The Field Museum Education Department Presents
May 23, 2008 – January 4, 2009
Educator Guide & Walking Map
The Field Museum Education Department develops on-line educator guides to provide a
preview of the exhibition, information on field trip planning, alignment with Illinois State
Learning Standards (ILS), as well as classroom activities to do before and after your visit to
the Museum. Visit us on-line at http://www.fieldmuseum.org/natureunleashed/.
Nature Unleashed: Inside Natural Disasters is organized
by The Field Museum.
National Tour Sponsor:
Synopsis of the Exhibition
Nature Unleashed: Inside Natural Disasters explores the extraordinary causes, effects, and historical
significance of the most powerful natural disasters on our planet. Visitors of all ages will be immersed in interactive
and up-to-the-minute science, as well as in cultural, ecological, and global perspectives on the forces of geology and
weather that have shaped our planet and our world.
The 7000-square-foot exhibition features sensory experiences, media, multi-disciplinary science, and real artifacts
that reveal how these forces have occurred throughout Earth’s history and continue to shape the planet today.
It contains real-time data on seismic activity around the globe, geologic clues to Earth’s past, and artifacts that
demonstrate diverse peoples’ responses to the presence of these immense forces in their lives. But are these forces
always disastrous? In Nature Unleashed: Inside Natural Disasters, you’ll also encounter forms of life that actually rely
upon natural disasters as part of their life cycles.
The exhibition is divided into the following sections:
1
Earthquakes
2
Volcanoes
3
Hurricanes
4
Tornadoes
Cover (L-R): © United States Geological Survey; Photo by G.E. Ulrich, © The Field Museum, © NOAA, © Carsten Peter/
National Geographic Image Collection; This Page: Illustrations by D. Quednau, © Andres Leighton/AP Photo, Page 3: © The
Field Museum; Page 4: © Martin Rietze/AGE Fotostock; Page 5: © United States Geological Survey; Photo by G.E. Ulrich;
Page 6: © NOAA; Page 7: © Carsten Peter/National Geographic Image Collection; Page 12: © Eric Gay/AP Photo; Page
14: © State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia/The Bridgeman Art Library; Page 15: © Adam Teitelbaum/AFP/Getty
Images, © Andres Leighton/AP Photo; Page 16: © Vincent Laforet, POOL/AP Photo
The Field Museum • Nature Unleashed Educator Guide
Page 2
EARTHQUAKES
1. E
arth’s crust is made up of fifteen major, as well as numerous minor, rocky plates that are in constant motion,
grinding against each other as they move. Deep fissures called faults are found between and within the plates.
2. W hen the rocks at a fault abruptly move as the friction between them is overcome, the sudden release of energy
produces seismic waves that travel through rock. This is an earthquake, and it’s the shaking from seismic waves
that knocks down buildings, bridges, and even highway overpasses during an earthquake.
3. M
ost tsunamis are caused by underwater earthquakes at subduction zones. At subduction zones—areas where
oceanic crust is descending beneath another plate —sections of the plates can become “stuck”, when these regions
give under the strain, the overriding plate snaps back causing vertical movements of the seafloor. When the sea
floor moves, water moves, too. A tsunami is created when these waves then travel across the ocean and grow taller
as they approach land.
4. I n places where earthquakes are common, buildings are often designed to move with a quake so they don’t
collapse. San Francisco’s Transamerica Building is a famous example of a quake-resistant building; the diagonal
trusses at its base protecting it from both horizontal and vertical forces.
A fissure in one of San Francisco’s
streets caused by the earthquake
of April 18, 1906.
The Field Museum • Nature Unleashed Educator Guide
Page 3
VOLCANOES
1. M
agma is molten rock found below Earth’s surface. Lava is molten rock at the Earth’s surface. Magma is usually
less dense than the solid rock around it; as a result, it rises and collects in chambers beneath Earth’s surface. As
magma and gases accumulate in the chamber, pressures within them build. Eventually, an eruption may result; the
nature of this eruption can vary greatly depending on the composition of the molten rock and the amount of gas
that has accumulated.
