Ramses: An ancient adventure unit

An Acknowledgement of Country is a statement that pays respect to the Traditional Custodians of the Country that you are learning or meeting on and recognises their ongoing relationship with Country. The Australian Museum respects and acknowledges the Gadigal people as the Custodians of the land on which the Museum stands.

Which First Nations Country or Nation was your school built upon? If you are unsure contact a local First Nations organisation to find out. You might like to start with the NSW Aboriginal Land Council and the Aboriginal Education Consultative Group.

Ask your students to write an Acknowledgement of Country for your school. To get them started, read more about why an Acknowledgement of Country is important and how to write one in this ABC article.

Welcome to Ancient Adventures by the Australian Museum!

You will be working through an imaginary seven-day itinerary for a trip to ancient Egypt. Each day in your itinerary will require you to read about what you will be doing and complete a small activity that will prepare you for your adventures.

When you arrive at the Australian Museum to visit Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs, you will be immersed in over 180 objects from New Kingdom Egypt to explore.

Back in the classroom, you will use your Ancient Adventures booklet and your experience at the Australian Museum in a range of engaging and immersive learning activities.

Download the activity booklet below to get started.

'Egyptomania' refers to the enduring fascination the world has with ancient Egypt. It has been around for thousands of years, dating back to ancient Greek and Roman interest in their religion, pharaohs and culture.

Egyptomania really took off when Napoleon and his soldiers discovered the Rosetta Stone in 1799, which played a key role in deciphering hieroglyphics.

All of a sudden, Egypt was overrun by archaeologists hoping to take a small piece of their history to show in their personal collection and in museums. By this time, Egyptomania had truly taken hold in the United States and Europe, where people decorated their homes in the Egyptian style, and even hosted mummified human remain parties where they unrolled real or fake mummified human remains.

Egyptomania continues to flourish today, with ancient Egypt featuring in countless television shows, documentaries and blockbuster films in the 21st century. Egypt has a magical allure that does not seem to be going anywhere soon.

Answer the following questions and discuss your responses with the class.

• Do you think Egyptomania is a positive or negative thing?
• Why do you think the world continues to be fascinated with ancient Egypt?

Fast finishers

Egyptomania took a hold of the western world when Howard Cater discovered Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922. Research the discovery and excavation of the tomb and record five interesting points.

It is time to prepare for your trip back to ancient Egypt with Ancient Adventures! Begin by reading your welcome letter on page one and your itinerary on page two.

• What day are you most excited by? Discuss your answer with a peer and explain to them why you chose that day.

Understanding the geographical context of Egypt is essential before you embark on your adventure.

Complete the activities on page two and page three of your booklet. Use the success criteria to reflect on your responses.

Learning intentions

• describe major periods of historical time
• use a range of forms of communication to show their understanding
• use evidence from sources to support their responses

Success criteria

• responses that state important aspects of Egyptian geography
• an historically accurate drawing of Egyptian clothing that is correctly labelled and described

On day one you will visit Abu Simbel, one of Egypt's most famous sites that can still be visited today.

In 1959, the threat of destruction in Abu Simbel sparked the international community to action to save one of the world's most significant sites. The result was a magnificent feat that saw the temples dismantled and reconstructed, saving them from certain doom.

Complete the activity on page four of your booklet and use the success criteria to make sure you have included the necessary information.

When you have finished your letter, complete the jigsaw puzzle by cutting out the puzzle pieces on page five and assembling them on page seven of your booklet.

Learning intentions

• effectively research a range of historical features, individuals and events
• use a range of forms of communication to show their understanding

Success criteria

• a letter that describes UNESCO's role in saving the temples of Abu Simbel
• a creative solution to how temple builders might avoid the flooding of Abu Simbel

On the second day of your trip, you will explore Egypt's most important feature, the Nile. Without the Nile, Egyptians could not survive the hot and dry climate, so it is crucial you understand its importance.

Complete the activities on page eight of your booklet. Use the success criteria to reflect on your work after you have finished. If you have found that you have not ticked off each of the criteria, add it to your response now.

Research task

Almost all aspects of Egyptian life were attributed to different gods. Who was the god that oversaw the Nile? Draw an image of them and make a comment about the way they are depicted in Egyptian art.

Learning intention

• describe major periods of historical time
• describe and assess the motives and actions of past individuals and groups
• use evidence from sources to support their responses

Success criteria

• information from source C is explicitly used in the response
• a clear comparison between Egyptian seasons and our own seasons

You will visit Deir el-Medina on day three of your trip, a unique opportunity to experience the lives of the craftspeople who created the amazing monuments, temples and tombs that Egypt is known for. You will also have the opportunity to create your own Egyptian artwork!

Complete the activity on page nine of your booklet to gain an understanding of the types of crafts that were completed in ancient Egypt.

Once you have finished, try your hand at your own Egyptian drawing. Use the success criteria to award yourself a tick for each Egyptian rule you have followed and each correct use of colour.

