5 Days in Pompeii, Naples, Herculaneum, & the Bay of Naples' Volcanic Islands
Let's take a virtual Italian summer trip to Pompeii, Naples, and the surrounding islands! As a Roman historian, I spend a great deal of time in this area of Italy. Join me as we explore the volcano and the ancient and modern cities nearby.
What's included
5 live meetings
4 hrs 35 mins in-class hoursClass Experience
The class will begin each day by asking the students what they are most interested in learning about in our Pompeii and Naples Summer Camp that day, I always try to include each student's individual curiosity or questions into the class. I welcome all thoughts and questions- it's a great way to learn. **No prior experience traveling in or studying Italy and no prior knowledge of Italian or Roman history is required. 1. Let's get to know Pompeii. Before we explore the ruins, we will learn about daily life in the Ancient Roman Empire. What did the people eat? What jobs did they do? How did they spend their day? Then we will discuss the destruction of Pompeii and Vesuvius. What kind of an eruption was it? What were the events of that day? How exactly was the city destroyed? Did anyone escape? 2. Archaeological Pompeii. Now that we understand how the city was destroyed, let's look at the archaeological remains. We will explore the ancient city streets and visit the Forum, an ancient café, and inside a few homes of the residents. We will learn about the excavations of Pompeii and the exciting work that is still continuing. New discoveries are made all the time and we will get a sneak peek at a few of them. 3. Naples. Let's have a fun day in the modern city of Naples. This beautiful city also city in the shadow of Vesuvius and it's a vibrant, beautiful, and delicious city. We will see what it's like to live in modern Naples and check out their take on pizza. Every city in Italy that I have explored has a different way of making pizza and Naples in no exception. How do they get the crust so light and puffy? We will find our way through the ancient and tiny streets of the city, look inside the archaeological museum, and get a feel for Naples and its unique culture. 4. Herculaneum. We are returning to the ancient world to explore Herculaneum, the town neighboring Pompeii. Vesuvius unleashed pyroclastic flow and thick ash on this town, which makes excavation and preservation a completely different task than it is in Pompeii. We will learn not only about the fate of the people of this town but also about what we can learn about them from what what preserved by the volcano. Let's explore the archaeology of Herculaneum and learn what this town has to teach us about that day in 79 AD. 5. Beach day! Come with me to explore the beautiful islands in the Bay of Naples. Beautiful views, stunning beaches, and delicious food. We can take the hydrofoil to Ischia and wander around this island. Let's see if their pizza is different from that in the city of Naples, and look around the small streets. We can stop at a resort and watch the perfect turquoise water before heading off to Capri. This was once the island get-away for the emperors of Rome and it's still fabulous. We will explore the ruins left by the imperial palaces and learn a bit about the emperors that stayed there before we head back into the city of Naples. We are going to have a great time in Pompeii, Naples, and the islands in the Bay of Naples!
Learning Goals
Students will have a working knowledge of not only the history of Pompeii, Naples, and the surrounding cities, both ancient and modern, but its culture as well. They will also understand how the volcano, Vesuvius, erupted, the type of eruption it was, and the aftermath. Students will understand the archaeology of Pompeii and Herculaneum and daily life in modern Naples.
Other Details
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Teacher expertise and credentials
Hello! I’m Sondra Rapoport, your friendly neighborhood Roman Historian. I live for 3 months of the year in Rome, it's my favorite city. I taught with Harvard University's Dept. of Classics for 6 years as a Head Teaching Fellow. I taught classes on The Rome of Augustus and Roman Games and won awards for distinction in teaching each semester I taught with Harvard. Now, I homeschool my son while we travel the world and I greatly enjoy adapting my knowledge and classes designed for university level to each of his grade levels.
Reviews
Live Group Class
$65
for 5 classes5x per week, 1 week
55 min
Completed by 7 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 9-14
3-10 learners per class