2. Different types of volcanoes have different shapes and different forms of lava. Shield volcanoes are formed by
layers of low viscosity, gently flowing lava that accumulate and harden into gentle slopes. Cinder cones (or cone
volcanoes) are formed by the eruption of tephra that falls to the ground around the volcanic vent in a cone
shape. Stratovolcanoes are the most explosive type of volcano; they are formed from hardened layers of lava and
pyroclastic material (volcanic ejecta) that build into a steep steep cone, often with multiple vents. Lava Domes
form when thick, viscous, slow-moving lava oozes from a vent, piles up, and cools into a steep mound; they can
form on their own, or they can form around a vent on a large stratovolcano or shield volcano.
Hawaii - pahoehoe lava at tubeaustrit.
The Field Museum • Nature Unleashed Educator Guide
Page 4
VOLCANOES
3. M
ost volcanoes occur where tectonic plates meet, but scattered around the world are “hotspots” which are
volcanic regions found far from a plate’s edge. In Yellowstone National Park, a powerful volcano lies under Earth’s
crust and is the cause of Old Faithful and other geysers, as well as hot springs, mud pots, and fumaroles.
4. T
he effects of volcanic eruptions can be felt all over the world and for many years after an explosion. When
millions of tons of ash are released, tiny particles of rock and glass linger in the atmosphere and on the ground for
years, causing roofs to collapse, damage to machinery, hazards to aircraft, and health problems. Released gases like
sulfur dioxide can cause significant short term cooling of the earth’s surface, whereas carbon dioxide can promote
greenhouse warming. Gases can also promote cloud cover and cause acid rain.
5. I n addition to their hazardous effects, volcanoes also provide benefits for humankind. Volcanic soil is some of
the most fertile in the world for agriculture, and we use volcanic rock to make tools, construction materials,
cosmetics, and products for cleaning and health care. With geothermal energy, the power of volcanoes can be
harnessed for power.
Pu’u ‘O’o is a classic
cinder-and-spatter
volcanic cone on Kilauea,
Hawaii. Expanding gases
in the lava fountain
tears the liquid rock into
irregular globs that fall
back to earth, forming a
heap around the vent.
The Field Museum • Nature Unleashed Educator Guide
Page 5
HURRICANES
1. T
he effects of hurricanes, the strongest type of tropical storm, are not always devastating to human life. In dry
areas like Mexico and Texas, tropical storms are a primary source of rainfall. And without hurricanes moving
warm air from one area of the planet to another, maintaining the global heat balance, there are places on Earth
that might simply be too hot or arid for human survival.
2. H
urricanes help form ecosystems that would not exist otherwise. When seawater surges onshore during a
hurricane, it leaves salt in the soils. That salt can kill many types of plants, but it creates an opportunity for other,
salt-tolerant plants to thrive. These plants form the foundation of new ecosystems.
3. I s global warming linked to an increase in hurricane occurrence? Since 1995, powerful hurricanes have occurred
in the Atlantic Ocean at double the rate of the previous 25 years. Hurricanes do feed on warm seawater, and
the planet’s climate is warming. But hurricanes seem to come in cycles, where 25 to 40 year periods of greater
hurricane activity are followed by quieter stretches. Scientists are hard at work trying to figure out if the increase
in hurricane activity is a result of global warming, or if the increase is part of a natural cycle—or both.
Satellite image of the eye of
Hurricane Katrina at 10:15 a.m.,
August 30, 2005.
The Field Museum • Nature Unleashed Educator Guide
Page 6
TORNADOES
An F4 category tornado bears
down on storm chaser, Tim Samaras,
New Manchester, South Dakota.
