“Trail of extinct and active volcanoes, earthquakes across Europe” is a 3-year project carried out by students and teachers from Poland, Portugal, Spain, France, Turkey and Italy. It is an interdisciplinary project combining Biology, Geology, Seismology, Physics, Geography, Language, Arts.
In many developed and developing countries around the world, earth science education is lacking. Many students and adults do not have a formal understanding of the structure of the earth or earth processes. This is unfortunate, as a large number of people all over the world live at or near areas where earth processes can and do create large amounts of damage and living in these areas increases people’s vulnerability to hazards.
Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, landslides, floods, and tsunamis are all examples of earth processes that affect huge amounts of people every year. Based on data from the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters, in 2007 hundreds of people were killed in geologic disasters and over one million people were affected by these events.
The project aims to provide students with the tools to study volcanoes in Volcano Observatories and broader look at the problem of volcanoes in Europe. Salesian education, trainings for students and teachers in research centres in Europe, along with professional development program, have been designed to offer both formal and practical opportunities for students to expand their knowledge and abilities of making observation and measurements in seismology, using special equipment to do researches of volcanoes in international groups.
Knowledgeable students and teachers can help to develop preparedness strategies for their schools and communities. Volcano studies will bring opportunities to explore current events in the Earth Sciences and prevent disasters in the world. The project put the interest in volcanoes to good use by choosing a career that augments the work of volcanologists, seismologist.
“Through educational activities in the project that were successfully carried out: online laboratories, lectures at schools, contests for creating volcano models, field trips in all schools, lessons on volcanic rock research, multimedia presentations, training for students in Italy, teacher training in France and the school managed to offer both formal and practical education for pupils,” explained Dr Magdalena Szewczyk, coordinator of the ERASMUS+ project, deputy headmaster of the Salesian School DON BOSCO in Wrocław.
The students from the Salesian High School were going to Naples in Italy, Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, Spain, to Madalena in the Azores, Portugal, Issoire, in France, Antalya in Turkey.
During the meetings, they were introduced teaching with research-based methods to increase student engagement and understanding of material.
The project’s products: lesson plans, posters, booklets, films could be used by students and teachers from all of the Europe.
The website www.volcano-erasmusplus.eu and educational platform http://geoscience.volcano-erasmusplus.eu has downloadable materials, brochures with various activities for students, materials for teachers.
See also: www.salez-wroc.pl
