December 18, 2014 – January 7, 2015 Current Events Lesson Plan
Current Event: Tomb of Mystery Queen Found in Egypt
Archaeologists recently discovered the tomb of Khentakawess III, a long-forgotten queen of ancient Egypt. Khentakawess was the wife of the Pharaoh Neferefre, who ruled only a short time, from perhaps 2419 to 2416 B.C. Khentakawess’s tomb was discovered while archaeologists were excavating Neferefre’s funeral complex. Archaeologists who excavated the tomb found inscriptions identifying her as the “wife of the king” and “mother of the king.” Unfortunately, the queen’s mummy and nearly all goods buried with her were looted long ago. However, the archaeologists found a number of statuettes as well as utensils, tools, and vessels made of limestone and copper. Neferefre was known only by his name until the 1970′s, when archaeologists began excavating a ruin that turned out to be his unfinished tomb. Until the discovery of Khentakawess’s tomb, archaeologists did not know the name of Neferefre’s queen–or even if he had one.
Objective:
Ancient Egypt was the birthplace of one of the world’s first civilizations. This advanced culture arose about 5,000 years ago in the Nile River Valley in northeastern Africa. It thrived for over 2,000 years and so became one of the longest-lasting civilizations in history. The Nile River was the lifeblood of ancient Egypt. Its annual flood deposited the fertile soil that enabled Egypt’s farmers to raise a huge supply of food. The river also provided water for irrigation and served as Egypt’s main transportation route. The ancient Egyptians made outstanding contributions to the development of civilization. They created the world’s first national government, basic forms of arithmetic, and a 365-day calendar. They invented a form of picture writing called hieroglyphics as well as papyrus, a paperlike writing material made from the stems of papyrus plants. The Egyptians also built many pyramids, limestone temples, and the Great Sphinx. Three huge pyramids at Giza rank as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The Behind the Headlines news story and related World Book articles explore ancient Egypt.
Words to know:
Discussion Topics:
1. Ask your students to name some famous ancient Egyptians. (Students might say Cleopatra, Khufu, Nefertiti, Ramses II, Snefru, Thutmose III, Tutankhamun.)
2. Ask your students to debate, “Is it acceptable for archaeologists to dig up dead bodies, or should they let them rest in peace?” If students say that it is acceptable to dig up corpses, ask them how long should someone be dead (50 years?, 100 years?, 200 years?, 500 years?, 1,000 years?, etc.) before the grave could be excavated.
3. Ask your students if they would rather live in ancient Egypt (or any other ancient civilization) or in modern times. Have them explain why.
4. Ask your students to use World Book’s Timelines feature to view or add to the History of Ancient Egypt timeline. (Students may wish to use the “History” section of World Book’s “Ancient Egypt” article for help.)