Subject Areas |
Art and Culture
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Anthropology |
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Architecture |
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Visual Arts |
Foreign Language
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Latin |
History and Social Studies
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World History - Europe |
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Time Required |
| Two to three class periods |
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Skills |
| information gathering and research
map reading
chronological thinking
historical comprehension
historical analysis and interpretation
creative writing >br>
collaboration
public speaking and presentation
Internet skills
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Date Posted |
| 4/9/2002 |
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In Old Pompeii
Introduction
In
this lesson, students take a virtual field trip to the ruins of Pompeii to learn
about everyday life in Roman times, then create a travelogue to attract visitors
to the site and write an account of their field trip modeled on a description
of Pompeii written by Mark Twain.
Learning Objectives
(1) To learn about the history of Pompeii and its destruction.
(2) To gain insight into the past through archaeological interpretation. (3) To
synthesize historical information through imaginative writing.
Guiding Question: What
can we learn about life in Roman times from the ruins of Pompeii?
Suggested Activities
1
Begin
the lesson by providing students with background on Pompeii (pom-pay),
a small town in the Roman Empire that now offers us a unique window on life in
those ancient times. - Help students locate
Pompeii in Italy on the eastern shore of the Bay of Naples, near the base of the
volcano, Mt. Vesuvius. A map of this area is available through EDSITEment at the
National Geographic Society
Xpeditions website: click "Resources & Links" on the Xpeditions homepage,
select "Map Machine at nationalgeographic.com," then click "Atlas Maps." Click
"Select a New Map" and use the pop-up menu to select "Europe," then scroll down
and click "Naples, Italy." Zoom in one level on this map for a view that includes
Pompeii at the extreme right.
- Explain to
students that Pompeii was destroyed during an eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 C.
E. that buried the city under more than six feet of ash and pumice. Although some
people returned to try and recover items they had left behind, Pompeii was abandoned
after this catastrophe, and over the centuries became largely forgotten. Finally,
in the early 18th century, the discovery of some marble inscriptions by a farmer
digging a well led to excavations which over the past 200 years have revealed
a typical Roman city frozen in time.
- For
more detailed information about the destruction and rediscovery of Pompeii, see
the article on Pompeii from The Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites
available through EDSITEment at the Perseus
Project website: type "Pompeii" into the search engine on the Perseus Project
homepage, click "Search Perseus," then click the triangle beside the "Princeton
Encyclopedia" entry and select the article on "Pompeii Italy."
2
To
help students take a first step on their journey back in time to the days of Pompeii,
have them read an eyewitness account of its destruction written by Pliny (pli-nee)
the Younger (62-c. 114 C.E.). Translations of two
letters, Epistle 6.16 and Epistle 6.20 in which Pliny describes what happened on that terrible day are available
through EDSITEment at the Pompeii Forum
Project website. - Help students locate
the places named in the letters: Misenum (my-see-num), now called Miseno,
on the west shore of the Bay of Naples, across from Pompeii, and Stabiae (sta-bee-eye),
now called Castellammare di Stabia, south of Pompeii on the bay.
- Focus
discussion first on the events Pliny describes: the "cloud" of ash and pumice
that marks the eruption of Vesuvius; the steady hail of ash and pumice that darkens
the sky and mounds up to block the shore; the sheets of lightning crackling over
the volcano (caused by dust particles charging the air with static electricity);
tremors that knocked buildings off their foundations; fumes that combined with
the dust to make breathing almost impossible; and an enveloping darkness that
Pliny likens to "the black of closed and unlighted rooms." Point out in this discussion
that Vesuvius did not encase Pompeii in molten lava; it buried the city under
tons of ash in an eruption like that of Mount St. Helens in Washington state in
1980.
- Follow up this discussion of the event
by having students comment on the glimpses of everyday Roman life we can find
in Pliny's letters. Note, for example, how much time Pliny and his uncle devote
to reading and study, and how they mark the day with meals and baths. Note also
how they seem to spend much of their time outdoors. Point out the family's reliance
on slaves -- to fetch shoes, carry messages, serve meals, lend physical support.
Have students comment on the way Pliny characterizes the women in his story --
Rectina, who begs Pliny's uncle to save her, and his own mother, who begs Pliny
to save himself. Contrast these portraits with Pliny's characterizations of his
uncle and himself, who both exhibit an almost incredible stoicism in the face
of danger. Finally, compare the behavior of Pliny and his uncle with that of the
townspeople who surround them. What picture of Roman society emerges from these
brief vignettes?
