1. Activate students’ prior knowledge about volcanoes.
Ask: What do you already know about volcanoes from books, television, movies, or personal experience? Write students’ responses on the board and compare and contrast them. Then explain to students that there are about 1,500 potentially active volcanoes in the world; 65 of them are in the United States. Tell students that a volcano is classified as active if it is capable of erupting, or sending out rocks, ash, and lava in a sudden explosion.
2. Have students read first-person accounts of volcanic eruptions.
Distribute a copy of the worksheet First-Person Accounts of Volcanic Eruptions to each student. Have students read the two descriptions carefully and circle or highlight the words and phrases in each that describe characteristics of the eruptions. Have students trade worksheets with a partner and compare the words and phrases they noted. Ask: What is being described?
3. Have pairs illustrate the first-person accounts.
Ask half the pairs to illustrate one first-person account and half the pairs to illustrate the other. Tell students to include the volcano, observer, and all details mentioned in the account. Then have volunteers from each pair describe what is happening in their illustration. Compare illustrations for the two different first-person accounts. Ask:
- Do all volcanoes look the same? If not, how do you think they differ?
- Do all volcanoes erupt in the same way? What can be different about eruptions?
- Are the dangers from all volcanoes the same? Explain.
Subjects & Disciplines
- Earth Science
- Geography
Learning Objectives
Students will:
- describe volcanic eruptions in first-person accounts they read
- explain the similarities and differences between the volcanic eruptions
Teaching Approach
- Learning-for-use
Teaching Methods
- Discussions
- Hands-on learning
- Reading
Skills Summary
This activity targets the following skills:
-
Critical Thinking Skills
- Remembering
- Understanding
- Geographic Skills
Connections to National Standards, Principles, and Practices
National Geography Standards
- Standard 7: The physical processes that shape the patterns of Earth's surface
National Science Education Standards
- (5-8) Standard D-1: Structure of the earth system
What You’ll Need
Materials You Provide
- Colored pencils
- Highlighters
- Markers
- Pencils
- Pens
Physical Space
- Classroom
Grouping
- Small-group instruction
Background Information
Volcanoes are natural hazards in many parts of the world, and throughout human history. Different types of volcanoes erupt in different ways. You can read written accounts of volcanic eruptions to understand the dangers of volcanoes.
Prior Knowledge
- None
Recommended Prior Activities
Vocabulary
volcano that has had a recorded eruption since the last glacial period, about 10,000 years ago.
to explode or suddenly eject material.
release of material from an opening in the Earth's crust.
an opening in the Earth's crust, through which lava, ash, and gases erupt, and also the cone built by eruptions.
Websites
Tips & Modifications
Modification
Read aloud the first-person accounts for auditory learners or struggling readers.