I had wanted to find the perfect ancient Egyptian resource. An ancient Egyptian resource which would not only be interesting to the children, but also to me. I had already taught this era to my older three children and I needed something which would give a spark to it second time round. Mysteries of the Nile was this resource for me.
Ancient Egyptian Resource: Mysteries of the Nile
“You hold in your hand the lost journal of ace reporter and amateur archaeologist Herbert Fothergill...”
And there begins one of the best interactive books I have ever used to teach my children about Ancient Egypt. Mysteries of the Nile is an Ancient Egyptian treasure chest in the size of a book. It contains everything you need to ‘discover the truth about the mysterious mummy’s curse‘
Your children are the investigators working in the unsolved mysteries department. The book pack contains everything they need to solve the classified mystery which author of the diary, Herbert Fothergill, set out on the trail to do in the 1920’s. His diary has just turned up, alongside original documents, maps and photographs from his time spent travelling up the Nile trying to solve the mystery of the mummy’s curse.
Ancient Egyptian Resource: Mysteries of the Nile – How it Works
Your young investigator is given an investigators badge, to which you can attach their photo and signature. As the young investigator opens the diary they will see a double spread page.
The left hand page contains the diary entries, which include interesting tidbits such as the steamer ticket, photos, telegrams and visas. The journal is a fascinating insight into life during the 1920’s, and so the child ends up learning so much more than facts about Ancient Egypt. The right hand page contains the evidence. There are lots and lots of ‘original’ documents contained within the pack at the back of the journal. This page gives the junior investigators even more, as well as informing them which document they need to find in the special wallet supplied:
The young investigator surveys the information given in the diary and extra information page, as well as the evidence found in the original documents (see picture above), to solve the clues and move ever nearer to cracking the mystery of the mummy’s curse. There are fourteen double pages jam-packed with fascinating information. The children do not know they are learning because they become so caught up in solving the mystery.
At the back of the book is a further research section, where the children learn a bit more in depth about a selection of ancient Egyptian artefacts (the mummy of Ramesses II, picture of a scribe at work, and the Rosetta Stone):
Ancient Egyptian Resource: Mysteries of the Nile – What it Covers
The book covers the following topics:
- Abu Simbel
- Akhenaten
- Alexadria
- Aswan
- Book of the Dead
- Cairo
- Deir el-Bahri
- Egyptologist
- Felucca
- Giza
- Great Sphinx
- Hieratic script
- Hieroglyphs
- Hatshepsut
- Howard Carter
- Karnak
- Khafra
- Khufu
- Lord Carnarvon
- Luxor
- Memphis
- Menkaura
- Mummy
- Narmer
- Necropolis
- Nefertari
- Nile
- Papyrus
- Pharoah
- Pyramid
- Ramesses II
- Ramesseum
- Rosetta Stone
- Scribes
- Shaduf
- Temple
- Thebes
- Tomb Robbers
- Tutankhamun
- Valley of the Kings
- Valley of the Queens
This was a really fun addition to our history studies. The girls still ask for us to do it again at least once a week 🙂 It is a great opportunity to study primary evidence and learn from it. I highly recommend this book!
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Useful Resources
Resources for a whole Ancient Egyptian Unit Study
Another excellent Ancient Egyptian Unit
Claire, you are such a rich homeschool resource. If I had younger children, I’d be coming to your blog as a constant source of ideas.
Aww, thank you Donna <3