- Article
- Countdown, Year 3
- Issue 6, 2019
How Volcanoes Work
Learning resource
Outcomes
Worksheet: Just the facts
Understanding EN2-4A
Complete a Three Facts and a Fib thinking routine to ascertain student understanding. This thinking routine gives students the chance to develop their skills in narrowing choices.
Complete an article analysis to demonstrate student understanding of the text using this Article Analysis worksheet.
Find three interesting words from the article. Research their meaning and use them to increase student vocabulary in this Interesting Words worksheet. For example: geologists, dormant, extinct, fissure, magma, lava and fateful.
Engaging personally EN2-2A
Point of View: Write a journal entry from the point of view of an excited geologist who was lucky enough to witness the birth of Mount Paricutin. Re-read ‘A Mountain is born’ to familiarise students with the events. Explore further the English Textual Concept ‘Point of View’.
Adapt Dionisio Pulido’s recount of what happened that fateful day in Mexico, into a short-animated film using Looking glass or a write dramatic play script about Paricutin, the town that became submerged in lava (see picture p.10). Option to film using iMovie or Microsoft Movie Maker.
Connecting EN2-11D
Text-To-World connections occur when we relate the text with what we already know about the world.
Text-to-World: How do the ideas in this text relate to the larger world—past, present and future? Students complete the following statements using a Text-to-World Connections worksheet activity:
- What I just read makes me think about (event from the past) because …
- What I just read makes me think about (event from today related to my own community, nation or world) because …
- What I just read makes me wonder about the future because …
Discuss as a class or use a Think, Pair, Share worksheet to record responses.
Teaching Strategy explained: Text-to-Text, Text-to-Self, Text-to-World Rationale.
Engaging critically EN2-2A & EN2-7B
Style: Watch Finding Author’s Purpose YouTube clip, which explains the ‘PIE’ model: was it to Persuade, Inform or Entertain? Discuss what Grace Tree’s intention/purpose is?
Identify evidence in the text using the Author’s Purpose worksheet to support student thinking and analysis of the text.
Discuss the English Textual Concept ‘Style‘ which refers to the characteristic ways in which composers choose to express ideas in a variety of modes. How does Grace Tree use semantics, structure, form, design and point of view to influence the audience? What language choices and images have been chosen and how do they impact our interpretation?
Write a letter to author Grace Tree using the writing a letter to the author guidelines and worksheets and the Narrative Praise Question Polish Peer-Review worksheet as a scaffold. Encourage students to highlight three elements within the article that they would Praise, Question and Polish:
- Praise: What I like about the author’s writing style or ideas.
- Questions: For the author to remove any confusion.
- Polish: Things to improve, I would change, I wish that …, I wonder if …, I couldn’t believe …
Support: Write a postcard
Experimenting EN2-10C
Intertextuality: Use the poem ‘Fire’ by Jackie Hosking, (page 10 of Countdown issue 6) as a scaffold to write a poem about volcanoes. Appropriate the structure, imagery and some of the words from the poem. Explore further the English Textual Concept ‘Intertextuality‘.
Support: Use ‘Hark’ by Jackie Hosking, (page 28 of Countdown issue 6).
Design a warning poster for tourists visiting Hawaii’s active hotspots. Option to use Canva.
Write a song about volcanoes. For fun inspiration see this YouTube clip of the song ‘Lava’.
Research one of the 500 active volcanoes on Earth. Watch this National Geographic YouTube clip, ‘Volcanoes 101’ for research ideas. Students could complete this Did You Know? Volcanoes worksheet to record their knowledge.
Research and create a crossword about volcanoes using this free crossword maker or crossword puzzle creator. Use the crossword on page 34 of Countdown as a guide for suitable questions. Remember answers can only be letters or words, not numbers. Suitable facts and information about volcanoes can be found at Easy Science For Kids : Volcanoes – Why They Erupt.
Support: Question Creation Chart.
Extension: Create a Kahoot.
Reflecting EN2-12E
Conduct an I used to think ... But now I think … routine. This routine helps students to reflect on their thinking about a topic or issue and explore how and why that thinking has changed. It can be useful in consolidating new learning as students identify their new understandings, opinions, and beliefs. Record responses on this I Used to Think … Now I Think … worksheet.
Exit Slips are a formative assessment that can be used to quickly check for understanding. The teacher poses one or two questions in the last couple minutes of class and asks student to fill out an ‘exit slip’ (e.g. on an index card) to ascertain student thinking and understanding. Here are Instructions on filling out an Exit Slip and two Exit Slip worksheets.