Uncovering the Witnesses: A Newspaper Interview on the Mount Vesuvius Eruption

Uncovering the Witnesses: A Newspaper Interview on the Mount Vesuvius Eruption

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson, you will be able to ask and answer questions in a role to prepare for writing a newspaper article about the Mount Vesuvius eruption. You will also understand the purpose of direct speech in a newspaper article and be able to apply the correct punctuation for direct speech.

What do you already know about the events of Mount Vesuvius' eruption in Pompeii?

Introduction

Today, we will be diving into the events of the Mount Vesuvius eruption in Pompeii. We will interview two witnesses, Liv and Tranio, who experienced the eruption firsthand. We will use direct speech to capture their accounts in a newspaper article.

What is Direct Speech?

Direct speech is when someone's exact words are quoted within quotation marks. It allows us to hear the actual words spoken by a person, bringing their voice to life in our writing.

Punctuation for Direct Speech

When using direct speech, we need to remember to use quotation marks to indicate the beginning and end of the spoken words. Additionally, we use commas, question marks, or exclamation points to separate the spoken words from the rest of the sentence.

Interviewing Liv

Interviewer: Liv, can you tell us about your experience during the Mount Vesuvius eruption?

Liv: Of course! I was terrified when I saw the volcano erupting. The sky turned dark, and the ground shook violently.

Analyzing Liv's Response

Let's analyze Liv's response:

- The interviewer's question ends with a question mark.
- Liv's response is enclosed within quotation marks.
- A comma is used to separate Liv's response from the rest of the sentence.

Interviewing Tranio

Interviewer: Tranio, what did you see when Mount Vesuvius erupted?

Tranio: It was a horrifying sight! The ash and smoke covered everything, creating a dark and suffocating atmosphere.

Analyzing Tranio's Response

Let's analyze Tranio's response:

- The interviewer's question ends with a question mark.
- Tranio's response is enclosed within quotation marks.
- A comma is used to separate Tranio's response from the rest of the sentence.

Your Turn: Writing the Newspaper Article

Now it's your turn to write a newspaper article based on the interviews with Liv and Tranio. Use direct speech and proper punctuation to capture their accounts of the Mount Vesuvius eruption in Pompeii.

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.