Redoubt Webcam

Redoubt's WebCams are lots of fun to visit. Especially on a day like today when a small plume is apparent but not blocking our view. Click here for the 2nd Redoubt Webcam. This one is farther away--not quite as dramatic.

A great Bellwork Idea would be to visit a currently-erupting volcano's webcam every day for a week and have them make a sketch of what they see and write five observations or changes.

You could visit the webcam site ahead of time and make a sketch of the volcano's outline to add to a paper with five areas for five weekday sketches and observations.

What fun!

Redoubt's Still Erupting!

Redoubt eruption, 3/28/2009 by Tricia Joy Sadler.

Redoubt is still at it!

Be sure to keep your students aware of this! Even though it seems far away from most of the continental US, it's actually quite important as many international flights have had to be diverted because of the enormous ash clouds.

From the AVO website:
"The last large explosive eruption occurred at 7:23pm on Saturday, March 28 (Image above). Since then there have been several smaller ash-steam bursts, but these have produced only minor amounts of ash and plume heights have been generally below 25,000 feet. Any ash fall was likely confined to the immediate vicinity of the volcano."

Tornado Season is here

Raising awareness during Tornado Season is especially important if you are teaching an Earth Science course or a Weather course or unit.

Here is a great Activity! It involves mapping the number of tornadoes that have occurred in each state for a period of 40 years. Then coming up with a consensus for a set of five Categories with which to color the map. Finally there are several questions to answer.

I would suggest putting your students to work and then start projecting some YouTube videos or other videos for them to watch as them record and color.

WARNING: I have not previewed these videos for language or too much intensity. Be careful what you show your students!






Middle School students can get quite frightened so be sure to reassure them by discussing safety rules.

Click here for the Tornado Activity.

Glacier Melting Videos

The Extreme Ice Survey has a collection of videos that document the retreat of numerous glaciers. These were produced by taking sequential photographs from the same location.

Be sure to point out that the advancing is done in winter and the retreating in summer. The retreating edge front line shows quite a dramatic change in just a few short years.

AK-03 Columbia Glacier from Cliff from Extreme Ice Survey on Vimeo.


AK-05 Mendenhall Glacier from Extreme Ice Survey on Vimeo.

Glaciers--Then and Now

Looking for a good way to demonstrate to your students that glaciers are, indeed, melting?

Check out this great lesson from Windows to the Universe, called Glaciers Then and Now.

It shows eight different Then and Now sequences. Students list glacier names, record and subtract the "then and now" years, and then record two things in the photos that are the same and different.

Email me for a copy of a Glaciers--Then and Now PowerPoint I've made to be used with this lesson. I used their nine page PDF handout of "then and now" photos. I think the PowerPoint would be more effective because the images can be projected in color and would be much larger than those in the packet.

One of the Bonus Questions at the end asks the students what they think caused such drastic changes. If you've already taught or discussed this, you've got a good check on their understanding. If this is the first in a series of lessons, then you have a good measure of what they now know about climate change, etc.

Have fun teaching about GLACIERS!

Videos Covering Redoubt Eruptions

Something to have up and running as your students enter the room!

Grabbing the Moment

Redoubt Volcano 21 April 1990

I believe teachers should grab a teaching moment when it appears. Scrap what you had planned for the day and go with the flow.

IF THE REDOUBT VOLCANO IN ALASKA STARTS ERUPTING, DROP EVERYTHING AND PAY ATTENTION!

Here's a couple of good lesson ideas:

1. If you do Science Journaling, have them write at least 10 facts down as you project different websites about Redoubt. Then ask them to respond to a question, such as, What would we do if we lived within range of this ash cloud? What should your family do? How would you feel if you lived really close to this type of volcano?
2. Or just have them do the above on notebook paper and hand in as a daily assignment.
3. Grab a map of the world and start having your students map the world's currently erupting volcanoes. Add in earthquakes for good measure and you have a good basis for your Plate Tectonics unit! Or review if you've already BT, DT. (Been There, Done That!)

Here are a bunch of great links:

1. Volcanic Ash: What it can do & how to prevent damage http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/ash/
2. (3/23/09) Full details on today's Redoubt Volcano Eruptions: http://www.avo.alaska.edu/a...
3. Geology.com: always a good place to go for Geology updates: http://tinyurl.com/czjldj
4. Redoubt Volcano WebCam: http://tinyurl.com/d4uqxb
5. Current World Volcanic Eruptions Data: Volcano World: http://volcanoworld.wordpress.com/category/volcano-activity-reports/
6. Current World Earthquake Activity: USGS: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/

Have fun grabbing the Teaching Moment!

Email me for a kewl PowerPoint on Mount Redoubt's latest eruption!