2.3. Archaeology, History and Art

Subject (Geography, Art, Literature, History) Archaeology, History and Art

Age of the students 8-12 years old Goals of the lessons Going to the MAV – Virtual Archaeological Museum allows children to discover in situ the Roman history, culture, and art of the period, and the eruption of the Vesuvius of the 79 A.C. Through the virtual learning experience children can relive virtually what they have studied about life and habits of the citizens of Pompeii and Herculaneum

Venue

Results

Resources

Duration MAV – Virtual Archaeological Museum https://www.museomav.it/?lang=en Children learnt about the Roman history, in particular of the period of the eruption of Vesuvius, in which these cities were crystallized in time. They discovered about people’s customs, habits and traditions, the places they lived in such as the villas, the shops, the theatre, the baths. Moreover, they learnt about the art of that time such as the use of the Rosso Pompeiano as the typical colour of the mural art, the architecture of the Domus (Roman house), mosaic and papyri Digital tools: 3D, a short-movie, devices. The explanation delivered by the tour guide 2 hours

Content The first part of the lesson take place among the public places present in every ancient Roman city: the Herculaneum Theatre, the Central Bath House (a very popular social place); Pompeii’s Forum, the Amphitheatre, and the “Schola Armaturarum”, vital centers of the city. The second part of the itinerary is dedicated to the Domus (houses): some of the most significant examples of Pompeian domus are the “House of the Tragic Poet”, “House of the Faun”, “House of the Labyrinth” and “House of the Citharist” . The reconstruction of these private places makes it possible to discover how the houses of the ancient Pompeians were organized, their environments and the different functions they were intended for. The third part is a journey into Pompeian and Herculaneum painting. Each fresco and mosaic are analyzed in detail, focusing on their colour, techniques and their meaning. The fourth, and last part of the itinerary, is entirely dedicated to the Villa dei Papiri and its extraordinary library. This sumptuous villa, built on the coast of Herculaneum, comes to life through the virtual reconstructions. The tour ends with the reconstruction of the event that changed forever the history and geography of the area: the eruption of the Vesuvius of the 79 A.C.

Exercises/labs examples Role-play activity After the explanation by the guide about the life of ancient Pompeians, children are involved in a role-play activity in which they have to act as if they were living during that period. We handle kids some white papers on which they can write and draw their character. Then, we give them 5 minutes to think about who they want to be (a patrician, a plebeian, an artist etc.). After that we let them draw how they are dressed and write what kind of activity they are involved in, based on what was explained during the lesson. At the end we let them invent the story of their life in order to understand how they must act with others.

When everything is settled, children, with the help of the trainer/educator, can start the drama activity