3
Egypt & Nubia
Objective: Students will know that trade led to diffusion between Egypt & its neighbors & how the cultures of Egypt & Nubia were linked & yet distinct.

27. Key Ideas Trade led to cultural diffusion between Egypt
Egypt and Nubia
Key Ideas
Trade led to cultural diffusion between Egypt
and neighboring lands.
Nubia had a close relationship with Egypt
and shared elements of its culture.
Nubia was also a unique African civilization
with its own accomplishments.

28. Key Terms commerce—buying and selling of goods and services
Egypt and Nubia
Key Terms
commerce—buying and selling of goods and
services
ivory—hard white material made from elephant
tusks
interdependence—dependence by each country or group on the other
Students should use the Word Wise feature in this chapter of their Student Journal to explore Key Terms.

29. Key Terms Meroitic script—one of the world’s first
Egypt and Nubia
Key Terms
Meroitic script—one of the world’s first
alphabets, invented in ancient Nubia
ebony—black wood from West Africa
Students should use the Word Wise feature in this chapter of their Student Journal to explore Key Terms.

30. Trade in Ancient Egypt (pg. 158)
Egypt and Nubia
Trade in Ancient Egypt (pg. 158)
Why did Egypt need to trade
with other countries?
Which Middle Kingdom pharaoh
boosted trade with lands
on the Mediterranean coast?
Help students think about how the natural resources of Egypt and Nubia contributed to what they traded.

31. Trade in the Nile Valley (pg. 159)
Egypt and Nubia
Trade in the Nile Valley (pg. 159)
supplied Egypt with and .
supplied Nubia with , , , , and .
This trade between the two nations created
Trade also brought closer contact and allowed the
two nations to influence each other. Nubians adopted elements of Egyptian culture including .

32. the geography of Nubia and Egypt.
Egypt and Nubia
The Land of Nubia (pg. 160)
Compare and contrast
the geography of Nubia and Egypt.
Egypt’s Geography
Nubia’s Geography
Both
Tell students to list in the left circle geographic qualities that belong only to Egypt. In the right circle, they should list those belonging to Nubia. In the overlapping section, they should list qualities common to both nations.

33. The Land of Nubia (pg. 160) made travel in Nubia difficult.
Egypt and Nubia
The Land of Nubia (pg. 160)
made travel in Nubia difficult.
Nubia had less farming land than Egypt and traded for .
Nubia had closer contact with African peoples south of the than Egypt.
from Egypt and Nubia provide most of the information we have about Nubia.
Remind students that the existence of written papyrus records has been invaluable for historians and archaeologists who study ancient civilizations.

34. Neighbors and Enemies (pg. 161)
Egypt and Nubia
Neighbors and Enemies (pg. 161)
Following which pharaoh’s rule did
the new Kingdom grow weak?
How did Piye conquer Egypt?
Why did Nubian control of Egypt
come to an end?
Remind students that where once Egypt and Nubia had been relatively congenial neighbors and trading partners, they reached a point where conquest and empire-building replaced amity. What motivated Egypt and Nubia to go to battle with each other?

35. The Fall of Nubia (pg. 161) Egypt and Nubia End of Nubia
In the two boxes, have students write two causes for the end of Nubia. Allow them to work in pairs if they wish.

36. Nubian Civilization (pg. 162)
Egypt and Nubia
Nubian Civilization (pg. 162)
After Egypt destroyed Napata, the Nubians
moved the capital city south to . The city
was located near iron deposits for ironworking
and along trade routes, increasing Nubia’s .
Nubian pyramids were than Egyptian
ones but served the same purpose.
were powerful female rulers in Nubia.
The was one of the world’s first
alphabets.

37. Nubia’s Links to Africa and the World (pg. 163)
Egypt and Nubia
Nubia’s Links to Africa and the World (pg. 163)
Where did Nubia’s ebony come from?
What effect did war with
the Roman empire have on Nubia?
According to the chapter text,
what was the main way Nubia was linked
to other countries?