This unit is designed for
use in a fourth or fifth grade classroom to last over a period of one week.
Target students are approximately 9-10 years old.
Rationale
It is important for students
to have an understanding of various natural disasters, as well as a knowledge
base of how to respond to those natural disasters and how to be prepared
for them.
Focus
The Missouri Show-Me Standards
state that graduates of Missouri public schools will be able to "recognize
and solve problems." The focus of this unit will be recognizing causes
of different natural disasters and responding as safely as possible to
those disasters. (Specific standards and goals accompany each activity).
Real Life
This unit will relate to
real life as storms or more violent natural occurrences are a part of everyday
life. Students will learn which disasters are most likely to occur in the
area in which they live and will be given the tools necessary for responding
to those situations, should they occur.
Objective(s): Students will be
able to:
1. identify how a hurricane forms.
2. identify hurricane trends.
3. recognize ways in which hurricanes
affect society.
4. identify conditions favorable to
the occurrence of hurricanes.
5. explain how tornadoes form.
6. identify characteristics of a tornado.
7. identify where the majority of tornadoes
occur
8. identify the effects of a tsunami
on a city and the people who live there.
9. identify scientific principles surrounding
the occurrence of floods.
10. identify the causes of earthquakes
11. identify location and characteristics
of the ring of fire.
12. identify safety procedures for responding
to hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, floods, earthquakes, and volcanoes.
Evaluation
Students will be evaluated for the unit
based on completion of disaster books and board game review. Evaluation
for individual activities is listed on each page.
Group Evaluation:
1. Contribution: (possible 15 points)
facilitated group progress by remaining
on task
assisted group members when possible
worked with all group members
2. Value of Contributions (possible
10 points)
demonstrated thought and reasoning
did his/her fair share of the work
3. Attitude (possible 15 points)
showed a positive attitude
listened to others
was objective and open-minded
Book Evaluation:
1. Creative approach (10 points)
2. Grammar, punctuation, spelling (45
points)
3. Clean appearance (13 points)
4. Illustrations appropriate to text
(15 points)
5. Title page--title name, author, date
(2 points)
6. Binding is attractive (15 points)
Board Game:
1. Creative approach (10 points)
2. Grammar, punctuation, spelling (5
points)
3. Clean appearance (5 points)
4. Thoughtful/thorough questions --
covers entire day (30 points)
1.4 use technological
tools & other resources to locate, select, & organize information
1.5 comprehend and evaluate written, visual, &
oral presentations and works
2.1 plan & make written, oral, & visual presentations
for a variety of purposes & audiences
2.2 review & revise communications to improve accuracy
& clarity
4.5 develop, monitor, & revise plans of action
to meet deadlines & accomplish goals
CA1 speaking & writing standard English
CA4 writing formally and informally
SS7 use of tools of social science inquiry
SCI8 impact of science, technology, & human activity
on resources and the environment
Objective(s):
1. Students will identify current hurricane trends.
2. Students will recognize the ways in which hurricanes
affect society.
3. Students will use a computer to compile a class newspaper.
Material(s):
computer w/ publications program
newspaper/magazine articles re: hurricanes for the
year
overhead projector w/ equipment to hook up to a computer
Prior Knowledge:
Students will have knowledge of what hurricanes have
occurred during the year and the paths theyve followed.
Procedure (MT):
1. Read current article from the local paper to the
students.
2. Discuss elements of a newspaper article and the process
of publication/editing.
3. Divide students into groups of 2 or 3 (depending on
amount of hurricanes that have occurred).
4. Students will draw for a different hurricane.
5. Students will review basic information about their
hurricane and the results of their hurricane.
6. Groups will write an article about their hurricane.
7. Groups will exchange articles to proof-read and then
revise their own articles.
8. Groups will take turns typing their articles into
the computer.
9. Hook up computer to an overhead projector, and as
a class, determine the layout for newspaper. Set up newspaper format with
title, date, and headings. Import articles into their appropriate places.
Question(s):
1. What are the elements of a newspaper article?
2. What makes an article interesting and well-written?
Process Skill(s):
communicating
Assessment:
articles will be graded based on inclusion of key
elements, grammar, and punctuation
Spinning
Air Experiment
Missouri Goals and Standards:
1.2 conduct research to
answer questions & evaluate information and ideas
1.3 design/conduct field & laboratory investigations
to study nature and society
1.6 discover/evaluate patterns and relationships in
information, ideas, & structures
2.3 exchange information, questions, & ideas while
recognizing perspectives of others
3.5 reason inductively from a set of specific facts
& deductively from general premises
4.1 explain reasoning & identify information used
to support decisions
SCI5 processes & interactions of Earths biosphere,
atmosphere, lithosphere, & hydrosphere
SCI7 processes of scientific inquiry
Objective(s):
1. Students will be able to identify how a hurricane
forms.
