Ring of Fire - Choose a Place to Live?
A WebQuest created by:

Lon L. Eilders, II

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Grade Band: 9-12 Geology

Introduction | Task | Process | Evaluation | Conclusion | Teachers | Credits/References

Introduction

Since before the time of the first humans, volcanoes have been erupting as part of the processes that continually change the face of the Earth.  Man has long worshipped, feared, and studied these natural eruptions.  How has man learned to coexist with the destructive power of one of nature's most immense forces?

While many countries lie on the ring of fire, this quest will concentrate on two volcanoes from the United States, Mount St. Helens and Mt. Kilauea.

Task

You work for a major company that has decided to shut down their offices in the city in which you live.  You have been offered a position in one of two places, a small town 40 kilometers from Mount St. Helens in Washington or a small town 40 kilometers from Mt Kilauea.  The company will pay for all of your moving expenses.  You must let the company know by one week from today what your decision will be by writing a business letter to Ms. Bishop.  Ms. Bishop is head of human resources at ABC Corporation.  It is located at 123 ABC Drive in Chattanooga, TN. The zip code is 37415.

Process

Use the following four web sites to research the conditions that you will be faced with based on your decision about your new job position:

United States Geological Survey http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/

Types and Effects of Volcanic Hazards http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/Hazards/What/hazards.html

Volcanic-Hazard Zonation for Mount St. Helens, Washington, 1995 http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/MSH/Hazards/OFR95-497/OFR95-497.html

Volcanic and Seismic Hazards on the Island of Hawaii: Online Edition http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/hazards/contents.html

You may want to use other sources besides those listed here (textbooks, encyclopedias, etc.)

Using a word processing or a spreadsheet program, create a table in which you define each of the following terms, indicate whether the term is associated with Mount St. Helens and/or Mt. Kilauea, and potential hazards to the surrounding area if present:

    tepha fall, pyroclastic flows, pyroclastic surges, explosive ejection of ballistic projectiles, lateral blasts, lave flows, lahars, volcanic gases, ground cracking/settling, earthquakes, and tsunamis. 

Using your table generated from the information you obtained from the three above mentioned web pages, write a letter to Ms. Bishop in proper business letter format (you may have to check an English textbook for proper formatting or obtain an example of a letter from your teacher) explaining which job location you have chosen, which plate boundary each volcano is associated with, and why you chose this particular job location.

Evaluation

After finishing the task for this WebQuest, please self evaluate your final products before turning them into the teacher.

Rubric (Word Document)

Rubric (PDF Document)

Rubric

Conclusion

Let your research begin! Remember you have only one week until the business letter is due into Ms. Bishop.  If you fail to turn in the letter you may be sent to whichever location they choose or you might not have a job at all.

Teachers

Recommended Grade Band: 9-12 Geology

Tennessee State Standards: Geology 5.4 describe the processes associated with volcanoes, earthquakes, and mountain building.

Purpose: To encourage students to learn about the process of earthquakes and volcanoes through the exciting use of the Internet.  To encourage the presentation of data by a table. To assess student learning through a non-conventional means (Business letter).

Preceding and Ensuing Events of Instruction: The teacher should first show the IMAX movie Ring of Fire (40 minutes) or The Eruption of Mount St. Helens! (28 minutes) or both which are available through slingshot.  This should prompt student interest in the topics covered in this WebQuest.  Ordering information at www.slingshotdvd.com

The teacher will have to acquire an English textbook or an example of the business letter prior to the lesson.

This WebQuest can prompt future interest of students in the processes that drive Earth plate tectonics.

Learning Improvements: Students will be allowed to do independent research which should lead to a move away from extrinsic rewards to greater intrinsic rewards.  Learning will be reinforced when the students assemble and evaluate the research they have done.  

Improvements and Expansions:  This WebQuest can be expanded by introducing more volcanoes from the ring of fire.

Credits/References

Graphic Films Corporation. (1990). The Eruption of Mount St. Helens! [DVD] Burbank, CA: Slingshot DVD Corp.

Types and effects of volcanic hazards (2000). Retrieved June 2, 2003, from http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/Hazards/What/hazards.html

United states geological survey (2003). Retrieved June 2, 2003, from  http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/

Volcanic and seismic hazards on the island of hawaii: online edition (1997). Retrieved June 2, 2003, from http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/hazards/contents.html

Volcano Film Partnership. (1991). Ring of Fire [DVD]. Burbank, CA: Slingshot DVD Corp.

Wolfe, E. W., & Pierson, T. C. (1995). Volcanic-hazard zonation for mount st. helens, washington, 1995.  Retrieved June 2, 2003, from http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/MSH/Hazards/OFR95-497/OFR95-497.html

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