PITLOCHRY PRIMARYGRADE 5 HISTORY-TASK 11

Instructions

• Write neatly

• Refer to your textbook or any other relevant sources of information

• Use an exam pad

• Write your name and your grade

Topic: An ancient African society - Egypt

INTRODUCTION

This week we are introducing term 3 work and the theme is the Egyptian society.

This theme covers the topics below, which you will learn about throughout the term.

• The Nile River and how it influenced settlements.

• The way of life in Ancient Egypt.

• Tutankhamun.

• The spread of Egypt’s advanced knowledge to other places.

An ancient African society: Egypt

Egypt is a country linking North-East Africa with the Middle East, dates to the time of the Pharaohs. This country is famous of the Nile River Valley, including Giza’s colossal Pyramids and great Sphinx as well as Luxor’s hieroglyph-lined Karnak Temple and the valley of the kings tombs. It is the oldest civilisation in Africa. Civilisation is a word used to describe a way of life where people :

• Learn different skills and have different jobs

• Invent new ways of doing things

• Live together in an organised way.

Below are the icons of Egypt

1. 2.

3. 4.

Defining the Egyptian’s icons on the previous slide

1. The flag of Egypt is a tricolour consisting of three equal horizontal red, white and black bands of the Egyptian Revolutionary dating back t the 1952 Egyptian Revolution. The flag bears Egypt’s national emblem, the Egyptian eagle of Saladin which is centred in the white band.

2.The mask of Tutankhamun, a young Egyptian king. The mask was found in his tomb.

3.Khufu’s Great Pyramid and Sphinx are at Giza in Egypt.

4.The hieroglyphics, this is what Ancient Egyptians writing looked like.

The Nile River and how it influenced settlements

The Nile is the longest river in Africa. It is about 6 600 km long, it was the main transport route for Ancient Egypt and it gave them plenty of water and fertile soil for growing crops. It also played an important part in their religion. The Greeks called Egypt “the gift of the Nile”. Without the Nile River, Ancient Egypt would never have been as successful as it was. The Nile was its lifeblood. Egyptians were nomadic, before cities were built, people moved from place to place to find plants and animals to eat. They learnt to farm, raised animals and planted crops, in that way they no longer needed to hunt for food. Cities brought much civilization, this meant that many people could live together in one place without having to fight one another for food, they then began to build houses close to one another. That is how the first cities came out. Most of the cities were located near the rivers so that people could have water for their farms.

The first Ancient African Egyptians settled along the northern banks of the Nile about 5000 years ago. This was because the soil along the river was so fertile and was very good for their crops. Every year, after the snow on the mountains of East Africa melted, the water would fall fast down the Nile and the river would flood.. Floods brought rich fresh soil up on the land and then this soil was used for planting barely and other grains. People also caught fish from the river with spears and nets. There was plenty of water enough for drinking and bathing.

New words• Lifeblood : something that gives life and

strength• Flood : a large flow of water that rise and

spreads over the land.

Learner’s activity

Complete the following task by referring to the above information or use any other relevant sources of information or textbooks.

1. Define the following terms : lifeblood, flood and civilisation.

2. What do we call the Ancient Egyptian writing?

3. Who was Tutankhamun?

4. Describe the Nile River.

5. Why were most cities located near rivers?