Brief
Description of Lesson II:
In this lesson students will investigate volcanic eruptions.
Students
will develop a PowerPoint presentation with their pictures and present it to the
class.
Duration:
Approximately
3 60-minute class periods
Content
Standards Used/Unit Goals/Objectives Supported:
ESS-M-A3 investigating the characteristics of volcanoes and
identifying zones where they may occur
Lesson
Goals:
Students
will demonstrate knowledge of volcanic eruptions in their logbooks and a
PowerPoint presentation.
Lesson
Objectives:
TLW
understand that volcanic eruptions that take place near populated areas can be
disastrous.
TLW
understand the level of destruction caused by a volcanic eruption.
TLW
understand that volcanic eruptions can often by predicted.
TLW
create a PowerPoint presentation and present it to the class.
Resources
Computers
and Internet access for all students
Research
materials about volcanoes
Procedures:
1.
Review with your students what they have learned
about volcanoes.
2.
Present the following scenario to the class. The year
is 2002, and a large Indonesian volcano has erupted. It is the worst eruption in
recorded history. To make matters worse, Mt. Pinatubo, Mt. Rainier, and Mt.
Vesuvius are erupting, all violently.
3.
Divide class into groups to act as teams of
volcanologists assigned as aides to the president of the United States. Each
group’s assignment is to give the president a report on what can be expected
to happen and what steps can be taken to help people cope with the disaster.
4.
First, have students use the Internet or other
research materials to locate the volcanoes you have mentioned and learn some
background material about each one. They should answer questions such as “What
kind of volcanic eruption are we dealing with in each case?” and “How fast
is the lava or ash flowing?”
5.
Instruct students to record findings and
recommendations in their logbooks. Who is in danger? What are students’
recommendations to save people and towns? How will each eruption affect the
environment? How long will the effects last?
6.
Create a PowerPoint presentation demonstrating their
findings as volcanologists and have each group present its findings to the
class.
Assessment:
PowerPoint
presentation (100 points)
Quality
of notes in Logbooks