Sleeping volcanoes

Focus Questions

  1. Where in Indonesia did a volcano erupt recently?
  2. Describe the dangers to people living close to the volcano.
  3. A dormant volcano won’t erupt again. True or false?
  4. What is the name of the volcano in Naples, Italy?
  5. Describe what happened to the city of Pompeii about 2000 years ago.
  6. When did it last erupt?
  7. How do scientists try to predict when volcanoes will erupt?
  8. Describe what happens in the magma chamber of a volcano.
  9. A scientist who studies volcanoes is called a
  10. Seismologist
  11. Lavologist
  12. Volcanologist
  13. Describe what you think it would be like to live in the shadow of a volcano.

Pompeii

Remember and understand

·  Create a timeline showing the events leading up to the eruption of Mt Vesuvius in August, 79 AD.

·  On a map of Pompeii and surrounding areas, highlight towns affected when Mt Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD.

·  Brainstorm a list of words associated with volcanoes. What does each word mean?

·  Create a multiple choice quiz about Pompeii.

Apply and Analyse

·  Write an eyewitness account of Mt Vesuvius erupting 2000 years ago. Share and compare your account with other students’.

·  What was life like in Pompeii before the eruption in 79AD? How do we know? What does the preservation of Pompeii tell us about the way of life at that time?

·  Pliny the Younger was a witness to the eruption of Mt Vesuvius in 79 AD. Create a biography of Pliny. What information did he give about the famous eruption?

Evaluate and create

·  Would you choose to live near a volcano? What are the positives and negatives? Consider factors such a frequency of eruptions and scientists’ ability to predict volcanic eruptions in your response.

·  View the images of Pompeii at the following website http://www.fieldmuseum.org/pompeii/gallery.asp and write a caption for each image.

·  Will Mt Vesuvius erupt again soon? What evidence is there to suggest that it will erupt again in the near future? How is the volcano monitored?

8 Related Research Links
ABC Behind the News – NZ volcano

http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s2922956.htm

ABC Behind the News – Volcanoes

http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s2275687.htm

ABC News – Red alert issued as Indonesian volcano erupts

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/08/29/2996474.htm

Children’s BBC – Volcanoes: The facts

http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_8640000/newsid_8644500/8644587.stm#volcanoes

SBS World News – Indonesian volcano erupts

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1340942/Indonesian-volcano-erupts

Kids Discovery Channel – Pompeii

http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/pompeii/pompeii.html

National Geographic – Ancient Roman life preserved at Pompeii

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/guides/history/ancient/pompeii.html

© ABC 2010