Lesson 3: Formation Of Underwater Volcanoes (5)

Explore:

Project the image of tubeworms and palm worms

Ask: What do you see? What might these be?

Explain:

These are tubeworms and palm worms, which thrive on the outer walls of the hydrothermal vents within the caldera of Axial Seamount’s.

Explain:

Each student group will need tape, pipe cleaners, reuse materials (students can bring items in from home) such as cardboard scraps, cardboard tubes, single-use plastics, markers, etc.

Directions:

1. Students will visit the Sea Life Gallery found at the Sea Life Image Gallery – OOI Regional Cabled Array.
2. Students will research one organism from the gallery and then build a three-dimensional model of that organism using the recycled materials that students collect for a few weeks prior to the lesson.
3. Host a gallery walk that shows their organism and a brief description, written or slideshow, that explains their organism. 

Underwater volcanoes and hydrothermal vents, found along mid-ocean ridges, create unique habitats for some of the world’s most interesting and extreme organisms on Earth. Some worms at vents (called Pompeii worms) survive at temperatures of 175°F! Because of the high pressure at the seafloor (at Axial Seamount they are 150 times what we experience on land), the 175°F fluids are not boiling. These hardy deep-sea animals are able to thrive at high temperatures, bathed in fluids rich in hydrogen sulfide, and they live in complete darkness – extreme conditions  that are hard to imagine.

Check for Understanding (formative assessment)

Have students use the Exit Slip for Underwater Volcano Formation to answer these questions:

• What is the common name and scientific name of your selected organism?
• What structures does your organism have that make it possible for your organism to survive and thrive in such extreme conditions?
• How does your organism get its energy (food)? 

Elaborate:

• Keep a journal for one month of your observations from the live feed video cameras at Axial Seamount. Note any new or unusual observations.

Evaluate:

Write a Claim-Evidence-Reason conclusion that answers this question: Why is it important to learn about underwater volcanoes.