Material(s):
scissors
string
needle
lamp w/ light bulb exposed
Prior Knowledge:
Students will use prior knowledge re: weather to predict
and infer.
Procedure (ST):
1. As a class, make inferences on whether warm or cold
air rises and what it looks like. Students will predict what they think
will happen in the experiment.
2. In pairs, students will cut a spiral in a piece of
paper.
3. Students will thread a needle with string that has
a knot tied on one end and pull the string through the top of the spiral.
4. One student will hold the paper over a light bulb,
while the other turns on the light.
5. Students will observe the action of the paper and
discuss their findings.
6. Discuss findings as a class and relate to how hurricanes
form.
Question(s):
1. What are some differences between the way warm air
and cold air acts?
2, What did you observe about the paper?
3. Why do you think the paper responded as it did?
Process Skill(s):
observing
inferring
predicting
Assessment:
participation
Create
a Comic
Missouri Goals and Standards:
1.5 comprehend & evaluate
written, visual, and oral presentations & works
1.8 organize data, information, & ideas into useful
forms for analysis or presentation
2.3 exchange information, questions, & ideas while
recognizing the perspectives of others
3.1 identify problems & define their scope and
elements
3.2 develop & apply strategies based on ways others
have prevented or solved problems
3.7 evaluate the extent to which a strategy addresses
the problem
4.7 identify & apply practices that preserve and
enhance the safety and health of self & others
FA2 principles and elements of different art forms
HPE7 responses to emergency situations
Objective(s):
1. Students will be able to identify safety procedures
for responding to a natural disaster.
2. Students will be able to identify ways in which to
prepare for a natural disaster.
Material(s):
none
Prior Knowledge:
Students will use what they know about the effects of
(a natural disaster) to predict how to prepare for and respond to that
event.
Procedure (LT):
1. Discuss safety procedures for how to prepare for
and what to do in the event of a natural disaster. (will do each day for
each disaster).
2. Students will individually create a comic strip of
them following safety procedures during a natural disaster (will do each
day for each disaster)
Question(s):
1. How do you think you should respond in the event
of (a specific natural disaster)?
2. Why would it be beneficial to prepare for (a natural
disaster) in this manner?
3. What else could you do?
Process Skill(s):
predicting
communicating
Assessment:
to be included in their natural disaster book
Tornado
in a Bottle
Missouri Goals and Standards:
1.3 design & conduct
field and laboratory investigations to study nature & society
2.3 exchange information, questions, & ideas while
recognizing the perspectives of others
3.5 reason inductively from a set of specific facts
& deductively from general premises
CA6 participating in formal & informal presentations
& discussions of issues and ideas
SCI2 properties and principles of force and motion
Objective(s):
1. Students will be able to identify characteristics
of a tornado.
Material(s):
1 empty 2-liter soda bottle per student
wide duct tape
water
food coloring
Prior Knowledge:
Students will use what they know about the appearance
of tornadoes to predict behavior of the water.
Procedure (ST):
1. Students will divide into groups of 2.
2. One person in each group will gather supplies.
3. One student per group will fill a one of the bottles
about two-thirds full of colored water. Other student per group will turn
the second bottle upside-down over the first, and students will tape the
bottles together at the rims.
4. Groups will flip over the bottles and swirl the water
in a circular motion. Then, they will observe the motion of the water from
the top bottle to the bottom bottle.
5. Discuss results as a class and relate to behavior
of tornadoes.
Question(s):
1. How do you think the water will react?
2. How did the water react?
3. What different things affected the behavior of the
water?
4. How does what you observed relate to what you know
about tornadoes?
