On 12th January 2011, 44 secondary school students from CHIJ Katong Convent and 3 of their teachers had an enjoyable afternoon at the Pompeii: Life in a Roman Town 79 CE (Common Era) exhibition at the National Museum of Singapore. Many students commented that they were not aware of the tragedy of this Roman Town and were extremely intrigued by the disaster of Pompeii – the land that was buried when Mount Vesuvius erupted on 24 August 79 CE.
To link the eruption of Mount Vesuvius to present day happenings and humanitarian aid and the volunteer sector, the youths were given a talk by Mr. Andrew Ang, Head of Corporate Outreach and Resource at Mercy Relief, an independent non-governmental humanitarian society established in Singapore. The talk focused on natural disasters and the aid efforts of Mercy Relief in ASEAN. The students gained more awareness about natural calamities and their impact on societies and also found out how they can contribute should such calamities occur in the region. Many of the KC students felt inspired by Mr. Andrew Ang’s talk and wanted to play a part in helping those in need.
Talk given by Mercy Relief
KC students listening intently to the talk 
KC student reading the booklet given by Mercy Relief
After the talk, the students proceeded with the Pompeii exhibition tour. Ms Helene Gueron, an experienced and nurturing volunteer guide, fed them with details about the excavation process in Pompeii and described some of the artifacts exhibited.
The students were captivated by the body casts: the expressions and how they tried to protect themselves in their last moments. It struck them. One student commented that seeing these body casts and their expressions preserved felt unbelievable and unreal.
Body cast
Ms Helene Gueron explaining the artifacts
Students wearing the 3D glasses, waiting excitedly to enter the theatre
Next, the students were introduced to the town of Pompeii, its business and livelihood tools and systems, and its public entertainment. They then entered a typical Roman house and learnt about the way of life of the Romans: from the atrium, to the home altar, to the bedroom, kitchen, dining room and the garden area. Many remarked that they were amazed by the life of the Romans in 79 C.E as it is a far cry from their own life.
There were activity sheets for the students to discover more on their own. The event concluded with the students expressing what they liked most from the Pompeii Exhibition tour through an art activity. They were keen to visit the Pompeii Exhibition again to discover more about this Roman Town.
CHIJ Katong Convent teachers and students with Ms Yap Su-Yin and Ms Laurence Harel
Posts
No Response to "Pompeii : Life in a Roman Town 79 CE"
Post a Comment