Ten things you didn't know about volcanoes
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Watch this video as a starting point for thinking about volcanoes. Create a copy of the table to write down your thoughts as you watch. |
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Click on the file below to open as a word document: 
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Why are volcanoes important to life on earth?
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1. Our atmosphere
Billions of years ago, Earth's atmosphere was composed mainly of silicate vapor. During early volcanic eruptions, carbon dioxide and water vapor were among some of the gases released into Earth's atmosphere.The release of these gases helped Earth form its aerobic atmosphere. |
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2. Fertile soil They provide nutrients to the surrounding soil. Volcanic ash often contains minerals that are beneficial to plants, and if it is very fine ash it is able to break down quickly and get mixed into the soil. |
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3. Precious stones Diamonds are brought to the surface from the mantle in a rare type of magma called kimberlite and erupted at a rare type of volcanic vent called a diatreme or pipe. 
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4. The creation of land
Volcanoes create land through their eruptions. Some great examples include the islands of Hawaii, Anak Krakatoa off the coast of Java and Heimaey and Surstey islands off the coast of Iceland. 
Anak Krakatoa
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5. Making water
Volcanic gases are the source of all the water (and most of the atmosphere) that we have today. The process of adding to the water and atmosphere is pretty slow, but if it hadn’t been going on for the past 4.5 billion years or so we’d be pretty miserable. |
So, what if there were no volcanoes?
Time for some Level 7 thinking in response to the question above. You are going to be thinking "so what" about the importance of volcanoes. Choose four of the reasons why volcanoes are important and think carefully about a series of consequences. On A3 paper create a diagram of consequences. Each box should suggest one consequence of the one before it. The very best ones will go further than just two steps like below...
