The Great Sphinx of Giza is the oldest known sculpture in Egypt. Also, grab the Egypt – Famous Pharaohs and Queens Lapbook on my Ancient Civilizations page.
It stands in front of the pyramids on the west bank of the Nile in Giza, Egypt.
And it was created in a quarry to build the pyramids and other structures nearby.
By now you probably know what a fantastic resource LEGO is in your homeschool.
They can be used for math manipulatives to building iconic treasures like the Great Sphinx of Giza.
We have amassed an astounding number of LEGOs over the years.
Still, I have a tutorial to show you how to build a small replica of the sphinx using basic LEGO pieces that you might find in a basic box except for the face.
But I am also giving you a simpler alternative for that as well.
Ancient Egypt Books for Kids
Next, add some of these books to your learning day.
I lean toward living books to bring a topic to life like history.
Then I add reference books.
17 Ancient Egypt Books & Resources for Kids Who Love Reading and Being Read To
Add some of these books to your home library and use them for a day of learning or for unit studies.
The first time Melanie Ross meets April Hall, she’s not sure they have anything in common. But she soon discovers that they both love anything to do with ancient Egypt. When they stumble upon a deserted storage yard, Melanie and April decide it’s the perfect spot for the Egypt Game. Before long there are six Egyptians, and they all meet to wear costumes, hold ceremonies, and work on their secret code. Everyone thinks it’s just a game until strange things start happening. Has the Egypt Game gone too far?
These stories include the great myths - of Amen-Ra, who created all the creatures in the world; of Isis, seaching the waters for her dead husband Osiris; of the Bennu Bird and the Book of Thoth. But there are also tales told for pleasure about magic, treasure and adventure - even the first ever Cinderella story.
For more than 3,000 years, Egypt was a great civilization that thrived along the banks of the Nile River. But when its cities crumbled to dust, Egypt’s culture and the secrets of its hieroglyphic writings were also lost. The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt explains how archaeologists have pieced together their discoveries to slowly reveal the history of Egypt’s people, its pharaohs, and its golden days.
Uses archeological evidence to describe the construction, decoration, and furnishings of ancient Egyptian tombs, pyramids, and homes
Discusses the achievements of the ancient Egyptians in science, mathematics, astronomy, medicine, agriculture, and technology.
From reed boats, papyrus, and amulets, to pyramids, pharaohs, and mummies, Great Ancient Egypt Projects You Can Build Yourself explores the fascinating lives of ancient Egyptians through more than25 hands-on building projects and activities. Great Ancient Egypt Projects You Can Build Yourself gives readers today a chance to experience how the ancient Egyptians lived, cooked, worked, worshipped, entertained themselves, and interacted with their neighbors through building projects that use common household supplies.Detailed step-by-step instructions, diagrams, and templates for creating each project are combined with historical facts and anecdotes, biographies, and trivia for the real-life models of each project. Together they give kids a first-hand look at daily life in ancient Egypt.
Chebron, the young son of an Egyptian high priest, and Amuba, a young slave in the boy's household, are close friends; but their lives are greatly altered when Chebron accidentally kills a cat, an animal held sacred by the ancient Egyptians. Forced to flee for their safety, the boys and their companions begin a long and dangerous journey. A thrilling adventure story, this is also a tale packed with historical facts. Among other fascinating details, young readers learn about the Egyptian religion and geography, how the Nile was used for irrigation, and how the Egyptians made war and were prepared for burial. A captivating book that accurately describes life in a once magnificent civilization, this volume will especially appeal to youngsters fascinated by the life and customs of ancient Egypt.
The ancient world comes to life in the first volume in a two book series on the history of Egypt, spanning the first farmers to the construction of the pyramids. Famed archaeologist John Romer draws on a lifetime of research to tell one history's greatest stories; how, over more than a thousand years, a society of farmers created a rich, vivid world where one of the most astounding of all human-made landmarks, the Great Pyramid, was built. Immersing the reader in the Egypt of the past, Romer examines and challenges the long-held theories about what archaeological finds mean and what stories they tell about how the Egyptians lived. More than just an account of one of the most fascinating periods of history, this engrossing book asks readers to take a step back and question what they've learned about Egypt in the past. Fans of Stacy Schiff's Cleopatra and history buffs will be captivated by this re-telling of Egyptian history, written by one of the top Egyptologists in the world.
