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Introduction
This unit is designed to connect volcanic activity to the theory of plate tectonics. In
addition, this unit will provide you with the resources that will explain the different
types of volcanoes, volcanic eruptions, and landforms caused by volcanic activity.
You will take part in a group project in which the essential question, designated unit and
content questions will be researched. When groups have the information needed to
answer these questions, a project will be completed. Students will have a choice of two
projects to demonstrate their knowledge. These choices include a presentation using
Microsoft PowerPoint or an information brochure using Microsoft Publisher.
To help your group to get organized use attached sheet.
Task
The class will be divided into four groups. Each group is responsible for researching a
topic (section) in chapter 3 of your text dealing with volcanoes. Not only will you and
your group members be required to use your text book to answer your topic, but you
must also use Internet resources and print material from the library.
While conducting your research, you and your group members must take into account
the essential question below. All research should answer this essential question.

Essential Question
o How do volcanoes impact Earth (planets)?
In addition to answering the essential question, your group will be responsible for
answering the unit and content questions listed below.

Group 1: Volcanoes & Plate Tectonics
o Unit Question
 What is the relationship between plate tectonics and volcanoes?
o Content Questions
 Where are Earth’s volcanic regions found, and why are they found
there?
 What causes hot spot volcanoes to form?



Group 2: Volcanic Activity
o Unit Question
 How does volcanic activity affect its surrounding area?
o Content Questions
 What happens when a volcano erupts?
 How do the two types of volcanic eruptions differ?
 What are some hazards of volcanoes?
Group 3: Volcanic Landforms
o Unit Question
 How do the constructive forces created by volcanoes differ?
o Content Questions
 What landforms does lava create on Earth’s surface?
 How does magma that hardens beneath the surface create
landforms?
Group 4: Volcanoes In The Solar System
o Unit Question
 How do the volcanoes in our solar system differ from the volcanoes
on Earth?
o Content Questions
 Compare and contrast the volcanoes found on Mars and Venus?
 What volcanic activity is found on the moons of Jupiter and
Neptune?
Roles
To make sure that all of the responsibilities are fulfilled and your group successfully
completes the assignment, you should choose a role that appropriately reflects your
interest and/or learning style. The roles and descriptions are listed below. Please be
fair to your other group members when choosing your role.
Team Chair Person
The student(s) who choose to take on this role must portray leadership qualities.
His/her responsibilities include organizing all materials including information retrieved
from the text, books or internet. The main responsibility of this role is to keep the
group on task with clear daily objectives.
Technical Support
To choose this role, a student(s) must be knowledgeable in the area of computers
especially with Microsoft PowerPoint or Microsoft Publisher software. The
responsibilities of this student are to take organized material from the Team Chair
Person and place it into either PowerPoint of Publisher. In addition, this student may
help the Web Analyst with searching the Internet.
Literary Analyst
The student(s) who accept the role of Literary Analyst must be know their way around
the library. The responsibilities include locating resources beneficial to their group,
sifting through the information taking what is needed for their group’s presentation,
and recording information in a way that does not result in plagiarism.
Web Analyst
The student(s) who choose to accept this role must feel comfortable using Internet
Explorer software. Responsibilities of the Web Analyst include gathering information
from the designated Web sites listed below, sifting through it and taking the
information needed to successfully complete the group’s presentation. Student must
restate the information in a manner that does not result in plagiarism.
Project Choices
After your group has done the research to support your concepts and have it organized,
it is time to put it in a presentation format so that you can teach the rest of your
classmates. Your group will have a choice of two ways of presenting your material.
First, your group may choice to create a PowerPoint Presentation. Your presentation
must contain as many slides as it takes to answer the essential question, unit questions,
and content questions. You must also use relevant graphics.
The second choice of project is an informational brochure using Microsoft Publisher.
This brochure must also answer the essential question, unit questions, and content
questions. Your brochure must also contain relevant pictures that support your
research.
If you need assistance with using PowerPoint or Publisher, please see me to set up a
before school session. Also, there are many Online tutorials discussing these programs.
For tutorials, click on the links below.
PowerPoint
Publisher
Resources
FEMA For Kids: Volcanoes
This Web site contains information about volcano hazards and safety tips for you and your family
(including pets). Volcano facts and intensity scales are also located on this site.
