Educator Guide

Where is Pompeii?

What happened in the year 79?

What lessons have people learned from Pompeii?

One Day in Pompeii invites you and your students to consider these questions as you explore the exhibit.

FAST FACTS

• The name Pompeii probably originated fromthe ancient Italian word pompe which meansfive. Scholars have studied the archaeologicalrecord and concluded that the city was likelyan association of five smaller towns or hamlets,which would support the theory that Pompeii’sname came from the word five.

• At the time of its destruction, scholars believe thatthere were about 20,000 people living in Pompeii.

• Mount Vesuvius is a stratovolcano or compositevolcano. Stratovolcanoes are steep, cone-shaped volcanoes made of many layers (strata)of hardened lava, ash, and stone. The layeredstructure builds up over time as debris fromeruptions cools and hardens.

• Evidence suggests that the city was buriedunder 4 to 6 meters (13 to 20 feet) of ash andpumice from the volcanic eruption. Objects inthe city were well preserved for thousands ofyears because the ash and pumice blocked airand moisture.

QUICK TIPS

• The exhibit entrance is located on C Level, accessible via NW elevators and/or escalators from B Level.

• An optional audio tour is available for an additional charge.

• The exhibit exits into a gift shop where you will find a variety of items related to the special exhibition.

• On average, most groups will spend about 60 minutes in the exhibit. There is no reentry allowed. Restrooms are located in the Atrium. There are no restrooms inside the exhibit.

• No flash photography or talking on the phone. No food or beverages allowed.

• We encourage guests to connect via WIFI network USKCExhibit and share your experiences with us #USKCPompeii

During your visit to One Day in Pompeii, students will:

• Go on a journey back in time.

• Encounter real artifacts from Pompeii.

• Experience a simulated volcanic eruption.

After your visit to One Day in Pompeii, students will:

• Appreciate the magnitude of a volcanic eruption.

• Think about how other people lived in other times.

• Understand that nature destroys but can also preserve.

ABOUT THE EXHIBIT

In the year 79, the ancient Roman city of Pompeii vanished beneath thick layers

of ash that rained down from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. But what nature

destroyed, it also preserved.

One Day in Pompeii transports students back in time to Pompeii in its better

days, when daily life was filled with routines of commerce, industry, and culture.

Recovered artifacts on display include coins and currency, helmets, ornaments,

shrines, and statues. Suddenly, the floor shakes as the restless Earth begins to

quake. An immersive computer-generated experience simulates the volcano’s

sudden eruption, bringing earth science to life in dramatic fashion. The resulting

devastation leaves an unforgettable impression.

How to Prepare Students should know that this is an extremely rare opportunity to see the

objects on display. The artifacts represent a society and culture that was

suddenly extinguished nearly two thousand years ago.

The information in this guide will help orient students and prepare them for the

experience. Consider showing students the short videos on the recommended

websites as a pre-visit activity. Encourage your students to read the age-

appropriate suggested books from the list included here. These books will

acquaint your students with Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius to help them make the

most of their visit to the exhibit.

THE CASTS

A highlight of the exhibit is the presentation of human body casts. Students

are likely to be intrigued by them as they are vivid and memorable portraits of

human suffering. Pompeii was first excavated in the mid-1700s by a Spanish

engineer. When removing layers of ash during the excavation, plaster was used

to fill in the voids between the ash layers that once held human bodies. The

resulting casts revealed the exact body positions of the deceased. While the

casts are just plaster shapes, they are expressions of lives ended and so deserve

to be approached respectfully.

What to Expect

One Day in Pompeii is an exhibition of recovered artifacts, enclosed in display cases. The displays in the exhibit are “hands-off,” as the objects are far too rare and fragile to be touched. The exhibition is organized into sections, each of which is highlighted below.

Intro TheaterA short introductory program provides an orientation to the exhibit, helping to set the scene and prepare you for your journey back to ancient Pompeii.

Atrium GalleryAn Italian atrium was a large, open living space. In this gallery, you will find a collection of frescoes and statues, some with religious connections.

Peristyle & Garden GalleryAn Italian peristyle is an outdoor living space, similar to a porch or patio. In this gallery, a collection of statuary and outdoor decorations enhance the environment.

TricliniumEnter the formal dining room, known as the triclinium. Frescoes and mosaics decorate the room and artifacts include candleholders, tables, stools, lamps, and dinnerware.

KitchenIn the kitchen you will find cooking tools, grills, jugs, and cups. Bronze, glass, and clay are a few of the materials used in Pompeii to make their utensils.

Streets of Pompeii & MarketplaceThis large gallery presents the vibrant trade industry in Pompeii. Tools, large vessels, hooks, and needles supplied the labor force. Weights and coins enabled the exchange of goods including jewelry, medical instruments, and body armor.

Eruption TheaterHaving now seen how people lived in Pompeii, students see how their lives ended. The simulated volcanic eruption leaves an indelible memory.

Buried in AshAfter the eruption, students enter the final gallery where the human body casts are on display. These vivid portraits of human suffering are an unforgettable conclusion to the exhibit.

