Students explore the values, daily routines, structures, and rituals of ancient Egypt and compare them to those of society today, while exploring the evidence an author uses to support points in a text.
A note from our team: As part of the upgrade to Fishtank Plus, this unit will be revised this year. Some texts, materials, and questions may change as part of the revision.
In this unit, students explore ancient Egypt. Over the course of the unit students learn and explore different characteristics of ancient Egypt and what the ancient Egyptians valued. Through learning about the daily routines, structures, and rituals of ancient Egypt, students will be challenged to draw conclusions about what the civilization valued and how those values compare to society today. Students will also learn about the role that mummies and pyramids played in ancient Egyptian society and why archeologists and scientists have been intrigued by them ever since. In second and third grade, students will continue their exploration of ancient civilizations by learning more about ancient Greece and ancient Rome. It is our hope that this unit, in conjunction with the others in the sequence, will help students understand and appreciate early civilizations that have had a lasting impact on the world.
In reading, this unit focuses on understanding the reasons and evidence an author uses to support points in a text. Being able to determine the reasons and evidence an author uses to support a point requires a deep understanding of cause and effect, informational text features, using illustrations to learn new details, and identifying the main topic and key details. These strategies have been introduced and practiced in previous units and should be reinforced and highlighted as needed in order to synthesize and identify the reasons an author uses to support points in a text. An additional focus of this unit is on using details from two texts to build a deeper understanding of content. Students will compare and contrast the similarities and differences between texts at the end of the unit but should be challenged to notice similarities and differences as they encounter new texts over the course of the unit.
In writing, students will continue to write daily in response to the text. At this point students should be fluid in writing about the text in a structured way. Therefore, the focus of this unit is on pushing students to include the best and most accurate evidence and then to explain the evidence with inferences or critical thinking.
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Book: Ancient Egypt by Penelope Arlon (Scholastic Reference, 2014) — 750L
Book: The Ancient Egyptians by Jane Shuter (Hodder Wayland, 2008) — IG610L
Book: Hieroglyphs by Joyce Milton (Grosset & Dunlap, Book and Access edition, 2000)
Book: Tut's Mummy Lost... and Found by Judy Donnelly (Random House Books for Young Readers, 1988) — 540L
See Text Selection Rationale
This assessment accompanies this unit and should be given on the suggested assessment day or after completing the unit.
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reasons, main topic, compare, contrast
civilization, ancient, fertile, trade, crops, recede, duty, pharaoh, slave, scribe, mummy, value, translate, hieroglyphics, shrine, temples, preserve, rot, mummy, tomb, pyramid, discover, coffin, archaeologist, stubborn
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Discussion
Ancient Egypt pp. 8 – 9
SL.1.2
Brainstorm questions about ancient Egypt by asking and answering questions about details previewed in class.
Ancient Egypt — pg. 10-11, 26-27
RI.1.3
RI.1.8
Explain why the Nile River was important in ancient Egypt by using text features and illustrations to analyze the evidence an author includes to support a point.
The Ancient Egyptians pp. 6 – 9
RI.1.3
RI.1.8
Explain why the Nile River was important in ancient Egypt by using text features and illustrations to analyze the evidence an author includes to support a point.
Project
RI.1.2
SL.1.4
SL.1.5
Identify differences between modern day and Ancient Egypt and to model the differences by acting them out.
The Ancient Egyptians pp. 10 – 13
Ancient Egypt pp. 34 – 35
RI.1.8
RI.1.9
Explain what reasons an author gives to support the idea that pharaohs were an important part of Egyptian society by identifying the reasons an author gives to support points in a text.
The Ancient Egyptians pp. 22 – 29
RI.1.8
Describe how ancient Egyptians lived and what reasons the author gives to explain why they lived that way, by using illustrations and key details to identify reasons an author gives to support points in a text.
Ancient Egypt — pg. 46-47, 50-51, 52-53, 56-57
RI.1.8
Explain what the Egyptians valued and the reasons the author gives to show what the Egyptians valued, by using illustrations and key details to identify reasons an author gives to support points in a text.
Ancient Egypt pp. 44 – 45
Hieroglyphs — pg. 6-11, 14-15, 22-23
RI.1.3
RI.1.7
Explain what hieroglyphics are used for and if hieroglyphics are similar to writing in English, by using words and illustrations to locate and analyze facts in a text.
Project
SL.1.1
Participate in a hands-on activity to deepen understanding of hieroglyphics.
Writing
W.1.1
SL.1.1
Explain why you would or wouldn’t want to live in ancient Egypt, by writing an opinion piece that states an opinion and provides supporting reasons from the unit.
The Ancient Egyptians pp. 16 – 17
Ancient Egypt pp. 30 – 33
RI.1.8
RI.1.9
Explain that the Egyptians had many different gods and goddesses by using illustrations and key details to identify reasons an author gives to support points in a text.
The Ancient Egyptians pp. 18 – 19
Ancient Egypt pp. 62 – 65
RI.1.3
RI.1.7
RI.1.9
Explain the different steps for making a mummy and why each step was important by describing the connection between events and information in the text.
The Ancient Egyptians pp. 20 – 21
Ancient Egypt pp. 66 – 71
RI.1.8
Defend if pyramids were the safest place to store a pharaoh’s body, by using illustrations and key details to identify reasons an author gives to support points in a text.
Project
Project materials
RI.1.2
SL.1.1
SL.1.4
Identify items found inside of a pyramid tomb and explain their importance to the Ancient Egyptians.
Writing
W.1.1
SL.1.1
Explain why you would or wouldn’t want to live in ancient Egypt, by writing an opinion piece that states an opinion and provides supporting reasons from the unit.
Tut's Mummy... — Chapter 1
RI.1.3
RI.1.8
Explain if preparing a king for death was a quick and sad process by using illustrations and key details to identify reasons an author gives to support points in a text.
Tut's Mummy... — Chapter 2
RI.1.2
RF.1.4
Explain why the author would title the chapter “The Lost King,” by identifying the main topic and retelling key details.
Tut's Mummy... — Chapter 3
RI.1.8
Describe how Howard Carter showed perseverance and determination, by identifying the reasons an author gives to support points in a text.
Tut's Mummy... — Chapters 4-5
RI.1.3
Describe how people responded to the discovery of King Tut’s tomb, by describing the connection between pieces of information in a text.
Writing
W.1.1
SL.1.1
Explain why you would or wouldn’t have wanted to be there when they opened King Tut’s tomb, by writing an opinion piece that states an opinion and provides supporting reasons from the unit.
W.1.1
Explain why you would or wouldn’t want to live in ancient Egypt, by writing an opinion piece that states an opinion and provides supporting reasons from the unit.
Discussion
All unit texts
RI.1.9
SL.1.1
Explain which source provided the most helpful information, by identifying basic similarities in and differences between two texts on the same topic.
3 days
Project
All unit texts
Project materials
SL.1.1
SL.1.3
SL.1.4
SL.1.5
SL.1.6
Act out aspects of daily life in Ancient Egypt by writing and performing skits and creating sets of the setting.