The Engineering Place (K-20 Outreach)

Earthquakes and Volcanoes (3rd-5th)

Lesson plan developed by Jennifer Hartman

Objective: Students will have an overall knowledge of how hot spots within the earth trigger the eruption of volcanoes and how plate tectonics affect the stability of the earths crust, therefore creating earthquakes. Students should be able to make a connection between the various levels of viscosity and volcanic formation.

Overview: This section is designed to inform students about the formation of these natural disasters based on hot spots and plate tectonics. Topic to be addressed over three-day period.

1. Perform experiment to create geodes, for discussion within later topic.
2. Introduce topic of volcanoes.
3. Introduce topic of earthquakes.
4. Assign project for earthquake and volcano zones within various continents.
5. Perform experiment to address the formation of various types of volcanoes based on various levels of lava viscosity. Have students record experimental observations and base conclusions on these findings in relation to volcanic formation.

Materials:

• 2 cups per student
• 2 plates per student
• 2 straws per student
• Juice
• Honey
• Paper towels

Background Information: Check out the following websites for background information and other alternative experiments.

http://howstuffworks.lycos.com/earthquake.htm

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/4kids

http://www.owu.edu (this experiment)

Motivate! (Engage): This experiment is a hands-on activity and will be performed solely by the students under supervision. The students are required to record their observations, and make appropriate conclusions based on these observations. Students have been asked to make links between the lava and juices within the experimentation. A handout was prepared to guide the students through the procedure (following detailed instructions). The results found by students will be discussed at the end of the experiment.

Procedure:

1. Materials will be handed out to students.
2. Each student will have one cup filled ½ full with juice, and the other cup filled ½ full with honey.
3. Once the cups have been filled, place one cup on each plate.
4. Place a straw in the cup containing juice, and slowly start to make bubbles in the liquid. DO NOT BLOW THE JUICE ALL OVER! It is important that we perform this experiment in an orderly fashion. You can slowly increase the force used to blow through the straw. In a neat manner, record the observations made as the force on the straw is increased. Note any changes you deem important to the experiment. Small things you may not think are important may actually be useful when we discuss this as a class, so record those observations also.
5. Once all observations have been recorded for the juice, proceed to follow the same steps as previously taken. However, this time the experiment and observations will be performed and recorded for the cup filled with honey.
6. Once all observations have been made and recorded, please clean your work area.
7. Once your work area has been cleared, record any conclusions that you can make based on your observations. Be sure your observations and conclusions are clearly and logically written so another person could easily understand your thoughts. Try to relate your conclusions to our discussion of volcanoes. Think about the relationships between the juice, honey and the lava of a volcano.
8. Once you have completed your write up, please wait quietly until everyone else has finished.
9. Class Discussion.

Upon the conclusion of the experiment, a class discussion will be held to evaluate the various conclusions made by students. This will in turn link the various types of viscous lava with the formations of different forms of volcanoes. Students will determine which type of liquid would be associated with the type of volcanic formation.

Safety Tips: All materials in this experiment are harmless; therefore, no safety tips are appropriate for this particular experiment.

Concept Discovery: This will occur within the class discussion. Together the class, with the instructors help, should conclude that the more viscous lava (similar to the honey) exits the volcano in explosive spurts, thereby forming steeper volcanoes (Strata Volcanoes). Whereas less viscous lava (similar to the juice), simply overflows from the volcano and easily travels a further distance, forming gentle slopes. From this crater-like volcanoes are formed (Shield Volcanoes).

Going Further (Elaboration): Since more viscous lava has been found to be thicker in consistency, more force is required to expel the lava from the volcano. After a substantial amount of force and pressure have been applied, the highly viscous lava explodes and is sent high into the air. This type of explosion helps in the formation of a steeper volcano. However the opposite is true for less viscous lava, which requires less force and simply flows from the top. Since this liquid is more runny, it is also able to travel farther distances, forming gently sloping sides. The force/pressure required in volcanoes can be associated with the force/pressure required by the student for the straws to create bubbles within the experiment.

Closure: General overview of lessons learned within this section. Have students list new things learned within this section and why things happen the way that they do.

Assessment: Students have been given an assignment to work in groups, locating various earthquake fault lines and volcanic regions within their assigned continent. Groups’ continents will be combined to form a world map and thereby locating earthquake and volcano regions throughout the world.

Connections: The assignment given to students will allow them to evaluate natural disasters within other regions of the world, and one might also have students research historical natural disasters such as the Italian volcano, Vesuvius, which buried the roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum when it erupted. This could easily be tied into a course in social studies.

Along with locating the epic center of earthquakes one might incorporate a math lecture. This is handled by creating circles, which are located in the earthquake zones. The location where the three circles overlap is found to be the central location. This could be associated with diameters, radius and area when evaluating the size of a city affected by earthquakes. This is also an excellent opportunity to integrate another subject within this lesson.

To adapt to other ages, simply reduce the amount of detail. Also the experiment could be performed by the teacher and discussed within the class, as apposed to the individual completing the experiment.

---