Process Skill(s):
observing
inferring
predicting
experimenting
Assessment:
participation
Tornado
Graph
Missouri Goals and Standards:
1.2 conduct research to
answer questions & evaluate information and ideas
1.4 use technological tools and other resources to
locate, select, & organize information
1.6 discover & evaluate patterns & relationships
in information, ideas, & structures
2.3 exchange information, questions, & ideas while
recognizing the perspectives of others
CA3 reading & evaluating nonfiction works and material
SS5 major elements of geographic study and analysis
SS7 use of tools of social science inquiry
MAT1 addition, subtraction, multiplication, & division
and other number sense
MAT3 data analysis, probability and statistics
MAT6 discrete mathematics
Objective(s):
1. Students will be able to identify where the majority
of tornadoes occur.
2. Students will be able to construct and interpret graphs
to organize information.
Material(s):
reference material
Prior Knowledge:
Students will use their knowledge of how tornadoes form
to infer location.
Students will use knowledge of different types of graphs
(prior to this unit) to predict which graph would be most helpful.
Procedure (ST):
1. As a class, discuss in what region of the United
States tornadoes are most likely to occur.
2. Divide students into groups.
3. Each group will be given a different state in the
Midwest to research.
4. Groups will determine number of tornadoes in their
state per year for the past 10 years.
5. Class will create a bar graph, and each group will
add their data to the class graph.
6. Discuss results.
Question(s):
1. Why do you think the most tornadoes occur in the
Midwestern United States?
2. Why are graphs beneficial for organizing information?
3. What kind of graph would be most helpful for the information
we are finding?
4. What have you learned from our graph?
Process Skill(s):
inferring
communicating
Assessment:
participation
Hot and Cold
Missouri Goals and Standards:
1.2 conduct research to
answer questions & evaluate information
1.6 discover and evaluate patterns & relationships
in information, ideas, & structures
2.3 exchange information, questions, & ideas while
recognizing the perspectives of others
SCI5 processes and interactions of Earths biosphere,
atmosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere
SCI7 processes of scientific inquiry
Objective(s):
1. Students will be able to explain how tornadoes form.
Material(s):
per group: 2 glasses, 2 colors of food coloring, chopstick,
laminated index card, printed directions
pitcher of hot water
pitcher of cold water
Prior Knowledge:
Prior knowledge will be assessed through question #1.
Procedure (ST):
1. Divide students into groups of 4.
2. Review safety rules and walk through instructions.
3. One student per group will collect the supplies.
4. Students will fill one glass with cold water and a
second glass with hot water.
5. Students will use food coloring to color water in
each glass two different colors.
6. Students will place index card over one glass and
flip that glass onto the other glass.
7. Students will remove index card and observe the behavior
of the water.
8. Discuss findings as a class and relate to air and
the formation of tornadoes.
Question(s):
1. What do you think will happen when you perform the
experiment?
2. What did you notice about the water?
3. How does what you observed relate to weather?
4. When do you think the most tornadoes occur and why?
Process Skill(s):
observing
inferring
predicting
experimenting
Assessment:
group participation
Myth-Makers
Missouri Goals and Standards:
1.7 evaluate the accuracy
of information & reliability of sources
1.9 identify, analyze, & compare institutions,
traditions, and art forms of past and present societies
2.1 plan and make written, oral, & visual presentations
for a variety of purposes and audiences
2.4 present perceptions & ideas regarding works
of the arts, humanities, & sciences
CA1 speaking and writing standard English
CA2 reading and evaluating fiction, poetry, & drama
SS6 relationships of the individual and groups to institutions
and cultural traditions
Objective(s):
1. Students will be able to identify myths surrounding
natural disasters.
Material(s):
myths for various natural disasters
Prior Knowledge:
Students will use what they know re: mythology to compose
their myths.
Procedure (LT):
1. Discuss myths surrounding (a natural disaster).
2. Divide students into groups.
3. Groups will write their own myths regarding (a natural
disaster).
4. Groups will share and discuss their myths with each
other.
Question(s):
1. Why do you think people believed (myth) about (a
natural disaster)?
2. Why did you choose to write your myth the way you
did?
Process Skill(s):
communicating
Assessment:
myths will be graded based on grammar and punctuation
Disaster
Illustrations
Missouri Goals and Standards:
1.8 organize data, information,
& ideas into useful forms for analysis or presentation
2.2 review and revise communications to improve accuracy
and clarity
4.5 develop, monitor, & revise plans of action
to meet deadlines and accomplish goals
CA1 speaking and writing standard English
FA1 process and techniques for the production, exhibition,
or performance of one or more of the visual or performed arts
SCI2 properties and principles of force and motion
SCI5 processes and interactions of Earths biosphere,
atmosphere, lithosphere, & hydrosphere
Objective(s):
1. Students will be able to identify scientific principles
surrounding the occurrence of natural disasters.
