Yes, it's true; in the year 79 Mount Vesuvius, located in the Bay of Naples, Italy, erupted on this date -- a mere 1,931 years ago. It was the eruption of this stratovolcano that destroyed the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, and changed the course of the Sarno River. The last major eruption occurred in March 1944.
Kids love volcanoes. There are science experiments dealing with volcanoes. There are volcano videos on Discovery.com. California is even home to some volcanoes and volcanic activity; Mount Shasta, Medicine Lake, Mount Konocti, Lassen, Long Valley, and Coso. Want to learn more about Mount Vesuvius and the volcanoes right here in California? Pick up one or more of these books at your local library or bookstore and enjoy an afternoon with a book.
Volcanoes! (National Geographic Readers) by Anne Schreiber
Mt. Vesuvius and the Destruction of Pompeii, A.D. 79 (Natural Disasters) by Russell Roberts
Earth-shattering Earthquakes: AND Violent Volcanoes (Horrible Geography) by Anita Ganeri and Mike Phillips
Volcanoes Through Time (Fast Forward) by Nicholas Harris and Peter Dennis
Volcano: The Coast Is Toast by Richard Woodley
Mount Vesuvius: Europe's Mighty Volcano of Smoke and Ash (Volcanoes of the World) by Kathy Furgang
Discovering Crater Lake (Discovery Library) by Nancy Field; Sally Machlis
Voyage to the Volcano by Judith Stamper and John Speirs
My Mouth Is a Volcano! by Julia Cook and Carrie Hartman
Hill of Fire (An I Can Read History Book) by Thomas P. Lewis and Joan Sandin
Volcanos (100 Facts) by Chris Oxlade
The Buried City of Pompeii: What It Was Like When Vesuvius Exploded (I Was There) by Shelley Tanaka and Greg Ruhl
Diving to a Deep-Sea Volcano (Scientists in the Field Series) by Kenneth Mallory
The Magic School Bus Blows Its Top: A Book About Volcanoes (Magic School Bus) by Gail Herman and Bob Ostrom
Volcano Wakes Up! by Lisa Westberg Peters and Stephen W. Jenkins
When the Giant Stirred: Legend of a Volcanic Island by Celia Godkin
Comments
Oh my...can't believe it has been that long. Still one of the most frightening volcano histories to me.
Oh my gosh, when I was a kid one of my favorite science classes had us making volcanoes. It's a great hands-on science experiment for children. And tying it in with Mount Vesuvius and history lessons is just good educational practice for teachers.
I was there! It was really scary! (no ...wait ...)
~ Rich Webster
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!