The Golden Goblet

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

What facts can you list about ancient Egypt? What kinds of occupations did people have? What were ancient Egyptian belief systems like? What was the purpose of mummies and burial items?

Teaching Suggestion: The novel’s protagonist, Ranofer, is a porter until his abusive half-brother, Gebu, forces him to do stonework. Ranofer dreams of becoming a goldsmith. When he discovers that Gebu is stealing from graves, Ranofer knows that his opportunity to become a goldsmith hinges on whether he can find proof of Gebu’s theft. To best understand the nuances of setting, plot, and character in the novel, students might first discuss ancient Egyptian lifestyles, occupations, and belief systems.

• This encyclopedia article explains what daily life was like in ancient Egypt. To shorten the reading assignment, you might have students read only the introduction and the first section, “Population & Social Classes.”
• This 5-minute animated video, which discusses death and mummification techniques, describes the ancient Egyptians’ burial process and beliefs about the afterlife.

Short Activity

Explore the historical period of ancient Egypt during the reigns of Amenhotep III and Queen Tiy. Use these and other questions to guide your investigation and see if the information you discover is similar to that of other students or groups.

• In what kind of structures did people live?
• What was the food like? What was school like?
• What did children spend free time doing?

Teaching Suggestion: The Golden Goblet is set in ancient Egypt during the reigns of Amenhotep III and Queen Tiy. Queen Tiy plays an important role in the novel’s conclusion. It may be helpful to permit students to research and analyze life during this prosperous time in ancient history. They might work in small groups to explore different aspects of Egypt during the time of Amenhotep III and Queen Tiy’s reign after creating additional guiding questions. Students may wish to specialize in one aspect of ancient Egyptian life and then share individual findings with a larger group.

• This article describes the natural resources of Egypt.
• This article introduces Amenhotep III and his reign from 1390 to 1353 BCE.
• This article offers a brief description of Queen Tiy (Tyie), who reigned from 1398 to 1338 BCE, and describes a statue made in her image.
• This 5-minute video is a digital depiction of ancient Egypt.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students who require an additional challenge may wish to explore the division of social classes in ancient Egypt and the occupations of laborers—especially goldsmiths and stoneworkers. Students might then convey in a visual aid with images the difficulties and benefits of these occupations.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the novel.

What is your dream occupation? What obstacles might prevent you from achieving your dream? What kind of training do you need for your dream job? How would you feel if a family member or someone close to you tried to prevent you from achieving your dream?

Teaching Suggestion: Ranofer becomes an apprentice stonecutter in the novel. He dreams often of becoming a goldsmith like his father, but his dreams seem unlikely as long as his half-brother has control over his life. Consider discussing “dream occupations” and obstacles that prevent people from achieving their dreams.