Material(s):
crayons, markers, watercolor paints, paintbrushes,
chalk
construction paper
Prior Knowledge:
Students will use their knowledge re: how (a natural
disaster occurs) to discuss and then to write their paragraphs.
Students will use their knowledge of grammar and punctuation
to edit each others work.
Procedure (LT):
1. Discuss how (a natural disaster) occurs.
2. Students will write a paragraph about how (a natural
disaster) occurs.
3. Students will exchange paragraphs with two other people
and edit each others work.
4. Students will revise their paragraphs and re-write
a clean copy.
5. Students will choose a medium to illustrate (a natural
disaster).
Question(s):
1. What have you learned about how (a natural disaster)
occurs?
Process Skill(s):
communicating
Assessment:
paragraphs will be graded for correct punctuation
and grammar
illustrations will be graded for neatness
Monster
Waves
Missouri Goals and Standards:
1.3 design and conduct
field and laboratory investigations to study nature and society
2.3 exchange information, questions, and ideas while
recognizing the perspectives of others
3.1 identify problems and define their scope and elements
3.5 reason inductively from a set of specific facts
and deductively from general premises
4.1 explain reasoning and identify information used
to support decisions
MAT2 geometric and spatial sense involving measurement,
trigonometry, and similarity and transformations of shapes
FA1 process and techniques for the production, exhibition,
or performance of one or more of the visual or performed arts
SCI2 properties and principles of force and motion
Objective(s):
1. Students will construct a tabletop village and use
it to visualize the relative height of a tsunami.
2. Students will identify effects of a tsunami on a city
and the people who live there.
Material(s):
map of the world
small cardboard boxes
construction paper
tape, glue
markers
Prior Knowledge:
Students will use their knowledge of tsunamis (from
the mythology study) as well as their knowledge of earthquakes to make
inferences about where they are likely to occur.
Procedure (MT):
1. Discuss tsunamis and where they are likely to occur.
2. Divide students into groups. Each group will be assigned
a different portion of a port city to construct.
3. As a class, assemble the city.
4. Discuss sizes of tsunamis. As a class, figure the
proportion of tsunami to city.
5. Construct tsunami wave and add to the model.
6. Discuss effects of a tsunami on a city and the people
who live there.
Question(s):
1. Have you ever lived near the ocean?
2. Where do you think a tsunami is most likely to occur?
3. What effects do you think a tsunami would have on
a city?
4. What would happen to the people in the city?
5. Do you think you could ever be affected by a tsunami?
Why or why not?
Process Skill(s):
communicating
inferring
Assessment:
group participation
Hurricane
Locator
Missouri Goals and Standards:
1.2 conduct research to
answer questions & evaluate information and ideas
1.4 use technological tools and other resources to
locate, select, & organize information
2.3 exchange information, questions, & ideas while
recognizing the perspectives of others
CA3 reading & evaluating nonfiction works and material
SS5 major elements of geographic study and analysis
SS7 use of tools of social science inquiry
MAT1 addition, subtraction, multiplication, & division
and other number sense
MAT3 data analysis, probability and statistics
MAT6 discrete mathematics
Objective(s):
1. Students will be able to identify conditions favorable
to the occurrence of hurricanes.
2. Students will be able to identify a typical hurricane
path and life span.
3. Students will be able to construct and interpret graphs
to organize information
Material(s):
reference material for the years hurricane paths
and life spans
markers
Prior Knowledge:
Students will use knowledge re: hurricane formation
to predict where hurricanes occur.
Students will use knowledge re: graphs to graph results.
Procedure (ST):
1. Discuss what causes hurricanes.
2. Discuss where hurricanes are most likely to occur.
3. Divide students into groups (same groups as hurricane
news article group). Each student will be given a map of the world.
4. Groups will use hurricane they were assigned in "Extra,
Extra" to research the path that hurricane followed and the length of time
it existed.
5. Groups will chart the paths of their hurricanes on
their map and then chart on a class map.
6. As a class, graph the life span of the various hurricanes.
Question(s):
1. How to hurricanes form?
2. Where are hurricanes most likely to occur?
3. What trends (if any) do you notice about the life
spans of the different hurricanes?
