This journaling activity came at the end of a study and seminar on volcanoes. I focused on the Montserrat Soufriere Hills volcano due to the drastic evacuation conditions imposed on the citizens. In all actuality, I used a video clip rather than the following websites to incite my journaling. If you are able to tape the following show from Discovery Channel, it is a wonderful resource for this unit, The World's Deadliest Volcanoes. There is a clip, approximately 10 minutes long on Montserrat and it's citizens. I will provide you with a recap, according to me.
Since I cannot provide you with a copy of this video, or even the resources in which to buy it, I have located numerous other sites that deal with Montserrat and it's volcanic activity. I hope that some of these sites will prove useful to you.Montserrat is a British protected island near Antigua. Montserrat has an unusually high level of volcanic activity. Many of the residents have been forced into evacuation zones on the Northern portion of the island, where they have lived in shelters for as much as 5 years. Many of the residents of Montserrat believe that the British Government should evacuate them from the island completely and help them begin a new life in some other location. What was once a 12,000 person island is now a 3,000 person island. Just as with any other situation in which people are evacuated, there are those citizens that do not want to leave their homes, their island. The footage shows the large amount of ash deposits, mud flows, and lava eruptions that the citizens have endured. It also shows the ravages of shelter life on the people and their families.
National Geographic- still shots and commentary on Montserrat.
Main website for the Government of Montserrat and the Volcano Observatory
All of the following websites are
details and accountings of volcanic activity on Montserrat.
Volcanic
activity in Montserrat for week of September 17-23, 1998
Soufriere
Hills Volcano December 18, 1997
Montserrat
Volcno Observatory Earthquake Monitoring
Volcanic
Activity in Montserrat for week of September 24-30, 1997
Chronology
of Eruption, January 1992- July 1997
Preliminary
Assessment of Volcanic Risk on Montserrat
The following website links you
to pictures and virtual tours of Montserrat's volcanic activity.
Pictures
and Virtual Tours of Montserrat's Volcanic Activity
For journaling prompt, see Student Activity.
***Disclaimer: My journal prompt for the student samples that you will read on this site are from the following prompt:
I will be replacing my student samples with ones that accompany the prompt listed on the handout when I do this unit at the beginning of the 2002-2003 school year. While working on this web page, I found that I wanted to improve the original assignment.What are the Pro's and Con's of the British and local governments forcing and paying for the evacuation of Montserrat? What type of repercussions could come of the evacuation?