1. I n the United States, there are on an average more than 600 tornadoes each year. “Tornado Alley” is an area
spanning nine states where more than 75 % of all tornadoes in the world take place. Here, warm humid air from
the Gulf of Mexico collides with cool dry air from the Arctic.
2. T
he public is alerted to the danger of tornadoes by a system of tornado watches and warnings: a tornado watch is
issued when thunderstorm conditions exist that could spawn tornadoes; a tornado warning is issued when a storm
has started to rotate and a tornado is probable.
3. U
nlike a hurricane, a tornado is brief, lasting only a few minutes, and arrives with only a few minutes’ warning.
To identify the intensity of tornadoes, researchers inspect the storm’s damage to estimate wind speeds.
4. T
ornados with 200-plus-mph winds can topple brick structures, strip trees of their bark, and bend metal, such as
stop signs. Airborne debris can scour away paint from fixed objects.
REMEMBER…
he forces behind natural disasters have been at work since Earth formed more than four billion years ago. Taking a
T
deeper look into these incredible events illuminates the development of the world around us—and our place in it.
The Field Museum • Nature Unleashed Educator Guide
Page 7
Words to Know
Anemometer: Instrument that measures wind speed at ground level.
Ash: A class of tephra smaller than two millimeters in size that is formed during explosive
volcanic activity.
Caldera: A depression formed when a massive eruption causes a volcano’s external structure to
collapse. One well-known example is in Yellowstone National Park
Cinder Cone: Type of volcano formed by explosive eruptions as runny lava is blasted into fragments,
cools, and falls to the ground, accumulating around a volcanic vent in a cone shape.
Cyclone: Another name for “hurricane.”
Doppler Radar: Records rainfall density and wind speeds inside a storm in order to assign hurricanes
their ratings and to forecast the path and intensity of the storms. Also used to look
inside tornadoes for signs of rotation.
Dust Devil: A spiraling column of wind that rises from the ground in hot, dry areas, lifting up dust
and debris; it is not a tornado because it does not come from the rotating updrafts of a
thunderstorm, and a dust devil doesn’t stretch from a thunderstorm cloud to the ground.
Epicenter: The point on the earth’s surface directly above an earthquake.
Fault (Normal): A fault in which the rock below the fault plane slides up as the rock above the fault
plane of separation slides down.
Fault (Reverse): A fault in which the rock below the fault plane slides down while the rock above the
fault plane of separation moves up.
Fault (Strike-slip): A fault in which the rocks on either side of the plane of separation slide in opposite
directions.
Fujita Scale: The numerical ranking of F0 to F5 used to identify a tornado’s strength, based on
wind speeds. The scale is named after the tornado researcher Tetsuya Theodore “Ted”
Fujita, who developed the original scale in 1971.
Fumarole: An opening in the ground that emits steam and gases generated as a result of volcanic
heating.
Geology: The study of the earth or other celestial body—past and present—and the processes
that shape them.
Geyser: A type of hot spring that periodically erupts a jet of water and steam into the air.
The Field Museum • Nature Unleashed Educator Guide
Page 8
Words to Know (continued)
Hot Spot: A volcanic area in the middle of a plate or at a plate boundary—like that at
Yellowstone or Hawaii—that remains active as plates move over or away from it.
Hot Spring: A pool of water heated by volcanic activity.
Hurricane:A rotating storm that forms in the tropics (near the equator) and has winds of at least
74 miles per hour. “Hurricane” comes from Hurakan, the name of the ancient Mayan
god of wind and storm. Other names for such storms are “typhoon” or “cyclone.”
Hypocenter: The point under the earth’s surface where fault slippage occurs, leading to an earthquake.
Krakatoa: Volcanic island in Indonesia that exploded and collapsed into the sea on August 26-27,
1883.
Lapilli: A class of tephra ranging from two to 64 millimeters in size that is formed during
explosive volcanic eruptions. Lapilli is Latin for “little stone.”
Lava: Molten rock found at the Earth’s surface.