National Geographic For Kids: Volcano! Mountain Of Fire
Volcano! Mountain of Fire is a great Web site that contains video footage of everything volcano. Get an
overview of why Earth has volcanoes, the different eruptions and much more.
National Geographic: Volcanoes
This National Geographic Web site has something for each group completing this project. Interactive
chapters include, “What is a volcano?”, “Where do volcanoes occur?”, How do volcanoes form?”, “Types of
volcanoes”, and “How do volcanoes erupt?”.
Kids Discovery: Make A Volcano
Volcano Explorer provides interactive information on three volcano topics. These topics include: Plate
tectonics and volcanoes, the types of volcanoes, and the insides of a volcano.
Think Quest: Volcanoes Online
Volcanoes Online is an Online index that contains information that answers many if not all of the
questions in this project. This Web site contains information of volcanoes ranging from volcanic structure
to predicting danger.
CBBC Newsround: Volcanoes
The CBBC Volcano Website provides you with seven pages of answers to the following questions: “What
causes volcanoes?”, “Are there different types of volcanoes?”, “What effects do volcanoes have?”, “Can
we predict when a volcano is going to erupt?”, “Which volcano has killed the most people?”, "Do volcanoes
do anything good?”, and a page on volcano facts.
PBS: Savage Earth-Out Of The Inferno: Volcanoes
Out of the Inferno: Volcanoes is a great Web site sponsored by PBS. The site contains many animated
explanations of volcanic eruptions as well as actual footage of volcanic eruptions.
Volcanoes & Society
This Web site provides the reader with the answer to the following questions, “What are volcanoes?”,
“Why do we have volcanoes”, and “Where are volcanoes found?”
Planetary Exploration: IO For Kids
Io is one of Jupiter’s many moons. This Web site provides you with information about Io’s active
volcanoes. Learn about the different types of lava flow and landforms produced by volcanic activity.
Volcanoes of Other Worlds
This section of “Volcano World” contains information on our volcanically active solar system. Topics
include, Earth’s moon, Mars, Venus, and Io (one of Jupiter’s moons).
The Virtual Solar System: Search Results For Volcanoes
The “Virtual Solar System” is a index of solar system which contains the topic of volcanoes.
USGS: Volcanoes!
This Web site contains the answers to questions, “Why Do Volcanoes Erupt?”, “Where Do Volcanoes
Erupt?”, and “Why Do Volcanoes Grow?”. This site also contains many clip art images that may be useful
to you.
How Volcanoes Work
“How Volcanoes Work?” is a wonderful resource that provides information including: eruption dynamics ,
volcano landforms, types of eruptions, eruption types, historical eruptions, and planetary volcanism.
Volcanoes: Can We Predict Volcanic Eruptions?
This site is a great resource that briefly describes, how volcanoes form, how magma becomes lava, and
the different lava types. The site concludes with a 39 second video clip explaining the different
Pahoehoe and Aa.
USGS: Photo Glossary of Volcanic Terms
The USGS volcanic glossary has every term imaginable on the topic of volcanoes. Each term contains a
photo to help you understand the vocabulary.
Tramline: Volcano Field Trip
This 19 stop virtual field trip has to be the most exciting resource on the Web! Get answers to all of
your questions regarding volcanoes as well as enjoy real pictures and clip art. This site includes a section
on volcanoes in our solar system as well.
Evaluation
Now that your group has completed all of its research and created a presentation, it is
time to assess how much knowledge you have gained. Attached you will find the rubrics
that will be used to grade your group.
PowerPoint
Conclusion
Brochure
Congratulations on completing this research project! Your group has worked extremely
hard completing research using your text, books, and the internet. Your group has also
created a presentation that helped you and your classmates learn about volcanoes.
Great Job! I hope you had fun, and formed some new peer relationships.
Name: ______________________ HR: _____
Date: __________________ Section: ______
How Do Volcanoes Impact Earth?
4
PowerPoint Presentation Rubric
Self2
1
3
Teacher Evaluation
Evaluation
Content
Essential
Question
Students answer the
essential questions
with at least 4
supporting facts.
