Name: ________________
Mt. Plume Erupts!!!
Inhabitants of a populated area are awakened by a heavy shudder within their
homes. They go outside to see what the commotion is all about and find a frightening
image that will forever be trapped in their minds. The image is that of, what used to be
their beautiful skyline, engulfed in a flow of ash, dust, and debris rising skyward out of
the volcano they once called, "the epitome of perfection". Mt. Plume has erupted and
continues to invoke the town with aftershocks for days to follow. The mass devastation of
homes, forest life, water systems, and the residential town has all been compromised due
to this unfortunate event.
Natural disasters occur all the time, sometimes without any warning. It will take
months, even years, before this town will be back on its feet. The people who rebuild this
town will have to look at many different elements into creating the town it once was
including:
-Water Systems Renewal
- Plant and Animal Restoration
-Building and Road Construction, etc.
TASK:
You're going to be placed into "crews" of 3 to reconstruct and rebuild this town
for the inhabitants, taking into effect plant and animal diversification, water system
restoration, building and road renewal, and an evacuation route for an impending
volcanic eruption. Each crew member will have designated roles in the rebuilding of this
town. The roles of the crew members are biologist, earth scientist, and physicist. These
roles are essential for the growth and rebuilding of this town.
Crew Member Roles:
Biologist: The devastation invoked on this town and forested community killed off
millions of acres of plant life and vegetation, as well as, many of the animals. The
diversity of both of these has gone down tremendously since the eruption. Here are some
questions to aid you in the re-growth of the plant and animal life.
- How will you restore the plant life in the forested areas?
-What are some plants, trees, vegetation that you would include?
-How will you ensure the environment is sustainable for plants and animals to
survive?
-What types of animals will be included in your town’s forested areas?
-If a natural disaster, like a volcano, were to wreak havoc on this community
again, what could you do, as a biologist, to maintain plant growth following such
a catastrophe? Can you, why or why not?
Physicist: As a physicist, you are to reconstruct several major buildings, a major bridge,
and roads which were completely wiped out due to the aftershocks of the volcanic
eruption. The destroyed buildings and roads weren't built properly to withstand
earthquakes of any magnitude. Here are some questions to think about while
reconstructing the roads, buildings, and bridge.
-What type of infrastructure do buildings need in order to withstand an
earthquake?
-What type of bridge(s) would be best suited to withstand an earthquake and why?
-How will the roads be designed?
-What types of materials can you use to reconstruct these buildings?
Earth Scientist: During the eruption, the drinking water of both animals and humans were
contaminated in the streams and lakes. You will have to do research on earthquakes and
what happens before and during an eruption.
-How will you monitor the water of the streams, lakes, and ponds?
-What are some ways in which you could have the water filtered to ensure
neutrality in human drinking water?
-Prior to the eruption, there showed signs of increasing levels of acidity in lakes
and ponds closest to the base of the volcano; why did this occur? Could this have
been indicative of an imminent eruption?
EVACUATION PLAN
No evacuation plan was implemented prior to this eruption. So, all of you will work
together, as a crew, to create an evacuation route/plan for the people in town in case
another doomed disaster takes place. This means that you, the physicist, could even
design your roads in such a way that there are more exits out of the town’s central
location.
Once complete, you will present your plan and design to the class in the form of either a
power point or poster.