Children at St Nicholas-at-Wade CE Primary have sifted through the sands of time to discover how Ancient Egypt was formed and developed.
Pupils from Years 5 and 6 were transported back in time to the year 3000BC where they explored the dawn of civilisation for a range of learning activities to guide them through their adventure in history.
To get in the mood they dressed in period costume, complete with eye make-up, to conduct their day-to-day activities to work and play like an Egyptian.
These included making flour using a rotary quern grinding stone, weaving straw mats using reeds from the Nile, playing the board game Senet, writing spells on papyrus, learning some Egyptian dance moves and designing and making amulets.
The two year groups also went head-to-head in a Valley of the Kings challenge, where the game rules instructed that they excavate areas of the Egyptian desert in search of hidden treasures in ancient tombs.
The competition was neck and neck throughout but Year 5 narrowly took the honours at the last hurdle by discovering the ‘Boy King’, Tutankhamen’s tomb.
The children had a terrific fun learning experience. Phoebe said: “I had a really great day. I was mind-blown by all of the artefacts and how much I learnt about Egyptian life.”
Freddie agreed and added: “I enjoyed learning about lots of different pharaohs and about everyday life in Egyptian times,” while Ava said: “I thought the workshop was really interesting and I learnt a lot. I also loved how it was all very interactive.”
The event was arranged by teachers Natasha Draper from Year 5 and Tim Neal from Year 6. They said: “The children delved deep into the history of Ancient Egypt and gained a real feel for the culture and heritage through their hands-on activities that were so important for their learning.”
Head Teacher Taralee Kennedy was very impressed with the whole experience for the pupils. She said: “The workshop was brilliantly organised from start to finish and every single child was fully engaged with the interactive experience that brought the past to life.
“The team from Living Histories who helped deliver the programme was energetic, knowledgeable and great with the children and we look forward to welcoming them back to work with our pupils further.”
