Earth Science: Volcanoes

Teachers Guide
Grade Level: 68

Curriculum Focus: Earth Science

Lesson Duration: 3 class periods

Program Description
Just beneath Earths crust lies a ball of molten rock, kept semi-liquid thanks to heat left over from the
planets creation. The crust holds it in placeas best it can. When pressure builds up, or tectonic plates
shift, or where the crust is thin, volcanoes can erupt. There are 1,511 known volcanoes, 500 of which are
active. Every now and then, a new one forms, as happened in 1943 in Paricutin, Mexico. The eruption
of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD may be the most famous volcanic event, leaving behind perfectly preserved
casts of the victims in hardened ash. There are three types of volcanoescomposite, shield, and cinder
cone. Volcanology is the science of studying volcanoes and predicting eruptions. Its a dangerous job,
but with so many lives at stake when an eruption does occur, its one of great importance.

Discussion Questions

What is a volcano? Describe in general how a volcano is formed.

Why was the eruption of the volcano at Paricutin, Mexico, so important to science?

Why does a volcano die? What remnants may be left once a volcano cools off?

Why is the 79 AD eruption of Mt. Vesuvius so well known?

Define the three types of volcanoes: composite, shield, and cinder cone. Give examples of each.

What is volcanology?

What methods do volcanologists use to try to predict volcanic eruptions?

Lesson Plan

Student Objectives

Understand the structure of Earth and how cracks in Earths crust allow magma to erupt onto
the surface creating a volcano.

Be able to define three types of volcanoes.

Create world maps that compare plate tectonics with seismic and volcano activity.

Earth Science: Volcanoes

Teachers Guide

Materials

Computer with Internet access

Print resources about volcanoes

Overhead projector, 8 1/2 X 11 transparencies, and markers

Procedures
1. Volcanoes, earthquakes, and plate tectonics are interrelated. The movement of Earths crustal
plates is what triggers seismic and volcanic activity. An earthquake occurs when tension along a
plate boundary becomes too great, the rocks slip releasing energy. When cracks form in the
crust, or one plate slips beneath another building up intense pressure and heat, volcanoes can
erupt. To understand volcanoes, students need to understand the plate tectonics connection.
Creating maps that show Earths plates, seismic activity, and the worlds volcanoes will help
make the connection clear.
2. First ask students to review plate tectonic theory and the inner workings of volcanoes. These
sites are excellent primers:

Wikipedias Plate Tectonics

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plate_tectonics
and Volcano
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volcanoes

BBCs Science and Nature Hot Topics: Volcanoes

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/hottopics/naturaldisasters/volcanoes.shtml
and its Bitesize Revision on Volcanoes
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/platetectonics/volcanoesrev1.
shtml

PBSs The Savage Earth

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/savageearth/index.html

U.S. Geological Surveys This Dynamic Earth

http://pubs.usgs.gov/publications/text/dynamic.html

Volcano World
http://volcano.und.nodak.edu/

Check that students have an understanding of plate tectonics and volcanoes by asking:

What is the theory of plate tectonics?

What do plate tectonics have to do with volcanoes?

How can plate movement trigger volcanic eruptions?

Published by Discovery Education. 2005. All rights reserved.

Earth Science: Volcanoes

Teachers Guide

What other natural disasters can plate movement bring on?

What other ways can volcanoes form aside from the movement of crustal plates?

3. To reinforce the connection between plate tectonics, earthquakes, and volcanoes, students will
create maps that you can view on an overhead projector. Divide the class into three groups. One
group will map Earths tectonic plates; another, the worlds volcanoes; and the third, major
earthquake zones. So that the maps will match, students can download an outline of the
world at Eduplace.coms page Outline Maps
(http://www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/world.html). Click on World: Continents to obtain a
PDF file of the map that students can print out on an 8 1/2 X 11 transparency. Each group
will need one transparency map.
4. Groups are to use overhead markers to illustrate the information on their maps. The plate
tectonics group should illustrate the 10 major plates (according to Wikipedia). The volcano
group should plot the locations of volcanic activity with notable volcanoes marked. The
earthquake group should mark major earthquake zones and fault lines. These Web sites will
help students in their map making:

Maps of the Worlds World Map of Volcanoes

http://www.mapsofworld.com/major-volcanoes.htm
and Major Earthquakes of the World
http://www.mapsofworld.com/world-major-earthquake.htm

PBSs Savage Earth site shows a map of both earthquakes and major tectonic plates.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/savageearth/hellscrust/

Smithsonian Institutions Global Volcanism Program page Volcanoes of the World

http://www.hrw.com/science/si-science/earth/tectonics/volcano/volcano/

Wikipedias Earthquake
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthquake
Hotspot
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotspot_(geology)
and Plate Tectonics
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plate_tectonics

5. Once the maps are complete, put the plate tectonics transparency on the overhead projector.
Next place the earthquake transparency over the plate map. Students should be able to see that
areas of seismic activity follow the edges of crustal plates. Finally, overlay the volcano
transparency on top of the plate map. Again, volcanic activity appears along plate boundaries,
with some notable exceptions. Ask students why some volcanically active areas do not align
with plate edges. The answer is that these volcanoes are on hot spots: areas where Earths crust
is especially thin or where mantle temperatures are exceptionally hot and magma breaks
through.

