Students study what papyrus was and what it was used for. Students explore how papyrus was made, and the two writing systems hieroglyphics and cuneiform.

Students are introduced to the way writing was invented in Mesopotamia. In groups, they participate in re-creations of events that occured in a traditional Mesopotamian school. They practice writing in cuneiform script on clay using...

Pupils discuss the importance of communication and writing in their daily lives. In groups, they use the internet to research the development of letters, alphabets and writing materials. They trace the spread of the Latin language...

Providing a thorough presentation on the art of written language (and not just English), this slideshow will open your students' eyes to the sociological and linguistic issues surrounding writing systems, both modern and historical. The...

Students discuss the earliest form of writing, pictographs and view several examples. They then create their own hieroglyphics and write a short story using them. They then create and label a timeline including methods of writing prior...

Third graders explore transportation and written communication prior to the Renaissance.

Reference material on the history of the alphabet beginning with a system of representation of sounds as in Egyptian hieroglyphs and then cuneiform. Illustrations and links to related content.

Both fun and informative, this rich site from the Encyclopedia Phoeniciana explains the importance of the Phoenician alphabet for the development of world languages. Download a Phoenician font for yourself!

History and definition of writing, plus extensive information on the types, families, and regions of written languages. For each language, you'll find information on when and where it was used, the people who used it, and what it looked...