OER Ancient Egyptian Numerals and Arithmetic Activity

Many people are fascinated with ancient Egypt. The amazing, unique culture influenced many other civilizations and cultures. If you study the history of math, you will see how this influence included mathematics. Ancient Egypt also lasted an incredibly long time – over 3000 years. According to Egyptologist Bob Brier, “No civilization lasted so long, contributed so much, or repeatedly amazed as did ancient Egypt.” In this Open Educational Resource activity, students will have the opportunity to learn about ancient Egyptian numerals and basic arithmetic. For motivation, the setting is a scribal school with each student using a clipboard, paper, and fine point black marker to simulate a board, papyrus, and brush with ink. The activity can also be completed on its own without the scribal school setting