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The Great Pyramid of Khufu is 147m from the ground to the top and each side of the base is 230m long. The Egyptians positioned the sides of the pyramid facing north, south, east and west. They did not have compasses so archaeologists believe that they used the stars as a guide. They used the circumpolar stars that circle the North Pole of the Earth. The ancient Egyptians also used a cubit rod to measure out the sides of the pyramid.

Students could build pyramid shapes from interlocking plastic cubes. If the tip of their pyramid is a square made up of four cubes, how many cubes will be needed to make the layer immediately below? What about the layer below that? Students could go on to calculate how many cubes would be needed to build a one-metre-high model of a pyramid.

As a homework activity, students could look for circumpolar stars in the night sky (the Great Bear and Little Bear constellations are visible all year round from the UK). Students could share their experiences of star gazing in class.