Watching Rangitoto erupt
In this activity, students read the book Rangitoto by Maria Gill and Heather Arnold (ISBN 978 014 350334 7). Using the information, they write their own story of Rangitoto, from the point of view of the Māori who were on Motutapu at the time of the eruption. (This book has been recommended for this activity by Rosemary Tisdall, children’s literature consultant.)
Future explosions in Auckland
Many Aucklanders know that they live on an active volcanic field, but what would a future eruption be like and when might it happen? What can you do to help yourself if there was an eruption? Dr Jan Lindsay answers these questions.
By the end of this activity, students should be able to:
describe what a volcanic eruption would be like
connect the last eruption of Rangitoto Island with Māori settlement in New Zealand
understand some of the hazards associated with volcanic eruptions and what people should do in an emergency situation.
Download the Word file (see link below) for:
introduction/background notes
what you need
what to do
discussion questions
extension activity.
