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| Overview |
| Grade Level: 9-12 |
| Background Information:
Volcanoes have been an influence on Earth since its formation.
They have shaped our planet and our atmosphere. Before scientific
theories were developed to explain them, humans documented the power
of volcanoes and, at times, their destructive power. As dramatically
demonstrated by the catastrophic eruption of Mount St. Helens in
May 1980 and of Pinatubo in June 1991, volcanoes can wreak havoc
and devastation in the short term. However, it should be emphasized
that the short-term hazards posed by volcanoes are balanced by benefits
of volcanism and related processes over geologic time. Volcanic
materials ultimately break down to form some of the most fertile
soils on Earth, cultivation of which fostered and sustained civilizations.
People use volcanically produced materials, as abrasive and cleaning
agents, and for many chemical and industrial uses. The internal
heat associated with some young volcanic systems has been harnessed
to produce geothermal energy. Yet, today, half a billion people
live close enough to Earth's 1,500 active terrestrial volcanoes
to be threatened by them. In this series of lessons, we will investigate
the location of volcanoes around the globe and the dangers they
present to the populations that live in close proximity to them.
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| Content Standards |
| Related National Standards
This lesson addresses the following National Content Standards
found at: http://books.nap.edu/html/nses
Content Standard D: As a result of their activities in grades
9-12, all students should develop an understanding of:
- Energy in the Earth System
- The outward transfer of earth's internal heat drives
convection circulation in the mantle that propels the
plates comprising earth's surface across the face of
the globe.
- Origin and evolution of the Earth System
- Interactions among the solid earth, the oceans, the
atmosphere, and organisms have resulted in the ongoing
evolution of the earth system. We can observe some changes
such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions on a human
time scale, but many processes such as mountain building
and plate movements take place over hundreds of millions
of years.
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Content Standard F: As a result of their activities in grades
9-12, all students should develop an understanding of:
- Natural and human-induced hazards
- Normal adjustments of earth may be hazardous for humans.
Humans live at the interface between the atmosphere
driven by solar energy and the upper mantle where convection
creates changes in the earth's solid crust. As societies
have grown, become stable, and come to value aspects
of the environment, vulnerability to natural processes
of change have increased.
- Natural and human-induced hazards present the need
for humans to assess potential danger and risk… Students
should understand the costs and trade-offs of various
hazards - ranging from those with minor risk to a few
people to major catastrophes with major risk to many
people.
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| Extension Web Sites
from PBS: |
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Deadly
Shadow of Vesuvius
This site contains detailed information about deadly volcanic eruptions.
It contains a number of useful teacher tools as well as information
for students.
Hawaii
- Born of Fire
Learn about igneous rocks and lava sampling by scientists. The site
also contains information for the teachers about the formation of
the Hawaiian volcanoes and useful tools for the classroom.
SCIENCE
ITALIAN STYLE: Eruption!
This site is a resource for teachers where students may study the
viscosity of lava flow.
Savage
Earth: Out of the Inferno - Volcanoes
An extensive site with a wealth of resources about volcanoes. It
contains several useful demonstrations that can be used in a classroom
setting.
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| Activity 1: Where Are the Volcanoes? |
| Time Allotted:
One 45 minute class period
Materials:
World map, Push pins labeled with a number, Access to the Internet,
Blank paper, Crayons, markers, colored pencils, Volcano
List
| Objectives: |
- Students will locate volcanoes throughout the world.
- Students will identify and record general information
about the volcano.
- Students will organize information about the volcano into
a fact sheet display.
|
 Pre-Teaching
Activity:
Ask students to write in their journal for 5 minutes about the
question "How do volcanoes affect people?" Save these entries to
be used at the end of the activity set. Students will compare this
pre-activity journal entries to an entry completed after activities
and discussions about volcanic hazards.
| Classroom Activity: |
- Divide students into pairs. Each pair will become an expert
on a volcano from the Volcano
List.
- Students will research the following information about
their volcano and organize this information into a fact
sheet, which will be posted in the classroom. Most of the
information listed below can be found using the web links
found on the Volcano List.
- Name of the volcano
- Location - longitude and latitude, country
- Cities within a 50-mile radius of the volcano (include
populations of those cities). Use the Internet or maps
as available.
- Size of the volcano, including area and elevation
- A sketch of the volcano
- The eruptive history of the volcano including dates
and brief descriptions of each eruption
- New vocabulary or words they are unsure of
- Any other interesting facts
- Students will then locate their volcano on the large world
map and place the corresponding numbered pushpin at that
location. The fact sheets will be displayed as a border
around the world map.
- New vocabulary words will be added to a class list of
vocabulary that is new to students or needs to be reviewed.
This list will include new vocabulary from all groups.
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Watch the AFG Video Segment:
 |
Mount
Edgecumbe, Alaska
Alaska's
Mount Edgecumbe, now apparently peaceful, was once a center
of violent volcanic activity. |
| Discussion Questions for Video Segment: |
- What do geologists propose as the origin of Mount Edgecumbe?
- What dangers might Mount Edgecumbe pose to the residents
of Sitka if it were still active?
- What evidence from the past is there of these dangers?
