Ancient Egypt 3 Farming

Mrs. Berry Social Studies

6th Grade

How did the Nile River affect the

development of Egyptian society and religion?

How did they modify their environment?

How did they adapt to their environment?

Essential Question:

What two cities are located at the

base of the Nile Delta?

Warm Up:

The Nile river unified the people of

Egypt. It affected all Egyptian activities,

from farming, religious beliefs, and ways of governing.

Unified Egypt

Primarily traveled by wooden

boats with sails. If traveling North on the Nile, the

current was strong enough to move the boat.

If traveling South, the wind currents would move the sail boats easily.

Traveling the Nile

Flooding and drought were

common problems that all Egyptians faced.

Together they had to create new ways to harness the power of the Nile in order to survive and prosper.

Problems

Egyptians were able to predict the flooding since it occurred the same time each year.

They created a calendar to keep track of the seasons.

365 day calendar, based on the sun They had 3 seasons, Inundation,

Emergence, and Harvest.

Keeping Track…

Time of flooding that

occurred same time each year- June to September

Flood waters covered the land and many people traveled by boat

People will not farm, instead will work for Pharaoh to build monuments like the pyramids.

1. Inundation (Akhet)

Flood waters went

down Farmers begin planting

crops Used plows and

animals to plant crops. October to February

2. Emergence (Peret)

Crops were ready March to May Reapers cut the

stalks of grain with sickles

Women and children gather fallen grain in baskets

3. Harvest (Shemu)

What happens next? Cattle were used to

trample over the cut corn to remove the grain from the ears.

Then the grain was tossed into the air so the breeze blew the light useless chaff away.

What crops did the Egyptian Farmers grow?

Egyptians grew crops such as wheat, barley, vegetables, figs, melons, pomegranates and vines.

What else did they grow?

They also grew

flax which was made into linen which was used for clothing and in making mummies.

Identify the Problem. Think of possible solutions. Compare solutions, and choose the

best one. Plan a way to carry out the

solution. Try it!

Problem Solving

A farmer has moved to a new location

along the Nile river. He has built his home far enough away from the Nile because he doesn’t want the flood waters to wash it away.

However, now he has to figure how a way to water his crops. How can he do this during the different times throughout the year?

In your group, brainstorm possible solutions.

Scenario

Look at the model to help you come up

with solutions. Think about the resources you have

available to you… Animals Containers / Baskets Tools Trees

Model

Which is the best

solution?

Shaduf – a long pole

with a basket on one end used for holding water with a weight on the other end.

Used to fill larger containers to carry water to fields or to homes

Real Solution…

How did the Nile River affect the

development of Egyptian society and religion?

How did they modify their environment?

How did they adapt to their environment?

Essential Question: