Children became explorers to delve into the world of Ancient Egypt at Upton Juniors in Broadstairs.

The Year 4 group unearthed a variety of information as they pieced together the creation and development of one of the most fascinating periods in history.

Their learning encompassed a range of skills to help them understand what made Ancient Egypt tick and why it has remained such a rich and interesting subject centuries later.

They discovered the creation and intent behind the building of the majestic pyramids and understood the importance of the River Nile to the survival of the ancient Egyptians and created a 3D model of the waterway.

The group visited an exhibition at Maidstone Museum and focussed on the meaning behind the rite of mummification, as well as creating a canopic jar out of clay. To further their understanding of the mummification process, the children mummified a tomato following the different steps.

In class, they researched the Egyptian hierarchy and placed some key events on a timeline (which the children made using string and the events on cards). They also looked at the reliability of sources and ancient Egyptian architecture.

A special focus WOW Day, encouraged pupils to dress in costumes linked to civilisation with a range of colourful, detailed outfits on show as they worked through a range of activities.

These included making a clay cartouche and deciphering a story written in hieroglyphs, performing a drama based on the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb, creating a death mask headdress, constructing pyramids made out of lolly sticks, and designing and playing a Top Trumps style game about Egyptian gods and goddesses.

Head of Year 4 Nikki Lewis said: “Our children were enthusiastic and really engaged in digging deep to discover the many and varied aspects of how Ancient Egypt evolved. It was a fascinating topic for them.”

Head of School Darci Arthur agreed and added: “Exploring an ancient civilisation, learning about the culture and heritage and then having a day of creativity gave our Year 4 group a rich all-round rich experience in the classroom that was enhanced by their visit to the museum.”

Upton Juniors is part of the Viking Academy Trust with partner schools Chilton Primary and Ramsgate Arts Primary.

*For more information, contact Head of School Darci Arthur on 01843 861393.