6th Grade Social Studies - Chapters 1-5

Ok. Last night I helped a 6th grader study for a Social Studies test covering Ancient Egypt. The things I learned: (and no, I don't have the book today.)
The Nile is 4000 miles long. It travels North from Africa as two rivers. The White Nile and the Blue Nile. They come together near a city named Khartoum in modern-day Sudan.
After the two Niles form the Great Nile, there is a great big "S". This S-shape in the river is Upper Nubia and Lower Nubia. (Lower Nubia being North of Upper Nubia) The Nubian part of the Nile river has 6 areas of Rapids. These rapids are called Cataracts. The Northernmost cataract is the border of Nubia and Egypt. The cataracts keep the Nile from being navigable by boat. So the Nubians created a trade route across land. The Nubian area of the Nile only has two miles of farmable land on either side of the river, so trade is important.
North of the first cataract is Upper Egypt. It has steep cliffs alongside the river, so it isn't farmable land either. Then, North of Upper Egypt is Lower Egypt. It has 6 miles of farmable land on either side of the river, then it becomes a fertile Delta area where the river dumps into the Mediteranean Sea. Annual flooding of the Nile river brings silt from the mountains in Africa, which enriches the soil and makes it fertile for farming. Lower Egypt is called Black Egypt because of the soil. Upper Egypt is called Red Egypt because of the sand and rocks which make up the mountains. Egypt is protected by the Sahara Desert to the West and the Eastern Desert to the East.
Ancient Egypt had 31 Dynasties; families who ruled. And in the time between 2700 b.c. to 32 b.c., there were three Kingdoms (time eras). In the Old kingdom: the first Dynasty was started by Pharoa Menes, who united the two Egypts. This Unity lasted 2000 years. This is also when the Pyramids were built. The Middle Kingdom was marked by a period of peace and arts. The New Kingdom had some interesting characters. King Tutankhamen for one. A female Pharoah named Hatshepsut (HotCheapSuit) became pharoah in 1503 b.c. She was a Regent for her stepson, but she wouldn't let him take the throne when he came of age. She ruled for 22 years. When she died, her stepson Thutmosis III (Thut mow suh) had all her statues destroyed. He turned out to be a very good Pharoah, showing mercy to those he conquered.
In 332 b.c. Alexander the Great from Greece vanquished Egypt. 300 years after that: Rome took it.
The Egyptians worshipped Amon Ra, Osiris, and Isis. Amon Ra is represented by the sun, Osiris is the god of life and death, and Isis is the goddess of health. The ancient Egyptians thought that when a person died, they rowed their boat into the West to meet and dine and party with other dead people. So the people were superstitious about being on the West side of the River when the sun went down. Also, all the pyramids were oriented with their sides to the N., S., E., and W. perfectly. The pyramids were also built on the West side of the River. The Great Pyramid at Giza is the tomb of the Menes pharoah dynasty.

She made a 75. Go figure.

MsAmber