Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs School Curriculum
Welcome to the de Young’s curriculum website for Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs. Bay Area Educators developed these lessons in support of the sixth grade California state standards for social studies, language arts, and visual arts. Through these lessons, students will interpret twelve objects from the exhibition, learning how these works of art relate to central cultural themes such as daily life, burial practices, power and politics, and geography and trade. Additionally, the Archeological Institute of America has provided two lessons. The first focuses on the exchange of goods within the ancient world, and the second explores the preservation of historical sites within Egypt. We hope that by using this curriculum you and your students will gain a greater understanding of how studying works of art informs our understanding of the past. We look forward to seeing you and your students at the de Young and hope that next year you will consider incorporating the ancient collections at the Legion of Honor into your yearly instruction!
Overview of Lessons
- Lesson 1 Introduction to the Discovery of Tutankhamun’s Tomb
- Lesson 2 Introduction to Egyptian Art
- Lesson 3 Learning How to Interpret Visual Culture: What Can We Learn from Objects Found in Our Society?
- Lesson 4 What Can We Learn about Egyptian Society by Studying Works of Art?
- Lesson 5 Culminating Experience
- You will also find two lessons developed by the Archeological Institute of America. These lessons explore trade routes within the ancient world and the preservation of historic sites in Egypt. We suggest that these lessons be used after lesson two.
You can also download a PDF version of the curriculum (1.4 MB) or click here to request a hard copy.
Teacher Development Team
Amy Smith, ASCEND, Oakland Unified School District
Fran Sheppard, Albany Middle School, Albany Unified School District
Michele Stewart, Aptos Middle School, San Francisco Unified School District
Rogelio Alvarado, Everett Middle School, San Francisco Unified School District
Linda Biewer-Elstob, Patwin Elementary School, Davis Joint Unified School District
Advisory Committee
Donna Leary, University of California, Berkeley, History and Social Studies Project
Pete Hammer, History/Social Studies Content Specialist, San Francisco Unified School District
Avi Black, History/Social Science Coordinator, Alameda County Office of Education
Stan Pesick, History/Social Studies Content Specialist, Oakland Unified School District
Presenting Education Sponsor
Lead Education Patron
Douglas A. Tilden
Education Patrons
Martha and Robert Olson, recipients of the
2002 McNeil Volunteer Recognition Award
Thomas and Barbara Wolfe
Winifred Johnson Clive Foundation
Education Sponsors
Bernard and Jane von Bothmer
Sergey Brin and Anne Wojcicki
S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation
Lisa Sardegna and David A. Carrillo
Thank you to the Friends, Patrons, and Museum Associates who contributed to the King Tut Education Fund.
