Educator’s Guide | PG 2
POMPEII: The Exhibition
invites you and your students
to consider these questions as you explore the exhibit.
DURING YOUR VISIT TO
POMPEII: THE EXHIBITION,
STUDENTS WILL:
• Go on a journey back in time.
• Encounter real artifacts from Pompeii.
• Experience a simulated volcanic eruption.
AFTER YOUR VISIT TO
POMPEII: THE EXHIBITION
,
STUDENTS WILL:
• Appreciate the magnitude of a volcanic eruption.
• Think about how people lived in past times.
• Understand that nature destroys but can also preserve.
FAST FACTS
• The name Pompeii probably originated from the ancient
Italian word
pompe
which means five. Scholars have
studied the archaeological record and concluded that
the city was likely an association of five smaller towns,
or hamlets, which would support the theory that
Pompeii’s name came from the word five.
• At the time of its destruction, scholars believe that
there were about 20,000 people living in Pompeii.
• Mount Vesuvius is a stratovolcano or composite volcano.
Stratovolcanoes are steep, coneshaped volcanoes made
of many layers (strata) of hardened lava, ash, and stone.
The layered structure builds up over time as debris from
eruptions cools and hardens.
• Evidence suggests that the city was buried under 13 to 20
feet of ash and pumice from the volcanic eruption. Objects
in the city were well preserved for thousands of years
because the ash and pumice blocked air and moisture.
QUICK TIPS
• The exhibit entrance is located at Building 4, across from
Building 2 and just outside the Laser Dome.
• An optional exhibit audio guide is available for an additional
$6 charge.
• The exhibit exits into the
POMPEII
gift shop where you will
find a variety of items related to the special exhibition.
For science-themed items, visit the Pacific Science Center
Store located in Building 3 right by the Laser Dome.
• On average, most school groups will spend about 60
minutes in the exhibit, if carefully examining all of
the artifacts. Re-entry is not allowed. There are
no restrooms inside the exhibit.
• Photography is not allowed inside the exhibit.
Video and audio recording devices of any kind are
not allowed. Mobile phones and devices must be
turned off in the galleries. Food or beverages are
not allowed.
Where is Pompeii?
What happened in the year 79?
What lessons have people learned
from Pompeii?
Photo courtesy of the
Soprintendenza Speciale per I Beni Archeologici di Napoli e Pompeii
