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:
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.
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Student Instructions
Create a storyboard depicting the path a soul must take as it navigates the Egyptian afterlife.
Set up a lively debate between students on how Egypt’s geography shaped its religious beliefs. This encourages critical thinking and helps students compare Egyptian religion with that of other ancient civilizations.
Divide your class into small teams and assign each group a different Egyptian god or goddess to research. Teams can create posters, digital slides, or short skits to share their findings, making learning interactive and memorable.
Ask students to write a short story from the perspective of a soul navigating the afterlife, encountering gods along the way. This deepens empathy and understanding of ancient beliefs while building writing skills.
Have students contribute drawings or fact cards about Anubis, Thoth, Horus, and Osiris. Display these in a central spot to reinforce learning and spark curiosity.
The Egyptian Book of the Dead is an ancient collection of spells, prayers, and instructions designed to guide souls through the afterlife. It served as a spiritual roadmap, helping the deceased safely navigate challenges and reach a blessed existence with the gods.
To create a storyboard of the Egyptian afterlife, students should illustrate key steps a soul takes, including encounters with gods like Anubis, Thoth, Horus, and Osiris. Each step can be labeled and described, using images to represent scenes from the journey.
The main gods in the Egyptian afterlife are Anubis (prepares and weighs the heart), Thoth (records the verdict), Horus (guides the soul), and Osiris (judges the soul and grants eternal life).
Extension ideas include creating character charts of Egyptian gods, focusing on a single god's role, or comparing Egyptian religious views with those of Mesopotamian city-states to deepen understanding of ancient beliefs.
Ancient Egyptian religion had an optimistic view of the afterlife, believing in a happy existence after death, while Mesopotamian beliefs saw the afterlife as bleak. Comparing both helps students see differences in how ancient cultures understood death and the soul's journey.