6 th Grade Social Studies The World Chap 3: Ancient Egypt and Nubia Handout 1
Why We Remember: (Page 77) Read the paragraph we remember on page 77. 1. Why might events in this chapter be important to you? 2. What do you already know about ancient Egypt? (Example: they invented the calendar) LESSON 1 The Lifeline of the Nile The Nile River Valley (Page 79) 1. Why do you think that the study of ancient peoples is important? Define: Delta Silt 2. What caused soil deposits at the Nile delta? 3. Why do you think Herodotus called Egypt gift of the Nile? 4. Why was the Nile River Valley important to the development of civilization in Egypt? Use the map on page 79 to answer the following question. 5. Where is Lower Egypt located? 2
Giver of Life (Page 80) 6. What was the black land in Egypt? How did it get its name? 7. A hymn is a song of praise. Why do you think the Egyptians wrote a hymn to the Nile? Define: Papyrus Cataract 8. The Nile provided life for the ancient Egyptians, but it may also have produced problems. What problems may have been caused by the Nile? 9. Explain the steps the Egyptians used to make paper. Taker of Life (Page 81) 10. What natural occurrence might the Egyptians have believed the god Amon-Ra helped explain? 11. Why did the Egyptians consider the Nile a taker of life? LESSON 1 REVIEW 1. Describe the route of the Nile River. Use the word delta in your answer. 2. What solutions did the Egyptians come up with to deal with the flooding of the Nile? 3
3. How was the Nile a giver and a taker of life? Map and Globe Skills (Pages 82 & 83) 1. How many miles are between Memphis and Thebes? 2. How does the Nile look on The Nile River map compared to the Delta map? 3. What other features appear on one map that does not appear on the other? 4. How are maps that show larger and smaller areas alike and different? 5. Would a map that shows your school and the streets within two blocks of the school have a relatively small scale or a relatively large scale? 6. Which of the following features would be likely to appear on a map with a small scale: capital city, mountain range, street name, elementary school, large lake? LESSON 2: Life in Egypt Define: unified Unifying Egypt (Page 85) 1. Why do you think the two kingdoms may have united? 2. Who was the first king to wear the double crown? 4
3. What makes Manetho so important to historians? Define: pharaoh 4. What did the people of Egypt consider their pharaoh to be? Define Hieroglyphics Egyptian Records (Page 86) 5. What discovery led to the eventual decoding of hieroglyphics? How did this discovery help archaeologists decode the writing? 6. What types of information did the scribes record? 7. How was Egyptian hieroglyphics different from Sumerian writing? Pyramid Building (Page 87) 8. The pyramids were like palaces. What does this tell you about the culture in ancient Egypt? Define: Mummy 9. Why were the pharaohs mummified? 10. What were the steps in the process of mummification? 5
11. Who built the pyramids? When did they work on the construction? The Tomb Builders (Page 88) 12. Summarize the home and family life of the tomb builders. 13. Do you think the tomb builders were good citizens? Explain. Social Life (Page 89) 14. Compare and contrast the Egyptian social structure during the Old Kingdom and the Middle Kingdom. Use the chart below to help answer the question. Fill in the blanks below to create your own social pyramid. Old Kingdom New Kingdom King 15. Do we have a social class structure in the United States today? Explain. Trade and Technology (Page 89) 16. What made the Egyptian economy prosperous? 17. How did the growth of trade in the Middle Kingdom affect Egypt s economy? 6
The New Kingdom Pharaohs (Page 90) 18. What powerful women took control of Egypt after 1498 B.C.? What were some of her major accomplishments? 19. Why did Akhenaten s advisors take control? 20. Who was the famous boy pharaoh of Egypt? LESSON 2: REVIEW Fill in a title for the graphic organizer below Title Pharaohs were considered god-kings. Egyptians built pyramids for the pharaohs. The pharaoh was at the top of the social structure. 1. According to legend, how was Egypt unified? 2. What are hieroglyphics and how do we know what they mean? 3. Why was trade important to the Egyptians? Hatshepsut (Page 91) 1. When did Hatsheput rule in place of her nephew? 2. Based on her quotation, whom did Hatshepsut claim gave her authority to be the king of Egypt? 3. Summarize Hatshepsut s major contribution to Egypt. 7
LESSON 3: NUBIA AND EGYPT Lands South of Egypt (Page 93) 1. How long ago did a civilization emerge in Nubia? 2. Compare and contrast the way Egyptians and Nubians cultivated their crops. Why are these ways different? 3. Why do you think that the Nubians and Egyptians borrowed from each other s cultures? 4. Why do you think no one has been able to decode Meroitic? Use the map to answer question five. 5. What do Egypt, Nubia, and Kush have in common? 6. For what goods did Egypt rely on Nubia? Interaction (Page 94) 7. What events led to the decline of the Egyptian civilization? Kush Rises (Page 95) 8. Describe the role of women in the kingdom of Kush. 8
LESSON 3: REVIEW Fill in the missing box in the graphic organizer below. TITLE: The Nubians and Egyptians interacted. The Egyptians and Nubians shared some aspects of culture The Egyptians invaded Nubia and set up trade and military posts to protect the resources. 1. How was the geography of Nubia different than Egypt? 2. Why did ancient Egyptians and Nubians interact? 3. Why did other groups of people want to conquer Egypt? 4. Why do you think the peaceful relationship between the Egyptians and Nubians changed over time? 9
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