Nile River Deep Dive  Teacher Guide 

 In this activity, students will use primary and secondary resources to explore why the Nile was important to Ancient Egyptian civilization.   Materials/Preparation 

● Student copies of Ancient Egypt Population Map ● Student copies of Deep Dive Into the Nile River: Graphic Organizer ● Student copies of all three sources (Ode to the Nile, Ancient Egyptian Art, Nile 

Fast Facts). Note: Source #2 (Ancient Egyptian Art) is presented in two ways: on multiple pages with larger images, and on one page if teachers wish to conserve paper.  

 Suggested Procedures  

1. Introduce the lesson by reviewing main understandings from the previous lesson -- why key features did the class learn about Egypt’s geography?   

2. Jump into today’s more focused activity -- review the map of Egyptian population density as a whole class. Students were introduced to some of these concepts when they made a map of modern Egypt, but this is more narrowly focused on the importance of the Nile.  

a. Students should notice that Ancient Egyptians settled entirely along the Nile, avoiding the western desert and eastern coastline.  

 3. Direct students to hypothesize about why Egyptians did not settle along the Red 

Sea. (Scaffold if students are struggling: How is river water different from sea water?) 

 4. Explain that students will look at a variety of sources to determine what made the 

Nile so special to Ancient Egyptians. Divide the class into groups of 3 students each, and assign numbers 1, 2 and 3 to the members of each group.  

 5. Within each group, give students 5-10 minutes to review the source that 

corresponds with their number. For example, students in group 1 will review source 1. They should record notes about their source in their graphic organizer.  

 

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6. Next, give each student time to share what they learned from their source with the rest of their group. Everyone should attempt to answer the following question: based on evidence from my source, why was the Nile River important to Ancient Egyptians?  

a. Key ideas: the soil along the Nile banks was more fertile; the Nile acted as a source of freshwater for people and animals; the Nile allowed Ancient Egyptians to trade/transport goods; the Nile flooded annually to accommodate Ancient Egyptians’ farming cycle.  

 7. All group members should complete the rest of their graphic organizer after 

listening to the ideas presented by their partners.   

8. Conduct a whole group discussion in which the class answers the central question: Why was the Nile River important to Ancient Egyptians? Push students to use evidence from their three sources and offer specific ways in which the Nile was beneficial.  

 9. Optional: If teachers have more time, every student can review all three sources 

instead of completing this activity as a jigsaw.                   

  

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Ancient Egypt Population Map   

Look at the map of Egypt. The parts shaded green show areas where Ancient Egyptians settled.  

 1.What pattern do you notice about the places where Ancient Egyptians chose to settle?  2.Why do you think Ancient Egyptians chose to settle here instead of other places (i.e., along the Red Sea coastline)?  

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Deep Dive into the Nile River  Using the primary and secondary sources, work with your group to answer the question: Why was the Nile River so important to Ancient Egyptians?  

Source  Key Details  What does this show about the Nile River’s importance? 

1        

           

2             

            

3             

           

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Source 1: Ode to the Nile

Ancient Egyptians sang the following ode to celebrate the Nile River:    Hail to thee O Nile! Thou showest thyself in this land, Coming in peace, giving life to Egypt: O Ammon, (thou) leadest night into day, A leading that rejoices the heart! Overflowing the gardens created by Ra. Giving life to all animals; Watering the land without ceasing: The way of heaven descending: Lover of food, bestower of corn,[1] 1

Giving light to every home, O Ptah!  Lord of fishes, when the inundation returns 2

No fowls fall on the cultures. Maker of spelt; creator of wheat: Who maintaineth the temples! Idle hands he loathes For myriads, for all the wretched. If the gods in heaven are grieved, Then sorrow cometh on men. 

1 giver 2 flood 

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Source 2: Ancient Egyptian Art

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Source 3: Nile Fast Facts 

● The Nile River is the longest river in the world.  ● The Nile has a length of about 6,695 kilometers (4,160 miles). ● During the time of Ancient Egypt, rain and melting snow from neighboring regions 

used to cause the Nile to flood once a year.  ● These floods would make the area surrounding the riverbank fertile.

Season  Duration  Nile Patterns  Farming Patterns 

Akhet (“Inundation”)   

Mid-June through Mid-October 

The Nile floods.  Farmers collect water to irrigate their crops. 

Peret  Mid-October through Mid-January 

The Nile recedes.  Farmers planted new crops.   

Shomu  Mid-February to mid-June 

The Nile is at its lowest (driest) level.  

Farmers harvested their crops.  

The Nile River during the season of flooding, or “Akhet. 

 

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