Introduction
Topic Supervolcano
Grade 9-12, Environmental Science
Mother Nature can be fierce and frightening, definitely worthy of our respect and caution. One such element of Mother Nature is a volcano. Volcanos spout lava and ash and have been known to form an island or two. There is a wide range of volcanic activity. Some volcanos are dormant, while others erupt mildly with some frequency. Others throughout history have caused exponential damage.
Have you ever heard of a supervolcano? Is that just a large volcano or what? What would happen if one erupted, what damage would it do, and where are they located anyway? Dubbed “like the supervillains of the geologic world, as stories of their looming threat grow ever more exaggerated” by National Geographic (Wei-Haas, 2019), Let’s find out more about: What would happen if a super volcano erupted? Should we be concerned?
Task
Essential Question What would happen if a super volcano such as Yellowstone erupted?
- Groups will create either a pamphlet or infographic synthesizing the information they find. It is up to each team to choose which format fits their preference.
- Each team member needs to contribute information from their specialty into the final product.
- If you want to include a visual, a team member can create art to add to the product, or photographs can be obtained from “Photos for Class” or “Pixabay.” Reminder - images also need correct citations.
- Final products will be shared with the entire class and displayed in the library.
Get Started as a Group
Together with your teammates, read about what is a supervolcano or super eruption. After reading these articles and discussing the content, each member of the group will conduct further research individually to share with their teammates to complete a final product.
- What is a supervolcano or supereruption?
- What would short and long-term effects of a supereruption be?
- What is the Volcanic Explosivity Index and what does it measure?
- What are some of the necessary conditions for a supereruption to occur?
- How likely is it for a supervolcano to erupt?
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/surviving-a-supereruption/
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/supervolcano-yellowstone
(Leahhelinski, 2013)
Process
Roles In groups of 4 use these websites to find out answers. Each person will have a unique role to play with specific information to find. Each member of the team is responsible for informing their teammates of what they found.
Geologist
- What are the different types of volcanos?
- What causes a volcanic eruption?
- What is pyroclastic flow?
- What is a tsunami?
- How do scientist predict a volcanic eruption?
- What other interesting facts did you come across?
https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/volcano/277623
https://naturalhistory.si.edu/education/teaching-resources/earth-science/when-volcanoes-erupt
https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/explainer-volcano-basics
https://www.usgs.gov/natural-hazards/volcano-hazards/about-volcanoes
Historian
- Name three big volcanic eruptions of the past.
- When did those eruptions take place?
- What were the effects of those volcanic eruptions?
- What caused the “year with no summer”?
- Where have some of the deadliest eruptions occurred?
- What other interesting facts did you come across?
https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/pompeii
https://scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/how-climate-works/mount-tambora-and-year-without-summer
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/day-historic-krakatau-eruption-1883
https://www.arcgis.com/apps/MapJournal/index.html?appid=fcd758cdc4a44e4a895fd633a6ef5129
Survivalist
- What precautions need to be taken before a volcanic eruption?
- How would you survive during an eruption?
- What should you do afterwards to continue to stay safe?
- What should you NOT do during a volcanic eruption?
- What should you include in a Volcano Emergency Kit?
- What other interesting facts did you come across?
https://www.globalrescue.com/common/blog/detail/6-Tips-For-Surviving-A-Volcanic-Eruption/
https://www.ready.gov/volcanoes
https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/volcano.html
https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/volcanoes/before.html
Yellowstone Analyst
- Where is Yellowstone located, and what area would be affected by a super eruption?
- When was the last time Yellowstone erupted?
- What is a caldera?
- How is activity at Yellowstone monitored and who does it?
- What is the likelihood of another Yellowstone eruption?
- What other interesting facts did you come across?
https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/volcano.htm
https://travelwyoming.com/article/what-you-need-to-know-yellowstone-supervolcano/
https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/yellowstone/faqs-facts
(Otto, 2014)
Evaluation
|
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Needs Work 1 |
Satisfactory 2 |
Good Job 3 |
Excellent 4 |
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Pamphlet or Infographic: Content
|
Information was unclear. Several topics were not included.
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Included information from some of the topics
|
Included information from most of the topics |
Thorough, researched information; included each topic |
|
Pamphlet or Infographic: Visual |
Information not organized
|
Information somewhat organized |
Information mostly well-organized |
Information well-organized |
|
Participation |
Team member did not contribute.
|
Team member contributed some to group assignment or discussion, but not adequately to both. |
Team member mostly contributed to both group assignment and discussion
|
Team member contributed a lot to both group assignment and discussion. |
|
Work Habits |
Did not stay on task |
Stayed on task some of the time |
Stayed on task most of the time |
Stayed on task the entire time |
|
Presentation
|
Group did not present or was off topic
|
Some information in presentation was unclear or not included
|
Group presented good information in a clear presentation
|
Group presented correct information in a clear and thought out presentation |
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Citations
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Did not correctly cite sources
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Correctly cited sources with a few errors
|
Correctly cited most sources with 1 or 2 errors |
Correctly cited all sources
|
Conclusion
The word Supervolcano sounds scary. To be sure, a supereruption would have drastic consequences. As a general rule, it’s good to know how to protect yourself in a wide variety of nature situations, including a volcanic eruption. However, read this article as a reminder why it is important to do further research of reputable sources before jumping to any conclusions.
https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/yellowstone-supervolcano-goes-viral
How does the information in this article compare with the research you have conducted on this topic? Please discuss with your teammates.
