1. How various pedagogies
Might approach the same assignment: Volcanoes
By Jocelyn Werner and Michelle Stephens

2. Behaviorist
and the Volcano PowerPoint
• Step by step directions to create a PowerPoint
• Provide a finished model /prototype
• Provide standardized assessment rubric and due dates
• Establish benchmarks for students to check in during the
process
• With specific benchmark dates with check in
• Provide specific requirements and objectives of PowerPoint
(i.e. # of slides, content area covered etc.)
• Create a slide with relevant vocab and definitions
relating to volcanoes.
• Provide rewards (compliments, good grades etc.)
• Provide consequences (poor grades, critiques to those who
deviate from established model)
• Provide teacher feedback about finished project using the
rubric.

3. Constructivist
and the Volcano PowerPoint
• Teacher provides multiple activities for students to discover personal relevance
• Allow students ample time to play and experience PowerPoint.
• Encourage students to look at videos and books about volcanoes.
• Interview people who have 1st hand experience with volcanoes.
• Take a virtual fieldtrip to a volcano.
• Create a slide that guides students through a Socratic seminar on some aspect of
volcano (i.e. What would happen if….?)
• Teacher suggestions to get students engaged in project
• Create a slide of a volcano you would like to visit and explore someday.
• Create an extended metaphor for a volcano and life (life is like a volcano
because….)
• Use depth and complexity icons (critical thinking) in PowerPoint to make content
relevant (How do volcanoes affect the life of others? How do they affect your life?)
• Student self-assessment of project
• Students assess three other students’ work

4. Cognitivist
and the Volcano PowerPoint
• Research how volcanoes have affected the lives of a civilization or
society; Imagine “what-if” this happened to you.
• Have students read and watch videos about volcanoes
• Learn about the different factors in volcano eruptions (terminology)
• Give students a PowerPoint manual to study at home to develop
personal knowledge.
• Teacher suggestions for students projects
• Students will create visuals and images to represent factual
information about volcanoes.
• Imbed a you tube video demonstrating a working
volcano/hyperlink
• Have students write what it would feel like to experience a
volcano eruption.
• Students collaboratively design a rubric for self-assessment

5. Pragmatist
and the Volcano PowerPoint
• Research escape and rescue techniques and disaster
relief
• Look up statistics about volcano eruptions
• Go on a fieldtrip to the petrified forest
• Teacher suggestion for student projects
• Create a diary entry of someone who
witnesses/survives a volcano eruption using your five
senses
• Describe what life would be like without volcanoes?
• Take us through a virtual fieldtrip of a volcano
• Extra credit = visit a museum with volcanoes and
write about your experience there.
• Construct a PowerPoint about life as a citizen of
Pompeii

6. Multiple Intelligence
and the Volcano PowerPoint
• Learn about volcanoes from
books, videos, interviews, statistics, photo essays
• Students should play with PowerPoint and read
manuals about it
• Teacher suggestions of project ideas
• Use as many different multi-medias as possible in
project: Imaginary Facebook page, Write an e-mail
to a volcano survivor
• Create a slide using each multiple intelligence
• Create a song about volcanoes
• Act out a volcano eruption
• Create a math problem involving volcanoes
• Teacher created assessment takes into consideration
all learning styles