Published by Discovery Education. 2005. All rights reserved.

Earth Science: Volcanoes

Teachers Guide

Assessment
Use the following three-point rubric to evaluate students' work during this lesson.

3 points: Students were highly engaged in class discussions; conducted a thorough review
of plate tectonics and volcanoes and answered review questions accurately; created an
accurate and complete map.

2 points: Students participated in class discussions; conducted a review of plate tectonics

and volcanoes and answered most review questions accurately; created an adequate map.

1 point: Students participated minimally in class discussions; conducted a cursory review of

plate tectonics and volcanoes and answered few of the review questions accurately; created
an incomplete or inaccurate map.

Vocabulary
cinder cone
Definition: A type of volcano that ejects mainly rock, which builds up around the vent
Context: Cinder cone volcanoes, such as Arizonas Sunset Crater, are much smaller than
composite volcanoes.
composite volcano
Definition: A type of volcano that ejects lava, as well as ash and rock, to form a tall cone. Also
called a stratovolcano.
Context: Layers of lava, rock, and ash make up the cone of a composite volcano such as Mt.
Vesuvius.
hot spot
Definition: An area of volcanic activity where Earths crust is thin or where areas of
exceptionally hot mantle exist
Context: The Hawaiian Islands formed over a hot spot.
lava
Definition: Molten rock that has erupted onto Earths surface
Context: Lava can eventually harden into rock and create new landforms.
magma
Definition: Molten rock beneath Earths surface
Context: Magma collects in chambers beneath Earths surface; should pressure rise enough, it
may break through the surface in a volcanic eruption.

Published by Discovery Education. 2005. All rights reserved.

Earth Science: Volcanoes

Teachers Guide

plate tectonics
Definition: Scientific theory that Earths crust is made up of large plates that fit together like
puzzle pieces and float on Earths mantle
Context: Plate tectonics shows that movement of crustal plates can trigger volcanic eruptions.
pyroclastic flow
Definition: Hot ash, gas, and rock that erupts from a volcano and rapidly descends the mountain
Context: The pyroclastic flow from the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius proved deadly to the
inhabitants of Pompeii and Herculanium.
Ring of Fire
Definition: An area of volcanic activity that borders much of the Pacific Ocean
Context: The Ring of Fire roughly follows the edges of the Pacific tectonic plate.
shield volcano
Definition: A type of volcano that ejects large flows of lava that spread out to form a wide,
shield-shaped mountain
Context: Hawaiis Mona Loa is the worlds largest shield volcano.
volcanology
Definition: The scientific study of volcanoes
Context: A chief aim of volcanology is to predict eruptions.

Academic Standards
National Academy of Sciences
The National Science Education Standards provide guidelines for teaching science as well as a
coherent vision of what it means to be scientifically literate for students in grades K12. To view the
standards, visit this Web site:
http://books.nap.edu/html/nses/html/overview.html#content
This lesson plan addresses the following national standards:

Earth and Space Science: Structure of the Earth system

Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL)

McREL's Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K12 Education
addresses 14 content areas. To view the standards and benchmarks, visit
http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/browse.asp
This lesson plan addresses the following national standards:

Science: Earth and Space SciencesUnderstands Earths composition and structure

Geography: The world in spatial terms; Physical systems

Published by Discovery Education. 2005. All rights reserved.

Earth Science: Volcanoes

Teachers Guide

Language Arts: ViewingUses viewing skills and strategies to understand and interpret
visual media; ReadingUses reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a
variety of informational texts

Support Materials
Develop custom worksheets, educational puzzles, online quizzes, and more with the free teaching tools
offered on the Discoveryschool.com Web site. Create and print support materials, or save them to a
Custom Classroom account for future use. To learn more, visit

http://school.discovery.com/teachingtools/teachingtools.html

Also find these Discovery lesson plans devoted to volcanoes:

Understanding Volcanoes
http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/understanding-volcanoes/

Volcano!
http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/volcano/

Published by Discovery Education. 2005. All rights reserved.