Scientists from two universities studied the smells of ancient Egyptian mummies. They found that the mummies have scents like “woody,” “spicy,” and “sweet.” They used special tools and people with good noses to smell nine mummies. The study shows that the nice smells come from resins and oils used in mummification.

The study is special because it mixes science with how we experience smells. It helps us learn more about how Egyptians preserved bodies long ago. This research can also help museums make their displays more interesting by adding smells. Visitors can then feel more connected to ancient Egyptian history.

Another scientist, Professor Ali Abdelhalim, explained why mummification was important. It was a way to keep the body and soul safe for the afterlife. By studying the materials used, scientists learn about the people and their lives. The next plan is to let people smell these ancient scents in museums to better understand Egyptian culture.

Original news source: Ancient Egyptian mummies smell ‘sweet’ and ‘spicy’, researchers say (Sky News)

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– CHARADES
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Each group will take turns acting out words or phrases related to the article (e.g., “mummy,” “smell,” “ancient Egypt”) without speaking. The other groups will guess the word or phrase being acted out. This activity helps students practice vocabulary in a fun way.

– OPINION POLL
Instructions: Create a simple survey with questions related to scents and mummification (e.g., “Do you think smells are important in museums?” or “Have you ever smelled something that reminded you of a memory?”). Students will walk around the class asking each other these questions and then report back their findings to the group.

– HEADLINE CREATION
Instructions: Ask students to come up with creative headlines for the article. They can work in pairs to brainstorm ideas and then share their best headlines with the class. This will help them practice summarizing the main ideas and using catchy phrases.

– VOCABULARY PICTIONARY
Instructions: Write key vocabulary words from the article (e.g., “mummy,” “resin,” “scent”) on slips of paper. Students will take turns drawing a slip and then drawing the word on the board while their classmates guess what it is. This reinforces vocabulary comprehension and encourages teamwork.

– THINK-PAIR-SHARE
Instructions: Pose a question related to the article, such as “Why do you think ancient Egyptians used scents in mummification?” Students will first think about their answer individually, then pair up to discuss their thoughts, and finally share their conclusions with the class. This fosters critical thinking and speaking skills.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What did scientists study about ancient Egyptian mummies?
2. What kinds of smells did the mummies have?
3. How many mummies did the scientists smell during their study?
4. What materials made the mummies smell nice?
5. Why is this study important for museums?
6. What does Professor Ali Abdelhalim say about mummification?
7. How will museums use the scents from the mummies in the future?
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🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Scientists from two universities (1)______ the smells of ancient Egyptian (2)______. They found that the mummies have scents like “woody,” “spicy,” and “sweet.” They (3)______ special tools and people with good noses to smell nine mummies. The study shows that the (4)______ smells (5)______ from (6)______ and oils used in mummification.

The study is special because it mixes science with how we experience smells. It helps us learn more about how Egyptians preserved bodies long ago. This research can also help (7)______ make their displays more interesting by adding smells. (8)______ can then feel more connected to ancient (9)______ history.

Another scientist, Professor Ali Abdelhalim, explained why mummification was important. It was a way to keep the body and soul safe for the afterlife. By (10)______ the materials used, scientists learn about the (11)______ and their (12)______. The next plan is to let people smell these ancient scents in museums to better understand Egyptian culture.
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💬 Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is your favorite smell? Why do you like it?
2. How would you feel if you could smell something from a long time ago?
3. Do you think it would be fun to visit a museum that has interesting smells? Why or why not?
4. What is a smell that reminds you of a special memory? Can you share it?
5. How would you feel if you learned that mummies smell nice?
6. Do you like to cook? What is your favorite smell when you cook?
7. What is a smell that you do not like? Why don’t you like it?
8. Do you think smells can change how we feel? Why or why not?
9. How would you feel if you could smell flowers from ancient times?
10. What is a smell that you think is special? Why is it special to you?
11. Do you think learning about smells can help us understand history better? Why?
12. How would you feel if you could smell a mummy in a museum? Would you want to? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. ancient
2. mummies
3. scents
4. resins
5. mummification
6. preserved
7. displays
8. connected
9. afterlife
10. materials
11. culture
12. explained

Meanings:
(A) Things shown for people to look at
(B) Made something clear or easy to understand
(C) Very old, from a long time ago
(D) Life after death
(E) The process of treating a body to keep it from decaying
(F) Feeling like you belong or understand something
(G) Things used to make or do something
(H) Smells
(I) Dead bodies that have been specially treated to last a long time
(J) The way of life, beliefs, and customs of a group of people
(K) Kept in good condition for a long time
(L) Sticky substances from trees used in making things smell nice
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What did scientists study about ancient Egyptian mummies?
(a) Their smells
(b) Their colors
(c) Their sizes
(d) Their shapes