Lava Dome: Type of volcano formed when thick, viscous, slow-moving lava oozes from a vent,
piles up, and cools into a steep mound. Lava domes can form on their own, or they
can form around a vent on a large stratovolcano or shield volcano. The lava is low in
gas, so it oozes instead of explodes.
Levee: Wall that holds back water. Levees can be manmade, or they can also form naturally
as a ridge of clay, silt and sand on either side of a stream or river, built along its banks
during flooding.
Magma: Molten (melted) rock found below Earth’s surface. Once molten rock erupts at the
Earth’s surface, it is called lava.
Magnitude (of an Earthquake): The amount of energy released by an earthquake. One common numeric magnitude
scale to measure earthquakes is the “Richter scale.”
Meteorology: The study of the atmosphere and its phenomena, including weather and weather
forecasting.
Mt. St. Helens: Volcano in the state of Washington that erupted on May 18, 1980, releasing 520
million tons of ash.
Mud Pot: A bubbling mixture of mud and clay formed by volcanically heated water.
Obsidian: Rock formed from lava that has cooled and solidified very quickly. Also known as
volcanic glass.
The Field Museum • Nature Unleashed Educator Guide
Page 9
Words to Know (continued)
Pahoehoe: Runny, flowing lava that flows gently. Hawaiian volcanoes erupt Pahoehoe.
Pele’s Hair: Glassy strands of volcanic rock formed when lava erupts like a fountain, or cascades
like a waterfall, is blown in the wind, and cools quickly. Named for the Hawaiian
volcano goddess Pele.
Primary Waves (P-waves): Fast-moving waves that compress and expand the earth in the direction that they
travel, the way a spring compresses and expands.
Pumice: An abrasive rock formed from lava that erupts in a frothy mass full of gas bubbles and
cools quickly. Often used in cosmetics and cleaners and by dental hygienists in a paste
to polish away stains; it’s also used to make lightweight concrete.
Pyroclasts: Air-fall particles of all sizes produced by explosive volcanic eruption. Pyroclasts are
sometimes also called tephra.
Richter Scale: The numeric scale used to measure the magnitude, or “size,” of an earthquake.
Earthquakes range from small (magnitude 1) to gigantic (magnitude 9). A jump
of one number up the scale equals a slightly greater than thirty-fold increase in the
amount of energy released.
Ring of Fire: A 25,000 mile horseshoe-shaped arc encircling the Pacific Ocean where more than
ten plates interact in a series of subduction zones. More than 75% of the world’s
volcanoes can be found and 90% of all earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire.
Secondary Waves (S-waves): Slower-moving waves that shake the earth at right angles to the direction that they travel.
Seismic Waves: Waves that travel through the Earth, normally but not always, as the result of an
earthquake along a fault.
Seismogram: The zigzagging line recorded by a seismograph that shows the strength of seismic waves.
Seismograph: Machine that records the shaking detected by a seismometer as a zigzagging line.
Seismometer: Machine that detects the seismic waves that shake the ground.
Shield Volcano: Type of volcano formed by layers of gently flowing lava that accumulates and hardens
into gentle slopes. Shield volcanoes can stretch for hundreds of miles and erupt for
years, but they do not erupt explosively.
Stratovolcano: Explosive volcanoes, stratovolcanoes form over many thousands of years, with layers of
pyroclastic material and cooled lava flows building up to form a steep cone, often with
multiple vents.
The Field Museum • Nature Unleashed Educator Guide
Page 10
Words to Know (continued)
Subduction Zones: Places where one of Earth’s tectonic plates is slipping, or descending, beneath another.
Surface Waves: Waves that roll the ground either side-to-side or up-and-down when an earthquake’s
energy reaches the surface.
Tephra: Air-fall particles of all sizes produced by explosive volcanic eruption. Tephra is
sometimes also called pyroclasts.