4. Where did most of the hurricanes occur this year?
Process Skill(s):
classifying
predicting
inferring
communicating
Assessment:
group participation
maps will be added to disaster books
Quaking
Math
Missouri Goals and Standards:
1.4 use technological
tools and other resources to locate, select, & organize information
1.6 discover & evaluate patterns and relationships
in information, ideas, & structures
2.3 exchange information, questions, & ideas while
recognizing the perspectives of others
3.7 evaluate the extent to which a strategy addresses
the problem
4.1 explain reasoning and identify information used
to support decisions
SS7 use of tools of social science inquiry
MAT1 addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division
MAT3 data analysis, probability, and statistics
SCI5 processes and interactions of Earths biosphere,
atmosphere, lithosphere, & hydrosphere
SCI8 impact of science, technology and human activity
on resources and the environment
Objective(s):
1. Students will be able to identify classifications
of earthquake intensity.
2. Students will be able to use measures of central tendency
(mean, median, mode) to describe data.
Material(s):
list of earthquakes, continents, and classifications
Prior Knowledge:
Students will use knowledge re: average and basic numbers
to figure median, mode, and range.
Procedure (ST):
1. Discuss the earthquake formation and the scale used
for rating earthquakes.
2. Divide into groups.
3. Each group will have a different continent.
4. Groups look up ratings of different earthquakes that
occurred on their continent.
5. As a class, find average for each continent. Also,
find median, mode, and range.
6. Discuss which statistic provides the most accurate
information for their continent.
Question(s):
1. Have you ever experienced an earthquake before?
2. Which of these statistical measures provides the most
accurate information? When might it be better to rely on one of the other
measures?
Process Skill(s):
inferring
communicating
classifying
Assessment:
students will turn in paper with average, median,
mode, and range for their continent
Plates
and Patterns
Missouri Goals and Standards:
1.2 conduct research to
answer questions and evaluate information & ideas
1.6 discover and evaluate patterns and relationships
in information, ideas, & structures
2.3 exchange information, questions, & ideas while
recognizing the perspectives of others
3.5 reason inductively from a set of specific facts
and deductively from general premises
SCI5 processes and interactions of Earths biosphere,
atmosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere
SCI8 impact of science, technology, & human activity
on resources and the environment
Objective(s):
1. Students will be able to identify similarities among
the coastlines of the continents.
2. Students will be able to identify the cause of earthquakes.
Material(s):
globe or world map
water table
aluminum plates
two plywood tops that fit together like a puzzle--one
of the Pacific Ocean and part of California and the other with North America
Prior Knowledge:
Students will use what they know re: earthquakes to
infer and predict.
Procedure (ST):
1. Have students look at a globe or a world map and
discuss continents.
2. Discuss the water table and possible movements of
the Pacific plate and North American plate.
Question(s):
1. What similarities do you find among the coastlines
of the continents? What can you conclude from this?
2. Which continents seem to fit together?
3. How do you think the various areas of the earth drifted
apart?
4. What would happen if two plates were drifting in the
same direction?
5. What would happen if two plates were drifting away
from each other?
6. How does what youve learned affect what the Earth
will be like in the future?
Process Skill(s):
predicting
observing
inferring
Assessment:
participation
Plates
and Patterns
Missouri Goals and Standards:
1.2 conduct research to
answer questions and evaluate information & ideas
1.6 discover and evaluate patterns and relationships
in information, ideas, & structures
2.3 exchange information, questions, & ideas while
recognizing the perspectives of others
3.5 reason inductively from a set of specific facts
and deductively from general premises
SCI5 processes and interactions of Earths biosphere,
atmosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere
SCI8 impact of science, technology, & human activity
on resources and the environment
Objective(s):
1. Students will be able to identify similarities among
the coastlines of the continents.
2. Students will be able to identify the cause of earthquakes.
Material(s):
globe or world map
water table
aluminum plates
two plywood tops that fit together like a puzzle--one
of the Pacific Ocean and part of California and the other with North America
Prior Knowledge:
Students will use what they know re: earthquakes to
infer and predict.
Procedure (ST):
1. Have students look at a globe or a world map and
discuss continents.
2. Discuss the water table and possible movements of
the Pacific plate and North American plate.
Question(s):
1. What similarities do you find among the coastlines
of the continents? What can you conclude from this?
2. Which continents seem to fit together?
3. How do you think the various areas of the earth drifted
apart?
4. What would happen if two plates were drifting in the
same direction?
5. What would happen if two plates were drifting away
from each other?
6. How does what youve learned affect what the Earth
will be like in the future?
