*New* What was important to ancient Egyptians?
Use this unit hub to inform your medium-term plan and to navigate to related resources.
We’re monitoring the upcoming 2025 National Curriculum updates and will revise our resources when we know more. Learn more
Please note
This new unit for 2024/25 includes a new overview of ancient civilisations and greater opportunities for the children to explore sources from ancient Egypt to deepen their understanding. The Archived unit: What did the ancient Eqyptians believe? will no longer be updated.
Unit outcomes
Pupils who are secure will be able to:
- Identify where and when ancient civilisations first appeared.
- Ask historically valid questions about sources.
- Identify Ancient Egypt’s location and its key geographical features.
- Explain why the River Nile was important to ancient Egyptians.
- Explain the significance of the Rosetta Stone.
- Explain the importance of gods and goddesses to people in ancient Egypt.
- Analyse mummification’s connection to ancient Egyptian beliefs about the afterlife.
- Decide what was important to people in ancient Egypt.
Suggested prior learning
Y3/4 (B): How have children’s lives changed?
Get startedLessons
Y3/4 (B): Lesson 1: Where and when did the first civilisations appear?
- To develop questioning skills using sources about ancient civilisations.
Y3/4 (B): Lesson 2: Why was the River Nile so important to ancient Egyptians?
- To explain the significance of the River Nile to ancient Egyptian civilisation.
Y3/4 (B): Lesson 3: How do we know so much about ancient Egyptians?
- To evaluate the importance of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics.
Y3/4 (B): Lesson 4: What do sources suggest about religious beliefs in ancient Egypt?
- To use a range of sources to explore the importance of gods and goddesses in ancient Egypt.
Y3/4 (B): Lesson 5: What did people in Ancient Egypt believe happened after death?
- To investigate beliefs about the afterlife in Ancient Egypt.
Y3/4 (B): Lesson 6: Who ruled ancient Egypt and what happened to them when they died?
- To evaluate continuity and change by identifying what happened to the pharaohs when they died.
Key skills
Related content
Unit resources

Knowledge organiser – History Y3: What was important to ancient Egyptians?
Aimed at pupils, two pages providing key facts and definitions from the unit ‘What was important to ancient Egyptians?’.

Vocabulary display – History Y3/4 (B): What was important to ancient Egyptians?
A display version of the vocabulary from the ‘What was important to ancient Egyptians?' unit.
Cross-curricular opportunities
Geography: Human and physical geography, Geographical skills and fieldwork
Religion and worldviews
English: Spoken language