Volcano Quest

Science, Grade 7

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Curriculum Standards:

        Strand 2: Domains of Science
                Earth Science

In the lower grades, students explore properties of earth materials and how they change. They
conduct tests to classify materials by observed properties, make and record sequential observations,
note patterns and variations, and look for factors that cause change. Students observe weather
phenomena and describe them quantitatively using simple tools. They study the water cycle, including
the forms and locations of water. The focus is on having students generate questions, investigate
possible solutions, make predictions, and evaluate their conclusions. Learning standards fall into two
categories: Properties and Changes of Earth Materials and Objects in the Sky.

Introduction: 

    Many volcanologists believe they have the best jobs in the world. They have the exciting chance to study active volcanoes in beautiful and often exotic places. The volcanologist's work advances science, but also has direct importance to the lives of people who live near volcanoes. If a volcanologist says a volcano is not going to erupt, but it does, many people may die in the eruption. But if the volcanologist warns that it will erupt, many people will temporarily move away from their homes to safety.
    Iceland, an island country between Northern Europe and the United States is known as the "Land Of Fire and Ice" due to its glaciers and its formation from active volcanoes.  Lately, vulcanologists at the Nordic Volcano logical Institute in the capital city of Reykjavik have grown concerned because Mt. Hekla, a volcano quite close to the city, has had more frequent eruptions in the past century.  The Icelandic government is worried that the country may be in great danger if Hekla becomes even more active, as the majority of the Icelandic people live and work in Reykjavik.  It has asked your science class at the University of Iceland to do further research with the Institute so that it can warn the people of Reykjavik to evacuate in enough time to survive and save the future of the country.
 

The Task : 

    You are to prepare a multimedia recommendation to the Icelandic government.   You will report your findings as to whether the people in Reykjavik, Iceland are in danger from Mt. Hekla within the next twenty years.  If so, what precautions should be taken in order to protect them?  You should include the following information:

• a history of the volcanic eruptions.  Did you determine if there is a pattern which might cause Iceland to be concerned?
• a description of the various types of volcanoes, particularly Mt. Hekla.
• a brief discussion of the kinds of work one does in the field of volcanology
• report of any important information received from a volconologist from the Nordic Volcanological Institute.
• current volcanic activity in and around Iceland, with an explanation as to why this might be so.
• graphics, models or pictures of Mt. Hekla or any volcano of the same type volcano.
• typical warning signs of an impending eruption
• safety measures which should be in place to protect the people of Reykjavik.

Process: 

You will work in teams of five.  Each person on your team will have a specific job.

A. One person will take the role of Geologist. That person is to gather information on each of the types of volcanoes, the behaviors of volcanoes, the major dangers involved in eruptions, and the most probable locations where volcanoes can be found.

B. One person on the team will become the Photographer. The photographer locates photos, clips, or images to include in the presentation to help increase understanding.

C. One person is to be Historian. This person is responsible for researching the record of eruptions of Mt. Hekla for the past 10,000 years and determining if the eruptions are becoming more frequent in the past century.

D. One person on the team will take the role of Interviewer. This person is in charge of locating a volcanologist from Iceland, interviewing him and reporting on the kinds of work a volcanologist does. This information can be found on one of the given sites.  The Interviewer should also research to see if there are any workshop or conventions in the year 2000-2001 where information could be gotten from other experts in the field.

E. .One member of the team is to become the Safety Expert, who will recommend the proper steps to take to put in place a plan that will protect the majority of citizens from the devastation of a major volcanic eruption.  The Safety Expert should also learn the warning signs of an eruption, so that there will be ample
time to put the safety plan into effect.

F. The final member of the team will become the Chemist, who will learn about the chemical composition of magma, and lava and be able to teach the rest of the team how to identify types of rock, and be able to determine how cooled samples of lava fom Mt. Hekla formed.

Remember!
Each person in the team must coordinate his/her activities with each other so you are not duplicating effort or missing important information...In this case, five heads are definitely better than one!

Good luck, Team... The people of Reykjavik are depending on you!!!
 

Resources: 

You may use books or magazines from school or home.  Also, our classroom computers have the Grollier Multimedia Encyclopedia CD-ROM.  Most information, though, will be gathered from the Internet.

Limit your research to the links provided in this WebQuest:

Volcano World

Cascades Volcano Observatory

Evaluation: 

Your project will be evaluated in the following manner:
 
 

0-3 points------C

4-6 points------B

7-8 points------A

Each member will earn the same grade based on the total points earned by the team.
 

Conclusion:

    You have learned that by working together with other skilled scientists, you can gather information that could help an entire country. You have investigated volcano types, the way a volcano behaves, the history of Mt. Hekla eruptions, current activity around Iceland, and the kinds of work a volcanologist does. You have also examined appropriate safety measures that are used at a time of natural disasters. What is your prediction for Iceland?  If you lived in Reykjavik, what precautions, if any would you take at this time?

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