The Sacred Scarab Root

The Sacred Scarab Root story

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This original story was written specifically for use in drama focusing on the concepts of Balance, Imagination, Cultural/Multicultural, Narrator/Storytelling, Repetition, Story Elements: Character, Conflict, Plot, Setting, Theme/Idea, and Transformation: Human Characters.

It can also be used in the Body Objects Lesson if you are just getting started with drama. 


A little background information about the sacred scarab:

The sacred scarab is a species of dung beetle known for its habit of rolling animal dung into balls, laying eggs inside, and burying them in shafts in the ground. In ancient Egypt, these habits of the sacred scarab gained symbolic and religious significance. It was believed that only male scarabs existed and the birth of the beetle from the ball of dung was thought to be an act of self-creation. Because of this “spontaneous” birth, the sacred scarab became aligned to the creation god Khepri and likewise became a symbol of self-creation, resurrection, and eternal life.

Khepri was also a sun god and thought to renew the sun each day before rolling it from the eastern to western horizon. The scarab’s rolling of the ball of dung was perceived as an earthly manifestation of Khepri’s rolling of the sun.

Images of the scarab were widely used in Egyptian art and hieroglyphics and small carved scarabs were worn as necklaces. But, perhaps, the scarab’s greatest significance was in ancient Egyptian funereal culture. Due to its symbolic connection to resurrection and eternal life, scarab amulets were buried with mummies. These scarabs were know as “heart scarabs” because they were placed over the heart and thought to keep the secrets of the heart from incriminating the deceased at his final judgment.  

Grade Level

  • 3rd Grade
  • 4th Grade
  • 5th Grade
  • 6th Grade
  • 7th Grade

CONCEPT/SKILL

  • Balance
  • Character
  • Conflict
  • Cultural/Multicultural
  • Imagination
  • Plot
  • Repetition
  • Setting
  • Story Elements
  • Storytelling Narration
  • Theme/Idea
  • Transformation

INTEGRATION IDEAS

  • Africa
  • Cause and Affect
  • Conflict
  • Culture
  • Details
  • Egypt
  • Fact & Fiction
  • Family
  • Multicultural
  • Myth
  • Plot Sequence
  • Problem Solving
  • Repetition
  • Story Elements
  • Travel

ROOM SETUP