Process Skill(s):
predicting
observing
inferring
Assessment:
participation
Magic
School Bus
Missouri Goals and Standards:
1.7 evaluate the accuracy
of information and the reliability of its sources
2.1 plan and make written, oral, & visual presentations
for a variety of purposes and audiences
2.4 present perceptions and ideas regarding works of
the arts, humanities, and sciences
CA4 writing formally and informally
CA5 comprehending and evaluating the content and artistic
aspects of oral and visual presentations
SCI5 processes and interactions of Earths biosphere,
atmosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere
SCI6 composition and structure of the universe and
the motions of the objects within it
Objective(s):
1. Students will be able to identify how a hurricane
forms
2. Students will journal a fictitious account of their
experience with a hurricane.
Material(s):
Magic School Bus Inside a Hurricane episode
TV/VCR
Prior Knowledge:
Students will use skills re: creative writing to complete
the assignment.
Procedure (ST):
1. Class will watch Magic School Bus Inside a Hurricane
episode.
2. Discuss the show.
3. Students will individually choose a character from
the show and write a journal from their point of view.
Question(s):
1. What did you learn from watching the Magic School
Bus episode?
Process Skill(s):
communicating
Assessment:
journal
Ring of
Fire
Missouri Goals and Standards:
1.2 conduct research to
answer questions and evaluate information and ideas
1.4 use technological tools and other resources to
locate, select, & organize information
1.5 comprehend & evaluate written, visual, &
oral presentations and works
2.1 plan & make written, oral, & visual presentations
for a variety of purposes and audiences
2.5 perform or produce works in the fine and practical
arts
4.6 identify tasks that require a coordinated effort
and work with others to complete those tasks
CA3 reading and evaluating non-fiction works and material
CA6 participating in formal and informal presentations
and discussions of issues and ideas
SS5 major elements of geographical study and analysis
and relationships to changes in society and environment
FA1 process and techniques for the production, exhibition,
or performance of one or more of the visual or performed arts
Objective(s):
1. Students will be able to identify geographic location
of the ring of fire.
2. Students will be able to identify the characteristics
of the ring of fire.
3. Students will be able to write and perform a skit.
Material(s):
reference material
Fascinating Facts about Volcanoes
Prior Knowledge:
Students will use knowledge re: the play genre to write
and perform a skit.
Procedure (ST):
1. Read and discuss pages 6-9 of Fascinating Facts
about Volcanoes.
2. Divide students into groups.
3. Groups will research information about the ring of
fire.
4. Groups will create a skit about life in the ring of
fire zone.
5. Groups will act out skits for each other.
6. Discuss skits.
Question(s):
1. How do you think people who live in the ring of fire
feel about the possibility of an eruption?
2. Why do you think people choose to live in that area?
Process Skill(s):
communicating
Assessment:
group participation
Volcano
Mythology
Missouri Goals and Standards:
1.7 evaluate the accuracy
of information & reliability of sources
1.9 identify, analyze, & compare institutions,
traditions, and art forms of past and present societies
2.1 plan and make written, oral, & visual presentations
for a variety of purposes and audiences
CA1 speaking and writing standard English
CA2 reading and evaluating fiction, poetry, & drama
SS6 relationships of the individual and groups to institutions
and cultural traditions
Objective(s):
1. Students will be able to identify myths surrounding
volcanoes.
2. Students will be able to compose a myth.
Material(s):
Fascinating Facts about Volcanoes
Prior Knowledge:
Students will use what they know re: mythology to compose
their myths.
Procedure (ST):
1. Read pages 4-5 from Fascinating Facts about Volcanoes.
2. Students will individually write a myth regarding
the formation and activity of volcanoes.
3. Students will share myths.
Question(s):
1. Why do you think people believed Vulcan was hammering
under the sea?
2. Why did you choose to write your myth the way you
did?
Process Skill(s):
communicating
Assessment:
grammar and punctuation
Volcano
Model
Missouri Goals and Standards:
1.4 use technological
tools and other resources to locate, select, and organize information
2.1 plan and make written, oral, & visual presentations
for a variety of purposes & audiences
SS5 major elements of geographical study & analysis
and their relationships to changes in society and environment
MAT3 data analysis, probability, and statistics
FA2 principles and elements of different art forms
SCI7 processes of scientific inquiry
Objective(s):
1. Students will construct a papier mache volcano.
2. Students will be able to use graphs to organize and
interpret information.
