Locating Patterns in the
Distribution of Volcanic Activity

Using An Online Resource to Gather Data




Overview/Introduction:

This lesson takes a lesson traditionally done with paper and pencil and adds a technology component. Students will go online to visit a specific website to gather current data on worldwide volcanic activity. They will then plot this data on a world map and look for patterns. Traditionally students are given a list of volcano locations from a textbook or workbook. The Internet provides an opportunity to gather current information on worldwide volcanic activity. While there are programs and sites which will map the locations for the student, mapping skills and the use of longitude and latitude are important skills for each student to master. Based on the results of their completed map, students will look for patterns as to the worldwide distribution of volcanoes and volcanic activity. This will lead to discussions of plate tectonics and continental drift.

The site students will visit will be Volcano World. This is one of the best sites for information on Volcanoes found on the web.


Procedure:

  1. Go to Volcano World's web page located at http://volcano.und.nodak.edu As a lesson on doing Internet searches you may want to have students do an Internet search for volcano locations, volcanic eruptions or activity.

  2. Click on the "Current Eruptions" button (see image)



  3. Scroll down and and you will see a database chart showing the latest current volcanic activity/eruptions. The Name of the Volcano, geographic location, date of last activity/eruption and latitude/longitude are given.

    Current eruptions are sorted in order of the last update on VW.
    The most current updates are at the top of the list

    VOLCANO: DATE OF ERUPTION OR ACTIVITY: LAST UPDATED LOCATION
    Soufriere Hills, Montserrat, West Indies June 30-July 7, 2000 July 10, 2000 16.7N, 62.2W
    Piton de la Fournaise, Island of Reunion June 23, 2000 June 26, 2000 21.23S, 55.71E
    Krakatau, Indonesia May 29-June 9, 2000 June 21, 2000 6.10S, 105.42E
    Etna, Sicily, Italy June 15, 2000 June 16, 2000 37.7N, 15.0E

  4. Print out or record this information if you are restricted in your on-line usage time. Note: there are a few errors in notation for the longitudes of several volcanoes. An "N" or "M" appears instead of east or west. The mistakes will be fairly obvious if you look at the geographic location (This is also a great lesson in world geography)

  5. Distribute a world map which includes longitude and latitude markings to each student. (You may also have students search for their own Mercator projection world maps on the Internet). The standard social studies world map will do just fine.

    Have students plot the location of each recent activity/eruption on the map. Use a symbol to represent a volcano (Students may want to use a red or other colored pencil) The symbol should be centered directly over the location coordinates. Label each volcano with its name. The list goes back approximately 5 years and is updated on a regular basis. To save time you may want to pre-select which volcanoes you want students to plot or limit the number of locations. Several countries have multiple entries such as Japan or Alaska so you may want to students to plot entries from 1999 to 2000.

Student Discussion Questions:

  1. Are volcanoes randomly scattered over the earths surface or are they concentrated in certain areas or zones? Support you answer.

  2. What areas/countries/continents of the earth have had the most recent volcanic activity/eruptions?

  3. Is most volcanic activity found toward the middle of continents or towards their edges?

  4. In the last 5 years which volcanic eruptions have taken place in the United States?

  5. If you do see a pattern describe it. How does it relate to the position of the oceans and or continents? What do you think might cause it?

  6. Research the following terms on the Internet: "Ring of Fire"
    plate tectonics
    continental drift

Extension Activities:

  1. Have students do research on one or more of the volcanoes they plotted.

    The Volcano World site is also great for students to do reports on volcanism. Go to Volcanoes in the menu (or have students click on the name of the volcano i the current eruptions list) and just about every major volcano in the world is listed. Students have access to some great photographs of each volcano and detailed scientific information about its size, type and location. These photos can be captured and pasted into reports or presentations.

  2. Prepare a "webquest" for your students in which they are to research and come up with answers to questions about volcanoes. Students can break up into teams and compete to see which can complete their webquest first. If your students are doing webquests on volcanoes check out the "Ask A Volcanologist" area. While this feature is no longer active they have a great section on volcano FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions). Such as what is the worlds largest volcano or How many people died in the largest eruption ever recorded.

  3. Have students complete a similar assignment using earthquake data. There are 100s of sites with current and archived information on earthquakes. Students can plot these on a similar map or add to their volcano map using a different symbol or color. This can lead to a discussion of the relationship between the locations of earthquakes and volcanoes.

  4. This activity can easily lead to a discussion about the types of volcanoes. Have students do a report on the types of volcanoes and use photos gathered from the web to illustrate the various types.


California Science Content Standards

Dynamic Earth Processes

3. Plate tectonics operating over geologic time has changed the patterns of land, sea, and mountains on Earth's suface. As a basis for understanding this concept:

d. Students know why and how earthquakes occur and the scales used to measure their intensity and magnitude.

f. Students know the explanation for the location and properties of volcanoes that are due to hot spots and the explanation for those that are due to subduction.

Investigation and Experimentation

Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting careful investigations. As a basis for understanding this concept and to address the content in the other four strands, students should develop their own questions and perform investigations. Students will:

a. select and use appropriate tools and technology (such as computer-linked probes, spreadsheets, and graphing calculators) to perform tests, collect data, analyze relationships, and display data.

National Education Technology Standards for All Students

3. Technology productivity tools

Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity.

Technology research tools

  •  
    		•  Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources.

  •  
    		•  Students use technology tools to process data and report results.

  •  
    		•  Students evaluate and select new information resources and technological innovations based on the appropriateness to specific tasks.

    Technology problem-solving and decision-making tools

  •  
    		•  Students use technology resources for solving problems and making informed decisions.

  •  
    		•  Students employ technology in the development of strategies for solving problems in the real world.


    The Integrating Technology into Science Instruction webpages project is partially funded by grants from The Boeing Company and The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation. Integrating Technology into Instruction is a project of Target Science (target@laep.org) and is displayed on the Los Angeles Educational Partnership Learning Exchange. Target Science is an initiative of the Los Angeles Educational Partnership.
    Updated July 2000