The Egyptian Book of the Dead

The ancient Egyptians practiced a sophisticated religion that reflected a relatively optimistic world view. Massive temple and tomb projects are evidence of the importance religion played in ancient Egypt. In this activity students will explore a single facet of Egyptian religion: the afterlife.

Students will create a traditional storyboard that shows the path a soul must take as it navigates the afterlife. This storyboard should include the following gods:

• Anubis
• Thoth
• Horus
• Osiris

Extended Activity

This activity can be extended in a number of ways. Students could create a storyboard character chart of Egyptian gods and goddesses, or focus on a single god. Students could also explore the connection between geography and religious world view. A good civilization to contrast Egypt with would be the city-states of Mesopotamia.

Student Instructions

Create a storyboard depicting the path a soul must take as it navigates the Egyptian afterlife.

1. Click "Start Assignment".
2. In the title boxes, identify each step in the path.
3. Write a summary for each step in the description boxes.
4. Create an illustration for each step using appropriate scenes, characters, items, and photos from Photos for Class.