Tornado: A swirling, funnel-shaped column of wind stretching from a thunderstorm cloud to
the ground. It gets its start when strong winds at high altitudes set a thunderstorm’s
updrafts rotating.
Tornado Alley: The area of the central United States spanning nine states where more than 75 % of
all tornadoes in the world occur. There, cool dry air from the Arctic collides with
warm humid air from the Gulf of Mexico, providing the perfect conditions for
thunderstorms.
Tornado Warning: Used to alert to the danger from tornadoes, “tornado warning” means a storm has
started to rotate and a tornado could be on its way.
Tornado Watch: Used to alert people to the danger from tornadoes, “tornado watch” means
thunderstorm conditions exist that could spawn tornadoes.
Tsunami: Wave in the ocean or sea that is usually caused by underwater earthquakes; tsunamis
occur when the movement of seafloor causes water to move across the ocean as waves,
which grow taller as they approach land.
Tuff: Rock composed of volcanic ash particles that are bonded together like concrete.
Typhoon: Another name for “hurricane.”
Vent: An opening at Earth’s surface from which volcanic material—lava, steam, or gas—is
emitted.
Vesuvius: Volcano in Italy that erupted on August 24, A.D.79; its ash and gas enveloped and
buried the town of Pompeii.
Waterspout: A vortex extending from a thunderstorm cloud to the surface of a large body of water,
drawing water up into the air.
The Field Museum • Nature Unleashed Educator Guide
Page 11
Corresponding Illinois Learning Standards (ILS)
The Illinois Learning Standards (ILS) define what all students in all Illinois public schools should know and be able
to do in the seven core areas as a result of their elementary and secondary schooling. The classroom assessments are
resources to help teachers determine local performance expectations for the Illinois Learning Standards (ILS) at each
grade level. For more information on the ILS, visit www.isbe.state.il.us/ils/Default.
Use of materials in this educator guide in combination with a field trip to the exhibition will help you link learning
experiences to the following Illinois Learning Standards (ILS). Teachers will need to identify descriptors and
benchmarks to individual lesson plans, larger units of study, and to specific subject area. This exhibition, while
suitable for all students regardless of grade level, maps closely to concepts studied in later elementary, middle school,
and high school.
English Language Arts:
Social Science:
Goal 1: Reading
Goal 4: Listening
Goal 5: Research
Goal 16: History
Goal 17: Geography
Goal 18: Social Systems.
Science:
Social/Emotional Learning (SEL):
Goal 11: Inquiry & Design
Goal 12: Concepts & Principles
Goal 13: Science, Technology, & Society
Goal 1: Develop self-awareness and self-management skills
to achieve school and life success
Goal 2: U
se social awareness and interpersonal skills to
establish and maintain positive relationships.
Bryan Vernon and Dorothy Bell are
rescued from their rooftop after
Hurricane Katrina hit, causing flooding
in their New Orleans neighborhood,
Monday morning, August 29, 2005.
The Field Museum • Nature Unleashed Educator Guide
Page 12
Field Trip Materials
Pre-Activities – Preparing for your Field Trip
1. S
how What You Know (Part I) : Ask your students to make a before-during-after drawing of what each
of the four natural disasters represents to them, writing captions to explain the details of their drawings. Is one
disaster more disastrous than the others? A second option is to divide the class into four groups
and assign one natural disaster to each group, which can then present their drawings to the entire class. Note:
Part II is provided under the Field Trip Activities.
2. S how the Moving Earth and/or the Rivers of Fire videos from the Harris Educational Loan Program
to give an overview of how plate movements affect Earth’s geography, climate, and life, and to show
how today’s research of natural phenomena are affecting the world we live in today. Have students
discuss why it’s important to learn about the history of natural disasters and why it’s important to use
the information we have in order to help cope with them. You can supplement these videos by using
the Harris Loan Experience Boxes Volcanoes and Shake, Rumble, and Roll in your classroom. Students can
explore different kinds of volcanic rocks and use a seismograph model to find out how scientists
study earthquakes!