2. What types of scents did the mummies have?
(a) Sour, bitter, and salty
(b) Fresh, clean, and bright
(c) Dark, heavy, and thick
(d) Woody, spicy, and sweet

3. How many mummies did the scientists smell in their study?
(a) Five
(b) Twelve
(c) Nine
(d) Seven

4. What did the nice smells come from?
(a) Flowers and fruits
(b) Water and dirt
(c) Paint and glue
(d) Resins and oils

5. Why is this study special?
(a) It uses only old tools
(b) It focuses on colors
(c) It mixes science with smells
(d) It studies only one mummy

6. What can museums do with the information from this study?
(a) Add smells to their displays
(b) Make bigger exhibits
(c) Change the lights
(d) Play music for visitors

7. What did Professor Ali Abdelhalim say about mummification?
(a) It was not very useful
(b) It was important for the afterlife
(c) It was only for rich people
(d) It was done in secret

8. What is the next plan for the scientists?
(a) Show videos of mummies
(b) Let people smell ancient scents in museums
(c) Create new mummies
(d) Write a book about mummies

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. The next plan is to let people smell the ancient scents in museums.
2. Museums cannot use these smells to make their displays more interesting.
3. Mummification was important for keeping the body and soul safe for the afterlife.
4. The mummies smelled musky, bitter, and sour.
5. The unpleasant smells came from resins and oils used in mummification.
6. Scientists studied the smells of ancient Egyptian mummies.
7. The study helps us learn about how Egyptians preserved bodies.
8. They used ordinary tools and people with good noses to smell the mummies.
Go to answers ⇩

📝 Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
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Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.
Check your answers with our free English writing assistant!

1. What did scientists study about ancient Egyptian mummies?
2. What kinds of smells did the mummies have?
3. Why is the study of mummy smells important for museums?
4. How did the scientists find out about the smells of the mummies?
5. What did Professor Ali Abdelhalim say about mummification?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What did scientists study about ancient Egyptian mummies?
Scientists studied the smells of ancient Egyptian mummies.

2. What kinds of smells did the mummies have?
The mummies had smells like “woody,” “spicy,” and “sweet.”

3. How many mummies did the scientists smell during their study?
The scientists smelled nine mummies during their study.

4. What materials made the mummies smell nice?
The nice smells came from resins and oils used in mummification.

5. Why is this study important for museums?
This study is important for museums because it can make their displays more interesting by adding smells.

6. What does Professor Ali Abdelhalim say about mummification?
Professor Ali Abdelhalim says that mummification was important to keep the body and soul safe for the afterlife.

7. How will museums use the scents from the mummies in the future?
Museums will let people smell these ancient scents to help them understand Egyptian culture better.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) studied
(2) mummies
(3) used
(4) nice
(5) come
(6) resins
(7) museums
(8) Visitors
(9) Egyptian
(10) studying
(11) people
(12) lives
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. ancient
Answer: (C) Very old, from a long time ago

2. mummies
Answer: (I) Dead bodies that have been specially treated to last a long time

3. scents
Answer: (H) Smells

4. resins
Answer: (L) Sticky substances from trees used in making things smell nice

5. mummification
Answer: (E) The process of treating a body to keep it from decaying

6. preserved
Answer: (K) Kept in good condition for a long time

7. displays
Answer: (A) Things shown for people to look at

8. connected
Answer: (F) Feeling like you belong or understand something

9. afterlife
Answer: (D) Life after death

10. materials
Answer: (G) Things used to make or do something

11. culture
Answer: (J) The way of life, beliefs, and customs of a group of people

12. explained
Answer: (B) Made something clear or easy to understand
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What did scientists study about ancient Egyptian mummies?
Answer: (a) Their smells

2. What types of scents did the mummies have?
Answer: (d) Woody, spicy, and sweet

3. How many mummies did the scientists smell in their study?
Answer: (c) Nine

4. What did the nice smells come from?
Answer: (d) Resins and oils

5. Why is this study special?
Answer: (c) It mixes science with smells

6. What can museums do with the information from this study?
Answer: (a) Add smells to their displays

7. What did Professor Ali Abdelhalim say about mummification?
Answer: (b) It was important for the afterlife

8. What is the next plan for the scientists?
Answer: (b) Let people smell ancient scents in museums
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. The next plan is to let people smell the ancient scents in museums. (Answer: True)
2. Museums cannot use these smells to make their displays more interesting. (Answer: False)
3. Mummification was important for keeping the body and soul safe for the afterlife. (Answer: True)
4. The mummies smelled musky, bitter, and sour. (Answer: False)
5. The unpleasant smells came from resins and oils used in mummification. (Answer: False)
6. Scientists studied the smells of ancient Egyptian mummies. (Answer: True)
7. The study helps us learn about how Egyptians preserved bodies. (Answer: True)
8. They used ordinary tools and people with good noses to smell the mummies. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