TRY THIS!

WHERE IN THE WORLD?

Prepare for your visit to One Day in Pompeii by orienting students to the geography of Italy. Use Google Maps to look at the region.

Go to maps.google.com

Enter “Mount Vesuvius” in the search box.

Use the map’s view controllers to switch between satellite and map views, comparing the features of each. The satellite view is particularly dramatic.

Zoom out a few times until the view begins to include the surrounding cities, the region, and eventually the country of Italy.

Notice the topographical features of the map and how elevation levels are presented.

Locate Pompeii which is southeast of the volcano.

Locate Naples which is northwest of the volcano.

Discussion QuestionsPompeii was completely destroyed by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The city of Naples is about the same distance from the volcano as Pompeii. Today, about 2.2 million people live in the city of Naples and double that number live in the surrounding area.

Is it risky to live in Naples?

Yes, there is risk, but all places have risks associated with them.

Would you ever want to live in Naples?

Answers will vary based on student opinion.

Why do you think people built the city of Naples even though it is so close to a volcano?

Naples is a port city on the Mediterranean Sea. Access to the sea enabled trade and exchange of imports and exports.

One Day in Pompeii features human body casts that were made during the original excavation of the archaeological site. Demonstrate the process of plaster casting for your students to help them understand how the body casts were made.

Materials

Aluminum foil baking pan (square or rectangular, either is fine)

Flexible plastic bucket for mixing and pouring plaster

Wooden mixing spoon or paint stirrer

Play sand (available in home improvement stores)

Plaster of paris mix (available in home improvement stores)

Water (amount needed will vary depending on how many casts you make)

Process

Fill the foil pan with play sand, about 2/3 of the way.

Add water slowly until the sand is saturated, stopping before puddles form on top.

Smooth the surface of the dampened sand.

Press your hand slowly and firmly down into the sand until a good imprint is made. If the first try does not produce a clean imprint, simply mix the sand and smooth the surface again. Then, try making the handprint again. When you are satisfied with the imprint, set the pan aside.

Follow the instructions on your mix to make a batch of plaster in the plastic container. Use the wooden spoon to avoid sticking.

Gently pour the plaster into the sand mold until it completely fills the impression. Carefully smooth the surface using the wooden spoon.

Allow the plaster to harden. Consult your plaster mix’s instructions for an estimate of how long it will take.

Carefully lift the plaster cast from the sand and brush away any residual sand.

The resulting cast captures a moment in time for your hand in the same way that the body casts in the exhibit captured the residents of Pompeii at the moment of their death.

TRY THIS!

Make a Plaster Cast!

Elementary School

Pompeii: Lost and Found by Mary Pope Osborne ISBN 0375828893

Gopher to the Rescue! A Volcano Recovery Story by Terry Catasús Jennings ISBN 1607181312

Earth’s Fiery Fury by Sandra Downs ISBN 076131413X

Middle School

Bodies from the Ash: Life and Death in Ancient Pompeii by James M. Deem ISBN 0618473084

Forces of Nature: The Awesome Power of Volcanoes, Earthquakes, and Tornadoes by Catherine O’Neill Grace ISBN 0792263286

Probing Volcanoes by Laurie Lindop ISBN 0761327002

High School

Pompeii: The History, Life, and Art of the Buried City by Marisa Ranieri Panetta ISBN 8854407186

Vesuvius: A Biography by Alwyn Scarth ISBN 0691143903

Vesuvius: Two Letters by Pliny the Younger ISBN 0615191312

Recommended Websites

Assignment Discovery: Vesuvius Destroys Pompeii dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/other-shows/videos/assignment-discovery-shorts-mount-vesuvius-destroys-pompeii.htm

Assignment Discovery: Vesuvius History dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/other-shows/videos/assignment-discovery-shorts-vesuvius-history.htm

History: Pompeii www.history.com/topics/pompeii

Pompeii Archive archive.cyark.org/pompeii-intro

One Day In PompeiiSuggested Books For K-12 Classrooms And Libraries

Educational Standards

National Science Education Standards

www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/nses

As a primarily artifact-based exhibit, One Day in Pompeii provides limited engagement with scientific content or phenomena. However, the collection of artifacts offers an opportunity for students to consider how people from another culture arranged their lives and attempted to make sense of their world. These practices encourage critical-thinking and analysis, two skills which align with the National Science Education Standards and the Benchmarks for Science Literacy.

Content Standard D: Earth and Space Science

Activities meet this standard in part when students learn that:

K-4: The surface of the earth changes. Some changes are due to rapid processes such as volcanic eruptions.

5-8: The solid earth has a hot, convecting mantle. Major geological events, such as volcanic eruptions, result from plate motion.

9-12: The outward transfer of earth’s internal heat drives convection circulation in the mantle that propels the plates comprising earth’s surface across the face of the globe.

Content Standard F: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives

Activities meet this standard in part when students learn that:

K-4: Some environmental changes occur slowly, and others occur rapidly.

