This Kapow pupil video is part of the Kapow History scheme of work. It explores why the River Nile was so important to ancient Egyptian life and how it helped build one of the world’s first great civilisations. The River Nile, the longest river in the world, provided fresh water, fish, and a way to travel and trade. Each year, it flooded and left behind rich black soil that made farming possible in the dry desert. This meant the Egyptians could grow lots of food and trade it for other goods. They even used tools like the shadoof and dug canals to help water their crops further from the river.

The ancient Egyptians thought the Nile was a gift from the gods. They worshipped Hapi, the god of the Nile, and believed the river had special powers. The land around the river was so important that they named it Kemet, meaning ‘black land’, because of the dark soil left behind after floods. The Nile also inspired their ideas about the afterlife, where they imagined a perfect place with green fields and flowing water. The River Nile shaped Egyptian farming, trade, religion and even their calendar – it truly was the heart of ancient Egypt.

The video is designed to be shown to pupils as part of History, Lower key stage 2, Year 3, *New* What was important to ancient Egyptians? Lesson 2: Why was the River Nile so important to ancient Egyptians?