Volcano

lesson plan
The volcano lesson plan provides teachers and
students with an opportunity to investigate how
volcanic eruptions occur and how to stay safe
during an eruption.

ITEMS

Teachers lesson plan Student assignments

About volcanoes Real life stories

Volcanoes: Be prepared Related links

Contents
Lesson plan 2

About volcanoes 4

Volcanoes: Be prepared 7

Student assignment: Investigating volcanoes 10

Student assignment: Types of volcanoes 12

Student assignment: My volcano project 13

Real life stories 14

Related links 15

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 Volcano
lesson plan

The volcano lesson plan provides teachers and

students with an opportunity to investigate how
volcanic eruptions occur and how to stay safe
during an eruption.

Objectives
LEARNING AREAS
Participating in this lesson will help students to:
The learning areas for this lesson
• understand the five major types of plan include:
volcanoes
• Geography
• understand the relationships between
earthquakes and volcanic eruptions • History
• begin to learn about surviving a volcanic • Humanities and Social
eruption Science
• • Maths
that have active volcanoes • Science
• develop their knowledge of volcanoes • Health and physical
from around the world. education
• The Arts
• English
Required resources • Technologies.

• Computers with internet access

•
• v
• activity sheet

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Lesson steps

Investigating volcanoes and Types of volcanoes activities

Individually, in pairs or in small groups, students to read the information on the About Volcanoes and
Be Prepared pages, paying particular attention to:

The five main types of Eruption warning

1 volcanoes. 2 signs.

The different types of What to do in the event of

3 hazards that a volcanic 4 an eruption.
eruption causes.

Then students shou

v .

My volcano project
Students can complete this activity individually or in pairs. Provide students with My volcano project
activity sheet. They are to complete the tasks on volcano dangers listed on their sheet according to
instructions provided.

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About volcanoes

Volcanoes can pose many hazards but not only in

the immediate vicinity of an eruption. Volcanic ash
can be a threat to aircraft, in particular those with
jet engines where ash particles can stick to turbines
and erode the compressor blades.
Large eruptions can affect temperature as ash and droplets of sulfuric acid obscure the sun and cool
the earth's lower atmosphere or troposphere; however, they also absorb heat radiated up from the
Earth, thereby warming the stratosphere.

A volcano forms
The magma and hot gases are under extreme pressure, resulting in dangerous eruptions.

Volcanoes come in all different shapes and sizes. Some volcanoes have very steep sides that have
been caused by the piling up of volcanic material over time, whilst others have shallow slopes from
very runny lava.

Volcanoes can also look like depressions in the ground which are formed when underground
explosions cause the land to sink.

How many?
There are over 1,500 potentially active volcanoes worldwide and eight to ten can be erupting at one
time. There are also many more dormant and under ocean volcanoes around the world.

Types of volcanoes
There are many types of volcanoes, but here are five major types:

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 • Caldera a large depression in the earth that is created when a volcano collapses.
• Cinder Cone a volcano that is built from blobs of lava that are ejected from a single vent.
• Shield Volcano a low volcano that builds up from countless outflows of fluid lava.
• Stratovolcano volcanoes that are made up of layers of ash, lava and volcanic debris.
• Lava Dome large mounds that form from lava that piles up around a vent.

Where?
Although the vast majority of volcanoes in Australia are extinct, scientists believe further minor
volcanic activity is possible from long dormant ones in South Australia and Victoria.

There are two active volcanoes in the Australian Antarctic Territories of Heard Island and McDonald
Island. The bigger of these two volcanoes is called Big Ben (2750 m). The volcano on McDonald Island
is an active volcano, having erupted for the first time in 1992 and again in August 2005.

The Ring of Fire

Active volcanoes, plate

The image above

Pacific Ocean in a belt known as the 'Ring of Fire'.

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recently as 1982 when the Galunggung volcano in West Java caused the engines of a passenger
plane to stop as it was flying towards Australia.

In 1991, Mt Pinatubo in the Philippines erupted threatening the lives of a million people. A giant ash
cloud rose 35 km into the sky. The Philippine authorities were able to evacuate 60,000 people from
the slopes and valleys, and the American military evacuated 18,000 people from a nearby base.

Our closest neighbours

In Papua New Guinea, two volcanoes, Vulcan and Tavurvur, erupted and literally buried the town of
Rabaul under millions of tonnes of ash, resulting in 80,000 people becoming homeless.

In New Zealand, Mt Ruapehu erupted in late 1995 and again in June 1996, closing ski fields, causing
floods from its crater lake and interrupting air traffic in the North Island.

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Volcanoes:
Be prepared

Volcanic eruptions can create immense destruction

to whole towns, crops, forests and roads.
An eruption can result in the evacuation of many people, who then need to find safe shelter and food
before they can be resettled into new homes.

Volcanic eruption
Lava flows may also block rivers, cause floods, mud flows and landslides.

Here you will find information on how to stay safe and what to do if there is a volcanic eruption.

Be prepared
You can survive a volcano by being prepared and following these safety tips:

• Stay away from active volcanoes.

