ACTIVITY SHEET - THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII€¦ · ACTIVITY SHEET - THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII I NT R...

Last Days of Pompeii

ACTIVITY SHEET - THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII INTRODUCTION The greatness of the Roman Empire was evident in its marvelous cities. Although Rome itself was the crown jewel of the Empire, there were other amazing cities that Romans loved to call home. Today, you will live through a day in Pompeii before the famous eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in CE 79. This adventure in Pompeii will be your introduction to Roman life, before continuing to the heart of the Empire, Rome itself.

The north east of Civil Forum at Pompeii, looking south.

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SCAN THIS QR CODE FOR THE POMPEII PLAYLIST

SCENE 1: HOUSE OF THE FAUN HOW THE RICH LIVED: WAKING UP AT THE HOUSE OF THE FAUN

FIGURE 1

Congratulations! You are a super wealthy Roman and have woken up in ‘The House of the Faun’, named as such because a statue of a dancing faun (half man half goat) was found there. This house was one of the largest and most elegant in Pompeii. Look around. You find yourself in the main atrium of the home. There is a pool called an impluvium in the centre of the scene, and in the middle you find a small, yet remarkable, statue. Look at the striking colour of the floor, paved with small pieces of dark stone that formed an effective contrast against the white limestone edge and brilliant inner surface of the shallow pool.

ACTIVITY Mark where you are standing on the map with an ‘X’. Describe the scene to your partner. Select ‘House of the Faun’ from the Explore playlist, and then look at the plan of the house.

QUESTIONS a. What purpose do you think the opening in the roof has? b. Where is the faun?

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SCENE 2: BAKERY OF POPIDIUS PRISCUS DAILY LIFE: A MORNING VISIT TO THE BAKERY

FIGURE 2

Time for breakfast, and you feel like some freshly-baked bread. You have left your home and are now inspecting this bakery that belongs to you. The business was managed by your libertus (a freed slave)... but he is nowhere in sight! He’s probably still sleeping. The consumption of bread became widespread among the Romans during the 2nd century BCE. Previously, flour was used to prepare puls (a wheat paste).

ACTIVITY Select the Bakery from the plan. Can you find where you are standing? Mark it with an ‘X’ on the map.

QUESTIONS a) What are the big circles on the map? b) How were these used to make bread? c) How were the things in the bakery used to make bread? d) What does the shape of the bread remind you of? e) How does this place compare in size and decoration to the last place you were in?

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SCENE 3: FORUM - TEMPLE OF JUPITER DAILY LIFE: BUSINESS AT THE CIVIC FORUM

FIGURE 3

Now that you have had breakfast, it’s time for you to get some business done. You have arranged to meet your friend in the Civil Forum to discuss your olive oil transportation business. Hmm… he seems to be late! Take a look around. The Civic Forum was the main square of ancient Pompeii, the center of political, commercial and religious life. You arranged to meet you friend in front of the Temple of Jupiter. During the time of the emperors, this temple was transformed into a temple for the emperor, a Capitolium.

ACTIVITY Look at the plan of the forum. Can you find where you are standing, and mark it on the map with an ‘X’? Notice the different clothing of the characters (humans and statues) in the scene. Describe what you can see to your partner.

QUESTIONS a) How many horse statues are in the scene? b) Who do you think the statues were dedicated to?

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SCENE 4: TEMPLE OF ISIS PRIVATE RELIGION: A PRAYER AT THE TEMPLE OF ISIS

FIGURE 4 Finally your friend arrived, and you made a business deal! You are a follower of the mysterious goddess Isis, from distant Egypt. You must now go to the temple and make an offering, so that Isis will bring you luck with your business. This temple of Isis dates from the 2nd century BCE. The temple you are looking at was re-built

by a freedman (a former slave) after an earthquake destroyed it in CE 62.

ACTIVITY Look at the plan of the temple. Where are you standing? Mark it with an ‘X’.

