I Got a Lava Livin' to do in Pompeii

A WebQuest for 6th Grade Social Studies, Language Arts and Science

Designed by Robin McCulley and
Kim Castagna

robinmc7@earthlink.net
castagnak@vcss.k12.ca.us

Introduction | Task | Process | Evaluation | Conclusion | Credits | Teacher Page

Introduction

In 79 A.D. a volcano erupted that changed history.  The people of Pompeii were actually caught unaware of the danger the mountain of Vesuvius could pose to their well being.  In late August the city was bustling with activity.  Housewives and slaves traded at the outdoor market purchasing items needed for their household.  The baker set out fragrant loaves of bread. Farmers carefully displayed their produce (garlic, onions, cabbage, olives and dates) grown in the fertile soil surrounding Mt. Vesuvius.  Chickens and goats wandered among the many statues of famous Romans, some chased by the children playing games in the streets. People walked carrying their goods since wheeled traffic was not allowed in the forum or "downtown" area.  

Mount Vesuvius, which is near Naples, Italy, lay dormant for many years with only a few rumblings.  On August 24, A.D. 79 the long dormant volcano powerfully erupted.  The residents of Pompeii and Herculaneum were taken by surprise!  Hot ash and bits of lava rocks rained down on the citizens of the city for hours until it was buried twenty feet deep.  Many people escaped, coughing and stumbling through the ash cloud darkness.  Those not fortunate enough to escape, were overwhelmed by a sudden powerful blast of gas and ash.  The buried towns were forgotten until excavations began in the 18th century.

Could the mass devistation have been prevented?  Imagine the fear the people felt, or did some think there was nothing to worry about?   As people went about their daily lives, were there any warning signs before the top blasted off Mt. Vesuvius? What did they do when the eruption started?  What might they have seen?  Is there evidence to tell what the people of the city were doing when the eruption began?  These are questions for you to answer.

Task

While you are living during this dramatic and explosive time in history, you will keep a personal journal. Your journal will record thoughts, observations, daily chores and activities for yourself and others around you.  Include information describing yourself and what type of person you are.  Be sure to record any signs you feel might have forwarned the city of the impending diaster.  You need to provide detailed descriptions so archelogists in the future can document life in 79 A.D., Pompeii.   You will begin to write your journal in the weeks preceeding the eruption.  Your entries will be the "video camera" into your daily life.  

Living styles were determined by the family you were born into.  If your parents were farmers, most likely you would inherit the family business and also become a farmer.  Some  unfortunate people were either born as slaves, sold into slavery or were captured and forced into slavery (this was 40% of the population). On the other hand, there were those born into the life of luxury who had servants and slaves waiting on their every want.  It was very difficult to change your life situation.  You lived within the class you were born.

Process

• Bread Maker
• Housewife
• Soldier
• Slave
• Farmer
• Weaver
• Child
• Physician
  

1. Pliney has left us a true detailed diary of his observations during the eruption.  He and his family were actual witnesses to the destruction of the city of Pompeii, Italy on August 24, A.D. 79.  You will definately want to read these to get a true feeling of the event.
   
2. You will also want to check out a farmer's diary the archelogists were able to recover. This one would be a good model for your own diary entries.
3. Find out more about the life and times of Pompeii by visiting the sites found here. These links will provide background information on the setting and events. You need to read these to become familiar with the life you will live in Pompeii so your journal entries will be full of factual events
4. Walking around the city will take you to the many places the citizens visited daily.  You too will want to stop by the baths, grab a quick bite to eat at the food vendor and work out at the outdoor gym.
5. Your station in life was determined by your fate card.  You will want to join others who share your station so you can compare notes and help each other be complete in journal entries.  To learn of your life, each of you will read about a different aspect of the life in Pompeii. 

• Bread Maker
• Housewife
• Soldier
• Slave
• Farmer
• Weaver
• Child  
• Physician
  

1. Most citizens belonged to groups of some kind.  Craftsmen most likely met to share their craft techniques, polical leaders met to share ideas, etc.  You will also meet with like minded citizens to better your craft.  Find Pompeiians who have your interests and conduct your research together, while writing your own journal.  
2. Requirements of your journal entries is a good place to visit.  You should stop in frequently to be sure you are on the right track.  
3. When all journals are completed, each identity group will split up and share their writings with others.  You will represent your station in life.  Each group will ideally be attended by one person from each identity group.  You will each read excerpts of your diaries aloud and use this to lead a discussion about the life and times of Pompeiian citizens.

Evaluation

You will be evaluated on your performance individually.  Your journal will be evaluated using the rubric below to look for the specific requirements.  You will complete this rubric evaluation on your own to assess your own journal quality (you should be honest with yourself) before it is turned into the teacher.  This rubric is a good guide to refer to as you work on your journal to insure it is complete, detailed and creative.

Conclusion

In conclusion, you now have a feel for life in 79 A.D., Pompeii.   The city was a bustling place in the shadow of a mountain.  Unfortunately, they were not able to understand the warnings emitted from Mount Vesuvuis.   The Romans were very proud of their "modern" technology, but today we have access to so much more knowledge.  Imagine living there in their time, but with 21st century knowledge.  How might you have alerted the citizens of Pompeii to the impending danger?  How would you get them to listen to you?  

For extra credit (be sure to get your idea approved by your teacher first), you can be a journalist writing a newspaper page.  You have a message you want your fellow citizens to listen to - be sure to include this information.  Your page should comprise several articles. These articles could include: volcano information, advertisements from 79 A.D., Pompeii, editorials, obituaries, sports, news, and anything else found in newspapers.

Credits & References

The Ancient Rome background design came from Ancient Rome Web Designs Backgrounds http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/7085/backgrounds.htm

Books used for factual information:
Hartley, Linda Pompeii The Last Days of a Roman City.  McGraw-Hill School Division

Kids Discover, "Volcanoes".  June/July 1993

Here is a link to The WebQuest Page and the Design Patterns page so that you can acquire the latest version of this template and training materials to make your own webquest!

We also wanted to thank the patient "technology techs" at Santa Barbara County Education Office and University of California, Santa Barbara PT3 program.  They are very knowledgeable, and without whose help we would still be floundering in Pompeii.

"We all benefit by being generous with our work. Permission is hereby granted for other educators to copy this WebQuest, update or otherwise modify it, and post it elsewhere provided that the original authors' names are retained along with a link back to the original URL of this WebQuest. On the line after the original author's name, you may add Modified by (your name) on (date). If you do modify it, please let us know and provide the new URL."

Last updated on (7/03/02). Based on a template from The WebQuest Page