Ancient Civilizations Curriculum for Elementary: Egypt to the Vikings
An ancient civilizations curriculum for elementary grades should give young learners real places, real objects and a clear order, and the Ancient Civilizations Bundle does that in eight units for Grades 1–4. Students move from the Stone Age through Egypt, Greece, Rome and China to the Vikings, with slides, reading worksheets and hands-on activities. It costs $99.99; the parts alone come to $199.92.
View the ancient history unitsThe Ancient Civilizations Bundle ($99.99) is an eight-unit ancient history strand for Grades 1–4: The Stone Age; Ancient Egypt: Pyramids, Pharaohs & the Nile; Hieroglyphs: Writing in Ancient Egypt; Mummies & Tomb Art; The Ancient Greeks: Olympics, Myths & Daily Life; The Ancient Romans: Daily Life, Legions & Roads; Ancient China: Great Wall, Silk & Inventions; and Vikings: Life, Ships & Journeys. Each has an overview plus three sub-units with lesson plan, worksheet, activity, answer key and slides.
The resources
Ancient Civilizations Bundle, Grades 1–4
8 resources in one download: $99.99 instead of $199.92 bought separately.
Start with the first resource; the others are optional add-ons. Open any cover for the full contents and price.
Ancient Civilizations Bundle | Egypt, Greece, Rome, China, Vikings & Stone Age | 8 Units | Grades 1–4
Elementary History Curriculum | All 20 History Units | Grades 1–4
Early American History Bundle | Native Americans, Explorers, Pilgrims & Pioneers | 8 Units | Grades 1–4
Life Along the Nile in Ancient Egypt | Farming, Society, Pharaohs, Beliefs & Source Work | Grades 5–6
The Stone Age: Traces of Life | Timelines, Hunter-Gatherers, Tools, Early Farming | Grades 5–6
The real problem
Very old and far away: why young children need structure
Children love ancient history for the same reason it is hard to teach: it is very old and very far away. A six-year-old can be fascinated by mummies and still have no idea whether Egypt came before or after the Vikings, or that Rome and China existed at the same time. Without some sense of time and place, each civilization turns into a separate fun fact. The other difficulty is depth. Teachers who build these lessons themselves often end up with a coloring page and a short video for each culture, because finding readable texts and good images for young children takes a long time. Egypt could fill a month, while Greece or China get a single afternoon. Mixed reading levels add to it. In a Grades 1–4 room, or a homeschool with siblings, one child reads a passage alone while another needs every second word explained. Then there is the question of what students actually do. Young learners remember what they build, act out or look at closely, so a unit needs more than reading questions. A good ancient history strand gives each civilization a fair share of time, keeps a thread of chronology and gives children something hands-on.
Why it fits
How the bundle handles six civilizations
The units share one structure, so the routine stays the same while the place and period change.
- Three Egypt units cover pyramids and pharaohs, hieroglyphs as a writing system, and mummies with tomb art.
- The Stone Age unit gives a starting point before the first cities and written records.
- Greece comes through the Olympics, myths and daily life; Rome through daily life, legions and roads.
- Ancient China covers the Great Wall, silk and inventions, so the strand reaches beyond the Mediterranean.
- The Vikings unit adds ships and journeys, a natural bridge toward the medieval period.
- Differentiated worksheets with reading passages and word banks support early and confident readers together.
Getting started
A suggested route through the ancient world
Teach in this order for a rough chronology, or jump straight to the topic your students are most excited about.
- Begin in the Stone AgeStart with The Stone Age: Life in the Stone Age. It sets up the idea of a time before writing, which makes the next units, especially hieroglyphs, easier to understand.
- Give Egypt its three unitsTeach Ancient Egypt: Pyramids, Pharaohs & the Nile, then Hieroglyphs, then Mummies & Tomb Art. Three units in a row let students go deeper into one civilization before moving on.
- Travel to Greece and RomeThe Greeks unit uses the Olympics, myths and daily life, and the Romans unit looks at daily life, legions and roads. Ask students to compare a child's day in both places.
- Head east to ancient ChinaAncient China: Great Wall, Silk & Inventions shows that great civilizations grew in many parts of the world. A class map and timeline help students see where and when.
- Finish with the VikingsEnd with Vikings: Life, Ships & Journeys. Use its project or source activity as a closing piece, and let each student explain one thing they learned from every civilization.
What to buy
This bundle, the full history set, or single units?
Pick the Ancient Civilizations Bundle ($99.99, parts $199.92) if ancient history is the part you need. If you would also like early American history, then-and-now units, knights and medieval towns, the Elementary History Curriculum ($169.99) holds all 20 units, including these eight. The Early American History Bundle ($99.99) is the other eight-unit set. Teaching Grades 5–6? Two single units suit older students better: Life Along the Nile in Ancient Egypt, with farming, society, pharaohs, beliefs and source work, and The Stone Age: Traces of Life, with timelines, hunter-gatherers, tools and early farming, each $24.99.
Honest limits
What you should check yourself
The bundle is not written for any particular state and has no state standards codes, so compare it with your state's social studies standards and your school's plan. It covers six civilizations; Mesopotamia, India, the ancient Americas and Africa beyond Egypt are not part of it, so add those if your plan calls for them. Printing, art and building supplies are yours to provide. Sharing the units with colleagues needs a short message to Teach Lessons first. If the bundle is not right for you, exchange it within 7 days for store credit of equal value; it is not refunded in cash.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Does it follow my state's standards for ancient history?
It is not aligned to, endorsed by or approved under any state's standards and has no standards codes. Where ancient history sits in the grades differs from one framework to the next, so check your state's social studies standards and your district's sequence to see where these eight units fit. Use them as teaching material, not as proof of coverage.
Is it too much reading for first graders?
The reading passages come with a word bank and the worksheets are differentiated, but first graders will still need you to read with them. The slides carry much of the content visually, and the project or source activity gives early readers a way in. By Grade 3 or 4, many students can handle more of the reading on their own.
How are myths and beliefs handled?
The Greeks unit includes myths alongside the Olympics and daily life, and the Egypt units deal with pharaohs, tombs and mummies. These are history units, so beliefs appear as part of how people lived long ago. If your school or family has specific expectations about teaching religion and mythology, read the units before you teach them.
Can a homeschool family use it with siblings?
Yes. The bundle is meant for Grades 1–4 teachers and homeschool families. Siblings in different grades can share the slides and the activity, then work on the worksheet at their own level. The license covers teaching your own children. If you plan to use ESA or scholarship funds, check your program's rules and vendor list first.
How long does each unit take?
There is no fixed timing. Each unit has an overview and three sub-units, and each sub-unit has its own lesson plan. Some classes finish a sub-unit in one lesson, others spread it over several days with the project. Read the overview first and set the pace your students need.
What do I receive after buying?
You get the eight units as digital downloads right after purchase, through a link by email and in your customer account under Orders. Each part is also sold on its own and linked on the bundle page, so you can check what each unit covers. The materials work in print and digital classrooms.
Eight ancient worlds, ready for your youngest historians
See the eight units and what each one covers on the product page.
View the ancient history units