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I Was There… in Pompeii on Eruption Day: A Creative Writing Trip to the Past.

Join us in exploring Pompeii as Vesuvius buries the ancient Roman city, and write a dramatic story about being in Pompeii on Eruption Day.
Tracy Lambert
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:
(235)
Star Educator
Class

What's included

1 live meeting
55 mins in-class hours
Assessment
Informal assessment during class

Class Experience

US Grade 4 - 5
One day you’re living a perfectly normal life in 79 AD (CE)
Then, on the 24th of August, it all ends. The volcano, Vesuvius, erupts violently. Just after midday, ash and volcanic debris rain down on the city, burying it and nearly all of its inhabitants.
Surprisingly, Pompeii lay almost completely forgotten for centuries until archaeologists uncovered the buried remains…

What must it have been like, living in the shadow of a mountain that starts to behave strangely? When you don’t know what a volcano is or what will happen, what do you think about this odd event?
What do you do when it erupts? How do you describe the feeling?

In this class, we’ll look at how we can make notes that will help us in putting our story together before exploring the historic details surrounding Vesuvius’ famous eruption and take a look at what was uncovered a long time afterwards. As we go, we'll look at descriptive language; how we could describe feelings, senses, actions, etc.

Using what we've discovered, we'll move on to writing time and students will create a story about their character in Pompeii on eruption day. 
If students would like to share their ideas, plan or what they've written, they are welcome to do so but there is no pressure.
Learning Goals
Students will:
Look at note-taking and planning
Look at historic context
Learn about the events surrounding the eruption of Vesuvius
Create a piece of fictional writing based on events.
learning goal

Other Details

Parental Guidance
The delivery of content is age-appropriate but the subject matter will include discussing the feelings of people caught up in the event, what became of them and how most died. We'll also look at the fact that historians were able to make plaster casts of the preserved remains of those who perished and some photos will be included in slides. These have the appearance of statues and will not be gory at all.
Supply List
A notebook or paper and something to write with, or a device to use for writing.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined September, 2020
4.9
235reviews
Star Educator
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
Writing is my passion and as well as majoring in English at university, along with Theatre Arts, I've almost 20 years of experience in teaching English in primary schools. Over those years, I have worked regularly with groups of children specifically on English writing skills and teaching creative writing online.
I’m also passionate about history and love to explore historic mysteries and fascinating events. I have used creative writing linked to historic events over many years in school and have helped students blend the facts of the past with creativity in writing. 

Reviews

Live One-Time Class
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$13

per class
Meets once
55 min

Completed by 7 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 9-11
1-6 learners per class

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