Task
How can we predict when a volcano will erupt? What technology is the most promising and deserving of financial investment?
The Society for Overcoming Lethal Volcanic Events (SOLVE) has hired your team of experts (a Cartographer, a Statistician, a Technologist, and a Media Specialist) to research the problem through history.
Your TASK:
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Research:
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Learn about volcanoes and plate tectonics.
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Use your time travel device to visit volcanoes of your choice (including 1 in the state of California):
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2 historic eruptions
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1 recent eruption (within the last 50 years)
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1 possible future eruption
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Learn about technology for monitoring volcanoes and predicting eruptions.
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Share your findings:
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With an expert group.
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With your team.
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Use the Process Guide for Building Consensus with your team to decide which technology to recommend to SOLVE as the best.
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Create and Present:
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Create a multimedia presentation to present what you learned and what technology you recommend.
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Present your findings and your recommendation to SOLVE, using the multimedia presentation as a visual aid.
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See the Process for more information and links.
Be sure to see Evaluation to see the criteria on which you will be graded.
Team Members
The Cartographer will create appropriately labeled maps (by hand, using a graphics application, or using spreadsheets) and interpret them:
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1 with all the volcanoes you visited;
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1 for each volcano visited, in more detail;
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1 geologic map for one of the volcanoes;
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1 topographic map for one of the volcanoes.
The Statistician will create a series of charts using spreadsheet software, comparing the effects of the volcanic events you visited:
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loss of life;
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loss of property;
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size of volcano;
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length of eruption or event; and
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other significant effects, such as on climate.
The Technologist will create descriptions and analysis of:
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technology to monitor volcanoes; and
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technology to predict volcanic events.
The Media Specialist will create a cohesive multimedia presentation reporting on the results of your team's time travel research and your recommendation to SOLVE, utilizing:
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maps from the Cartographer;
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charts from the Statistician;
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analysis from the Technologist;
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appropriate illustrations, graphics, clipart, and/or photos;
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appropriate sounds;
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appropriate transitions; and
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appropriate animations.
Be sure to see Evaluation to see the criteria on which you will be graded.
Possible Extensions:
Art
You may also include:
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illustration of your time travel device
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illustrations of your team
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illustrations of your team members at locations in different eras
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illustrations of the volcanic events or sites as you "observed" them
Language Arts
You may also include letters written by you as you witness the events and experience the effects first-hand, or newspaper articles written by an on-the-spot reporter.