Building the Pyramids · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Building the Pyramids

History · Ancient Egypt · ages 7-9
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. About how many workers did it take to build a pyramid?

    • About ten workers
    • One pharaoh working alone
    • Thousands of workers

  2. What is a sledge?

    • A flat sled pulled with ropes
    • A truck with an engine
    • A tall crane that lifts stones

  3. What was a mastaba?

    • A flat-topped tomb, the very first tomb shape
    • A hidden tomb cut into rock
    • A smooth-sided pyramid

  4. The very first Egyptian tombs looked just like the smooth-sided Great Pyramid.

    Circle one:   True   False

  5. What is the Valley of the Kings?

    • A giant pyramid with smooth sides
    • A long ramp made of packed earth
    • A place with hidden tombs cut into rock

  6. How did builders turn the flat mastaba idea into the step pyramid?

    • They carved it out of one giant rock
    • They dug it deep underground
    • They stacked smaller mastabas on top of each other

  7. Why did workers pour water on the sand in front of a sledge?

    • To cool down the workers pulling the ropes
    • To make the sand less firm so blocks would sink in place
    • To make the sand firmer and smoother so the sledge slid easier

  8. Djoser's pyramid was the smooth-sided Great Pyramid.

    Circle one:   True   False

  9. A team must move a huge block across sandy ground and then up to a high layer of the pyramid. Which two tools do they need?

    • A crane and a truck
    • A boat and a kite
    • A sledge for the sand and a ramp for the climb

  10. A pharaoh wants his tomb and treasure to stay safe from robbers. Which burial should he choose?

    • A flat mastaba by the river
    • A hidden rock-cut tomb in the Valley of the Kings
    • A giant pyramid everyone can see
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Building the Pyramids W1-mt_kgTN6yk4oE-s1

  1. Thousands of workers · The lesson says a pyramid took thousands of workers and many years to build.
  2. A flat sled pulled with ropes · A sledge is a flat sled pulled with ropes. Workers used sledges to drag heavy stone blocks.
  3. A flat-topped tomb, the very first tomb shape · A mastaba was a flat-topped tomb. It was the very first tomb shape, built before any pyramid.
  4. False · The first tombs were flat-topped mastabas. The smooth pyramid shape came much later.
  5. A place with hidden tombs cut into rock · The Valley of the Kings is where later pharaohs hid their tombs, cut deep into rock.
  6. They stacked smaller mastabas on top of each other · Builders stacked several mastabas, each smaller than the one below, to make the step pyramid.
  7. To make the sand firmer and smoother so the sledge slid easier · Wet sand packs down firmer than dry sand, so the heavy sledge slides across it more easily.
  8. False · Djoser's tomb was the step pyramid. The smooth-sided Great Pyramid came later, after the design improved.
  9. A sledge for the sand and a ramp for the climb · Workers dragged blocks across sand on sledges and pulled them up to higher layers on long ramps.
  10. A hidden rock-cut tomb in the Valley of the Kings · A pyramid is easy for robbers to spot. A hidden rock-cut tomb in the Valley of the Kings is much harder to find.
Worksheet · LightMySky