QUESTIONS a) How many people do you see in this scene? b) Who do you think the statues were dedicated to? What are they doing? c) What other buildings can you see? d) Can you read the inscription on the temple? Write the first line down. N* _ O _ _ _ _ V _ * _ * F * _ E _ S _ N _ S

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SCENE 5: THE FORUM, AND STABIAN BATHS LEISURE ACTIVITIES: TEPIDARIUM

FIGURE 5

Now that the sacrifice is complete, you go to a taberna (bar) for some lunch, and then a nap. When you wake up, it is time for some exercise and a bath to get ready for the evening’s social events. You are now in the tepidarium (warm room), where bathers could warm up a little before entering the caldarium (hot room). Around the room you can see a number of niches bordered by telamones (male figures). The next room was the caldarium (warm room).

ACTIVITY Look at the plan of the baths. Can you find where you are standing? (Clue: look at the position of the doors). Describe what you can see to your partner.

QUESTIONS a) What objects can you see in the room? b) What were the niches in the wall used for? c) Describe the ceiling, what did the decorations show? d) What kind of social activities do you think took place here?

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SCENE 6: GARDEN WITH THE SEA VIEW RELIGIOUS LIFE: A STROLL AT TRIANGULAR FORUM

FIGURE 4

You are refreshed and bathed, so now it’s time for some quiet reflection before the theatre. Life in Pompeii can be stressful, but luckily, there is a sanctuary of peace for you to relax in. The “Triangular Forum” of Pompeii was located along the seaside on the southern end of the city, in a peculiarly shaped open area close to the city’s Large Theatre. This sacred place had a temple from the old Greek colonist days, and was already centuries old at the time of the eruption.

ACTIVITY Look at the plan of the forum. Can you find where you are standing?

QUESTIONS a) What is the mountain in the background, do you think? b) How would you describe this part of the city compared to other places you have been? c) How do you feel in this place?

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SCENE 7: THEATRE - CAVEA ENTERTAINMENT: A TRAGIC PERFORMANCE AT THE THEATRE

FIGURE 4

Now that you have thought about life’s great mysteries at the temple, it’s time to ‘catch a show’. The theatre at Pompeii shows how, in at least one city in the region of Campania, dramatic performances of a high order were given. You are seated in the so-called Large Theatre, that was originally built into a natural hill at Pompeii in the 2nd century BCE, and was renovated at a later date.

ACTIVITY Look at the plan of the theatre. Can you find where you are sitting? Notice how the theatre is divided into different sections.

QUESTIONS a) How many parts are the seats of the theatre divided into? b) What is the purpose of the cloth suspended by ropes? c) How is the stage decorated? d) What is similar and different between this theatre and a modern theatre?

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SCENE 8: BASILICA POLITICS: MEETING WITH ELITES AT THE BASILICA

FIGURE 6

You enjoyed the show, it was a Roman comedy about a pot of gold, and you had some dinner in the bars afterwards. Suddenly, the friend you met this morning rushed up to you, and said he is very worried. You needed to come to the basilica immediately to discuss a crisis developing in Rome. Basilicas were places to discuss politics and do business. Much later, many were transformed into churches. This mighty basilica is one of the oldest ones we know about, and was located on the edge of the Civil Forum. Remember? You were there this morning. There was a colossal statue of the first emperor, Augustus, inside. In the basilica, your friend tells you of a terrible conspiracy happening in Rome.

ACTIVITY Look at the plan of the basilica. Can you find where you are standing?

QUESTIONS a) It is night, so how is this building illuminated? b) How is the building decorated? c) How is this place different to all the places you have visited so far? d) Why was this building perfect for politics and business, do you think?

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SCENE 9: MAUSOLEUM OF SERVILIUS QUARTUS TRAVEL: MEETING ON THE VIA APPIA TO....ROME!

You have been given a secret mission with sealed orders. You must deliver this message to the emperor himself! Early the next morning, you start your long journey to Rome. It will take you nine days to cover the 244 kilometres on foot! You can’t sail to Rome because you can’t risk being stopped at port, so you are using the Empire’s incredible network of roads. Now, you are approaching Rome on the final stretch. This is the Via Appia (known as the queen of roads), here you can see tombs of important families. You are in front ofthe Tomb of the libertus (freedman) Marcus Servilius Quartus, built, as the inscription says, "at his own expense". You wonder what your mission might be, and what you will find in Rome, ‘the eternal city’...

ACTIVITY How would you describe the road? What is the road made of? How many tombs can you see? What do you think you will find when you arrive in Rome?