3
To
help bring this ancient society to life, introduce students to the ruins of Pompeii
with a video tour of the Forum
Baths, available through EDSITEment at the Pompeii
Forum Project website. This series of Quicktime videos, narrated by a member
of the project team, explains the institution of the Roman bath and leads one
through the different stages of the bathing process. Use the links on the floor
plan of the Baths to move from the Entrance to the Apodyterium (a-poe-die-tare-ee-um)
or dressing room, the Palaestra (pal-eye-stra) or exercise courtyard, the
Calidarium (cal-i-dar-ee-um) or hot room, the Tepidarium (teh-pi-dar-ee-um)
or warm room, and the Frigidarium (fri-geh-dar-ee-um) or cold room. On
this tour, students will begin to learn how archaeologists interpret architectural
and design details to reconstruct the patterns of life that shaped Pompeiian society,
and thus gain a foundation for their own explorations in the ancient city.
4
Divide
the class into study groups for a virtual field trip to Pompeii, having each group
explore a specific aspect of city life. Links are provided below for exploring
the Forum area, the city's main shopping district, and a selection of Roman homes.
Middle school teachers in particular may wish to provide students with a limited
selection of these images, some of which come with explanations while others are
simply captioned. You and your students can explore beyond this set of images
by visiting the websites from which they have been collected:
- The
Pompeii Forum Project: includes an extensive archive
of images of the Forum area, 360-degree virtual
reality scenes from different parts of the city, images
of selected sites, and a "walking" tour
of Pompeii's streets.
- Pompeii
and Herculaneum: Professor Cynthia Damon's website for Classics 36 at Amherst
College is accessible through the Pompeii
Forum Project. Click "Notes for Teachers and Students" on the Pompeii Forum
Project homepage, then click "Eruption 79! An Eyewitness Speaks!" for a link to
Professor Damon's site. Click "Syllabus"
for a course outline that includes links to selected slides with brief captions.
Click "Useful
Resources" for a valuable set of links to other Pompeii websites.
- Perseus Project:
includes a variety of Pompeii images with brief captions, which are accessible
by typing "Pompeii" into the search engine on the Perseus Project homepage. Click
the "Thumbnail" button on the search results page to view the image collection.
A detailed map
of Pompeii, which labels most of the sites students will visit, is available
through a link on Professor Damon's "Useful
Resources" page. Click the "Conjectural Map
of Pompeii" link at the bottom of this page to view an indexed map at the
Bellum Catilinae website.
The
Forum - Pompeii
Map with Panoramic Images: click "Forum Map" and use the links to access 360-degree
views of the Basilica (lower left), the Temple of Apollo (mid-left), the area
between the Temple of Jupiter and the Macellum (top), and the Forum itself (center),
along with other sites in this area.
- View
of the Forum taken from overhead
(http://pompeii.virginia.edu/local/pVII_7-9_bal_wj.jpg)
- Basilica
image plan map, which allows one to move through the building
(http://cti.itc.virginia.edu/~jjd5t/mike/photo2/basilica.html)
- Basilica
detailed views
(http://www.amherst.edu/~classics/DamonFiles/classics36/
pompeii/basilica.html) - Eumachia
Building image plan map
(http://pompeii.virginia.edu/pompeii/eummap.html)
- Temple
of Apollo, another view
(http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/image?lookup=1999.04.0111)
- The
Macellum (ma-sell-um), the city's meat market
(http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/image?lookup=1999.04.0115)
- The
Macellum, wall paintings within the building
(http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/image?lookup=1999.04.0116)
- The
Macellum image map, which allows one to move through the site
(http://pompeii.virginia.edu/pompeii/macmap.html)
- Sanctuary
of the Genius of Augustus image map, which allows one to move through this
shrine to the emperor's "genius" or life spirit
(http://cti.itc.virginia.edu/~jjd5t/mike/photo2/agustus.html)
- Sanctuary
of the Genius of Augustus, another view
(http://jefferson.village.virginia.edu/pompeii/
local/pVII_9_109-112sw1.jpg) - Sanctuary
of the Genius of Augustus, views of the altar
(http://jefferson.village.virginia.edu/pompeii/sgamap.html)
Shopping District - Pompeii
Map with Panoramic Images: click "Pompeii Map" and use the links on the map
to access views along the Via dell'Abbondanza.
