A biologist might ask, "What creatures were living in this area before the disaster?" They could answer those questions with data from paleontologists studying the fossilized remains of the creatures who once lived there.

They might also ask how many animals survived and what animals were those.

A historian might ask how long did it take to rebuild the city?

Or an architect/real estate developer. Or a janitor might ask, "How long will it take to clean this city for rebuilding?"

Did the eruption affect the soil and arability of the land in the succeeding generations ? If so, when were people able to return to the area ?

In Pompeii, the most famous city affected, nobody lived there after the explosion.

Main content

Course: Big History Project > Unit 2

Lesson 3: What Are Disciplines? | 2.2

ACTIVITY: Who Knows What?

Google Classroom

Purpose

In this activity, you’ll start to explore how examining the same event from different perspectives can result in drawing varied conclusions surrounding that event. There is another activity at the end of this lesson that is an extension of this activity. Both of these activities should help you better understand what it means to use interdisciplinary perspectives and how you can use a variety of disciplines to help you understand the Big History story.

Process

Think about the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 CE. Vesuvius is known for this eruption, which led to the burying and destruction of the Roman cities Pompeii and Hurculaneum.

Think about answers to the following questions:

1. What are the questions a historian would ask about what happened?

2. What kind of questions would a biologist (or another discipline of your choosing) ask about what happened?

For Further Discussion

Now, share one of your historian/biologist/other discipline questions in the Questions Area below. Then, look at someone’s question from a different discipline. What happens to the story if you put your question and the other person’s question together? Comment, in response to someone else’s disciplinary question, what you think happens to stories that are told from more than one perspective.

Want to join the conversation?

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Izzy
Posted 10 years ago. Direct link to Izzy's post “A biologist might ask, "W...”
A biologist might ask, "What creatures were living in this area before the disaster?" They could answer those questions with data from paleontologists studying the fossilized remains of the creatures who once lived there.
Button navigates to signup pageComment on Izzy's post “A biologist might ask, "W...”
(17 votes)
Answer
- nolshansky
  Posted 7 years ago. Direct link to nolshansky's post “They might also ask how m...”
  They might also ask how many animals survived and what animals were those.
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  (4 votes)
intisardu017
Posted 7 years ago. Direct link to intisardu017's post “A biologist would ask " W...”
A biologist would ask " What was the impact of this eruption on the nature?"
A historian would ask " Where did the survivors go and how they survived?"
A sociologist would ask " What sorts of events would cause the survivors to start a new life?"
A psychologist would ask "Were the survivors ever been able to have any peace out of this trauma?"
A geologist would ask "Why did that the eruption occurred and is there any specific time period?"
Button navigates to signup pageComment on intisardu017's post “A biologist would ask " W...”
(9 votes)
Answer
nolshansky
Posted 7 years ago. Direct link to nolshansky's post “A historian might ask how...”
A historian might ask how long did it take to rebuild the city?
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(7 votes)
Answer
- Christopher Fossedal
  Posted 2 years ago. Direct link to Christopher Fossedal's post “Or an architect/real esta...”
  Or an architect/real estate developer.
  
  Or a janitor might ask, "How long will it take to clean this city for rebuilding?"
  Comment on Christopher Fossedal's post “Or an architect/real esta...”
  (2 votes)
judy.hawaii.5.0
Posted 9 years ago. Direct link to judy.hawaii.5.0's post “Did the eruption affect t...”
Did the eruption affect the soil and arability of the land in the succeeding generations ? If so, when were people able to return to the area ?
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(5 votes)
Answer
- craycray_unicorn
  Posted 7 years ago. Direct link to craycray_unicorn's post “In Pompeii, the most famo...”
  In Pompeii, the most famous city affected, nobody lived there after the explosion.
  Comment on craycray_unicorn's post “In Pompeii, the most famo...”
  (5 votes)
Mildred Mobus
Posted 10 years ago. Direct link to Mildred Mobus's post “I think a historian would...”
I think a historian would ask what happened to the people impacted by the eruption, how their society changed, and what would come next. I think an archaeologist would ask who was buried there and what the fossils and other buried artifacts were.
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(6 votes)
Answer
Jack
Posted 9 years ago. Direct link to Jack's post “An anthropoligist might a...”
An anthropoligist might ask about the impact of the eruption on different classes of society - i.e. freemen vs. slaves?
Button navigates to signup pageComment on Jack's post “An anthropoligist might a...”
(3 votes)
Answer
Nick Cernera
Posted 9 years ago. Direct link to Nick Cernera's post “An artist may question wh...”
An artist may question what kinds of sculptures, paintings, and various works of art were lost forever in the explosion. It's always sad when a people's culture and creative minds are wasted away, whether it's due to natural causes (earthquakes, fires, hurricanes) or other people (the burning of libraries, Hitler during WWII). I find it very troubling that these things will never be recovered.
Button navigates to signup pageComment on Nick Cernera's post “An artist may question wh...”
(3 votes)
Answer
The Babbler
Posted 7 years ago. Direct link to The Babbler's post “Why isn't the burying of ...”
Why isn't the burying of Hurculaneum as well known as the burying of Pompeii?
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(3 votes)
Answer
Katie W.
Posted 7 years ago. Direct link to Katie W.'s post “For the question, ¨what w...”
For the question, ¨what would a biologist ask¨, I said how did this affect the ecosystem around the volcano?
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(2 votes)
Answer
nicolas.calderon
Posted 6 months ago. Direct link to nicolas.calderon's post “A geologist might ask how...”
A geologist might ask how would this explotion be occured why and how

A biologist would ask what bacteria has created the explosion if there is none or if it has increasted in number
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(2 votes)
Answer