Volcano Middle
Understanding
Problem-Based
Learning
Problem-Based
Learning Pyramid
Lesson Outline
Proper
Implementation
of aProblem
-Based curriculum
Guiding Question:
Business and community leaders in the city of Tacoma, Washington wish to build a new middle school to accommodate and encourage the local population explosion. Geological surveys show that the proposed middle school site is dangerously close to Mount Rainier, a volcano that shows signs of awakening. City officials need to know the positive and negative effects of building this school in order to decide whether to build the school or not (ETE 2004). Should the city build the school on the hillside of Mt. Rainier? What are the reasons for your group’s decision? If the city decides to build the school, what precautions can the school take to ensure safety?
Purpose:
To give students the opportunity to investigate the natural disasters that volcanoes can cause. Students will obtain substantial knowledge of how the volcano system works in relation to the real world. Students will also work together with peers in order to enhance social skills.
TEKS: §112.23. Science, Grade 7
(6) Investigations are used to learn about the natural world. Students should understand that certain types of questions can be answered by investigations, and that methods, models, and conclusions built from these investigations change as new observations are made. Models of objects and events are tools for understanding the natural world and can show how systems work. They have limitations and based on new discoveries are constantly being modified to more closely reflect the natural world.
Instructions:
- Students should be placed in groups of 4-5
- Students should then be given the situation
- As a class, a preliminary discussion should given and brainstorming should take place
- Students will then be given instruction to create a power point presentation on their findings
- When power point presentation is near completion, students will then type an e-mail to the mayor of Tacoma, WA to inform of their findings
Methods for Facilitating the Activity:
Teacher should facilitate by taking on the role as the Head Volcanologist. As the Head of Volcanology, the teacher can evaluate the students’ progress, help give suggestions and ask questions just as in the real world of Volcanology. The teacher should ask guiding questions in order to allow students to stay on task.
Assessment:
Assessment should be ongoing. The teacher should provide formative evaluation, which provides feedback in a timely manner so as to allow mid course correction. The final assessment should be the effectiveness of the Power Point Presentation as well as the e-mail to the mayor.
Community Resources
The teacher could perhaps bringing in an actual Volcanologist to talk to students about the dangers of building a middle school on the hillside of a volcano. Another community resource could include an architect that will discuss what goes into building a school and the possible risks of destruction to the building a volcano could cause. Finally, having a person whom has actually experienced the devastation of a volcano could talk to the students about what it felt like and what the person went through mentally and physically.
Helpful Web Sites
Volcano World
Web site provide extensive information about volcanoes
USGS Mt. Rainier
Web site provides current activity, background information, current hazard reports, special items of interests, maps, publications and more.
Volcanoes: Can We Predict Volcanic Eruptions?
Today, there are many active volcanoes worldwide. Is there anything we can do to predict how and when they will erupt?
For an example of a volcano presentation |click here|
Last Updated
July 20, 2005
For more information e-mail me at:
mnlozano28@yahoo.com