- Thermopolium,
another view
(http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/image?lookup=1999.04.0126)
- Thermopolium,
another view showing a painted shrine to the lares (lare-eez) or
guardian spirits of the place
(http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/image?lookup=1999.04.0127)
- Bakery,
another view showing the oven
(http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/image?lookup=1999.04.0122)
- Bakery,
another view showing the millstones used to grind flour
(http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/image?lookup=1999.04.0138)
- Street
Scenes: thermopolium, bakery, latrines and sewers, street signs, and the stepping
stone crosswalks that let pedestrians avoid wading through the sewage that flowed
through Pompeii's streets
(http://www.archart.it/archart/italia/campania/ Pompei/Pompei%20-%20strade/index.html) Homes
- House of the Faun, named for a sculpture found
in the impluvium
Impluvium,
another view (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/image?lookup=1999.04.0145)
Garden
(http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/image?lookup=1999.04.0147)
More
Images of the House of the Faun (http://www.archart.it/archart/italia/campania/Pompei/ Pompei%20-%20Fauno/index.html) More
Images of the House of the Faun (http://cti.itc.virginia.edu/~jjd5t/region-vi/
faun/faun-table1.html) - House
of the Vettii (vet-tee-ee), named for the family of Vettius
Lararium,
another view (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ image?lookup=1999.04.0143)
More
Images of the House of the Vettii (http://www.archart.it/archart/italia/campania/ pompei/Vettii/vettii1/vettii1.htm) More
Images of the House of the Vettii (http://cti.itc.virginia.edu/~jjd5t/region-vi/vettii/
vettii-table1.html) Wall
Paintings in the House of the Vettii (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/image?lookup=1999.04.0139)
More
Wall Paintings (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/image?lookup=1999.04.0140)
More
Wall Paintings (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/image?lookup=1999.04.0142)
5
Provide
students with a set of questions to guide their explorations of Pompeii. Encourage
them to look for resemblances between life in Pompeii and life in a modern-day
city or town, using their imaginations to reach back across the centuries and
fill in the picture of this vanished society. For example: - Have
students try to visualize the site as it appeared 2000 years ago. What is missing
from the scene (e.g., doors, roofs, furniture, wall decorations, litter, animals,
etc.)? What sorts of people do you imagine coming to the site? What do you see
them doing? How do they interact? Encourage students to draw or describe the scenes
they envision.
- Have students compare the site
to a similar location in a modern-day city or town. What is our equivalent to
this place? How do we behave there? When and why do we go there? What similarities
help us understand Pompeiian society? What differences remind us that the ancient
world is remote from the world of today?
- Have
students make a list of the most interesting features they notice on their field
trip. These can be details explained in the image captions (such as the stepping
stones built into Pompeii's streets to allow pedestrians to avoid the sewage that
flowed there) or details that simply catch a student's eye.
- Have
each study group make a list of questions they would like to ask an expert on
Pompeii. These can be used as the basis for research projects, but their immediate
purpose should be to help students identify significant aspects of the city and
begin to formulate ways to investigate further.
6
At the conclusion of their field trips, have each group
give a brief report on the area of Pompeii it explored, explaining the site to
class members who investigated other parts of the city. Students can use print
outs of images for their presentations, or download images to create a computer
slide show. Encourage students to imagine themselves travel agents as they prepare
their reports, aiming to attract tourists to their part of the city. If time permits,
students can also create brochures highlighting some of Pompeii's chief attractions.
7
Close the lesson by having students read Mark Twain's description
of Pompeii from Innocents Abroad, which began as a series of letters describing
his trip to Europe and the Middle East in 1867 and became the best-selling of
all his books during his lifetime. "The
Buried City of Pompeii" is Chapter 31 in Innocents Abroad and is available
through EDSITEment at the Mark
Twain in His Times website. Click "Innocents Abroad" on the website's homepage,
then click "Browse etext" and select "Chapter 31." - Compare
Twain's impressions of the city with the students' own. How does he "make sense"
of the archaeological record? What does he add to the scene with imagination?
What "lessons" does he take away?
- Have students
write their own account of Pompeii, or of a specific site in Pompeii, modeled
on Twain's description of his visit. Students can write this account in letter
form, imagining themselves telling a friend about what they have seen, or they
can put the account in story form, following Twain's example by making themselves
the story's main character.
Extending the Lesson
- Provide students with a behind-the-scenes look
at the work of archaeologists by visiting the "Three
Trenches" section of the Pompeii Forum
Project website. This is a three-part Quicktime video report on excavations
that the project team carried out at Pompeii to learn more about how the Forum
area of the city took shape. "Trench 1" presents evidence that a street was re-routed
to make way for an extension of the Forum's Temple of Apollo in the decades before
Pompeii was destroyed. "Trench 2" documents modifications to a house on the re-routed
street that were contemporary with reconstruction of the Temple. "Trench 3" records
a search for evidence of reconstruction on the Forum-side of the Temple, and reveals
the kinds of surprises archaeologists often encounter in their work.
- The
Pompeii Forum Project also provides
an online activity for Latin students, "Read
a Latin Inscription from Pompeii!," which guides students step-by-step through
the process of deciphering and translating an inscription on the Eumachia Building.
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