Standards Correlations

R.1, R.3, R.4, R.6, R.7, R.8, W.1, SL.1, SL.2, L.4, L.6

Learning Objective

Students will read a play about a historic discovery of ancient Egyptian artifacts and make inferences about the plot and characters.

Key Skills

inference, text features, vocabulary, character’s motivation, compare and contrast, mood, evaluating an argument, author’s craft, critical thinking, argument writing

Complexity Factors

Levels of Meaning: The play is based on the discovery of Tutankhamen’s tomb and the debate over what should be done with its contents.

 

Structure: The play is chronological and has seven scenes and a prologue.

 

Language: There is some challenging domain-specific vocabulary, which is defined in the Vocabulary box.

 

Knowledge Demands: Some background knowledge of ancient Egypt will aid comprehension.

Levels

Guided Reading Level: T 

DRA Level: 50

Lesson Plan: The Curse of King Tut

Essential Questions

  • What should be done with ancient artifacts? Who is the rightful owner of historic objects?
  • How is symbolism used in literature?

Literature Connection

  • Nonfiction: The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt by Elizabeth Payne
  • Graphic Novel: The Red Pyramid: The Graphic Novel (Kane Chronicles) by Rick Riordan

1. Preparing to Read 

Preview Text Features (10 minutes)

Guide students to locate the play. Then help them preview the text features using the following prompts:

  • Read the play’s title and subtitle (the text beneath the title). What is a curse? Why might some people believe in curses? A curse is like a magic spell that causes someone to be harmed or punished. People might believe in curses to explain why bad things happen, especially in the absence of any logical explanation.
  • Find the map and read its caption. What do you think is the map’s main purpose? The main purpose of the map is to show the location of Egypt, where the events of the play take place.

Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)

  • Point out the vocabulary box. Read the words (pharaoh, exquisite, archaeologists, hieroglyphs, artifacts) aloud and discuss their definitions.
  • Play the Vocabulary Slideshow.

Make a Plan for Reading

Before students start to read, walk them through a reading plan:

  • Set a purpose for reading by telling students they’ll make inferences while reading “The Curse of King Tut.” Explain that making an inference means using clues from the text to figure out something that isn’t stated. 
  • Point out the activity at the end of the play. Tell students they will complete it after reading.

2. Reading and Unpacking the Text

  • Play our pronunciation guide to help students with hard-to-say words.
  • Assign roles to students and read the play aloud as a class. Stop after each scene and ask students to summarize what happened.
  • After reading, discuss the following close-reading and critical-thinking questions.

Answers to the Close-Reading Questions (20 minutes)

  • Based on what you read in the Prologue, what can you infer that Gerigar and Carter have found in Scene 1? (inference) You can infer that they have found King Tut’s secret tomb.
  • In Scene 2, why does Moussa want Carter to stop exploring the pharaoh’s tomb? Why does Carter wish to continue? (character’s motivation) Moussa believes that the death of Carter’s canary is a warning of the curse: Disturbing the pharaoh’s tomb will release evil. Carter is not concerned. He wants the world to see the treasures inside the tomb, and he wants to be famous.
  • Reread the conversation between Carter and Gardiner. What is each man’s attitude toward the curse? (compare and contrast) Gardiner is worried that the curse might be real. He’s not sure, but he says he wonders if the snakes have real power. Carter thinks the curse is “hogwash” and wants Gardiner to keep his “crazy ideas” to himself. 
  • What is the mood of Scene 4? How does the author create this mood? (mood) The mood is tense. The scene takes place in a “dark room.” Carnarvon shows various symptoms throughout the scene: He looks thin and weak; he has a red mark on his cheek; he coughs, shakes, and gasps for breath. The doctor says he is suffering from a “mysterious illness” and suggests that Tut’s tomb should be left alone. After Carnarvon dies, a cobra slithers out from under his bed and “disappears into the shadows,” suggesting this symbol of protection for the pharaoh had something to do with Carnarvon’s death.
  • What arguments do Gerigar and Moussa give in Scene 6 for removing King Tut’s treasures or leaving them in the tomb? (evaluating an argument) Moussa lists the people who have died after entering the tomb. He believes it’s the curse that’s caused their deaths. Gerigar replies that Carter works in the tomb every day without suffering, but Moussa says that others are paying for his greed. Gerigar believes that the workers are honoring the pharaoh by sharing his treasures with the public. Moussa believes the treasures should stay where they are.
  • Why do you think the author included Scene 7? (author’s craft) She probably wanted to show that people today still talk about King Tut’s curse and, more seriously, what to do with ancient treasures. The scene also gives the play a fun and current ending.

Critical-Thinking Questions (5 minutes)

  • Tutankhamen’s treasures are now displayed in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, and they have toured the world, drawing huge crowds. What do you think people gain from seeing these artifacts? (critical thinking) Answers will vary but may include that people gain an understanding of the ancient world and the beliefs of ancient Egyptians, especially concerning death; awe at beautiful objects created more than 3,000 years ago; and so on.

3. Skill Building and Writing

Learn Anywhere Activity

An enrichment activity to extend the learning journey at home or in the classroom

Plan a Museum Exhibit

Imagine that you’re in charge of creating an ancient Egypt exhibit for a small museum. Think about the items you’ll include and why.

First, watch our fun video “Ancient Egypt.” Then use information from the play and the video to list at least seven items you’ll include in your exhibit. For each item,  write a sentence to explain why you chose to include it and what it can teach museum visitors about ancient Egypt.

Language-Acquisition Springboard

Review the sound of ph to boost fluency.

While previewing the vocabulary before reading the play, note that two of the highlighted words (pharaoh and hieroglyphs) have the letter combination ph. Point out that this combination is pronounced like an f. Ask students to try to think of more words with a ph. Then write the words below on the board. As a class, practice saying them aloud.

  • alphabet
  • biography
  • graphic
  • hyphen
  • nephew
  • phantom
  • pharmacy
  • phase
  • phone
  • photograph

Looking for more ELL support? Download our full lesson plan and scroll to p. 5 to find questions that will help your ELLs respond to the text at the level that’s right for them.

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