Learning intentions

• use evidence from sources to support their responses
• use a range of forms of communication to show their understanding

Success criteria

• a clear list of at least four different craftworks from source E
• a drawing of yourself in accurate Egyptian style that follows Egyptian artistic rules and the correct use of colour

On day four, you will visit Thebes and experience the magic and wonder of the Opet festival, one of Egypt's most important religious celebrations. You have also been asked to consider how the Opet festival could be revived in the 21st century.

Complete the activities on page 11 of your booklet. Use the success criteria to assess a peer's work. Write a comment that states two things they have done well, and one they could improve on.

Fast finishers

Every big event needs some marketing! Create some advertising material for your newly reimagined Opet festival. This could be a print advertisement, a radio/podcast advertisement or a television segment.

Learning intentions

• describe major periods of historical time
• effectively research a range of historical features, individuals and events

Success criteria

• your research on the Theban triad includes three important points
• you provide creative ideas for a modern Opet festival that are historically accurate

For many people, ancient Egypt evokes images of mummified human remains, coffins and tombs. On day five of your trip, you will step inside an embalming workshop in Saqqara to see the process of mummification with your very own eyes. Afterwards you will watch an authentic copy of the Book of the Dead be painted by Egyptian artists.

Complete the activities on page 12 of your booklet which will give you an understanding of the mummification process and Egyptian beliefs about the afterlife. Use the first success criteria to tick off the ingredients and tools you have listed.

Afterwards, compare your list to a peer's and write down any additional items you may have missed.

Learning intentions

• describe major periods of historical time
• use evidence from sources to support their responses

Success criteria

• at least five ingredients and three tools used for mummification are drawn from Source G
• six elements of source H are labelled

Egypt was run by a complex system of viziers, scribes and other government officials. On day six, you will spend time in Ramses the Great's capital city of Piramesse, and learn about Egypt's administration from these individuals and groups.

Complete the activities on page 13 of your booklet to experience what viziers and scribes would do in ancient Egypt.

Discuss what you think "effective" means in the first success criteria and make a comment on the effectiveness of your key.

Have a peer check your name tag to see if the hieroglyphics are correct.

Research task

Viziers had a range of jobs that they were responsible for. Research some of their other roles and create a weekly timetable that helps them organise their time.

Learning intentions

• describe and assess the motives and actions of past individuals and groups
• use a range of forms of communication to show their understanding

Success criteria

• your map includes the key sites of Piramesse and uses an effective key
• you have correctly written your name in hieroglyphics

Ramses the Great is often considered one of the most significant pharaohs of ancient Egypt. On your last day, you will have the opportunity to meet the man himself and ask him three questions.

Read the text on page 14 of your booklet and prepare the questions you intend to ask him.

Discuss what the words "insightful" and "meaningful" mean. Do your questions and reasonings live up to those words?

Learning intentions

• describe and assess the motives and actions of past individuals
• use a range of forms of communication to show their understanding

Success criteria

• your questions should elicit an insightful answer that addresses the motives and actions of Ramses the Great
• you have provided a meaningful reason as to why you have asked that question

While Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs is over, there is a lot to see at the Australian Museum to support what you have already completed in class.

The Museum is free for self-led visits, or you can browse and book one of our science, history or First Nations educator-led programs.

During your visit to Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs you will be immersed in over 180 objects, models and multimedia experiences. These include mummified human remains, statues, jewellery and more!

As you explore the exhibition, you will play a game of Egyptian Connect Four using the provided worksheet. Your goal is to find four objects that fit the descriptions on your Connect Four grid. There will be objects all throughout the exhibition that you can use to tick off on your worksheet.

Once you have found four objects in a row either horizontally, vertically or diagonally, you have finished the game!

Here is a short example of an object story about the first thing you would have seen at Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs, the colossal head of Ramses the Great.

It sure does get lonely up here, sitting all by myself in this dark room, especially without the rest of my body! I miss the heat of Egyptian summers and the feeling of dry sand against my toes.

I really miss my toes...

I still remember when sculptors started carving them out of red granite, each one the size of their hand. Using hammers and chisels to carefully shape me out of the hard stone.

When they finished, I stood proudly outside of a temple, or perhaps it was a tomb? Sorry, my memory is a bit foggy at the moment, it was over 3,000 years ago to be fair!

Choose an object from Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs and write a short story from its perspective.

Learning intentions

• construct a short story about an object that reveals historical information

Success criteria

• your object story uses elements of creative writing
• there is at least three pieces of accurate historical information in your story

Your school newsletter has asked you to write a short review about your excursion to Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs at the Australian Museum.

Your review should include:

1. a brief description of the exhibition
2. your personal experience at the exhibition
3. three of your favourite objects that you saw
4. your recommendation of the exhibition to others

Learning intentions

• construct a review that describes your experience
• integrate historical information

Success criteria

• your review includes descriptive language
• you have included at least three objects and described them to the best of your ability
• you have stated whether you would recommend visiting the exhibition and justified your recommendation