Mount Etna Erupts
July 25, 2001
Web posted at: 3:27 PM EDT (1927 GMT)
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Overview: The latest eruptions of Mt. Etna bring both beauty and devastion. Use this story and lesson to help students understand how natives react to regular eruptions and to predict what patterns of active volcanoes may say about Earth's geological state.
Curriculum connections: Science -- geology
1. Have students read the story, "Living in the shadow of a volcano." What is Europe's most active volcano? Where is Mt. Etna located? How are recent eruptions affecting the town of Catania and other nearby towns? What are the reactions of local residents? What negative economic effects has the volcano caused so far? What are the geological and environmental effects?
2. Challenge your students to embark on an informational scavenger hunt to find the names and locations of as many of the world's active volcanoes as possible. Have students plot the locations of these active volcanoes on a world map. In class discussion, ask students to draw conclusions based on their findings and their maps: What do the locations of these volcanoes tell us about the Earth's geologic evolution? How do students' findings support the theory of plate tectonics?
3. Teachers: Take your students to Riverdeep.net's interactive Volcano Lab by visiting this Web site:
http://Riverdeep.net/earthpulse/data/volcanoes/volcano_lab.html.
4. If you are signed up to use CNN NEWSROOM, use the July 25, 2001 video that also has a story about Mt. Etna. Ask students to compare and contrast the broadcast story and the online story. What different information do they contain, and how does learning from both stories increase the news consumer's knowledge of the situation? How does video of the eruptions increase viewers' understanding of the geological event? If you are not yet taking advantage of this free program, visit the CNN NEWSROOM page for more information.
RELATED STORY:
Philippines volcano
June 25, 2001
RELATED SITES:
Etna Decade Volcano, Sicily, Italy
Etna, Sicily, Italy
Smithsonian Institution - Global Volcanism Program
Volcano World -- The Premier Source of Volcano Info on the Web
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