Students answer the
essential questions
with at least 3
supporting facts.
Students
answer the
essential
questions with
at least 2
supporting
facts.
Students answer the essential question with
only 1 supporting fact.
Proof Reading / Editing
Students used spell
check and their
PowerPoint
presentation does
not contain any
spelling errors.
All that you have to do to earn a 4 is
use spell check. To use spell check
click on the “tools” menu and select
“spelling”.
Students did not use spell check
and their PowerPoint presentation
contains spelling errors.
Grammar
Students have proof
read and edited their
PowerPoint slides. All
sentences are
complete and are
grammatically
correct.
Students have proof
read and edited
their PowerPoint
slides. Most
sentences are
complete and are
grammatically
correct.
Students did not proof read or
edit their PowerPoint slides.
Sentences are not complete and
are not grammatically correct.
Graphics
/
Animation
Students have used
graphics/ animation
in all slides and are
content and slide
appropriate.
Students have used
graphics/ animation
in most slides and
are content and slide
appropriate.
Students have used
graphics/ animation in a
few slides and may not be
content or slide
appropriate.
Students have used graphics/
animation in a few slides and are
not content or slide appropriate.
Slide
Sequence
PowerPoint
presentation includes
and introduction
slide (defining
essential, content
and unit questions)
and a concluding
PowerPoint
presentation includes
and introduction
slide (defining
essential, content
and unit questions)
and a concluding
PowerPoint presentation is
missing either an
introduction (defining
essential, content and unit
questions) or a concluding
slide. Slide order does not
flow well.
PowerPoint presentation is missing
both an introduction (defining
essential, content and unit
questions) and a concluding slide.
Slide order does not flow well.
Spelling
Students may have proof
read and edited their
PowerPoint slides. Many
sentences are not complete
and are not grammatically
correct.
PowerPoint Attractiveness / Appropriateness
slide. Slide order
flows well and is
sequential.
Total Points
slide. Slide order
may not completely
flow.
____/20
____/20
Final Grade
Name: ______________________ HR: _____
Date: __________________ Section: ______
How Do Volcanoes Impact Earth?
4
3
2
Brochure Rubric
1
Self Evaluation
Teacher
Evaluation
Content
Essential
Question
Students answer the
essential questions
with at least 4
supporting facts.
Students answer the
essential questions
with at least 3
supporting facts.
Students answer the
essential questions
with at least 2
supporting facts.
Students answer the essential
question with only 1 supporting fact.
Spelling
Students used spell
check and their
brochure does not
contain any spelling
errors.
All that you
have to do to
earn a 4 is use
spell check. To
use spell check
click on the
“tools” menu
and select
“spelling”.
Students did not use spell check and their brochure contains
spelling errors.
Grammar
Students have proof
read and edited
their brochure. All
sentences are
complete and are
grammatically
correct.
Students have proof
read and edited
their brochure. Most
sentences are
complete and are
grammatically
correct.
Students may have
proof read and
edited their
brochure. Many
sentences are not
complete and are not
grammatically
correct.
Layout
The brochure layout
is logical and
appearance is
extremely pleasing.
The design is
consistent and
reinforces the
content message.
The brochure layout
is logical and
appearance is
pleasing. The design
is mostly consistent
and reinforces the
content message.
Proof Reading / Editing
Students did not proof read or edit
their brochure. Sentences are not
complete and are not grammatically
correct.
Brochure Design
The brochure layout
is fairly logical and
appearance is fairly
pleasing. The design
is fairly consistent
and may not
reinforce the
content message.
The brochure layout is not logical
and appearance is not pleasing. The
design is not consistent and does
not reinforce the content message.
Graphics/
Pictures
Students have used
graphics/ pictures
that are content and
theme appropriate.
Students have
included 2 special
features such as
company name or
logo.
Students have used
graphics/ pictures
that are content and
theme appropriate.
Students have
included 1 special
feature such as
company name or
logo.
Students have used
graphics/ pictures
that may not be
content and theme
appropriate.
Students did not
include any special
features such as
company name or
logo.
Total Points
____/20
Final Grade
Students have used graphics/
pictures that are not content and
theme appropriate. Students did not
include any special features such as
company name or logo.
____/20