Living and breathing Ancient Egypt

A study of Ancient Egypt offers an exciting, colourful and intriguing glimpse into an ancient culture that was very different from our own. Students will invariably be excited by the death ritual of mummification, and will be inspired as they become detective archaeologists, trying to unravel the mysteries of a lost tomb.

Alongside the facts and figures the students will absorb as they look at this period, there is much natural drama with which to bring this topic to life, and a great deal of learning-based fun can be had through playfully exploring using characterisation, games and improvisation.

Using a wide range of practical drama exercises, this scheme of work will give insight into some of the key areas of an Ancient Egyptian study. It has been written to support a KS2 World History study, and broadly covers all aspects of the KS2 National Curriculum Drama objectives. There are also links to the writing, speaking, listening and group discussion and interaction objectives within KS2 English.

A basic understanding of Ancient Egypt prior to commencing the scheme would be useful, and there are suggestions for extension activities that can enhance overall learning.

Learning objectives:

By the end of this scheme the students will:

• Have used a range of dramatic techniques to explore the history and culture of Ancient Egypt
• Have experience of working in pairs and small groups
• Have developed their speaking and listening skills through improvisation, devising and rehearsal processes
• Have imaginatively considered characters within a historical context
• Have gained confidence through performing short scenes in front of their classmates
• Have explored offering and receiving constructive criticism, in order to evaluate their own and others’ contributions

Number of Lessons: 4