Volcanoes (Amy Pilkington)

Title: Volcanoes

Principle(s) Investigated: Students will be able to identify the term volcanism. Students will also be able to understand the concept of rock formation and mountain building. To help the students understand these concepts I will bring in two different types of rocks that form either in or out a volcano. I will also do a demonstration on how a volcano explodes and show a virtual simulation of a volcano exploding.

Standards:

Grade 7: Earth and Life History (Earth Sciences)

4. Evidence from rocks allows us to understand the evolution of life on Earth. As a basis for understanding this concept:

b. Students know the history of life on Earth has been disrupted by major catastrophic events, such as major volcanic eruptions or the impacts of asteroids.

c. Students know that the rock cycle includes the formation of new sediment and rocks and that rocks are often found in layers, with the oldest generally on the bottom. f. Students know how movements of Earth’s continental and oceanic plates through time.

Grade 9-12: Dynamic Earth Processes

3. Plate tectonics operating over geologic time has changed the patterns of land, sea, and mountains on Earth’s surface. As the basis for understanding this concept:

b. Students know the principal structures that form at the three different kinds of plate boundaries.

c. Students know how to explain the properties of rocks based on the physical and chemical conditions in which they formed, including plate tectonic processes.

e. Students know there are two kinds of volcanoes: one kind with violent eruptions producing steep slopes and the other kind with voluminous lava flows producing gentle slopes.

f. *Students know the explanation for the location and properties of volcanoes that are due to hot spots and the explanation for those that are due to subduction.

Materials: Power Point presentation, Clay, or salt dough ( 6 cups flour, 2 cups salt, 4TBSP oil and 2 cups water), 2 liter bottle, warm water, a volcano base, red food coloring, vinegar, 6 Drops Liquid dish detergent and 2 TBSP Baking soda. Igneous Rocks: Pumice and obsidian, magnifying glasses.

Procedure: Exploding Volcanoes

1. If you are using salt dough, first you want to mix the ingredients (see above) in a large bowl. Also mix with your fingers until dough is smooth and firm.

2. Place your 2-liter bottle on your volcano base (you may want to glue down your liter bottle).

3. Mold your salt dough around your liter making your very own volcano. Make sure that no dough falls into the bottle and do not close the top with the dough.

4. Fill your 2-liter bottle ¾ of the way full, with warm water. Then put some drops of the red food dye.

5. Add some liquid dish detergent into the bottle.

6. Add baking soda into the mixture.

7. Lastly slowly pour the vinegar into the mixture and watch the volcano explode!

Student prior knowledge: Students should already have learned to identify why volcanoes explode and how they are formed. Students should know igneous rocks: obsidian and pumice. Students will have an understanding of mountain building and rock formation when discussing volcanoes.

Explanation: This demonstration will help the students fully understand the concepts of volcanism. Meaning how volcanoes are formed and why they erupt. My presentation will help clarifying any misunderstandings or misconceptions on the following topics: volcanism, mountain building, and rock formation. I also will show the students a virtual volcano that will display different types of eruptions based on the amount of pressure and gas.

The first thing I will do in the demonstration explains how volcanoes are made by hotspots and pressure. Then I will show my model volcano and demonstrate the reaction between the vinegar and baking soda. Next, I will do the exploding volcano experiment.

After I do the demonstration I will explain the two types of rocks that can form from a volcano. These types of rocks are called an Igneous rocks. The first type of rock that is formed in the inside of the rock is called a plutonic rock and an example is obsidian. The second type of rock that is formed on the outside of a volcano while it is erupting is called volcanic rock. An example is pumice. (Pass out examples of both rocks and have students look at each type of rock).

Lastly, I will show the virtual volcano and we will create volcanoes and then we will discuss what is happening.

Questions & Answers:

1. How are volcanoes formed? Answer: A volcano is formed by hotspots, which is when magma gets pushed up from earth’s core. Volcanoes are formed by plate tectonics. Mountain building is also a form of a plate boundary where 2 plates collide together and can form a volcano. Or a volcano can form where 2 plates are diverging and a volcano can also form.

2. Why does a volcano erupt? Answer: A volcano erupts when so much pressure is built up and magma gets pushed up into earth’s crust. Magma rises because it is much lighter than rocks.

3. What are two types of igneous rocks that can form from a volcano? Answer: Obsidian and pumice.

Applications to Everyday Life:

1. Understanding volcanoes such as when Mt. Saint Helens erupted and the damage it caused.

2. Students understand that reactions can occur in a volcano and that reactions can occur anywhere.

3. Students will understand that there are a lot of natural disasters such as volcanoes and that they can cause serious damage, but also can create life, such as making fertile soil. Which therefore causes plants to grow.

Photographs:

:

Videos:

Volcano experiment:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkZCrcGTD58&feature=related

Virtual Volcano: http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/pompeii/interactive/interactive.html

References

Lee, Mary. "Ingredients for Making a Volcano." Relocate. 2001. Web. 07 Dec. 2010. <http://www.2coolbaby.com/Documents/volcano.htm>.

Ingredients and procedure to build a volcano: http://www.2coolbaby.com/Documents/volcano.htm

"Volcanoes." University of Ulster Online - Faculty of Informatics. Web. 07 Dec. 2010. <http://www.infc.ulst.ac.uk/computing/stepup/volcanoes/index.htm>.

Facts about Volcanoes: http://www.infc.ulst.ac.uk/computing/stepup/volcanoes/index.htm