NOELLE PEPIN 1

Volcano Unit

Unit Title: Makerspace: Volcanoes Number of Lessons: 4 Time: (hours) ~.4 hrs

Name: Noelle Pepin Subject(s): Cross-Curricular: ELL/Maker Grade(s): K-7

Overview of Unit: Students will focus on teamwork, critical thinking, and place based oral tradition as they make a volcano. Assessment focuses on

process of making the volcano, mainly on developing a plan and working together.

Student will : Make a plan, listen to their team, doing their part, calmly communicating their ideas, listen to the story, and work together.

Lesson Focus:

All lessons have a focus on

teamwork and

communication

Lesson Activities Materials

(Specific to This Lesson)

Oral Tradition

Volcanoes

Cultural Significance and

Anthropological/Science of

Obsidian

Start with an introduction of where the Nisga’a people are located. This

would be a good time to relate where they are compared to yourself.

Volcano Cross section

Diagram

Volcano Planning Sheets

(see attached)

NOELLE PEPIN 2

Nisga’a Territory

The Nisga’a are a northwest First Nations people who are situated in the

Nass Valley. The Nisga’a Final Agreement came into effect on May 11,

2000, marking the end of a 113-year journey and gives the Nisga’a the

right to self-governance.

NOELLE PEPIN 3

Nisga’a Lava Beds:

The volcano in the Nass Valley, Tseax Cone, erupted 263 years ago

making it Canada’s last volcanic eruption. It covered two Nisga’a

villages and over 2000 people perished.

http://www.nisgaanation.ca/volcano

In the above link is information about the Tseax Cone and also the oral

tradition ,Laxmihl: Where the Fire Ran Out,of the why the volcano

erupted.

Read the Oral Tradition>

Overview: The story tells of two young boys playing by the river

disrespecting the salmon. The salmon is the main resource of the Nisga’a.

An elder warns them but they disregard it. The volcano erupts.

NOELLE PEPIN 4

Discuss how this oral tradition was made, people making sense of their

environment and the connection to the land.

Next view the video animated by Nisga’a people called eruption of the

Nass.

Nisga’a Animated Videos:

Erruption of the Nass

http://gingolx.ca/nisgaaculture/ninsgaalegends/index.html

Next is the cultural explanation of why the lava flow stopped. This

animated video shows Naxnok stopping it with his nose, leaving a straight

line in the lava where it stopped, bringing back the connection to the land.

This story is also performed by the Laxgaltzap Dancers at Hobiyee

(Nisga’a New Year’s Celebration), in which there is a mask with a giant

nose and a prop Volcano.

Naxnok stops Lava

http://gingolx.ca/nisgaaculture/ninsgaalegends/index.html

NOELLE PEPIN 5

Planning our

Volcanoes

Plans

Assess the materials and

design plan/use for each

item.

Draw and Label (using

materials) Diagram

Write directions for

making the volcano.

Group students

Planning Stage: This may be 1-2 sessions depending on ability.

How Volcanoes are Formed:

Show this video to help students relate the materials to the parts of a

volcano.

SciShow Kids video on how volcanoes are formed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7Oq9_DU1Mc

Leave cross section of volcano as a visual to helps students make their

plan.

NOELLE PEPIN 6

Making the

base of the

Volcanoes

Paper Mache

the Volcanoes

Making the Base of the

Volcano using newspaper

and tape.

Paper Mache the Volcano

The detailed instructions can be found in DK Smithsonian Maker Lab: 28

super cool projects.

Students will work at table with group members.

Students will use their plans to build the base of the volcano. Allow for

some creative use of the materials. Ask questions about where the liquids

will be stored and which materials look like certain parts of the volcano,

ie Vent and Crater

Give students base cardboard, plastic bottle, newspaper, and tape.

- The bottle is taped to the flat cardboard and the newspaper is crumpled

up and taped to the bottle and the cardboard until you have a mountain

shape.

* All of ours had a very unique look because we allowed the students to

start making according to what they wanted and made sure to emphasize

that no two volcanos look exactly alike.

The paper mache.

Setup groups at each table if you can, we had two groups sharing one

bucket. Mix flour and water in the bin, it should be a runny paste about as

think as pancake batter. Dip the strips in the mixture and remove the

excess with your index and middle fingers gently. Then place on your

base. Some students may not want to stick their hands in the mixture, we

allowed them to do another job like cutting strips to contribute to the

project.

Base Building:

Newspaper

Packing Tape

Paper Mache:

Water

Flour

Newspaper

4 Bins

NOELLE PEPIN 7

Volcanoes Painting Volcanoes and

watch video clips

I lava you (Pixar):

Https://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=uh4dTLJ9q9o

After everything has dried, Paint your

volcanoes using acrylic paint. Students picked 3 colours and had to talk

with group members of what was painted and who did the painting.

This is also where we named our volcanoes.

Acrylic Paint

Brushes

Milk containers for paint

distribution

Smocks for Primary

NOELLE PEPIN 8

Errupting the

Volcanoes

Inquiry Based- which order

to place the ingredients

into the volcano.

Sharing our own stories

about our volcano

All the making is done it’s time to celebrate and see what happens.

Student can practice being good scientist as they watch other groups put

the ingredients into the volcano, the order does change some of the

results.

Ask: Do you want to change anything on the ingredients list? Do you

need more of something? What will you put in next? Now what? What

happened? Would you change anything?

Vinegar

Dish soap

Food Colouring

Baking Soda

Drop Cloth made of

garbage bags

Reflections/Revisions (if necessary, continue on separate sheet)

Assessment: Our focus was not on the end product, so we did not grade the volcanoes. We graded the process of making the volcano in a

group.

The plans were marked and a checklist of skills (see attached) were observed during the maker sessions. Making a plan, listening to team,

doing our part, calmly communicating our ideas, listening to story, and working together.

NOELLE PEPIN 9

Volcano Planning

Group Names:___________________________________________________________________________

Picture plan of our Volcano

Supplies List Small plastic bottle

Newspaper

Large piece of

cardboard

Tape

Scissors

Paint and brushes

Food colouring

Spoon

Flour and water

Baking soda

Vinegar

Warm water

Dishwashing liquid

Building Steps:

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

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NOELLE PEPIN 10

Volcano Planning

Supplies List Word Picture Word Picture

Newspaper

Small Plastic Bottle

Vinegar

Food Colouring

Large Piece of Cardboard

Paint and Paintbrush

Tape and Scissors

Spoon

Flour

Dishwashing liquid

Baking Soda

Warm Water

NOELLE PEPIN 11

Group Names:___________________________________________________________________________

Picture plan of our Volcano

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