(Feng, 2006)
Credits
American Red Cross. (2021). Volcano preparedness: Learn about the hazards of an erupting volcano and how to keep your family safe. https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/volcano.html
ArcGIS. (2021). 10 deadliest volcanos in history.https://www.arcgis.com/apps/MapJournal/index.html?appid=fcd758cdc4a44e4a895fd633a6ef5129
Black, G. (2014, September 4). The Yellowstone supervolcano goes viral. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/yellowstone-supervolcano-goes-viral
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018, May 18). Key facts about preparing for a volcanic eruption. https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/volcanoes/before.html
Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. (2021). Volcano. Britannica Kids. https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/volcano/277623
Feng, A. (2006). Volcano [Photograph]. Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/5VPiUq
Global Rescue. (2017, November 30). 6 tips for surviving a volcanic eruption.https://www.globalrescue.com/common/blog/detail/6-Tips-For-Surviving-A-Volcanic-Eruption/
History.com Editors (2010, August 27). Pompeii. History.com. https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/pompeii
Helinski, L.. (2013). Volcano [Photograph]. Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/f7STdG
National Centers for Environmental Information. (2017, August 26). On this day: Historic Krakatau eruption of 1883. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/day-historic-krakatau-eruption-1883
National Museum of Natural History. (2021). When volcanos erupt. Smithsonian. https://naturalhistory.si.edu/education/teaching-resources/earth-science/when-volcanoes-erupt
National Park Service. (2021). Yellowstone: Volcano. https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/volcano.htm
Oklahoma State Department of Education (2020) Oklahoma Academic Standards: Science. https://sde.ok.gov/oklahoma-academic-standards
Otto, M. (2014). Yellowston [Photograph]. Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/phtwMU
Outside Interactive, Inc. (2013, October 8). History of Yellowstone’s supervolcano. Yellowstone National Park. https://www.yellowstonepark.com/things-to-do/yellowstone-volcano/yellowstones-supervolcano-and-volcanic-history/
Perkins, S. (2014, October 1). Explainer: The volcano basics. Science News for Students. https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/explainer-volcano-basics
Ready. (2021, May 6). Volcanoes. Ready.gov. https://www.ready.gov/volcanoes
TED-Ed. (2014, June 9). The colossal consequences of supervolcanos [Video]. YouTube. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hDNlu7Qf6_E
Tyson, P. (2005, September). Surviving a supereruption. PBS. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/surviving-a-supereruption/
UCAR. (2012). Mount Tambora and the year without a summer. University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. https://scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/how-climate-works/mount-tambora-and-year-without-summer
USGS. (2021). About volcanos. U.S. Geological Survey https://www.usgs.gov/natural-hazards/volcano-hazards/about-volcanoes
USGS. (2021). Yellowstone FAQs and facts. U.S. Geological Survey. https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/yellowstone/faqs-facts
Wei-Haas, M. (2019, March 19). How dangerous are supervolcanos? Get the facts. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/supervolcano-yellows…;
Wyoming State Geological Survey. (2021, May 7). What you need to know about Yellowstone and its supervolcano. Travel Wyoming. https://travelwyoming.com/article/what-you-need-to-know-yellowstone-supervolcano/
Teacher Page
Student Prerequisite Information for WebQuest
- Prior basic concept of volcanoes and volcanic eruptions
- Correct citing of sources.
- Using reputable sources.
- Synthesizing information from multiple sources.
- Working collaboratively with a team.
- Compare and contrast information from multiple sources.
- Critical thinking skills.
WebQuest Exploration
what causes volcanic eruptions, what big volcanos have erupted in history, how do scientists predict to warn people, how do people protect themselves, where does Yellowstone factor in
Oklahoma State Standards
6.ESS3.2 Analyze and interpret data on natural hazards to forecast future catastrophic events and inform the development of technologies to mitigate their effects.
ES.ESS3.1 Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the availability of natural resources, occurrence of natural hazards, and changes in climate affect human activity.
EN.ESS2.4 Analyze and interpret data to explore how variations in the flow of energy into and out of Earth’s systems causes changes to the atmosphere and climate.
EN.ESS3.1 Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the availability of natural resources, occurrence of natural hazards, and changes in climate affect human activity.
AASL Standards
I. Inquire B. Create: Learners engage with new knowledge by following a process that includes: 2. Devising and implementing a plan to fill knowledge gaps. 3. Generating products that illustrate learning.
III. Collaborate D. Grow: Learners actively participate with others in learning situations by: 1. Actively contributing to group discussions. 2. Recognizing learning as a social responsibility.
IV. Curate C. Share: Learners exchange information resources within and beyond their learning community by: 3. Joining with others to compare and contrast information derived from collaboratively constructed information sites.
VI. Engage A. Think: Learners follow ethical and legal guidelines for gathering and using information by: 1. Responsibly applying information, technology, and media to learning. 3. Evaluating information for accuracy, validity, social and cultural context, and appropriateness of need.
Extension Ideas
There is a lot of fascinating volcano information out there.
- Read Ashfall by Mike Mullin as a companion fiction novel of a Supervolcano eruption in Yellowstone and the aftermath for the book’s characters.
- Watch the 2005 docudrama of Supervolcano made by BBC and the Discovery Channel and compare and contrast with the information learned through this WebQuest.
- Students can create their own replica volcanos as science experiments.