Field Trip Activities
1. S
how What You Know (Part II) : Have students bring their illustrations to the exhibition. As they explore the
different sections of the exhibition, have them note what aspects of the disasters they correctly drew, as well as
aspects of their drawings that are incorrect. Note: Part III is provided under the Post-Activities.
2. M
apping Disaster (Part I) : Using blank maps of the world, ask students to identify the geographical locations
that are most strongly and often affected by each of the natural disasters (earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes,
and tornadoes). Back at the classroom, follow up by visiting National Geographic’s MapMachine online to
view the mapped activity levels of each natural disaster across the world:
http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/mapmachine/. Note: Part II is provided under the Post-Activities.
3. U
sing a one-page chart for each natural disaster, have students take notes on scientific information associated
with each natural disaster. Columns on the chart can include: Causes/Origin of Disaster; Warning Signs;
Detection or Measurement Technology; Aftermath/Effects; and Cultural Reactions. Compare and contrast
different disasters with other students as you go through the exhibition, or in
the classroom on the following day.
4. A
fter visiting the Nature Unleashed exhibition, have students explore Evolving Planet to see how prehistoric
life has been affected by natural disasters. Students should focus on the six mass extinctions found throughout
the exhibition. Did earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, or tornadoes cause any of
the mass extinctions? What is causing the sixth (and current) mass extinction; how is it different than
the first five?
The Field Museum • Nature Unleashed Educator Guide
Page 13
Field Trip Materials (continued)
Post-Activities – After your Field Trip
1. S
how What You Know (Part III) : Now that students have explored the exhibition, have them revisit their
before-during-after drawings and ask them to modify the drawings based on their new knowledge.
2. Mapping Disaster (Part II) : Referencing the maps made in the exhibition, open up a class discussion by asking
your students if they would live in a region with a high frequency of each natural disaster. Despite the disasters,
what are some possible benefits of living in these areas? Do the benefits of the region outweigh the negatives?
Karl Pavlovich Bryullov (1799-1852), The Last Day of Pompeii,
1833, Oil on canvas, State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia
3. A
sk students to create a written, oral, or video
news report of one of the real-life disasters
presented in the exhibition. A similar but
alternative activity is to have students create
a written, oral, or video report as if they
were a Hurricane Hunter or Tornado Chaser,
explaining their duties, what they see and what
the experience is like, and the technology used.
4. W
hat should we do to make sure we are
prepared locally for a natural disaster? Have
students work in small groups to design
preparedness posters for their communities.
Discuss how much of this preparedness is useful
for all natural disasters and how much might
vary depending on in what region of the country
they may live.
5. A
sk students to recall that the effects of earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, and tornadoes are not all bad.
Have them develop posters of the positive outcomes of each natural disaster, keeping in mind the following
questions: What materials do we gain and use that result from these occurrences? What natural consequences
are necessary for our environment to function? How can we grow as a society from the effects of these natural
disasters?
6. “ I’ll huff and I’ll puff!”: Using their new knowledge of natural disasters, have students design houses that could
withstand an earthquake, volcano, hurricane, or tornado. How are the four houses different, and how are they
the same?
7. F
or several days or weeks following your visit, have students keep a log of earthquake occurrences across the
United States. Students can find the data at http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsus/.
The Field Museum • Nature Unleashed Educator Guide
Page 14
Field Museum Programs
ADULT LECTURE
>> Town Hall Meeting: Are We Ready?
Join panelists for a lively discussion on how
prepared we are to deal with a natural
disaster from a local and national level.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
2pm
Free with Basic admission
GALLERY PROGRAMS
>> NEW! Interpretive Station: Wetlands Table
Learn through a 3D model how pollution
can effect delicate wetlands and what you
can do to help prevent it.
