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Destruction
of Pompeii Mini Unit Study
In A.D. 79, the ancient Roman city of Pompeii and much of the
surrounding area was completely destroyed by the volcanic eruption
of Mt. Vesuvius. Prior to the eruption of the volcano, Pompeii
was a bustling Roman vacation destination of about 20,000. Although
there were plenty of warnings of the coming catastrophe (a series
of earthquakes, smoke rising from Mt. Vesuvius, wells running
dry, etc.), nobody then knew how to interpret these ominous portents
of disaster, thus dooming most of the city’s population.
What makes the story
of Pompeii so interesting to modern students of Roman history
is twofold: there was an eyewitness account from a young man named
Pliny the Younger and the buried ancient city was later excavated
with many buildings, artwork and other artifacts of Roman life
completely intact as a testament to life in a Roman city.
In this mini unit study, you can: read about the signs leading
up to the great volcanic eruption, learn about the re-discovery
and excavation of Pompeii, see a timetable of the fateful day,
take a virtual tour of Pompeii and a volcano, read, listen and
even watch the eyewitness account of Pliny the Younger, decipher
Latin inscriptions found in Pompeii, see artwork from the Roman
city and make a model of Mt. Vesuvius and watch it erupt.
Recommended
Resource
The Buried City of Pompeii
We discovered this gem
of a picturebook while putting together the Ancient Rome issue
of our magazine last year. It isn't too often that you can find
high-quality, accurate storybooks on ancient history for the younger
set that will also keep their attention. This book does all three.
The story centers around a caretaker on a Roman estate in ancient
Pompeii. The book includes: maps of Pompeii, colorful story illustrations
and photos of present-day Pompeii. Also included is interesting
(and sometimes creepy) information about what archaelogical excavations
have uncovered - ancient graffiti and the impressions left by
lava covered Romans.
Book (Paperback)
Authors: Shelley Tanaka
Amazon Price: $7.19
Read
more about the book on Amazon
