This thematic unit will help students gain knowledge about the cause of volcanoes as well as their structure and eruption types and processes.  The lessons included in this unit will require students to research and investigate different volcanoes and their locations on the web, and will then use other electronic media such as PowerPoint to present the information found.  Students will also have the opportunity to create their own volcano models using the information gathered and will explain and show the eruption process of that specific volcano type.  The students will also be using computer programs to create diagrams and will be using cooperative learning throughout the lessons to complete activities.  The theme this unit is based on is Raging Volcanoes!  The major concepts to be discussed in this thematic unit include volcanic landforms, eruption products, eruption types, and eruption dynamics. 

      The setting for this unit is a seventh grade earth science classroom.  There are colorful posters on the walls which display information such as a map of the plate tectonics, different rock types, rock cycles and pictures of oceans, moutnains, and forests.  On two of the walls there are lab stations set up, each with a sink placed in the center.  Microscopes are also kept at these stations.  At these stations, students will be able to complete hands on activities.  The desks in the classroom are placed in five groups of four to promote group work and team effort.  At the back of the classroom there is also a computer station where five computers are placed.  The front of the room displays the classroom rules and also has a reserved section to display the exceptional work of the students. 

      The class is made up of twenty seventh grade students, ages ranging from twelve to thirteen.  Many of the students are interested in sports, especially football and volleyball.  There are four students who are actively involved in the school's band.  The majority of the class enjoys nature and hands on activities.  The students have already been introduced to volcanoes as a destructive force in nature however their experience is limited because they were not introduced to the dynamics of volcanoes and their eruptions in depth.  The students in the class display a wide rage of aptitudes.  Some students are more visually creative than others and can easily represent information through drawings or can quicky arrage formations.  Others have stronger natural ability to successfully apply reason and logic to solve problems which is useful in lab work.  The students in the class are very culturally diverse.  There are five African Americans, four Asians, seven Caucasians, and four Mexican Americans.  Although most of the students are well behaved, there are two students that have behavior problems including ADD.  There is also a student who has visual impairment and one of the students does not use English as his first language.  Their knowledge about volcano landforms, eruption types and products are limited but all students have used computers to research information online before which will be important for projects and assignments in class.  All students also have previous experience typing in Word and a few students are familiar with PowerPoint. 

      The Goal of this thematic unit is for students to gain a better understanding of volcanoes and the causes and effects of their eruptions.  There are three objectives this unit will meet which include:

1.  Given a volcanic eruption diagram, seventh grade students will label the eruption process with 90% accuracy.

2.  Given a diagram illustrating the Earth's structure, seventh grade students will label the internal and external processes that cause plate tectonics with 90% accuracy. 

3.  Given images of different volcanoes, seventh grade students will describe the volcano type, shape, composition, and eruption type for each image with 90% accuracy. 

      The other lessons in this unit include Surfing for Earthquakes and Volcanoes which is a lesson which helps students gain knowledge about volcanoes and their eruptions as well as the causes of their development.  Students will have the opportunity to research information regarding volcanoes and eruptions in order to map out their locations.  Another lesson is Plate Tectonics and The Ring of Fire.  The resource page provided will be very useful for this lesson.  Students will complete an online tutorial and use longitude and latitude to plot hot spots and estimate The Ring of Fire.  Lastly, the students will also complete a lesson caled Volcano Types. In this lesson, students will create their own volcano model and demonstrate its eruption for the rest of the class!  Students will also use Microsoft Word or PowerPoint to create their own volcano report.