The pictured wall of an Egyptian tomb supplied the inspiration for this unusual story, which takes place during the building of the Great Pyramid of Khufu more than 4,000 years ago. Kaffe and Sari, an Egyptian noble's son and a slave girl from the nomadic Sand People of the Sinai region, help solve a troublesome mystery and trap its culprit. All told against a colorfully detailed backdrop of ancient Egypt.
Ranofer wants only one thing in the world: to be a master goldsmith like his beloved father was. But how can he when he is all but imprisoned by his evil half brother, Gebu? Ranofer knows the only way he can escape Gebu's abuse is by changing his destiny. But can a poor boy with no skills survive on the cutthroat streets of ancient Thebes? Then Ranofer finds a priceless golden goblet in Gebu's room and he knows his luck−and his destiny−are about to change.
In 1802, Jean-Francois Champollion was eleven years old. That year, he vowed to be the first person to read Egypt’s ancient hieroglyphs. Champollion’s dream was to sail up the Nile in Egypt and uncover the secrets of the past, and he dedicated the next twenty years to the challenge.James Rumford introduces the remarkable man who deciphered the ancient Egyptian script and fulfilled a lifelong dream in the process. Stunning watercolors bring Champollion’s adventure to life in a story that challenges the mind and touches the heart.
This Egyptian spin on the classic Cinderella tale was initially recorded in the first century by a Roman historian and is retold here by folklorist Shirley Climo.
Poor Rhodopis! She has nothing—no mother or father, and no friends. She is a slave, from the far-off country of Greece. Only the beautiful rose-red slippers her master gives her can make Rhodopis smile.
So when a falcon swoops down and snatches one of the slippers away, Rhodopis is heartbroken. For how is she to know that the slipper will land in the lap of the great Pharaoh himself? And who would ever guess that the Pharaoh has promised to find the slipper’s owner and make her queen of all Egypt?
In her unique approach, Foster weaves a story of the world around her central character; rather than focusing exclusively on geo-political events, as most textbooks do, she includes stories of scientific discovery and invention, music, literature, art, and religion. Her keen intuition for stories will especially delight and amuse youthful readers. In Augustus Caesar's World, Foster traces the seven major civilizations of Rome, Greece, Israel, Egypt, China, India, and Persia from 4500 B.C. to the time of Augustus Caesar in 44 B.C. and culminating in 14 A.D. Within this timeframe readers will learn not only the stories of Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, and Marc Antony, but also the historian Livy and how Virgil came to write the Aeneid. Foster will then take her readers all over the world to learn what was happening at this same time in China, Persia, India and so on. Foster's detailed pen and ink drawings are fresh and appealing, and her illustrated timelines give a clear sense of chronology, enriching the engaging text.
For professor of Egyptology Henry Markham, this would be the crowning glory of his career: an intact tomb of Nefertiti, the great royal wife of Akhenaten and the heretic pharaoh of eighteenth dynasty Egypt, whose bust of exquisite beauty resides in the Berlin Museum, which he had searched for the last ten years. He had an unspoken passion for her only excelled by his young assistant, Steven Sinclair, whose visions and dreams of her haunted him, much to the annoyance of Helen Carter, the freelance journalist on-site who, with her business partner Mike Mitcham, the digs photographer, saw Nefertiti as a rival for his affections. Thanks to a gambling debt, Mike finds himself the proud owner of a large luxury mobile home that four Mossad agents are interested in, along with Emil Brogini, who did a drug deal with two Mossad rogue agents since deceased. The arrival of Henry's estranged sister, Millicent, with her friend Jane Evesham, a gifted clairvoyant, does nothing to improve his temper, especially when Jane tells him they are in great danger. Can the danger come from four renegade Mossad agents or Emil Bratislav Brogini, Mr. Big in Cairo, into every racket going? Jane discovers that Helen has a latent gift of clairvoyance which, with their combined powers in a séance, sends them back to the eighteenth dynasty with Nefertiti, Akhenaten, and danger around every corner as they try to discover who is trying to kill them all using a large band of Libyan bandits. They survive ambushes, assassin's knives, and chariot chases, finally getting back to their own time with Nefertiti.