• If you live near an active or dormant volcano keep goggles and a mask in your Emergency
Survival Kit.
• Know your evacuation route and where to meet if you are separated.

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Are you at risk?

Some of the main risks during

an eruption include:

• lava flows • land collapse

• pyroclastic flows • ash clouds
• landslides • volcanic earthquakes
• lahars • tsunami
• blasts and explosions

Research your local emergency services websites to locate

an appropriate Emergency Survival Plan.

During the disaster

• Evacuate only as recommended by authorities and stay clear of lava, mud flows and flying
debris like rocks and ash.

• Avoid river areas and low-lying regions.

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• Before you leave your house, put on long pants and a long-sleeve shirt.

• Wear goggles or eyeglasses to protect your eyes.

• Wear an emergency mask or hold a damp cloth over your face.

• If you are not evacuating, close doors and windows and block chimneys and air vents. This will
help to stop ash from coming in.

• Be aware that falling ash can become heavy and damage metal objects (like car engines and
trucks). If you need to go outdoors, wear protective clothing.

• Avoid driving as ash and falling debris can be dangerous.

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 STUDENT ASSIGNMENT

Investigating volcanoes
Student name: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Date / /

Use the websites listed below (and others of your

choice) to find the following information.
You may
information.

• National Geographic Volcano Facts, Information and Photos -

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/volcanoes/

• U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) www.usgs.gov

1 correct word in the space

a) _______ and hot gas to reach the

surface. The magma and hot gasses are under extreme _______, resulting in dangerous
eruptions.

b) There are _______ active volcanoes in the Australian Antarctic Territories of Heard Island and
McDonald Island. The bigger of these two volcanoes is called _______ (2750 m). The volcano on
McDonald Island is an active volcano, having erupted for the first time in 1992 and again in
August 2005.

c) Some of the main risks during an eruption include:

_______ flows
pyroclastic flows
_______ slides
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lahars
blasts and explosions
land collapse
______ clouds
volcanic __________
tsunami.

2 In your own words, describe three types of

volcanoes and explain how they form.

Volcano #01

Volcano #02

Volcano #03

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 STUDENT ASSIGNMENT

Types of
volcanoes
Student name: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Date / /

Use the information on the Education for Young People website

and other sources to match the volcano picture to the
description of how it is formed. Draw a line from the picture to the
correct explanation.

This volcano builds from eruptions of lava and tephra that pile up in layers, or strata, much like
layers of cake and frosting. These volcanoes form symmetrical cones with steep sides.

This volcano forms from eruptions of flowing lava. The lava spreads out and builds up
volcanoes with broad, gently sloping sides.

This volcano builds from erupting lava that breaks into small pieces as it blasts into the air. As
the lava pieces fall back to the ground, they cool and harden into cinders that pile up around
the volcano's vent.

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 STUDENT ASSIGNMENT

My volcano
project
My volcano project
The projects on this page will help you discover:

• how volcanoes are formed

• the different types of volcanoes
• the main risks caused by a volcanic eruption.

Types of volcanoes
This activity should be done individually or in

Volcano dangers
In pairs, or as a small group, brainstorm the following:

1. Name some of the main risks from a volcanic eruption.

2. What are the main dangers to humans, animals and the environment that can be caused by:
• Volcanic ash
• Lava flows
• Lahars
• Pyroclastic flows

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Real life
volcano stories

Australia has a mix of dormant and active volcanoes.

Australian volcanoes have erupted as recently as
2005.

🚩 Mount Schank South Australia

Mount Schank is a volcanic cone that formed approximately 5000 years ago. Even though that
sounds like a long time ago, it is still considered to be one of the youngest volcanoes in Australia.

🚩 Mount Noorat - Victoria

rgest dry volcanic crater, measuring 310 metres above

sea level. One of the main features of Mt Noorat is its 85 metre-deep crater. Surrounding the main
crater are a number of other smaller craters (or depressions) which are probably other eruption
points.

🚩 Mount Fox Queensland

Mount Fox was created by a volcanic explosion about 100,000 years ago. During the eruption, a lava
flow ten metres thick came from the southern end of the crater and chunks of molten magma were
ejected out of the vent. Mount Fox has a crater that is about ten metres deep and is surrounded by

🚩 Active volcanoes in Australia

There are two active volcanoes in the Australian Antarctic Territories of Heard Island and McDonald
Island. The bigger of these two volcanoes is called Big Ben (2750 m). The volcano on McDonald Island
is an active volcano, having erupted for the first time in 1992 and again in August 2005.

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Related links

Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre

http://www.bom.gov.au/info/vaac/

Volcano glossary USGS website

https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/vsc/glossary/

What is a volcano? - Geoscience Australia

http://www.ga.gov.au/scientific-topics/hazards/volcano

Volcanoes - BBC GCSE Bitesize

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/natural_hazards/volcanoes_rev3.shtml

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 / End.
Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience

ADDRESS CONTACT WEBSITE

370 Albert Street, East p : +61 3 9419 2388 www.aidr.org.au

Melbourne VIC 3002 e : enquiries@aidr.org.au