Have you had students talking with you about the volcanic ash that has cancelled many flights from Europe and surrounding countries? One of my students waited for 5-7 extra days for a parent to return from France because of this eruption. When book shopping this weekend, a friend reminded me about how Volcano Wakes Up would be a great way to read about the wonders of volcanos and tie into current events.
In this book of poetry, many viewpoints are explored by different life that inhabit a group of volcanos. The lava crickets (1 and 2) have a conversation (in texting form) about their experiences within the cracks eating "loads of toastd & roastd bugs." The sun and the moon speak to each other in acrostics and the ferns narrate what happens as the "fire-makers awake." The volcanos also call attention to themselves with poetic language throughout the book. My favorite was a poem called :
Volcano
Look at me!
I can fling cinders
and ash into the sky. I can
huff and chuff and pour rivers of
lava down my side. Rain, you can't douse my
fire. Wind, you can't blow it out. Fog, you can't hide it.
The last two pages of the book are filled with information about volcanos specifically the volcanos on the Hawaiian islands. The author explains the hapu 'u pulu (or ferns) pop up very quickly in the volcanos moist cracks. She also teaches about the lava flow crickets, the road signs that warn visitors they are traveling on active grounds and one of the best times to watch volcano action: when the lava and ocean water meet. I am sure this read will create more questions and wonders about volcanos. Looking forward to sharing and talking with them about it.
1 comment:
I think the most devastating effect of volcanic ash comes from pyroclastic flows. These occur when a volcanic eruption creates an "avalanche" of hot ash, gases, and rocks that flow at high speed down the flanks of the volcano.
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