DISCUSSION

1. Without looking back at the sheet, can you remember the places you visited? 2. Which places were: private or public? Which places were monumental and which places were intimate? 3. Talk about what you saw that was related to: business, politics, entertainment and home life. 4. What are the differences and similarities between Roman cities and modern cities?

HOMEWORK

1. When you get home, go back to your favourite place using Explore and write a full description of what you can see.

2. Choose one of the places you visited: a Roman house, theatre, bath or the forum, and do some more research about it online. Prepare a small presentation for the class.

3. Write about virtual reality, and how it can help you imagine the past and learn about history?

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LESSON PLAN AND TEACHERS INSTRUCTIONS 50 - 60 MINUTE LESSON WITH OPTIONAL HOMEWORK TASKS; OR SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL OVER SEVERAL CLASSES WELCOME TO THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF VR FOR THE ANCIENT WORLD This activity will introduce your students to the Roman world and Roman society in the Imperial period in a way that used to be impossible. Using an exciting new digital medium: 360 panoramas and optional virtual reality, your students will travel back in time and gain a sense of what the ancient world looked like—with their own eyes! They will have the opportunity to imagine themselves as a contemporary ancient observer—an aristocrat— going through their day in Pompeii. Along the way, they will be encouraged to remember what they have seen, so they can discuss the experience with their classmates or write about it. This technology increases students’ engagement and motivation to engage with the ancient world, as well as giving them a good reason to use their own smart phone in class! In this class, students will come face to face with different aspects of Roman life: trade, entertainment and public and private contexts. The scenes have been carefully designed to illustrate those aspects of Roman life in a vivid and engaging way to ensure that students understand the material in ways that were previously impossible. You can either present this journey in one class, or use the content throughout an ancient studies course, where you look at different aspects of Roman life. The scenes invite students to look at an archaeological plan and work out where they are in virtual space. This helps students both engage with maps/plans like this, making it easier for them to interpret in the future.

CLASS PREPARATION AND INITIAL SET UP BEFORE CLASS

● Make enough copies of the Activity Sheets for each student. ● Write these links on the whiteboard: iPhone: https://tinyurl.com/y6oegchg, Android:

https://tinyurl.com/y4j9wauy ● Get enough cardboard VR glasses, or snap on glasses (optional but highly recommended). You can

order Google cardboards online here: https://www.lithodomosvr.com/shop, or from Amazon etc. ● Each student needs a modern smartphone (less than 5 years old), preferable from Samsung 6 upward,

or iPhone 5 upward. Lower end phones without a gyroscope may not work for VR. It is a good idea to find out which phones students have prior to class. You can also check to see if they are VR compatible (https://tinyurl.com/y6o4v2lh).

● Students will need an active subscription to our app ‘Explore’. This can be purchased in-app, or pre ordered here: https://www.lithodomosvr.com/shop (from $2.50 USD per student per class, or $10 USD for a month). If you intend to ask students to carry out an in-app purchase, ensure that parents are aware.

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https://tinyurl.com/y6oegchg

https://tinyurl.com/y4j9wauy

https://www.lithodomosvr.com/shop

https://tinyurl.com/y6o4v2lh

https://www.lithodomosvr.com/shop


● Important, ensure that you have practiced using the app/glasses in advance of the class, and you are confident with the interface and technology to ensure the activity goes smoothly.

● Once setup is complete, future activities only require the Activity Sheets, as long as the app is installed and the subscription is active.

● You may wish to ask students to carry out the set up step (described below) as homework to maximise the class time activity.

● Remind students to charge their phones prior to class. ● It is OK to use glasses with Google Cardboards. ● This activity is best enjoyed standing up, so ensure you have enough room for students to move. A

central island of tables in the centre of the class is a good idea.

TIME (MINUTES) ACTIVITY

0 - 5 Tell students briefly about the history of Pompeii and why it is important. - Busy port town - Bay of Naples - Sudden eruption AD 79, tragic loss of life - Very well preserved Tell your students that they will be going through a sequence of scenes and that they should try to focus on the aspects of the scenes that stand out to them. Let them know that various parts of Roman life are on display, luxurious and mundane.

