Lesson Plan - Secrets of Pompeii

Watch a Video: What You Need to Know About Pompeii
Discuss: What is pyroclastic flow? What effect did it have on Pompeii?

Preview Words to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know.

• archaeologists
• excavation
  
  

Set a Purpose for Reading
As students read, have them think about what makes Pompeii unique.

1. Explain what happened to the city of Pompeii when Mount Vesuvius erupted.
When Mount Vesuvius erupted, a giant cloud of ash, stones, and toxic gases exploded into the sky. Soon the city was swallowed by a deadly mixture of hot gases, ash, and rocks. When the ash cooled, it hardened like concrete.
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2. Why is Pompeii a unique archaeological site?
Pompeii was a busy city full of activity when the eruption happened, and its daily life was preserved by the ash. Archaeologist Steven Ellis says, “You get to see a city that was still pulsing with life.”
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3. Why does the author say there is “more to discover” in Pompeii?
The author says there is more to discover in Pompeii because about one-third of the city is still covered by up to 20 feet of rock and dirt.
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FEATURED SKILL: Analyze a Primary Source
Use the Skill Builder “Eyewitness to an Eruption” to have students read and analyze a primary source about the eruption. 
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