As part of the Crossroads Core Knowledge curriculum, first grade students studied ancient Egypt. This unit began with the geography of Egypt, specifically the Nile River. Students learned that in ancient times, Egypt depended on the yearly flooding of the Nile to make the soil fertile. The Nile valley provided abundant resources that allowed the culture of ancient Egypt to flourish, and this civilization became known as the “gift of the Nile.”
Students were fascinated learning about the culture and beliefs associated with the ancient Egyptians. They explored who the pharaohs were, as well as the lives of everyday people in ancient Egypt. They learned about the pyramids and the mummies buried there, about gods and goddesses honored by the ancient Egyptians, about the Egyptian writing known as hieroglyphs, and about the famous pharaohs Tutankhamen and Hatshepsut.
Throughout the unit, students completed projects after learning about each new part of Egyptian life. This unit culminated in a museum where students toured members of the Crossroads community around the classroom and used their projects to teach about ancient Egypt.
