Khnemu and the Seven Years’ Famine | Reader’s Theater Script | Egyptian Mythology

The Khnemu and the Seven Years’ Famine Reader’s Theater Script of Egyptian Mythology explores the story of King Tcheser in his eighteenth year of reign, facing a devastating seven-year drought when the Nile fails to flood. Desperate for relief, Tcheser sends for Matar, who explains that Khnemu, the ram-headed god of creation and the Nile’s source, feels neglected—his temple is in ruins, and his worship has waned. Tcheser travels to Elephantine, offers lavish sacrifices, and promises to restore Khnemu’s shrine. The god responds by commanding the waters to rise again. The king issues a decree mandating tithes and gifts for Khnemu, ensuring the priesthood thrives. Soon, the Nile returns to its proper inundation, ending the famine.

The resources consists of an editable DOCX file (14 pages) which contains:

1) Teacher Tips & Answer Key

• CCSS Alignment
• Teacher Tips for use as both RT and Play/Skit
• Answer Keys for Worksheet
• Themes & Discussion Question Prompts

2) Readers Theater Script

• ~10 Characters, 1530 words

3) Script Worksheet

• 10 Vocabulary Words
• 10 Short-Answer Comprehension Questions: Comprehension and recall questions based solely on the script
• Character Traits Chart - Students write 1 or 2 adjectives that describe the main characters in the script and support their answers with quotes from the script.

Teaching Tips for Using the Script:

• For digital classrooms, upload the DOCX Script and convert to Google docs
• For More Students: Main character can be read by multiple students.
• For Less Students: Minor characters can be read by just one student.
• This script should take about ~20 minutes and depending on your classroom's level it may be suitable for other grade levels.
• An extra ~20 minutes for prep, discussion, vocabulary or short answer comprehension questions should also be planned.