Debuts May 24, 2008
Free with Basic admission
>> Kraft Story Time
Take a seat in the Crown Family PlayLab, hear
a story, and make an art project to take home,
all in 20 minutes! Selected titles in September
include When the Wind Stops, Charlotte
Zolotow, Mama, by Jeanette Winter, The Wind
Blew, by P. Hutchins, and Rain, by Manya Stojic.
Saturdays and Sundays
1:30pm
Free with Basic admission
>> Scientist at The Field
Meet a Field Museum scientist and see rarely
displayed specimens from our collections.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
11am-2pm
Free with Basic admission
The Field Museum • Nature Unleashed Educator Guide
TOP IMAGE: October 18, 1989: A collapsed house crushed
a car in the Marina District of San Francisco, one of the
areas worst hit by an earthquake estimated at 6.9 on the
Richter scale that rocked California on October 17, 1989.
BOTTOM IMAGE: August 19, 2007: Hurricane Dean
pummeled the waterfront boulevard in downtown Kingston,
Jamaica, with strong winds and torrential rains.
Page 15
Field Museum Programs (continued)
FAMILY PROGRAMS
>> F amily Field Day: Weather
Take part in fun and free activities in the Crown
Family PlayLab and in the rest of the Museum.
You can also register for a family workshop that
is specially tailored for young audiences.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
11am-2pm
Free with Basic admission
>> F amily Workshop: The Calm After the Storm
Sometimes the weather can be peaceful and calm
and sometimes it can be loud and scary. Artist
Ian Sherwin will guide families as they express
their thoughts and feelings on this subject through
a variety of open-ended art activities.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
9am-10am
$5, members $3 per child
For each 2-6 year old child, one adult chaperone
attends for free.
This aerial photo shows the devastation caused by the high
winds and heavy flooding in the greater New Orleans area
following Hurricane Katrina Tuesday, August 30, 2005 in
Louisiana.
>> F amily Workshop: Nature Unleashed
Artist Ian Sherwin will guide families through
a variety of art activities relating to the ways in
which we interact with the extreme forces of nature.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
11am-12pm
$5, members $3 per person
For families with children ages 7-12.
The Field Museum • Nature Unleashed Educator Guide
Page 16
The Harris Educational Loan Center
www.fieldmuseum.org/harrisloan
Experience Boxes
>> V olcanoes
Volcanoes are clues to the constant changes of the Earth’s surface. Look at pumice, obsidian, and basalt,
and find out how they were formed. Kit includes a volcano model and Rivers of Fire videotape. Elementary
>> S hake, Rumble, and Roll
Volcanoes and earthquakes are two dramatic geologic events. What causes them? Use a seismograph model
to find out how scientists study and learn about the causes of earthquakes. Middle
Exhibit Cases
>> Volcano
Transport yourself to the edge of a volcano and take a long look into its complex core. You’ll learn about
temperature differences in each layer of the volcano and figure out exactly what it takes to cause an eruption.
Elementary
Books
>> N
atural Disasters: Hurricanes & Typhoons by Dineen
The history of hurricanes and typhoons, how they work and the effects on the environment and mankind.
Elementary
>> Earthquakes by S. Van Rose
Investigate the nature, distribution, causes and effects of this natural event called earthquakes. Elementary
Audio/Visual
>> M
oving Earth
Find out how plate movements affect mountain building, climate, and life forms. Elementary
>> R ivers of Fire
Research at Hawaii’s Mount Kilauea may help predict volcanic eruptions. Middle
The Field Museum • Nature Unleashed Educator Guide
Page 17
Related Exhibitions
<< Evolving Planet
Discover how volcanoes and other natural disasters have shaped the history of
life on Earth! Evolving Planet takes visitors on an awe-inspiring journey through
4 billion years of life on Earth, from single-celled organisms to towering
dinosaurs and our extended human family. Unique fossils, animated videos,
hands-on interactive displays, and recreated sea- and landscapes help tell the
intertwined stories of evolution and the history of our planet Earth.