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Watch the AFG Video Segment:
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Mount
St. Helens - Blast Zone
The
cataclysmic eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980 left vast scars
on the landscape still obvious today. |
|
Note: Stop segment when they turn around to look at the volcano
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| Discussion Questions for Video Segment: |
- How did the Cascade volcanoes form?
- Why are they lined up in nearly a straight line from North
to South?
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| Post-Activity Discussion: |
|
This is an opportunity for the teacher to work through some
of the new vocabulary words or assign students vocabulary
words to define. A discussion of the activity may include
the following questions:
- Where do we generally find volcanoes throughout the world?
- Are the researched volcanoes near major cities?
- Is there a potential for danger given the eruptive histories
of these volcanoes?
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Related Web Site:
Index
to Cascade Volcano Observatory's Volcanoes of the World
This website is an index of links to most of the major volcanoes
in the world. It is a valuable tool for both teachers and students.
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| Activity 2: What is a Volcanic
Hazard? |
| Time Allotted:
Two 45-minute periods, one for research and one for presentation
| Materials:
Materials needed for demonstrations will differ by group,
students must be responsible for obtaining necessary materials
or informing the teacher of what they need one day in advance.
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| Objectives: |
- Students will define volcanic hazards.
- Students will build models or demonstrations of volcanic
hazards.
- Students will demonstrate their research on volcanic hazards
in the form of a group presentation to the class.
|
Pre-Teaching
Activity
Use a wrap up discussion or writing from Activity 1 to generate
ideas for volcanic hazards based on general research of the eruptive
history of volcanoes. What do you know about volcanic hazards? What
would you like to know? Encourage students to develop a list of
some hazards they have heard of or are familiar with.
Watch the AFG Video Segment:
|
Mount
St. Helens - Blast Zone
The
cataclysmic eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980 left vast scars
on the landscape still obvious today. |
| Discussion Questions for Video Segment: |
- What types of volcanic hazards were present before the
eruption of Mount St. Helens?
- What types of destruction resulted from eruptive blast?
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| Classroom Activity: |
- Divide students into groups of 3-4
- Using the Volcanic Hazard List,
groups will organize a class presentation. This class presentation
must include all of the following components:
- A definition of the hazard. What materials are involved
and what conditions frequently exist for this hazard
to occur.
- A visual aid. This can be a demonstration and/or a
drawing, photograph, video clip, computer movie, map
or diagram.
- A history and occurrence of this type of hazard.
- Examples of where this hazard has happened and the
damage it has caused. Attempt to limit your search for
examples in the United States.
- The potential hazards for city populations located
close to active volcanoes.
- After researching this information, students will present
a 3-4 minute informative presentation to the class about
their hazard of interest. Other students will take notes
on the presentations using the note-taking sheet. It is
essential for students to take detailed and complete notes
during the presentation to participate in the third activity.
- The teacher will assess each group presentation using
the included Volcanic Hazard Presentation Scoring Guide.
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Watch the AFG Video Segment:
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Newberry
Crater Submerged Campsite
Thousands
of years ago a volcanic event disrupted the lives of native
people living in eastern Oregon, burying their homes.
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| Discussion Question for Video Segment: |
- Describe the volcanic hazards faced by the ancient cultures
living near the Newberry Caldera.
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Related Web Sites
The following sites are useful for both teachers and students for
finding information on volcanic hazards:
USGS:
Types of Volcanic Hazards
USGS:
Volcano and Hydrologic Hazards, Features, and Terminology
Volcanic
Hazards
USGS:
Volcanic Fact Sheets
USGS:
Glaciers and Ice Sheets and Volcanic Eruptions
These are useful for students looking for demonstrations, activities
or visual aids to include as a part of their presentation:
Volcano
Hazard Activity
USGS
Volcanoes Teachers Guide
Volcano
World Search Engine
Further information on humans and volcanoes:
USGS:
Cascades Volcano Observatory - Living With Volcanoes
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| Activity 3: How
Do Volcanoes Affect People? |
| Time Allotted:
Two to three 45-minute class periods plus some time as homework
Materials:
Scenarios for Volcanic Eruptions, Completed
notes from Activity 2 or background information on volcanic hazards,
Access to the Internet
| Objectives: |
- Students will apply their knowledge of volcanoes and volcanic
hazards to a specific situation.
- Students will analyze possible scenarios and compile their
research in small groups.
- Students will create a volcanic risk assessment.
|
| Classroom Activity: |
- To set the scene for the activity, tell the class that
each student will be working as a volcanic hazard expert
for the U.S. Geological Survey. Their task will be to research
the potential risks posed by one of the currently active
volcanoes on the Scenario Sheet
and create an assessment report to be used by the local
communities surrounding the volcano.
- As hazard experts, students will work together in groups
to compile a volcanic risk assessment of their designated
active volcano. Volcanic risk assessments are detailed,
written documents that describe:
- The location and size of the volcano
- The eruptive history of the volcano
- Its potential for eruption o The most likely hazards
posed by the volcano
- A plan for monitoring the volcano
- Proposed actions for informing people in metropolitan
areas near the volcano.
- The final product should include the above information.
Each group will determine the specifics of the information
to be included. This assessment should be 3-5 pages in length
and must include a bibliography or works cited page. This
assessment should be graded using a scoring guide similar
to the scoring guide for the Volcanic Hazard presentations.
These assessments can be extended to include presentations
to the class.
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