Geography
This river is the longest in the world and provided water and fertile soil for ancient Egypt.
The Nile River.
The simple tool Egyptian farmers used to lift water from the Nile to irrigate fields.
Shadoof
What served as Egypt’s main “superhighway” for moving goods and people?
The Nile River.
The single ruler of ancient Egypt who was considered god-like and controlled both government and religion.
Pharaoh
About how many years did ancient Egyptian civilization last (as stated in the text)?
More than 3,000 years.
The desert that covers much of northern Africa and surrounds the Nile valley, making the Nile valley a green oasis.
The Sahara Desert.
One farming improvement Egyptians used besides the shadoof (hint: small waterways dug to move water).
Canals
Name two crops that Egyptian farmers produced in abundance.
Wheat and barley.
What term describes a government ruled by religious leaders or by religious law (used to describe Egypt because pharaohs were seen as divine)?
Theocracy
Who is the king credited with unifying Upper and Lower Egypt around 3100 BCE (also known as Menes)?
King Narmer (King Menes).
The direction the Nile flows (toward which sea) and why Upper Egypt is called “Upper” while Lower Egypt is called “Lower.”
The Nile flows north to the Mediterranean Sea. Upper Egypt is upstream and higher in elevation (south), so it’s called “Upper”; Lower Egypt is downstream (north) and lower elevation.
The ancient Egyptian calendar had a year of 365 days. How many days were in one of their weeks, and how many weeks made a month?
One week = ten days; one month = three weeks (so a month = 30 days).
Give one reason why not everyone needed to farm as agriculture improved (what new kinds of jobs appeared?).
Specialization: craftspeople, toolmakers, merchants, builders, scribes, etc.
List two duties or responsibilities of the pharaoh mentioned in the text.
Examples: organize construction of irrigation systems, collect taxes, create justice system, control land and water, order public works (temples, tombs, roads).
Name one famous building project from the Old Kingdom listed in the timeline events.
Great Pyramid at Giza (or first stone "step" pyramids).
What is deposited on the fields after floods that makes soil fertile? Explain how it helps crops.
Silt. Silt replenishes nutrients and creates fertile soil for crops.
Explain why tracking seasons with a calendar helped Egyptian farmers. Give one example of a planting or harvesting decision it would affect.
Knowing seasons helped farmers know when to plant and harvest; for example, planting just after floods when soil and water were available, or harvesting before dry season.
Name one major Egyptian city that was a center of production and trade.
Memphis (also Thebes).
Explain how Egyptian religion linked the Nile’s flooding to their gods (name the god associated with the Nile).
Egyptians believed Hapi, the god of the Nile, caused the yearly floods; offerings and celebrations were made to Hapi to ask for good floods and harvests.
Which foreign leader conquered Egypt at the end of the timeline and marks the start of the Ptolemaic Period?
Alexander the Great conquered Egypt (leading to Ptolemaic Period).
Name two geographic features or regions shown on the textbook map besides the Nile (one must be a body of water, one a desert or region).
Example answers: Mediterranean Sea and Sahara (many possible correct responses from the provided map: Red Sea, Sinai Peninsula, Lake Moeris, Atlas Mountains, etc.)
Describe how yearly Nile flooding and irrigation together supported growing more farmland and specialization of labor.
Floods deposited fertile silt; using shadoofs and canals let farmers move water to fields, increasing yield so fewer people needed to farm and others could specialize.
Describe how trade along the Nile helped Egypt connect with other regions (name one region or civilization they traded with).
River trade allowed ships to travel between Upper and Lower Egypt and out to the Mediterranean; Egyptians traded with Mesopotamia and Nubia (answer may include Mediterranean trade).
Compare how the power of pharaohs changed across the Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms in one or two sentences.
Old Kingdom: pharaohs had absolute power and built pyramids; Middle Kingdom: pharaohs were powerful but expected to be wise and good rulers (less absolute); New Kingdom: pharaohs were powerful military leaders who expanded territory.
Put these three events in order from earliest to latest: Hyksos invade the Nile delta, Great Pyramid at Giza is built, Cleopatra dies.
Order: Great Pyramid at Giza built (Old Kingdom, around 2500 BCE) → Hyksos invade Nile delta (Second Intermediate Period, about 1650 BCE) → Cleopatra dies (end of Ptolemaic Period, 30 BCE).