Life Along the Ring of Fire
Updated: January 19, 2007
Lesson planIn this lesson, students gain an understanding of the geological forces that create the Ring of Fire and its effect on distinct cultures.
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Lesson plan information
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Instructional level | | • | Intermediate user | | • | Advanced user |
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School level | | • | Middle school (11-14 years) |
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Curriculum areas | |
Themes | |
Class time | |
Software required | | • | Microsoft Encarta Reference | | • | Microsoft Office Word |
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Teacher guide
Objectives
| • | Students will explore plate tectonics. |
| • | Students will prepare a report that describes how natural disasters have influenced societies. |
Prerequisite skills
| • | Basic research skills using Microsoft Encarta |
| • | Basic experience with Microsoft Office Word |
How to begin
1. | In the Encarta Reference Library 2005, go to the article "Plate Tectonics," and show the students the short video "Magma Upwelling." Have the class read (out loud) the caption that describes how magma is released as plates move apart. |
2. | Brainstorm recent incidents of volcanic activity and earthquakes, and point out that most of these occur along the Ring of Fire. Explain that in this activity the students will each assume the role of an anthropologist and compare how life on the Ring of Fire has influenced two distinct societies. 
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Student activity
Description
In this activity, you will create a multimedia report describing what creates the Ring of Fire and comparing how seismic events have influenced the cultures of two distinct societies that live along the Ring of Fire.
Step 1: Explore the Ring of Fire
| • | Software: Microsoft Encarta |
| • | What to Do Do basic research on the Ring of Fire 1. | Start Encarta, and click Articles. | 2. | Read the articles "Stratovolcano" and "Plate Tectonics" in the Encarta Reference Library 2005. | 3. | Review some of the societies that live along the Ring of Fire. This will be a good starting point for picking the cultures you will research. |
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Step 2: Research societies that inhabit the Ring of Fire
| • | Software: Microsoft Encarta |
| • | What to Do Research two different societies that live along the Ring of Fire 1. | Select two distinct societies that live along the Ring of Fire. | 2. | Use Encarta to research the effect of seismic events on these societies. Ask: | • | What hazards do they face? | | • | How do they cope? | | • | How has the threat of disaster influenced their cultures? |
| 3. | Use Encarta's Dynamic Browser to research related entries, multimedia, and Web sites suggested by the articles. |
Hint: Use the Encarta World Atlas found in the Maps tool to explore your subject's region. |
Step 3: Compare societal responses
| • | Software: Microsoft Encarta, Microsoft Office Word |
| • | What to Do Write a report about the different ways societies respond to living on the Ring of Fire 1. | Gather information from all appropriate articles, sidebars, media features, and Web sources. Compare how these societies have been influenced by the threats posed to them by living along the Ring of Fire. | 2. | Use the Encarta Researcher in the Homework Center to help you organize your information and outline your report. Make sure to include examples of art, architecture, and engineering that demonstrate a societal response to the threat of natural disasters. |
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Ways to extend the student activity
Have students study how the Richter scale measures earthquake activity, and compare the effects on different societies from earthquakes that measured five, seven, and nine on the Richter scale.
