Pompeii & Vesuvius · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Pompeii and the Volcano That Buried It

Science · Volcanoes & Earthquakes · ages 7-9
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. What buried the city of Pompeii?

    • Ocean water
    • Volcanic ash
    • Falling snow

  2. What is the name of the volcano that erupted near Pompeii?

    • Mount Vesuvius
    • Mount Etna
    • Mount Fuji

  3. The ash from Vesuvius buried the whole city of Pompeii.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. What did archaeologists pour into hollow spaces in the ash to see people's shapes?

    • Plaster
    • Water
    • Sand

  5. Why can we still see the shapes of Pompeii's buildings today?

    • The buildings were made of metal
    • People rebuilt them exactly
    • The ash hardened and protected them

  6. What happened right after Vesuvius erupted?

    EruptionAsh fallsBuriedDiscovered
    • The city was found again
    • Ash fell over the city
    • People built new homes right away

  7. Why is Pompeii important for learning about the past?

    • It shows exactly how Roman people lived, frozen in one moment
    • It proves volcanoes never erupt twice
    • It shows what modern cities look like

  8. Leo says archaeologists found Pompeii the same year it was buried. What is wrong with what Leo said?

    • Pompeii was never buried
    • Archaeologists built Pompeii
    • Pompeii stayed buried for centuries before being found
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Pompeii and the Volcano That Buried It W1-mt_XG4RqUIXm8-s1

  1. Volcanic ash · Hot ash from Vesuvius rained down and covered the whole city.
  2. Mount Vesuvius · Mount Vesuvius is the volcano that erupted and buried Pompeii.
  3. True · Ash from Vesuvius rained down for hours and covered every part of the city.
  4. Plaster · Plaster filled the hollow spaces left behind, showing the shape of people and animals.
  5. The ash hardened and protected them · The ash cooled and hardened, freezing the buildings almost exactly as they were.
  6. Ash fell over the city · After the eruption, thick ash rained down and slowly buried Pompeii.
  7. It shows exactly how Roman people lived, frozen in one moment · Because the ash preserved everything so well, Pompeii gives a clear window into daily Roman life.
  8. Pompeii stayed buried for centuries before being found · Pompeii stayed hidden under ash for hundreds of years before archaeologists dug it up.
Worksheet · LightMySky