VOLCANO

VOLCANO!

Knight Foundation Summer Institute

Lisa Nelson, Wagner Middle School

Emily Dorean, Haverford College

Introduction:

Volcanoes are one of the earth's most amazing displays of power. Volcanoes are the earth's mechanism for cooling off its inner core. As the core of the planet heats up from the decay of radioactive elements deep in the earth, the rocks melt, forming magma. This heat needs to be released and allowed to escape to the surface. An eruption hole, or vent, is created through which burning hot molten rock and gases are released to the surface of the earth. The build-up of the ashes and lava flows (magma that has been released from the earth) that are released around the hole accumulate to create a volcano. These happen most often at "hot spots", which are places along the edges of earth plates that are weak enough to allow the earth to vent hot lava. The study of movement at these plates that creates super geologic activity is called plate tectonics.

This experiment is a good basic lesson, a hands-on activity which can promote inquiry into natural disasters, history, and current technology. One of the goals of this experiment is to give the students a creative way to model and experience an event they would otherwise never experience to gain a better understanding of earth science.

As an introduction to this project, discuss with the students where they think a hot found relative to the placement of the earth's plates (Hawaii, India, where the earth's crust plates meet, etc.), and what they think a volcano looks like on the outside and on the inside. It would be helpful to have a resource with a map showing the earth plates and their movement. Preparations could include asking them as "volcanologists" to research the structure of a volcano, or to begin a creative writing story of the events leading up to a volcano, to be concluded by the students after the experiment.

Objectives:

To know the structure of a volcano, the reasons for the structure and behavior of volcanoes, and the vocabulary to describe this.

To learn how scientists can use models to better understand processes of nature.

To determine the best procedure for creating a volcano model by critically analyzing experimental results.

Vocabulary:

gas

hot spot

lava

magma

molten rock

volcano

Materials:

scrap paper of any style or color, cut into strips (These strips can be any size, and if you opt not to paint the volcanoes, a great variety of colors and patterns in the paper would be best.)

1 sturdy styrofoam, or disposable plastic cup per group 1 2-Liter plastic bottle per group, cut in half ~ pans or buckets per group paper mache paste (Made with a mixture of three parts water to one part flour, mixed well)

paint (It is optional for the students to paint these- I used colored strips of paper in the paper mache part for decoration. Another option is to spray paint all the volcanoes overnight for the students, which shouldn't take too much time.)

masking tape

scrap paper (For crumpling up to form the volcano shape)

food tray (styrofoam or plastic), a large flat pan, or flat bucket (This is used as the base of the volcano. You could also use a piece of cardboard covered with aluminum foil, especially if you have desks or facilities that can handle a mess.)

red food coloring

baking soda (base)

vinegar (acid)

Alka-Seltzer (optional)

dish detergent (optional, I used regular palmolive dish detergent, but any brand will work fine.)

Procedure:

First day:

Divide the class into cooperative groups, and they can then:

Take the bottom half of the 2-Liter soda bottle and tape it to the tray so that the bottom up (See attached diagram.)
Tape the styrofoam cup to the bottom of the soda bottle so that it is sitting up properly (see diagram).
Crumple pieces of paper and tape them to the sides of this contraption to form the shape of a mountain (There is no need for this to be very neat, as it will be covered.)
Set up a system for each table or group of students with 1 pan of water and 1 pan of the paste mixture, both deep enough to dip paper strips in.
Dip the paper strips first in the water bath, then in the paste, then place them on the "mountain" randomly. Don't worry about how it looks or feels. The paste will dry and hold it together, so direct students not to press too hard. Use colored paper for the last layer, or paint the volcano after it dries.
Let the volcano dry, overnight if possible.

Second day:

Make sure that the volcano and paint have dried, and then fill the plastic cup inside the mountain 1/3 full with baking soda. (Optional: Crush in a couple tablets of alka seltzer for an improved reaction).
Put three drops of red food coloring (several drops of dish detergent are an optional addition, and will help to catalyze the reaction, as well).
Now for the excitement! Pour approximately 300 ml of vinegar into the cup with the baking soda.
WOW!!!!!!!
Clean up the mess.

Assessments:

The students can each draw their own picture/diagram of a volcano, explicitly naming all the parts (see vocabulary).

If the students started a story before-hand, have them finish that, using the vocabulary words.

Many more projects, but more importantly, research information, can be accessed at the Volcano World website:

http://volcano.und.nodak.edu

I found this website to be extremely helpful in all areas of research about volcanoes, |

especially the link called "Ask a Volcanologist".

Extensions:

Have the students locate an active volcano around the world. Each student can choose their own to research and then present to the class in the form of a poster, a story, a historical paper, or a model volcano (of greater proportions or artistic merit than the class experiment!). This activity can also be molded for use in cooperative groups, where each group chooses a currently active volcano, and each member of the group is in charge of a different aspect of the project, e.g. Lisa does the model, Jerome does the research and paper on the area and culture in which it is found, Adam does the fictional story of the last volcano eruption, and Theresa does the poster time-line of the volcano history. Feel free to mold these ideas into a project or plan that will suit your class.

Philadelphia Science Content Standards:

SCIENCE CONTENT STANDARD #1: NATURE OF SCIENCE

This experiment satisfies Benchmark 4 for grades 5-8: " explain how things stay constant yet change within a system, from the simplest system to the most complex in our universe."

SCIENCE CONTENT STANDARD #2: PHYSICAL SETTING

This experiment satisfies Benchmark 2 for grades 5-8: " understand that the earth is a constantly changing and moving system as indicated by crustal plates, weather, etc."

This experiment also satisfies Benchmark 3 for grades K-4: " identify properties of the earth's materials (rocks, soil, water, and air) and understand how they interrelate"

This experiment also satisfies Benchmark 4 for grades K-4: " understand and recognize when heating and cooling occur."

SCIENCE CONTENT STANDARD 7: HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES

This experiment satisfies Benchmark 2 for grades 5-8: "describe how technology influences our quality of life. Understand how technological changes are often accompanied by social, political, and economic changes that may benefit or harm individuals and society and that societal needs, attitudes, and values impact the direction of technological development."

Cross-references:

This is one of the best cross-disciplinary experiments I have seen. This experiment can be used as a basis for lessons on narrative (stories and movies about volcanoes abound, and the imagination is often stimulated by such disasters), on historical perspective (history of volcanoes can quickly lead to cultural analysis), on arts and crafts (who can create the most accurate, artistic volcano?), on geology (basaltic lava, the change from rock to magma), on earth science (it is our earth responding to pressure), etc.

8.gif (45492 bytes)