Pyramid is a strong resource for readers looking to expand their knowledge of ancient Egyptian civilization, history, and architecture.
Award-winning author-illustrator David Macaulay explores the philosophy of life and death in ancient Egypt through richly detailed black-and-white illustrations and clear, concise text.
Though created with middle grade readers in mind, all with interest in the topic will enjoy this impressive look at what many consider to be one of the most awesome of humankind's creations.
With poetic language and striking illustrations, Weitzman tells the story of how one of the greatest boats of ancient Egypt came to be built and built again.In the shadow of the Great Pyramid at Giza, the most skilled shipwrights in all of Egypt are building an enormous vessel that will transport Cheops, the mighty pharaoh, across the winding waterway and into a new world. Pharaoh's boat will be a wonder to behold, and well prepared for the voyage ahead. But no one, not even the Egyptian king himself, could have imagined just where the journey of Pharaoh's boat would ultimately lead.
Merit is a servant girl in the temple of cat goddesses. In a rage, Waha, the High Priest, kills a sacred car, and Merit sees him do it.But when Merit reports the evil deed to Pharaoh, Waha denies that he is guilty.
Also, look at some of these fun facts about the Great Sphinx of Giza.
Uncovering the Mysteries of The Great Sphinx of Giza
- Who made it? The mythological statue has the head of a human and the body of a lion. It was built by ancient Egyptians of the Old Kingdom.
- What is it made from? It is made with a single piece of bedrock. Repairs have been made over time using limestone. This is a single carved piece, not smaller blocks.
- Where is it located? Giza, Egypt
- When was it carved? It was carved in 2500 BC.
- How big is it? 240 feet long and 66 feet high, it is an impressive sight!
- Why was it built? It was made for the pharaoh Khafre, the builder of the Second Pyramid at Giza.
- What happened to his nose? While there are several theories as to what happened to the nose (and it has never been found) close inspection suggests that it was a deliberate act using rods or chisels.
Next, look at some more hands-on activities to learn about Ancient Egypt.
Hands-on Activities for Ancient Egypt
- 7 Fun Ways to Play Go Fish Egyptian Games for Kids
- Ancient Egypt DIY Simple and Fun Mummification Process Game
- Egypt Crafts For Kindergarten Create a Fun Kid Sized Mummy
- Fun Pharaohs and Queens Ancient Egypt Lapbook and Activities
- The Geronimo Stilton Book Fourth Journey Fun Egypt Game
- Fun and Easy Hands-On Ancient Egypt Craft: Create Canopic Jars
- 11 Easy Hands-On Ancient Egypt Projects for Middle School
- Ancient Egyptian Mathematics: Build a LEGO Math Calculator
- Fun Hands-On History: Ancient Egyptian Collar Craft
Finally, how to make this fun Lego Great Spinx of Giza.
Create the Great Sphinx of Giza with LEGO
You can find every piece to create your own Sphinx of Giza in this LEGO Classic Creative Box.
You can make your sphinx with any color of bricks.
I chose a light tan to give it the sand look.
You can also use any mix of brick sizes and make the model as large or as small as you wish.
If you are new to building with LEGO, when i say 1×2, etc…
Here is an example of what I mean.
In addition, for language arts, history and geography you can assign Where Are The Great Pyramids to learn more about the Sphinx as well as the pyramids.
Rather than a list, I am giving you a photo for reference that you can print and have your child gather the pieces or pieces that are as close as possible.
Lay down your base. This is one of the few pieces that does not come in the basic box except in green, so use that if you like.
Place 1×6 pieces on either side, one stud in and one stud away from the edge to create arms.
Fill in a 4×8 area between the “arms” of the monument.
Place another layer of bricks starting on the second stud from the back in a 4×4 grouping.
For the back half of the lion’s body put pieces together like in this photo
Use these special rounded pieces to give the straight edges some curve. If you don’t have them you can just finish it off with a straight-edged brick.
To create the head and headpiece (Nemes) of the pharaoh put these pieces together like this.
Then place them all together.
Put directly in front of the second layer of the body.
If you have the bricks with forward-facing studs this will help create a general face shape.
If not just use a tall 1×2 brick in its place like this.
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