Learning Challenge
There are 4 lessons with activities to complete AND a final project to create at the end of the inquiry.
Lesson 1: Types of Volcanoes
Goal: Students will be able to identify and describe the 4 main types of volcanoes (Dome, Composite, Cinder cone, and Shield)
Lesson 2: Where are Volcanoes located?
Goal: Students will be able to locate the Ring of Fire and note specific "high frequency" volcano locations on a map and describe why volcanoes form where they do.
Lesson 3: The Rock Cycle
Goal: Students will be able to identify the three types of rocks and explain how they transform into one another by completing a graphic organizer.
Lesson 4: Impacting the Environment
Goal: Students will learn what happens to the environment during and after a volcanic eruption and depict the environmental changes through a timeline picture.
Final Project: Build a Volcano
Goal: Students will sculpt a volcano modeled after a real life volcano and create a poster with its information on it, including but not limited to, its name, type, active status, geographic location, etc. with a group and present their project to the class on the last day of the unit.
Lesson 1: Types of Volcanoes
Goal: Students will be able to identify and describe the 4 main types of volcanoes (Dome, Composite, Cinder cone, and Shield)
- Students will start their introduction to volcanoes by creating a mind-map in groups (optional). On a large sheet of paper, create a mind-map of volcanoes by writing all the words, phrases, or other associations you have with the term.
- A volcano definitions worksheet will be provided under the first lesson for students to complete individually throughout the WBI as to gain a better understanding of the academic vocabulary (optional). They will choose which vocabulary terms they want to fill in and write a definition for it based on what they think will be the most useful to them.
- Students will then begin their exploration of the types of volcanoes, as well as what it means to be active, dormant, & extinct, by browsing through different website links provided under the lesson section.
- There is a link to a simulation under lesson 1: students will need to complete the simulation and individually fill out a compare/contrast worksheet about two of the 4 types of volcanoes (required). Use the descriptions from the simulations as well as previously discovered information from the websites to complete the worksheet.
Lesson 2: Where are Volcanoes located?
Goal: Students will be able to locate the Ring of Fire and note specific "high frequency" volcano locations on a map and describe why volcanoes form where they do.
- Students will explore the website links provided and analyze the pictures and maps on the page to gain an understanding about geographical locations of volcanoes. They will learn not only where volcanoes are formed, but why they form there.
- A blank map of the world will be handed out in class. In groups, students will highlight and label the famous Ring of Fire in red as well as other high frequency volcano locations (optional). The oceans, continents, and major countries bordering the volcanoes should be labeled to show clearly where these volcanoes are located geographically.
Lesson 3: The Rock Cycle
Goal: Students will be able to identify the three types of rocks and explain how they transform into one another by completing a graphic organizer.
- Students will start by exploring the different links available about the rock cycle. Some of the links are in Spanish as well. Make sure you are looking for key words on your definition worksheets throughout the lesson!
- An animation of the rock cycle is provided to help students gain a better understanding of the process. Each step is broken down and explained through images and descriptions and you can click on words for more information! It's a very helpful tool to use, especially for the graphic organizer.
- A graphic organizer is provided under worksheets. Students will need to fill in the rock cycle graphic organizer individually with the 3 rock types and their transformation processes (required). Pictures are used on the sheet to help ELL's make connections between the English academic vocabulary and what they are describing. Full requirements are in the rubric.
Lesson 4: Impacting the Environment
Goal: Students will learn what happens to the environment during and after a volcanic eruption and depict the environmental changes through a timeline picture.
- Students will browse the website links to learn about the environment during and after a volcanic eruption. In particular, they will focus on the Hawaiian Islands and how they represent the changes over time.
- In a group, students will create a picture of a landscape before, during, after, and many years after a volcanic eruption to show how the environment changes over time (required). See the rubric for a complete list of requirements.
Final Project: Build a Volcano
Goal: Students will sculpt a volcano modeled after a real life volcano and create a poster with its information on it, including but not limited to, its name, type, active status, geographic location, etc. with a group and present their project to the class on the last day of the unit.
- Students will choose a volcano (it can be one talked about in the WBI or one they found on their own) and research it. They will gather information and become experts on their chosen volcano. Then they will create a model of that volcano using the materials and steps listed in the attachment (located under final project) (required). Then, they will create a poster with all the information on that volcano they found and present it to the class on the last day of the unit. Check the rubric for full requirements.