Ancient Egypt for Kids - Come meet the clever, creative ancient people who loved their life in the land of the Nile River!
Five thousand (5,000) years ago, the ancient Egyptian made their home at the mouth of the Nile River, where the Nile runs into the Mediterranean Sea. It was a wonderful place to live. The soil was rich. Food was plentiful. They were surrounded by desert, which helped to keep them safe from intruders, while the Nile kept their world green.
The ancient Egyptians believed in over 2,000 gods! They were not afraid of their gods, not most of them anyway. They understood they could not always get everything they prayed for. But, when their prayers were not answered, they might give the statue of a god in the temple a little whack with a reed to let the gods know they were quite disappointed.
The ancient Egyptians believed in curses and omens and magical powers, all of which were an important part of their daily life and religion. They bought spells in the marketplace to increase their luck, to change their fate, and to keep themselves safe.
They believed science and magic were intertwined. They would chant a magical spell they bought in the marketplace and swallow medicine they bought from a different vendor to solve the same problem. The thing is, this often solved their problem, although it was probably the medicine. When the ancient Greeks and then the Romans came to Egypt, they were amazed at how advanced the Egyptians were in the sciences, especially in astronomy, mathematics, and cures.
The ancient Egyptians also believed in an afterlife. A popular family outing was visiting the family tomb with armloads of grave goods they had made, things they might need in their afterlife to make their eternity comfortable and fun. The ancient Egyptians believed that after you died, your Ka, your spirit, flew off to enjoy endless, perfect days along a magical Nile River. At night, your Ba, your night spirit, returned to your tomb, because even mummies need a good night's sleep.
The ancient Egyptians were fascinating people, and thanks to the movies are often misunderstood. The ancient Egyptians were not in love with death. They were in love with life! They loved poetry and tall tales and stories. They shivered at curses and danced at festivals. They loved their kids. They loved their families. They loved their life along their beloved Nile River, crocodiles and all.
Come meet the clever, creative ancient Egyptians. We think you'll like them.
Our first feedback (Wow! Thank you!):
"Your units are exactly what I had hoped for
--readable, interesting topics that fit my curriculum objectives
with lots of structured activities to bring it alive.
World History will be the class we all look forward to every day."
Mr. Donn and
Maxie's Ancient History PowerPoints Series
Written by Lin & Don Donn,
illustrated by Phillip Martin, Published by Good Year Books
Mr. Donn and
Maxie's Always Something You Can Use Series
Written by Lin & Don Donn, Published by Good Year Books
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