5-8: Internal and external processes of the earth system cause natural hazards, events that change or destroy human and wildlife habitats, damage property, and harm or kill humans.

9-12: Normal adjustments of earth may be hazardous for humans. As societies have grown, become stable, and come to value aspects of the environment, vulnerability to natural processes of change has increased.

The eruption of Mount Vesuvius and destruction of Pompeii in 79 AD/CE is one of the most memorable events recorded in human history. The exhibit tells the cultural story while also presenting earth science topics. A visit to the exhibit, therefore, can help you serve varied curricular objectives. The following presentation suggests alignments with the National Science Education Standards, the Benchmarks for Science Literacy, the Curriculum Standards for Social Studies, and the National Standards for Arts Education.

Connecting To Standards

Content Standard G: History and Nature of Science

Activities meet this standard in part when students learn that:

K-4: Although men and women using scientific inquiry have learned much about the objects, events, and phenomena in nature, much more remains to be understood.

5-8: Science is very much a human endeavor, and the work of science relies on basic human qualities, such as reasoning, insight, energy, skill, and creativity—as well as on scientific habits of mind, such as intellectual honesty, tolerance of ambiguity, skepticism, and openness to new ideas.

9-12: Individuals and teams have contributed and will continue to contribute to the scientific enterprise.

Benchmarks for Science Literacy

www.project2061.org/publications/bsl

4. The Physical Setting4b. Processes that Shape the Earth

By the end of the 2nd grade, students should know that:

Change is something that happens to many things.

By the end of the 5th grade, students should know that:

Waves, wind, water, and ice shape and reshape the earth’s land surface by eroding rock and soil in some areas and depositing them in other areas, sometimes in seasonal layers.

By the end of the 8th grade, students should know that:

The interior of the earth is hot. Heat flow and movement of material within the earth cause earthquakes and volcanic eruptions and create mountains and ocean basins. Gas and dust from large volcanoes can change the atmosphere.

By the end of the 12th grade, students should know that:

Earthquakes often occur along the boundaries between colliding plates, and molten rock from below creates pressure that is released by volcanic eruptions, helping to build up mountains. Under the ocean basins, molten rock may well up between separating plates to create new ocean floor. Volcanic activity along the ocean floor may form undersea mountains, which can thrust above the ocean’s surface to become islands.

7. Human Society7a. Cultural Effects on Behavior

By the end of the 2nd grade, students should know that:

People are alike in many ways and different in many ways. Different families or schools have different rules and patterns for behavior.

Educational Standards

Educational Standards

By the end of the 5th grade, students should know that:

Different cultures have different patterns of behavior that are exhibited by people who grow up in those cultures.

By the end of the 8th grade, students should know that:

What is considered to be acceptable behavior varies from culture to culture and from one time period to another, but there are some behaviors that are unacceptable in almost all cultures, past and present.

By the end of the 12th grade, students should know that:

Cultural beliefs strongly influence the values and behavior of the people who grow up in the culture, often without their being fully aware of it. Responses to these influences vary among individuals.

Curriculum Standards for Social Studies

www.socialstudies.org/standards/strands

I. Culture

Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of culture and cultural diversity.

II. Time, Continuity, and Change

Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of the past and its legacy.

III. People, Places, and Environments

Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of people, places, and environments.

National Standards for Arts Education

artsedge.kennedy-center.org/educators/standards.aspx

Many of the artifacts on display in the exhibition are the work of skilled artisans. A visit to the exhibit, therefore, is an ideal art appreciation opportunity for students, as called by for the National Standards for Arts Education.

Visual Arts

Content Standard: 4: Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures.

Content Standard: 5: Reflecting upon and assessing the characteristics and merits of their work and the work of others.

Content Standard: 6: Making connections between visual arts and other disciplines.

Missouri and Kansas Learning Standards Connections

Activity 1: Where in the World?

Activity 2: Make a Plaster Cast

Missouri Learning Standard Connections

Missouri Learning Standard Connections

Kansas Learning Standard Connections K-12History/Social Studies Benchmark 1:2 The student will analyze the context under which choices are made and draw conclusions about the motivations and goals of the decision-makers.

Kansas Learning Standard Connections K-12History/Social Studies Benchmark 3.1 The student will recognize and evaluate signifi-cant beliefs, contributions,and ideas of the many diverse peoples and groups and their impact on individuals, communities, states, and nations.

K-5

K-5

Social Studies:

Social Studies:

Elements of Geographical Study and Analysis: 5A-C

Tools of Social Science Inquiry: 7B

Tools of Social Science Inquiry: 7A

Elements of Geographical Study and Analysis: 5A-C, E, J

Tools of Social Science Inquiry: 7B

Relationships of Individuals and Groups to Institutions and Traditions: 6I

Elements of Geographical Study and Analysis: 5A-C, E

Tools of Social Science Inquiry: 7B

Relationships of Individuals and Groups to Institutions and Traditions: 6K

6-8

6-8

9-12

9-12

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