5-10 *This section of the activity can be set as homework (recommended for larger classes) Ask one student to come to the front of the class to model the activity. Ask the student to model assembling the Google Cardboards (if you are going to use them). Ensure all students have set up the cardboard. Distribute the installation sheet with the access codes. Ask students to download ‘Explore’. Then ask students to, in the app: a) Scan the prepaid QR subscription on the welcome screen. If they have already proceeded, scan from More tab (three dots), or;

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b) Enter the token key on the More tab, or; c) Purchase a subscription in-app on the Premium tab. Check that all students have access to the scene. Model to the students how to assemble the VR cardboard. Tell them not to place the phone into the glasses yet. Warn them to be careful with the phones, as they may slip out. Show them they need to remove the protective plastic film from the lenses, if the glasses have them.

10-12 Ask one of the students to read out the instructions on the first page of the activity sheet.

12-40 Ask one group to model the first scene in front of the class, so that other students know what to do. Students work through the scenes in groups (2-3). Ask student groups to take turns to read out the description of the scene while their partner is looking at the scene. It is fun for the student to give the verbal ‘narrative’ while the other student is experiencing the scene.

40-50 Group discussion. Students discuss the ‘Discussion’ questions either as a class or in groups.

NOTES ANSWER KEY

1. a) What purpose do you think the opening in the roof has? It is the compluvium, it collects water for an underground cistern when it rained. b) Where is the faun? In the centre of the pool.

2. a) What are the big circles on the map? They are mill stones of volcanic stone. b) How were these used to make bread? They were turned by a slave or a donkey to grind flour. c) How were the things in the bakery used to make bread? The attic above to store grain, the mill to grind the flour, the table to make the dough, the oven to bake the bread, the counter to sell bread etc. d) What does the shape of the bread remind you of? A pizza! Carbonised bread was discovered at Pompeii that looks suspiciously like pizza (without tomato of course, which was imported from South America after 1492). e) How does this place compare in size and decoration to the last place you were in? The last place was spacious, luxuriously decorated and well constructed. This place is small, dirty and irregular.

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3. a) How many horse statues are in the scene? 30. b) Who do you think the statues were dedicated to? Jupiter, king of the Roman gods.

4. a) How many people do you see in this scene? 12. b) Who do you think the statues were dedicated to? What are they doing? Egyptian and Roman Gods - Isis, Serapis, Venus. c) What other buildings can you see? Series of altars, a sacrifice pit. d) Can you read the inscription on the temple? Write the first line down. N* POPIDIVS*N*F*CELSINVS

5. a) What objects can you see in the room? A brazier surrounded by benches. b) What were the niches in the wall used for? To store clothes and hold up the ceiling. c) Describe the ceiling, what did the decorations show? Mythical creatures, rosettes, cupids and bacchic figures. d) What kind of social activities do you think took place here? Exercise, cleaning, relaxation and socialising with friends or business associates.

6. a) What is the mountain in the background, do you think? Mt. Vesuvius. b) How would you describe this part of the city compared to other places you have been? Open, spacious. Contains a greek tholos structure in the center of the open yard. c) How do you feel in this place? Tranquil and natural, protected.

7. a) How many parts are the seats of the theatre divided into? Three; summa cavea, ima cavea, media cavea. b) What is the purpose of the cloth suspended by ropes? To provide shade so the audience does not get fatigued by a long day of entertainment. c) How is the stage decorated? Minimally, with a backdrop of columns and statues. d) What is similar and different between this theatre and a modern theatre? Outdoors, with an open semicircular area in front of the stage for games and performances. No curtain.

8. a) It is night, so how is this building illuminated? Oil lamps. b) Describe the decorative material. Stucco painted to look like marble. c) How is this place different to all the places you have visited so far? Huge in scale. Square shape. limited source of natural light. d) Why was this building perfect for politics and business, do you think? Private, secretive and closed off to the outside world, yet big, shiny and intimidating.

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VIEWPOINTS

SCENE 1 - FIGURE 1

SCENE 2 - FIGURE 2

SCENE 3 - FIGURE 3

SCENES 4,6,7 - FIGURE 4

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SCENE 5 - FIGURE 5

SCENE 8 - FIGURE 6

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ACTIVITY SHEET - THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII€¦ · ACTIVITY SHEET - THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII I NT R...

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