Lesson:MakingaPompeiiThemedClassroomDisplay

Grade:3rd
PreviousLessons:ProvocationforAncientGreeceandRome
90minutes

Objective:StudentwilllearnaboutthecityofPompeiiinancientRome

WeAreLearningTo(WALT)
Collaborate,planandcreateaninformationalposter

WhatIamLookingFor(WILF)
IcanhelpcreateaclassposteraboutPompeii
Iwillworkwellonateamtocompleteapartoftheposteraboutoneofthetopicsthatwechooseas
aclass.

LessonOne:45Minutes

Activities Time Materials

Introduction:
IntroducestudentstothelessonbydiscussingtheWALTandWILFfor
thislesson.(2minutes)
2MIN Google
Presentation
Provocation(wholeclassdiscussion):
ActivateanypriorknowledgeaboutvolcanoesorPompeiibyasking
guidingquestions(3minutes):
Whatisavolcano?
Hasanyonehereseenavolcano?Canyoudescribeit?(There
aremanyinChile,moststudentswillhaveseenone,themost
famousbeinginPucon)
HasanyheardofthefamousvolcanothatwasinancientRome?
HasanyoneheardaboutthecityofPompeii?
Afterfindingoutwhatstudentsknow.IntroducethatPompeiiwasacity
thatwasdestroyedbyavolcanoin79AD.Showstudentsthevideo
(linkedintheGooglePresentation)(9minutes)

Afterthisvideostudentscanaskcommentsorquestions.Ifthereare
anywonderingsthatstudentshavewecanaddthemtothewonderwall.
(3minutes)

15MIN Google
Presentation
GuidedDiscussion/BrainstormingTopics
Showstudentsabout5minutesfromthenextvideothatdiscusseswhat
weknowaboutPompeiitoday(510minutes)

ThinkPairShare.
Intheirtablegroupsaskstudentstothinkaboutwhatweknowabout
ancientcivilizations.HowdoweknowwhatlifewaslikeinAncient
Rome?WhyisPompeiiimportantforthisreason?
(anticipatedanswers:weknowfromartifacts,liketheoneswesawinthe
provocation,books,ancientbuilding)(510minutes)
20MIN

TellStudentsthatwearegoingtomakeaclassroomdisplay.Remind
themoftheWALTforthisclass.ThedisplaywillbeaboutPompeii,and
wearegoingtochoosesometopicsthatwecanresearchandpresent
about.Askstudentsforsuggestionsandwritealistontheboardorchart
paperastheycomeupwithideas(Examples:DailyLife,Mount
Vesuvius,PompeiiToday,Timeline)
Onceyouhaveenoughideas,decidewhichoneswork,whichonescould
becombineduntilyouhaveasatisfactorylist.(5minutes)
AssignRoles:
Assignstudentsintogroupsandgiveeachgrouponeofthetopicsto
researchandpresenton.(Iwrotethenamesofeachtopicontheboard
followedby1.,2.,3.,anddrewnamesusingpopsiclesticks,eachchild
chosewhattheywantedtodobasedonwhatwasstillavailable,this
seemstoworkreallywellforthisactivity)(5minutes)
5MIN
Reflect:KWLChart
StudentsfilloutaKWLChartaboutwhattheyknowandwanttoknow
abouttheirassignedrole.Asksomestudentstosharesomeoftheir
answers.CollectKWLchartstocheckforunderstanding.

10MIN KWLCharts

AfterLesson1,lookatthestudentstopics,andKWLcharts.Searchforwhatgroupsneedmoreguidance
andwhatmaterialsandresourcesyouwillneedforthestudentstoresearch.Youmaywanttohave
studentsinvestigateathomeandbringinformationintoschooltocreatetheirdisplay,oryoucanhave
iPads,computers,booksorprintedresourcesavailabletothem.Haveresourcesavailableforthenextclass.

Lesson23

Activities Time Materials

Introduction:
Quicklyreviewthelastlesson,WALTandWILF.
5MIN Google
Presentation
GroupDiscussion:
Showstudentssomesamplesofstudentmadeposters(Iusedposters
fromaroundtheschool,youcanalsofindpicturesontheinternet).
Discusswhatworkswellandwhatdoesnt.Sometopicstodiscuss:

1. Information
2. Planning
3. Pictures
4. Organization

10MIN StudentSamples
GroupWork
Dividestudentsintogroupsbyassignedrole,givethemtimetoplan,
decidewhichmaterialstheyneedandcreatetheirpartofthedisplay.Be
suretomovearoundfromgrouptogrouptodiscusstheirplansand
40MIN Markers
Scissors
Glue
Posters
ensuretheyareunderstandingofthetaskathandandusingtheirtime
wisely.
Remindstudentsofthespacethatthedisplaywillbein.Arethere
tables?Doesithavetobehungfromtheceilingoronthewall?Makea
planforwhereitshouldgo.

Presentation
Asstudentsfinish,helpthemtohanguptheirpartsofthedisplay.The
classmightwanttorearrangethedisplayafterstudentsarefinisheduntil
itlooksbest.

Wheneveryoneisfinished,groupscantakesometimetodiscusstheir
topicsofexpertisetotheclass.
20MIN Glue
WallSpace
Reflection
Havestudentsfilloutanexitcardaboutthepresentation

Skill
Whatworkedwellwiththeposters?Whatcouldbeimproved?

Concepts
HowhasPompeiiinfluencedwhatweknowaboutancientRome?
5MIN PapersforExit
Cards

TeacherReflection:

Lesson1:
WhenIdidthislesson,thestudentswereveryengagedwiththevideo.Theywereveryinterestedin
Pompeiiandhadlotsofquestionsandcomments.Somestudentswereextremelyinterestedinhowwe
knowthetimelineofthedaysoexactlysoitmadeforsomegreatdiscussion.

Ididthenextlessonafterlunch,soIprintedofresourcesfromtheinternetforthemtousebecausewedid
nothavealotoftime.IfIdothislessonagain,Iwouldplanitoutoveracoupleofdaystogivestudentstime
toinvestigateathomebecausetwostudentsbroughtbooksthenextdaywithinformationaboutpompeiito
sharewiththeclass.OnebookwasSpanish,theotherwasEnglish.

Lesson23
Studentswerereallymotivatedandcreativeandcameupwithsomereallygoodideas.Somestudentshad
toberemindedthatweweregoingtobehangingthedisplayonthewall,soifitwas3Dtheywouldhaveto
findawaytodisplayit.

Studentsmadeverygoodobservationsaboutwhatworkedwellandwhatcouldbeimprovedaboutmaking
posters.Thiswillbeagoodteachingtooltomodelbetterpracticeandorganizationforwhentheycomplete
aposterontheirown.