The exhibition of treasures from the tomb of Tutankhamun and other tombs in the Valley of the Kings gives children a rare chance to appreciate at first hand historic artefacts of world importance.

The show illuminates the 18th dynasty, to which Tutankhamun belongs, and Howard Carter’s discovery, making it an important and memorable resource for children at Key Stage 2 of their schooling– pupils between the ages of 7 and 11. It supplements lessons on the history of Ancient Egypt as well as aspects of religious education and design and technology.

Facets of Egyptian life explored include food, dress and burial procedures. During Key Stage 2 studies, children are encouraged to find out about how people lived in Ancient Egypt. This can be done at the exhibition by examining historic objects found during archaeological digs.

The idea is that children will develop their understanding of the characteristic features of the society, identify different ways in which the past can be interpreted and use sources of information to make simple observations, inferences and deductions.

To reflect Britain’s role in the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb, a special Howard Carter gallery, curated by the British Museum, has been added to the exhibition while it is in London.

Using archive photographs, the gallery traces the careers of Carter and Lord Carnarvon, the discoverers, and evokes the atmosphere of exploration and thrill when it was found near 1920s Luxor.

In addition to contemporary photographs reproduced on a large scale, newspaper headlines and rare moving-picture footage are used to enable the visitor to recreate the experience of seeing the tomb and its contents for the first time. Katharine Hoare, the British Museum’s schools and young audiences education officer, who with colleagues has created the educational materials to accompany the Tutankhamun exhibition, says that the display is a rare opportunity to experience historical artefacts of world importance outside their normal home in Cairo museums.

The exhibition, she adds, also offers children the chance to practise history study skills, such as understanding the differences and similarities between the past and the present, chronology and the importance of historical sources and primary evidence.

“It is an opportunity for children to go and see objects in London that otherwise they would have had to travel to Cairo to see,” she says. “From the museum’s point of view any opportunity to see world heritage is to be welcomed.

“The exhibition also supports our own collections, offering the public opportunities to see objects that are not held in British collections but which complement what we have.

“One would hope that after this visit to the 02 the children would be inspired to visit other Egyptian collections such as ours at the British Museum and those at the Petrie Collection at University College London, the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge and the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. The exhibition could be a source of inspiration for continued learning.”

To help teachers and pupils to prepare for visits to the exhibition, the British Museum has created a considerable amount of educational support material. This can be accessed via www.tutteachers.co.uk.

The website directs teachers to background historical and archaeological material, worksheets, powerpoint documents and adult briefing sheets. The exhibition will be dark and atmospheric, so students will not be able to use worksheets while exploring it.

Teachers are also able to make a free preview visit to the exhibition. To register they should send a blank e-mail to teachers preview@theo2.co.uk with “Teachers Preview event” in the subject box. They will then be sent available dates and times.

For those wishing to explore Egypt’s past in more depth, the British Museum has the best collection of artefacts outside Egypt. Online learning materials for Key Stage 2: www.ancientegypt.co.uk; teachers’ support materials: www.britishmuseum.ac.uk

Dogged by legend of the mummy’s curse

The curse of the pharaohs, which captures the public imagination and feeds the flames of Hollywood creativity, arose after Lord Carnarvon died less than two months after Tutankhamun’s burial chamber was opened.

All those present at the official opening of the burial chamber in February 1923 are said to have been cursed. Newspapers reported that Carnarvon’s death had been caused by the release of mysterious forces from the tomb.

One newspaper mistranslated a text inscribed on a mud brick found near the Anubis shrine in the Treasury: “I will kill all of those who cross this threshold into the sacred precincts of the royal king who lives forever.” The text actually read: “I am the one who prevents the sand from blocking the secret chamber.”

It was also reported that all the lights went out in Cairo at the precise moment that Carnarvon died. His three-legged dog, at home in the family castle, is said to have let out a pitiful cry at the moment of his master’s death and promptly fallen down dead.

Carnarvon actually died of blood poisoning and pneumonia caused by an infected mosquito bite, Cairo’s lighting system at the time was very unreliable and there are no extant independent witness accounts of the dog’s death.

Egypt Travel

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• Bringing Egypt's history to life for the kids