Volcanoes

Where are the Volcanoes of the World?

• Visit this site to find out where the volcanoes of the world are.

• Go back to your Earthquake map and place red triangles on the map to indicate the positions of (at least) ten of the world's volcanoes.

• Add a key to your map.

• Go back to your summary and add what you have learned about the relationship between Volcanoes and Earthquakes.

Back to Continental Drift...

• Does your new knowledge about earthquakes and volcanoes add any support to Alfred Wegener's theory of Continental Drift?  Explain!

The Lava Flow Challenge

The Challenge

In the Lava Flow Challenge your group is tasked with the job of helping a town near an active volcano develop a system for determining if and when they should evacuate during a volcanic eruption.

Your job is to

• design a repeatable procedure for reliably measuring the rate at which lava flows.

• You will use a plastic plate, dish soap (to simulate lava), and a stop watch.

Before you begin designing your investigation, view the following videos that show slow and fast lava flows.

Day 1 & 2 - Volcano Research

• You will begin by doing a little research about Volcanoes

Learning Targets

• Students will research volcanoes to determine the impact they have had on humans.

Success Criteria

• I have read the three articles about volcanoes.

• I can cite 3-4 examples of volcanoes impacting the lives of humans.

• I have constructed a written explanation of how better understanding volcanic eruptions could have a positive impact on people who live near active volcanoes.

Meet with another group

• Meet up with another group and discuss the notes that you took.  

Be prepared to... 

• • defend your reasoning for including the notes that you found to be important.  

  • ask questions for clarification.

  • agree/disagree.

  • modify your own notes.

On Your Own

Begin writing your explanation of how volcanoes impact people who live near them.

In your explanation be sure to include

• important facts about volcanoes

• observations from historic volcanic eruptions

• how a better understanding of volcanoes and volcanic eruptions could have a positive impact on the lives of people who live near active volcanoes.

Peer Editing

Trade what you have written with a partner and proofread for errors.  Discuss your writing and give guidance for improving.  Return to the Success Criteria and check to see that you have met all parts.

Day 3 - Writing Procedures

Write a Simple Procedure

• Choose a simple task and explain the steps required to complete that task.  The steps you write are called procedures.  Be as thorough as you can so there is no confusion.

• Share your procedures.

Learning Targets

• Students will design and conduct a procedure to measure the rate at which simulated lava flows

Success Criteria

• I have created a set of procedures to measure the flow of simulated lava.

• I have identified the criteria and constraints of the problem.

• My procedures are complete, easy to follow, and repeatable.

Roles

• Organizer, Materials Manager/Technician, Time Keeper, Checker, Reader

Identify Criteria and Constraints

When engineering the solution to a problem there are always goals and limitations that affect how we reach those goals.  They are called criteria and constraints.

Criteria - things that must be satisfied in order to achieve a goal

Constraints - factors that limit how you will go about achieving your goal

Write the Procedures for Measuring Lava Flow

1. Work with your group to write a set of procedures for measuring a simulated lava flow.

   • In your procedures be sure to identify your criteria and constraints, all materials needed and specific steps needed to carry out the task.  You will have 15 minutes to complete this task.

   • After you are done, trade with another group and complete their procedures.

   • Meet with the other group to discuss how things went.

Personal Reflection

Have you met the success criteria?

• I have created a set of procedures to measure the flow of simulated lava.

• I have identified the criteria and constraints of the problem.

• My procedures are complete, easy to follow, and repeatable.

If given the chance to redo this assignment what would you change about your procedures?

Volcanoes in Arizona

The follow album is a sample of volcano impacts in Northern Arizona, USA.

Hot Spot Volcanoes

Learning Target

• Develop a model of how hotspot volcanoes help to describe the cycling of Earth's materials.

Success Criteria

• I can make a prediction about the features of hotspot volcanoes.

• I can demonstrate proper lab procedures including note taking and safety.

• I can make the connection between the existence of hotspot volcanoes and the Theory of Plate Tectonics.

Hotspot Lab

Introduction

• Sometimes volcanoes appear in the middle of a plate (somewhere not on the plate boundary—not necessarily in the center of the plate). Today you will explore how and why this happens on Earth.

Materials

• 150mL beaker with red wax melted in bottom

• 1cm of sand

• water

• heat-resistant glove

• hot plate

• safety goggles

Procedures

1. One member of your group should get a beaker with wax, sand, and water already set up.

2. Place the beaker on the hotplate. (do not turn it on yet!)

3. Draw a simple diagram, labeling the parts of your setup.  Label this diagram as BEFORE.

4. Ask your teacher to check your setup. Once your setup is approved, your teacher will instruct you to turn on your hotplate.

5. At this point, you will be observing your beaker for up to 10 minutes. Do not touch any part of the setup. It will burn you! You must wear safety goggles.

6. Record your observations in your science notebook.  Draw a series of diagrams once you notice any changes in the beaker.  Label this diagram DURING.

7. Once the materials in your beaker have stopped moving, turn off the hotplate. Your materials are still hot. Do not touch the setup.

8. Create a new diagram.  Label this diagram AFTER.

Back to the Team...

Discuss the following with your team:

• What does the wax represent in your model?

• What kind of feature(s) did you create in this model?

• What is the connection between the existence of hotspot volcanoes and the Theory of Plate Tectonics?

Hotspot Volcano Chains

Hotspots form chains of volcanoes in the middle of tectonic plates.  Use the following activity to demonstrate how these chains can occur.

Procedure 

• Working in pairs, have one partner hold a pencil point up on the desk. The other should hold the paper flat a couple of inches over the point.

• Move the paper slowly sideways.  As it moves, bring the pencil point up until it pokes through the paper, and then bring it down again. Repeat this process several times as the paper continues to move.

Back to the Team...

Discuss the following with your team:

• How does this activity show a connection between the existence of hotspot volcanoes and the Theory of Plate Tectonics?

Tsunamis

With your team...

• How would you protect a coastal city from a tsunami?