Astronomy and Space Sciences

CONTENTS OF CURRICULUM UNIT 05.04.03

  1. Unit Guide
  1. Introduction
  2. Student Population
  3. Objectives
  4. Overview
  5. Teaching Strategies
  6. BackgroundContent
  7. Volcanoes in the Solar System
  8. Volcanoes on Earth
  9. Radioactivity
  10. Pangaea
  11. Plate Tectonics
  12. Volcanic Landforms
  13. Volcanoes in Space
  14. Io and Its Volcanoes
  15. Types of Volcanoes on Io
  16. Comparing Volcanoes: Earth and Io
  17. Lesson Plans
  18. Lesson 1: Radioactive Decay
  19. Lesson 2: A Scissor Cut: Snipping away at the Decay Process
  20. Lesson 3 Making and Mapping a Volcano
  21. Lesson 4: Galilean Satellites
  22. Annotated Bibliography
  23. Appendix

Volcanoes in the Solar System

Mary Jefferson

Published September 2005

Tools for this Unit:

Guide Entry to 05.04.03

This unit is designed for Hospital/Homebound Students in grades nine through twelve, who are enrolled in Environmental Science, Earth Science, Geology, and Astronomy. It can be taught in three weeks and can be adjusted to lower grade levels. This unit is aimed at getting more young people interested in sciences that are generally offered as electives .This unit is user friendly and hopes to correct false science through teaching and modeling good science.

This unit will address the origin and characteristics of the Solar System. It will attempt to identify places in the Solar System where volcanoes exist. It will also obtain data and images from spacecraft missions to learn about volcanoes in far outer space. Volcanoes found on Earth and in space will be studied. There are many people who are unaware that there are volcanoes in outer space and who do not understand volcanoes on Earth. This unit will enlighten students about volcanoes, here on Earth and in space. Students will compare the similarities between Earth and space volcanoes. They will discover what drives or provides the energy for both kinds of volcanoes. They will identify the roles heat and plate tectonics play in the formation of active volcanoes. They will use the principle of radioactive dating to calculate the age of rocks. The decay curve will be used to differentiate between older and younger volcanoes. This unit will discuss tidal heating and the dreadful Greenhouse Effect. Manipulatives, interactive CDs, and astonishing videos will be used to enhance student learning of the science behind some of the most powerful forces in the Universe, volcanoes.

(Developed for Environmental Science, grades 9-12; recommended for Astronomy, Geology, and Environmental Science, grades 9-12)

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