Pompeii and Herculaneum

Overview

In this first lesson of the unit “Exploring Pompeii and Herculaneum”, students learn why Pompeii and Herculaneum matter in ancient history and connect that significance to the geography of Campania. They practise describing features of places in the ancient world using simple historical language and a guided worksheet.

Learning intentions

• Students will describe the importance (historical significance) of Pompeii and Herculaneum as ancient Roman cities.
• Students will identify key geographical features of Campania and explain how place can affect cities.

Success criteria

• Students can contribute to a guided class discussion by sharing at least one idea about why the cities are important.
• Students complete the worksheet by correctly matching and labelling at least four geographical features of Campania (with support if needed).

Curriculum links

• AH-LS-05: Students describe features of places or societies in the ancient world (cities and their significance; geographical context).
• AH-LS-01: Students make personal connections to history (link “why we still study this” to modern learning and evidence).
• AH-LS-03: Students identify continuity and change in the ancient world (early signs of how daily life and city layout relate to place).
• AH-LS-06: Students investigate people, events or developments of the ancient world (begin with the cities’ role in Roman life and the impact of the region).

Lesson structure (100 minutes)

1. 0–10 min · Entry and focus. Teacher displays an image set: ruins/streets (Pompeii, Herculaneum) and a blank map of Italy’s south; teacher reads a short prompt. Students complete a quick “Think–Write–Share” (1 sentence each) on: “Why do we study old places?”

2. 10–25 min · Mini-lesson: Why they matter. Teacher explains, in student-friendly terms, that Pompeii and Herculaneum are important because they are ancient Roman cities where evidence about daily life has been preserved, helping historians understand how people lived, worked, and governed under Rome. Students follow along with a 3-question guided note: “What are they?”, “What can we learn?”, “Why is that useful today?”

3. 25–45 min · Guided discussion: Significance roundtable. Teacher uses sentence starters on the board: “I think Pompeii/Herculaneum is important because…”, “We can learn about…”, “This matters because…”. Students join a roundtable discussion in small groups, with the teacher prompting and rephrasing to support students with autism or mild intellectual disability.

4. 45–60 min · Geography direct teach (Campania). Teacher introduces a simple regional overview of Campania: location in southern Italy; nearby sea; nearby volcano (Vesuvius); mountains/hills; fertile land; rivers and pathways. Students complete a “Key features” graphic organiser with teacher check-ins (pointing/matching cards to the organiser).

5. 60–78 min · Map activity: Place affects cities. Teacher provides a simplified Campania map (printable) with labels for sea, volcanic area, fertile plain, and nearby hills/mountains; explains one “cause → effect” example (e.g., fertile land supports settlements; volcanic risk affects history). Students practise two cause-and-effect statements using frames:

• “Because Campania has ______, cities could ______.”
• “The region’s geography influenced ______.”

6. 78–92 min · Worksheet consolidation (main task). Teacher distributes the worksheet with matching, short answer boxes, and a word bank; provides modelling for the first item. Students complete:

• Part A: match features to descriptions (e.g., “sea: trade and travel routes”).
• Part B: label 4–6 features on the map.
• Part C: one sentence about how geography influenced the cities (sentence stems provided).

7. 92–100 min · Exit check. Teacher conducts a rapid “2-question exit ticket” orally and/or on paper: (1) One reason the cities are important, (2) Name one geographical feature of Campania. Students submit before leaving.

Resources

• Image cards of Pompeii and Herculaneum ruins and streets
• Simplified map of Italy south with Campania area indicated
• Simplified Campania map worksheet (printable)
• Geography feature cards (sea, volcano area, fertile plain, hills/mountains, rivers/paths)
• Sentence starter strips (discussion + writing frames)
• Guided notes template (3 guided questions)
• Word bank for worksheet (teacher-prepared)
• Timer and visual agenda (for routine)

Assessment

• Formative: teacher observes participation during roundtable discussion using sentence starters and prompts.
• Formative: check completed guided notes after the mini-lesson (quick teacher review with verbal feedback).
• Summative for this lesson: worksheet accuracy (map labels and matching items) plus the one-sentence geography explanation.
• Exit ticket: two short responses to confirm understanding of significance and one geographical feature.

Differentiation

• Provide explicit sentence starters, word banks, and “model answer” examples for worksheet writing.
• Use visual supports (maps, colour-coded cards) to reduce reliance on reading load.
• Offer option of pointing/matching instead of long writing for Part A, then require only one short sentence for Part C.
• Extension within the same task: if time allows, students add one extra cause→effect idea using an additional frame (“Another way geography influenced the city was…”).