Mount Fuji and Hakone Virtual Field Trip
Purpose
This virtual field trip has been designed for a ninth grade earth
science class for use in a volcano unit. I have chosen these volcanoes
due to a recent trip, and I have included some travel tips in the Actual
Trip to Japan page. I have written the home page as well as the Geology
of Mount Fuji and the Geology of Hakone pages to supplement the text at an
introductory level .
Student Activities
I have created a fill-in-the-blank activity page based on Mount Fuji
and one for Hakone. They are written in a similar fashion to the
web page, but with several rephrasings. That style is intended to help the
student decode the text. This activity may take twenty minutes per
sheet, depending on student's reading abilities. So, combined with an introduction,
and time in the computer lab, these two worksheets could fill a 45 - 50 minute
period.
I also created a detailed page, Volcanoes
and Japan, that provides information about volcanoes. This is
for use with the volcano explosivity exercise in the student packet. In
conjunction with a demonstration and a lecture regarding eruption styles,
this could take approximately thirty minutes.
I have included a crossword puzzle from Volcano World. I added
a word bank to the crossword puzzle because some of these terms may be unfamiliar
to students. This can be a homework or rainy day assignment.
The contour map assignment is based on scaffolded work. It is
assumed that rudimentary work with contour maps was entered previously in
the curriculum. I would assign this early, and schedule time to work
on this while in the computer lab. I would then allow a forty minute
period to complete this in class. Any additional work needed should
be done at home.
I plan on using this virtual field trip interspersed with my volcano
unit, and I also linked the Volcano
Webquest from Ms. Clavell. If you have any problems with the
link to the Webquest, I did save it for back-up purposes. This webquest
has the students work in groups to discover the impacts of volcanism on
different "spheres" (biosphere, atmosphere, etc.) and come up with a volcano
survival kit. A rubric is also included with the Webquest.
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Inquiry Tools
Demonstrations are helpful in stimulating student interest, and in particular,
Steve Spangler does a terrific job using a 2-liter bottle diet soda (less
sticky during clean-up) and a package of mentos to illustrate a rapid,
high volume eruption. To see a video of this experiment (as well
as the science behind it), click here.
In efforts to make the simulation a bit more concrete, I suggest making
a volcanic form to place above and around the soda bottle.
Materials needed:
Shower curtain liner (opaque)
Hula hoop
duct tape
scissors
Permanent paint or markers
1 package mentos candies
Test tube large enough for all mentos
2-Liter of diet soda, lemon lime (or other flavor for desired color)
food coloring, if desired
- Take the shower curtain, and place it on the floor.
- Place the hula hoop on top of the shower curtain liner.
- Cut around the hula hoop leaving at least a 5 - 8 inches of
material outside of the edge of the hula hoop. You want to have a
bit of extra shower curtain in the center to allow for the height of the
soda bottle.
- Cut a small hole in the center of the shower curtain large
enough only for the top of the 2-liter bottle to go through (reinforce with
duct tape).
- Tape the outer edge of the shower curtain around the hula
hoop. Be sure to allow extra material in the center for the the height
of the soda bottle.
- Decorate the shower curtain as desired.
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Demonstration (included in my Two
week Volcano Unit Lesson Plans (.pdf))
As you are performing this demonstration, be sure to ask leading questions,
and upon completion, see if your students can identify an analogous eruption
style. I suggest using the VEI (Volcano Explosivity Index) lesson
either before or after this demonstration.
- Position the soda bottle on the floor or level outdoor surface.
- Overlay the volcanic form.
- Remove the cap of the soda bottle.
- Have students stand back.
- Add any food coloring, then add entire package of mentos all
at one time.
Additional eruption demonstrations may be performed to reinforce volcanic
eruption styles. The traditional baking soda and vinegar demonstration
would be a good contrast to the mentos eruption. This may also be
used to have students decide which eruption style would be exhibited by
each volcano.
Answer Keys
Mount Fuji, Hakone & Crossword (in
Microsoft word)
Mount
Fuji, Hakone & Crossword (.pdf version)
Assessment
The Contour Map assignment includes a rubric. I plan on grading
this as an individual project.
I plan to use the webquest's rubric to grade the overall group. In
addition, I will have each group member anonymously assess the other members
of the group. I will use that information for an individual score.
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Standard Alignment
I have aligned this virtual field trip and the volcano
webquest with the following Illinois Learning Standards:
11.A.4f
Using available
technology, report, display and defend to an audience conclusions drawn
from investigations.
(This applies to the webquest from Ms. Clavell.)
12.E.3a Analyze and explain large-scale dynamic forces, events
and processes that affect the Earth's land, water and atmospheric systems
(e.g., jet stream, hurricanes, plate tectonics). (This applies to
the worksheets provided as well as the map assignment.)
13.A.4c Describe how scientific knowledge, explanations
and technological designs may change with new information over time (e.g.,
the understanding of DNA, the design of computers). (This refers specifically
to the Mount Fuji assignment.)
13.B.3a Identify and explain ways
that scientific knowledge and economics drive technological development.
(This applies to the webquest from Ms. Clavell).
Useful links:
Volcano World
- This is one of the best sources for ideas for lesson planning.
USGS Volcanoes
- Always a reliable pool of information.
http://www.eri.u-tokyo.ac.jp/KOHO/Yoran2003/top-eng.html
This is the earthquake research section of the University of Tokyo.
They have several good links to seismic relations to volcanism as
well as excellent research.
I did get some information from printed sources, but a bit of digging
was required:
Hashimoto, M. Geology of Japan.
1990. Terra Scientific Publishing Company, Tokyo.
Dahlby, T. "Fuji,
Japan's Sacred Summit". National
Geographic. August 2002. pp. 26 - 45.
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page last updated 8/1/2005