<< Earth Sciences
In the Earth Sciences gallery, uncover the basics about rocks, minerals, and other
earthly structures. See real specimens of volcanic rocks and learn how they differ,
explore the movements of rocks and how faults and fault lines occur, and examine
up close the different patterns of rock movement and their causes.
<< Traveling the Pacific
Explore the volcanic islands of Hawaii in Traveling the Pacific and learn about the
harsh climate in Pacific Islets. Touch hardened lava and discover the Hawaiian
legends that explain the formations and activity of its volcanoes. Hands-on displays
of the geology of the sea floor explore the movements of Earth’s plates, as well as
the formation of hot spots and the “Ring of Fire.” Learn more about the peoples
of these regions and their cultures in the Pacific Spirits exhibition.
<< Moving Earth
Dig into the inner layers of the Earth, plate tectonics, and how the constantlymoving plates affect life on Earth at Moving Earth.
The Field Museum • Nature Unleashed Educator Guide
Page 18
Recommended Books
Bourseiller, P., & Durieux, J. Volcanoes. (2003). New York, NY: Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
Dow, K., & Downing, T. (2007). The Atlas of Climate Change: Mapping the World’s Greatest Challenge. Berkeley,
CA: University of California Press.
Felknor, P. (1992). The Tri-State Tornado: The Story of America’s Greatest Tornado Disaster. Ames, IA: Iowa State
University Press.
Henson, R. (2008). The Rough Guide to Climate Change, 2nd edition. London, England: Rough Guides.
Kahl, J. (1998). National Audubon Society First Field Guide to Weather. New York, NY: Scholastic.
Knauer, K. (ed.) (2006.) Nature’s Extremes: Inside the Great Natural Disasters that Shape Life on Earth. New York,
NY: TIME BOOKS.
Larsen, E. (2000). Isaac’s Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History. New York, NY: Crown
Publishers.
Liittschwager, D., & Middleton, S. (2005). Archipelago: Portraits of Life in the World’s Most Remote Island
Sanctuary. Washintgon, D.C.: National Geographic.
Moretti, M. (2005). Pacific Islands: Myths and Wonders of the Southern Seas ( Journeys Through World/Nature).
Vercelli, Italy: White Star.
Pellant, C. (2002). Smithsonian Handbooks: Rocks & Minerals. New York, NY: Dorling Kindersley, Inc.
Redfern, M. (2003). The Earth: A Very Short Introduction. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Winchester, S. (2003). Krakatoa: the Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883. New York, NY: HarperCollins.
Winchester, S. (2005). A Crack in the Edge of the World: America and the Great California Earthquake of 1906.
New York, NY: HarperCollins.
The Field Museum • Nature Unleashed Educator Guide
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Recommended Web Sites
Dive in and explore the forces of nature with National Geographic. Build your own volcano, trigger your own
earthquake, spin your own hurricane, and cause your own tornado:
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/forcesofnature/
Plate Tectonics! Two great introductions to how and why the earth moves:
http://www.exploratorium.edu/faultline/basics/tectonics.html
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/understanding.html#anchor19173262
What are faults and how does movement occur along them? Concise descriptions illuminate the differences in the
way the earth’s crust moves:
http://www.exploratorium.edu/faultline/basics/faults.html
Access a real time map of recent earthquake activity in the United States:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsus/
The Field Museum • Nature Unleashed Educator Guide
Page 20
EXIT
CONCLUSION
Greensburg
Samaras Tornado
Projection
ilin
g
Ce
at
at
The Field Museum • Nature Unleashed Educator Guide
Bo
Hurricanes
Build Your Own
Volcano
Touchable Lava
Tsunami
Fault
Earthquake Sounds
INTRODUCTION
ENTRANCE
Earthquakes
How a Hurricane Forms
Hurricane
Katrina
Vesuvius
Walking Map
Volcanoes
Tornadoes
Page 21