Material(s):
Fascinating Facts about Volcanoes vinegar, colored red
baking powder
newspaper
papier mache glue
tempura paints
teaspoon
Prior Knowledge:
Students will use knowledge re: ring of fire to predict.
Procedure (MT):
1. Read pages 10-13 of Fascinating Facts about Volcanoes.
2. Students will build a papier mache cone around a plastic
mug.
3. Read pages 14-27 of Fascinating Facts about Volcanoes
while waiting for the papier mache to dry.
4. Discuss reading.
5. Divide students into groups.
6. Each group will draw for a different volcano to research.
7. Groups will give information on size and eruptions.
8. Graph information as a class.
9. Students will return to their papier mache, which
should be dry.
10. Students will use tempura paint to paint their volcano.
11. After the paint dries, students will mix baking powder
and vinegar to make the volcano erupt.
Question(s):
1. What have you learned about volcanoes?
2. Where are the majority of the volcanoes located?
3. What do you think will happen when you add the vinegar?
4. Why did the vinegar and baking soda react as they
did?
Process Skill(s):
measuring
experimenting
predicting
inferring
Assessment:
participation
Create
a Comic
Missouri Goals and Standards:
1.5 comprehend & evaluate
written, visual, & oral presentations and works
1.8 organize data, information, & ideas into useful
forms for analysis or presentation
FA2 principles and elements of different art forms
Objective(s):
1. Students will be able to identify ways in which volcanoes
are beneficial.
2. Students will be able to communicate through a comic
strip.
Material(s):
Fascinating Facts about Volcanoes
Prior Knowledge:
Students will use knowledge re: volcanoes to create
their comic strip and answer questions.
Procedure (ST):
1. Read page 30 of Fascinating Facts about Volcanoes.
2. Students will choose one of the fascinating facts
and create a comic strip about it.
Question(s):
1. Why did you choose the fact you did?
2. What are some ways in which volcanoes are beneficial?
3. What are some other things you could do with volcanic
rock?
Process Skill(s):
inferring
communicating
Assessment:
comic will go in disaster book
Disaster
Books
Missouri Goals and Standards:
1.8 organize data, information,
& ideas into useful forms for analysis or presentation
2.1 plan and make written, oral, & visual presentations
for a variety of purposes & audiences
CA6 participating in formal & informal presentations
& discussions of issues/ideas
FA1 knowledge of process & techniques for the production,
exhibition, or performance of one or more of the visual or performed arts.
Objective(s):
1. Students will be able to create a book using the
hinged book format.
Material(s):
markers, colored pencils, crayons, chalk
tagboard (3 different sizes for hinged book cover)
thick colored electrical tape
heavy duty stapler
Prior Knowledge:
Students will use knowledge re: art mediums to create
their cover.
Procedure (ST):
1. Students will assemble illustrations, summaries,
graphs, and comic strips and organize.
2. Students will construct a table of contents for their
book and create a cover page using their choice of medium.
3. As a class, students will bind their books, using
the hinged book cover format.
Question(s):
none
Process Skill(s):
classifying
Assessment:
neatness/binding
Disaster
Mania
Missouri Goals and Standards:
1.8 organize data, information, and ideas into useful
forms for analysis or presentation
2.1 plan and make written, oral, & visual presentations
for a variety of purposes and audiences
2.3 exchange information, questions, and ideas while
recognizing the perspectives of others
4.6 identify tasks that require a coordinated effort
and work with others to complete those tasks
FA1 process and techniques for the production, exhibition,
or performance of one or more of the visual or performed arts
SCI2 properties and principles of force and motion
SCI5 processes and interactions of Earths biosphere,
atmosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere
Objective(s):
1. Students will design a board game for reviewing information.
Material(s):
poster board
markers
scissors
Prior Knowledge:
Students will use information learned during the unit
to construct their board games.
Procedure (MT):
1. Students will create a mini survival kit for the
disaster they found most interesting.
2. Discuss which disasters are more likely to occur in
the area in which they live.
3. FOOD -- have survival kit-type food and soda
4. In groups, students will write review questions based
on what theyve learned about natural disasters.
5. Students will design and create a board game with
the review questions.
6. Groups will rotate and play the different board games.
Question(s):
none
Process Skill(s):
communicating
Assessment:
board games will be graded based on thorough and thoughtful
review of the chosen disaster BACK
to Teacher's Toy Box
