Sappho and Pompeii

Overview

This 60-minute lesson is designed for a class of 22 students, divided into groups of two for scaffolded paired work. It focuses on the ancient Greek poet Sappho—her identity, cultural significance, and contributions—and on how modern images and artefacts from Pompeii inform our understanding of history. The lesson aligns with the UK History National Curriculum (KS3) and supports literacy, critical thinking, and visual source analysis skills.

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Curriculum Links

• KS3 History Programme of Study
  • Understanding the cultural, political, and social history of the ancient world
  • Developing skills of historical enquiry and source interpretation
• English - Developing comprehension and communication through discussion and text analysis
• SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social, and Cultural development) - Building appreciation of different cultures and historical perspectives

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will:

1. Describe who Sappho was and explain why she is historically significant.
2. Analyse how modern images and artefacts from Pompeii shape our understanding of ancient history.
3. Develop the ability to critically evaluate visual historical sources and differentiate between evidence and interpretation.
4. Work collaboratively to scaffold each other’s understanding through structured peer discussions.

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Resources

• Printed fact sheets on Sappho (with simple bullet points and timelines)
• Photograph handouts and printed coloured images from Pompeii frescoes, mosaics, and artefacts
• Whiteboard and coloured markers
• Projector for displaying images of Pompeii and texts by/about Sappho
• Worksheets for paired analysis activities
• Sticky notes and large paper for group work

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Lesson Structure

Starter (10 minutes)

Objective: Activate prior knowledge and introduce Sappho and Pompeii visually.

1. Engage: Begin by showing a high-quality image of a Pompeii fresco depicting daily life or poetry-related scene.
2. Prompt: “What can this picture tell us about life in Pompeii?” Gather quick ideas, writing key words on the whiteboard.
3. Introduce Sappho: Show a portrait-style image or an artist’s impression of Sappho and a very brief description: “Sappho was an ancient Greek poet from the island of Lesbos about 2,600 years ago.”
4. Set the learning goals: Clearly explain the lesson’s aims and what students will be doing in pairs.

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Main Activity Part 1 - Who Was Sappho? (15 minutes)

Objective: Acquire factual and contextual knowledge about Sappho using scaffolded pair work.

1. Paired Reading: Hand each pair one-page fact sheets on Sappho’s life and poetry (including her social context, themes of love and emotion, and her importance in the ancient world and today).
2. Guided Questions (scaffolded for pairs):
   • When did Sappho live?
   • What was she famous for?
   • Why do her poems still matter today?
3. Mini Presentation: Each pair shares one interesting fact, guided by the teacher and supported by sentence starters on the worksheet (“One thing I learned was…”).
4. Teacher input: Provide clarifications, relating Sappho’s work to wider cultural themes (like gender and expression in the ancient world).

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Main Activity Part 2 - How Pompeii Teaches Us History (20 minutes)

Objective: Develop skills in analysing how images and artefacts from Pompeii give insights into the past.

1. Visual Source Analysis: Groups receive selected images from Pompeii (frescoes, mosaics, household items, etc.) with scaffold questions:
   • What do you see in this image?
   • What might this tell us about the people who lived in Pompeii?
   • How do historians use this to imagine daily life or important cultural aspects?
2. Role Play "Historical Detectives": Each pair presents their interpretation of their image as if teaching the class a clue about the past.
3. Class Discussion: Guide the class to reflect on how modern images can never show “everything”—they represent choices about what to show and preserve.
4. Link Back to Sappho: Point out how surviving poetry and Pompeii’s preserved images both rely on what was saved and discovered over time.

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Plenary (10 minutes)

Objective: Consolidate knowledge and reflect on learning.

1. Exit Ticket: On a sticky note, students write: “One new thing I learned about Sappho or Pompeii” and “One question I still have.”
2. Class share: In pairs, they swap notes and briefly discuss their questions.
3. Teacher summarises: Emphasise the importance of questioning sources and understanding history through different types of evidence.

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Differentiation

• Support: Sentence starters, fact sheets with images, visual guides for scaffolded questions
• Challenge: Extension task to consider how modern technology (like 3D reconstructions) changes what we understand about Pompeii and Sappho’s world.

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Assessment

• Formative assessment through paired presentations and contributions in class discussions.
• Use exit tickets to identify understanding and misconceptions for future teaching.

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Reflection and Next Steps

• Follow up with a creative writing task: students imagine an undiscovered poem by Sappho or design their own Pompeii fresco.
• Introduce cross-curricular links with Art and English through exploring ancient texts and visual storytelling.

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This lesson integrates historical knowledge with critical visual literacy and encourages active collaboration—skills emphasised in the UK curriculum for developing confident and enquiring learners in history.