Volcanic hazards – Edexcel IAL Geography

A fully editable, ready-to-teach lesson on Volcanic hazards for Edexcel International A Level (IAL) Geography, Unit 1: Global Challenges – World at Risk.

Lesson aim: To explain the causes of volcanic eruptions and the hazards they create.

Learning outcomes

• To explain where and why volcanoes erupt
• To compare effusive and explosive eruptions
• To measure eruptions using the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI)
• To describe the hazards of volcanic eruptions

Specification: Global hazards — key idea 1 (volcanic eruptions)

What’s included

• Editable PowerPoint lesson (15 slides)
• Word worksheet: The data

Lesson overview

• Starter: Look at the picture of an erupting volcano.
• Where are the world’s volcanoes?
• Why does magma form?
• Two contrasting volcano types
• Effusive or explosive?
• The Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI)
• Volcanic hazards
• Major eruptions compared
• Mount Pinatubo, 1991
• Why did Nevado del Ruiz (VEI 3) kill far more people than Pinatubo (VEI 6)?
• Volcanic hazards analysis
• Homework task
• Exam practice: Explain why some volcanic eruptions are more explosive than others. (4)

This lesson is part of my complete Edexcel IAL Geography World at Risk unit, which is also available in my shop if you would like every lesson in the topic.

Want a free sample? Visit The Geography Teacher website.