Unit Plan

Title of the Unit: Volcanoes 

Brief Description of the Unit:
The purpose of this unit is to develop a basic understanding of volcanoes. This unit contains three lessons, two PowerPoint presentations and a Webquest. It will provide an opportunity for students to investigate the characteristics of volcanoes and the effects volcanoes have on the Earth’s environment.

Brief Description of Supporting Lessons:

         1.  Lesson I - Introduction to Volcanoes:

This lesson helps students develop the background knowledge that is necessary to understand the basic characteristics of volcanoes.

The students will view PowerPoint presentation on how to create a model volcano.

Students will view a compressed video presentation explaining procedure for erupting their model volcano that will be created at the completion of this lesson.

         2. Lesson II Volcano! :

Students will investigate volcanic eruptions and participate in a disastrous scenario of erupting volcanoes.

Students will create and present a volcano PowerPoint reflecting their understanding of volcanoes.

         3. Lesson III Volcano- The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly:

Students will research positive and negative effects of volcanic eruptions.

Students will use Microsoft Word to write Compare/Contrast paper.

       4. Culminating Activity:

While completing a webquest on Pompeii, students will investigate the disastrous effect of the

Mt. Vesuvius eruption.
 

Intended Audience:
This unit is intended for 5th through 6th grade students.  Students should have basic computer knowledge and be able to navigate on the Internet. Students should also know how to use Microsoft Word and create a PowerPoint presentation.

Duration:
This unit should take approximately 2 weeks to complete.

Unit Goals:
The goal of this unit is to develop basic understanding of volcanoes.

Unit Outcomes:
TLW demonstrate their knowledge of volcanoes.

TLW demonstrate their ability of using the Internet.

TLW understand the destruction of Pompeii.

TLW create a model volcano.

TLW demonstrate their knowledge of PowerPoint.

TLW demonstrate their knowledge of Microsoft Word.

Distant Learning Strategies:
Webquests - Lessons are included to implement this into the regular curriculum. Rubrics are included for grading.
Web posted PowerPoint presentation- The PowerPoint presentations were developed to help students understand types of volcanoes and to create a model volcano. Compressed Video of the lesson presented to the distance learning site.
 

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