Mummies Discussion Prompts & Pause Points

Read the movie description that appears below the movie player on Mummies Topic Page. Then use the following prompts to encourage class discussion before, during, and after watching the movie.

Before

• What comes to mind when you think of mummies? What do you think mummification is?
• Why do you think Ancient Egyptians created mummification?
• Who do you think made the mummies in Ancient Egypt?

During

Stop at the following times in the movie and ask questions or prompt a discussion to keep students focused and to assess their understanding before moving on:

• Timecode 1:51: What are the steps a soul must go through to be reunited with the body?  
• Timecode 3:20: What organ(s) were most valuable to Ancient Egyptians? How can you tell?
• Timecode 5:09: Why was it important to have a lifelike death mask on a mummy’s coffin?
• Timecode 5:28: What about the later stages of mummification would have made mummies’ tombs of interest to thieves and, later, museums?

After

• What do you think about mummifying techniques used by the Ancient Egyptians? How do you think these techniques would be changed if people mummified in the 21st century?