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This lesson introduces students to the writing, art, and religious beliefs of ancient Egypt through hieroglyphs, one of the oldest writing systems in the world, and through tomb paintings. Hieroglyphs consist of pictures of familiar objects that represent sounds. They were used in ancient Egypt from about 3100 BC to 400 CE.

In the first part of this lesson, the class creates a pictorial alphabet of its own and then learns and uses the symbols of the Egyptian hieroglyphic alphabet. In the second part of the lesson, students identify and represent in their own drawings figures from the Book of the Dead, a funereal text written on papyrus and carved on the walls of tombs to help guide the deceased through the afterlife.

Discuss with the students what they've learned about the picture story of The Book of the Dead. Then hand out the copies of the graphic you printed from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Talk about the various figures, noting the special attributes of each one. Notice that some have animal heads or bodies, others don't. The falcon at the top is Horus, son of Osiris and protector of the living pharaoh.

Hand out large pieces of paper and markers or crayons. Have the students draw their figures. Those who are ambitious might even try to write the name of the figure in hieroglyphs. When the drawings are finished, have each student share his or hers with the class, explaining who it is and what his or her special functions might be. Later, hang the figures near the exhibit of hieroglyphs for all to enjoy.