History·Ancient Egypt·conceptual
Scribes and the Rosetta Stone
Know that scribes were specially trained people who could read and write hieroglyphs, that the Rosetta Stone — a slab with the same text in three scripts — was the key to cracking the hieroglyphic code, and that Jean-François Champollion used it to decipher hieroglyphs in 1822 after centuries of mystery
Suggested ages 7–9
Learning journey
Your child is discovering the fascinating world of ancient Egypt — learning about pharaohs and pyramids, gods and mummification, hieroglyphs and daily life along the Nile River over 3,000 years of history.
Evidence of understanding
- Explain the importance of scribes as the only people who could read and write
- Describe the Rosetta Stone as having the same message in three different scripts
- Name Champollion as the person who decoded hieroglyphs using the Rosetta Stone
Assessment prompt
If Scribes and the Rosetta Stone sees the Rosetta Stone in a museum (or a picture of it), can they explain why it was so important and how it helped us read hieroglyphs?
Standards alignment
No external standards are linked to this topic.