Hieroglyphs and Papyrus

CONCEPTUAL

History›Ancient Egypt|Ages 5—7|ID: mt_iFkd0CTwlA

Know that the ancient Egyptians used a special writing system called hieroglyphs — pictures and symbols that stood for sounds and words — and that they wrote on a paper-like material called papyrus, which was made from a plant that grew along the Nile

Mastery Evidence

Describe hieroglyphs as a writing system that uses pictures and symbols
Explain that papyrus was a material like paper made from a river plant
Understand that only specially trained people called scribes could read and write hieroglyphs

Assessment Prompt

“If [child] sees hieroglyphs on a museum artefact, can they tell you what they are and explain that the Egyptians wrote on a special paper called papyrus?”

Prerequisites3

Knowing all letters
softAges 4—6
Everyday Life in Ancient Egypt
softAges 5—7
Vocabulary: ancient egypt
hardAges 5—9

Show full prerequisite tree

Knowing all letters soft
Understanding that letters are symbols representing sounds provides a framework for grasping how hieroglyphs encode language differently
- Understanding print hard
  Must understand print direction before letter identification matters
Everyday Life in Ancient Egypt soft
Scribes are a special job — helps to know about daily life first
- Egypt, the Nile, and the Desert soft
  Daily life context benefits from knowing Egypt is on the Nile in a desert
Vocabulary: ancient egypt hard
Understanding hieroglyphs and papyrus requires these exact terms

Unlocks1

Scribes and the Rosetta Stone
hardAges 7—9