If you’re looking for Egypt-themed KS2 resources, Laila Rifaat’s Aliya series is a great place to start. Aliya Aboard the Time Train is out in August 2024 and is the sequel to Aliya to the Infinite City.
The series is set in a time-travelling school in a parallel Egypt. It’s full of great characters, flying carpets and mythological creatures.
The series is a fantastic way to introduce KS2 children to Egyptian and Middle Eastern history and culture in a fun and accessible way.
These chapter-by-chapter teaching resources, created by Emily Weston, contain comprehension questions, writing opportunities and cross-curricular opportunities for Aliya to the Infinite City.
What is Aliya to the Infinite City about?
At home in Cairo, an unexpected gift arrives for Aliya, promising to grant her greatest wish – to know more about her lost parents.
To her surprise, she’s whisked off by flying carpet to a parallel Egypt, where she’s enrolled at an academy for time-travellers.
But while she’s there, an enemy is watching – a master of forbidden magic. If they can unlock Aliya’s inherited talent, they can change history forever.
Example writing opportunities
- Imagine you are the girl who was on a magic carpet as it flew around the world and write a diary entry.
- Create a character description of Mr Kamel based on what you have learnt so far. What kind of personality might he have?
- Create a persuasive TV advert script for a time-travel portal. What language do you need to use to convince someone to buy it?
- Research British idioms – what are they? What do they mean? Make a glossary of idioms which you could illustrate to help someone understand what they mean.
- Create your own menacin medicine recipe. You could use existing plants, or make up your own. What do you want your recipe to do? Remember, menacin is about healing people.
Example cross-curricular opportunities
- Look at an atlas and identify where the ‘Mediterranean’ is. What countries surround the sea?
- What religion has the Quran as their holy text? Look at the five pillars of this faith to understand more about the religion Aliya and Geddo share.
- Have a go at writing using calligraphy. How do the different letters look? Create a bookmark with your name on it using this writing style.
Laila Rifaat moved to Cairo, Egypt, in her twenties to explore her father’s native country. She fell in love with the country and has lived in Cairo for over 20 years. She has an MA in English and Comparative Literature and has worked as an ESL and IGCSE teacher. Find out more about Laila Rifaat’s books. You can also visit Laila’s website, where she will be uploading regular free resources for teachers.
