Lesson Plan

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Lesson Plan
Grade: Date: 17/01/2026
Subject: Geography
Lesson Topic: Volcanic hazards and impacts
Learning Objective/s:
  • Describe the main types of volcanoes and their eruption styles.
  • Identify primary and secondary volcanic hazards and their typical impacts.
  • Explain how the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) quantifies eruption magnitude.
  • Analyse the short‑term and long‑term effects of volcanic eruptions on societies and the environment.
  • Evaluate mitigation and risk‑management strategies for volcanic hazards.
Materials Needed:
  • Projector and screen for slides/diagrams.
  • PowerPoint or PDF handout summarising volcano types and hazards.
  • World map or digital GIS layer showing volcanic zones.
  • Sample volcanic ash (or high‑resolution images) for demonstration.
  • Worksheets with case‑study questions on Mount Pinatubo.
  • Clickers or exit‑ticket cards for formative assessment.
 Introduction:
Begin with striking footage of the 1991 Mount Pinatubo eruption to capture students’ attention. Ask learners what they already know about volcanoes and the hazards they can cause, linking to previous lessons on natural hazards. Explain that by the end of the lesson they will be able to describe volcano types, assess hazard impacts, and propose mitigation measures.
Lesson Structure:
  1. Do‑now (5') – quick quiz on basic volcano terminology displayed on the board.
  2. Teacher input (10') – presentation on volcano classifications and primary vs secondary hazards, using diagrams.
  3. Interactive activity (10') – groups analyse the hazard table and match hazards to impacts on a worksheet.
  4. Case‑study deep dive (15') – examine Mount Pinatubo data, calculate VEI, discuss climate effects; groups create a brief risk‑management plan.
  5. Whole‑class debrief (5') – share plans, clarify misconceptions, check understanding with clicker questions.
  6. Exit ticket (5') – students write one mitigation strategy they consider most effective.
Conclusion:
Summarise how different volcano types generate distinct hazards and how these can affect health, infrastructure, and climate. Prompt students to complete an exit ticket describing one mitigation action they would recommend for a community near a volcano. Assign homework to research a recent volcanic eruption and prepare a short report on its impacts and response.