1. Technology Unit Plan
Topic: Make a Volcano (Seniors)
Term: Term Two 2010 Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Level 1 2 3 4
Technological Areas:  Biotechnology  Production and Process
 Food Technology  Structures and Mechanisms
 Materials Technology  Electronics and Control
 Information & Communication
Contexts:  Home  Community
 Personal  Energy
 School  Business
 Environment  Industrial
 Recreational
Links with other  English  Social Studies
 Maths  Health & Physical Education
Curriculum areas:  Science  The Arts
Resources: PowerPoint Volcano has links to helpful websites with guiding questions, Paint, Artrage, Digital Lego, PowerPoint
tutorial on how to create animations
Learning Intentions/Outcomes: students will be able to: visually explain the processes that happen in a volcanic
eruption; draw their own graphics and then animate them
Key Competency: Using language, symbols and text using images and text to convey meaning, providing
information for the purpose of communicating
Situation/Setting the Design Brief: Using PowerPoint make a Specifications:
Scene: We have been simulation of a volcanic eruption explaining • Has to be in simple terms so that a
learning about Volcanoes in the steps with graphics, sound and words. child can understand it
Auckland. Most of the • Has to be factual
information is very scientific. We • Has to include graphics
would like to present how a • Has to be a simulation
volcano erupts in simple terms.
Technological Learning Experiences: (examine, identify, discuss, collect, observe, compare, read, describe)
Knowledge
Technological Systems
L2. Understand that there o Work through the PowerPoint file Making a Volcano
are relationships between  Watch the animation on how a volcano erupts
the inputs, controlled  Look at the Shake Rattle and Roll site, take notes on
transformations, and outputs what the animations look like
occurring within simple
technological systems
 Look at the animations on weather whizz kids and
L3. Understand that take notes form the information provided
technological systems are  Build your own virtual Volcano and see how it erupts,
represented by symbolic this will guide you for creating your own volcano
language tools and o Follow the animation steps in the Animating objects
understand the role played
by the black box in PowerPoint and practice making an animation
technological systems Assessment Task:
L4. Understand how L2. I can identify what effect I would like to use to make my volcano erupt
technological systems L3. I can identify the tools, applications, that I am going to use to make my
employ control to allow for
volcanic simulation work
the transformation of inputs
to outputs L4. I can use, apply and explain how the many effects I have used create
a visual outcome that explains how a volcano erupts
© Jacqui Sharp 2009

2. Technological Practice Learning Experiences:(generate, select, develop, adapt, present, test & evaluate, draw, model,
Planning for practice plan)
o Story board your presentation, how many slides is it going to be, what is
on each slide?
o Create your graphics in either Paint, Artrage, Sketchup, Digital Lego or
just use the drawing tools in PowerPoint
o Create your PowerPoint and add animated features
o Present your PowerPoint and ask for feedback (perhaps provide a
questionnaire for people to comment on)
Nature of Technology Learning Experiences: (impacts, cultural values, attitudes, behaviour, preferences, beliefs &
values)
Characteristics of o Think about your audience and what message you wish to present
technology o Consider the age of the people who are viewing the presentation, is it
readable
© Jacqui Sharp 2009
Websites
Simulation of a volcano http://static.howstuffworks.com/flash/volcano-eruption.swf
Explanation of different types of volcanoes http://urbanext.illinois.edu/earth/34.cfm
Some animations http://www.weatherwizkids.com/weather-volcano.htm
Discovery
http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/pompeii/interactive/interactive.html
Interactives Dynamic Earth
http://www.learner.org/interactives/dynamicearth/index.html
© Jacqui Sharp 2009