C Curriculum Explorer
History·Ancient Egypt·conceptual

Hieroglyphs and Papyrus

Know that the ancient Egyptians used a special writing system called hieroglyphs — pictures and symbols that stood for sounds and words — and that they wrote on a paper-like material called papyrus, which was made from a plant that grew along the Nile

Suggested ages 5–7

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Learning journey

Your child is exploring the fascinating world of ancient Egypt — discovering pyramids and pharaohs, learning about hieroglyphics and the River Nile, and understanding how archaeologists help us learn about the past.

Evidence of understanding

  • Describe hieroglyphs as a writing system that uses pictures and symbols
  • Explain that papyrus was a material like paper made from a river plant
  • Understand that only specially trained people called scribes could read and write hieroglyphs

Assessment prompt

If Hieroglyphs and Papyrus sees hieroglyphs on a museum artefact, can they tell you what they are and explain that the Egyptians wrote on a special paper called papyrus?

Standards alignment

No external standards are linked to this topic.