120-100 Collip Circle, London, ON N6G 4X8 www.pirweb.org liveevent@pirweb.org

Date: Tuesday, March 26th, 2019 Time: 1:00 pm – 1:30 pm EDT Intended Audience: Grades 4-8 Registration: bit.ly/2019Mar26

Webinar Description: This week on PIR Live Event we are joined by Dr. Peter Hollings. As a geochemist and petrologist, Dr. Hollings studies igneous rocks and one of the best ways to do that is by studying volcanoes. Dr. Hollings has been lucky enough to visit a number of active volcanoes around the world and will talk about his experiences and what we can learn from them, both in terms of volcanic hazards and what they tell us about ancient environments. Dr. Hollings regularly applies what he learns in modern settings to better understand the rocks of northern Ontario. This allows him to make inferences about the environmental conditions in which those rocks formed over 2.7 billion years ago! Curriculum Links: Geography

• Demonstrate an understanding of significant patterns in Earth’s physical features and of some natural processes

• Identify the major landform regions in Ontario Understanding Earth and Space Systems

• Rocks and minerals have unique characteristics and properties that are a result of how they were formed • Describe how igneous, sedimentary, and meta-morphic rocks are formed • Investigate various types of preserved geological evidence of major changes that have taken place in Earth

history Scientific Investigation Skills and Career Exploration

• Identify and describe careers related to the fields of science under study, and describe the contributions of scientists, including Canadians, to those fields

120-100 Collip Circle, London, ON N6G 4X8 www.pirweb.org liveevent@pirweb.org

Additional Resources

• Introduction to Volcanoes – National Geographic Kids: https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/science/volcano/#volcano-smoke-flow.jpg

• Igneous Rocks – The Canadian Encyclopedia: https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/igneous-rock

• Canadian Shield – The Canadian Encyclopedia: https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/shield • Faculty page of Dr. Peter Hollings: https://www.lakeheadu.ca/users/H/pnhollin

Pre-Webinar Questions/Brainstorming: 1. Volcanic eruptions can be very dangerous. However, they also play an important role within ecosystems and

communities. Brainstorm a list of ways volcanoes can be beneficial to humans living on or near them.

2. What causes a volcanic eruption? 3. How do you think scientists like Dr. Hollings use volcanoes to learn about ancient environments?

120-100 Collip Circle, London, ON N6G 4X8 www.pirweb.org liveevent@pirweb.org

Post-Webinar Questions 4. How does igneous rock form?

5. How do the characteristics of igneous rock help scientists determine which type of volcano they formed in?

6. What are volcanic hazards? Create a list of 3 common volcanic hazards.

7. Why do volcanoes usually form around the edges of tectonic plates?

8. What did you learn about Dr. Hollings profession and/or career path?

9. Do any parts of Dr. Hollings career path or area of research interest you? Why or why not?