Photo: USGS
Nature's Fury:
 Mount St. Helen's

Image Analysis:

1. When and where was this image captured?

2.  What is happening in this image?

3. What specific people/objects do you see? 

4. What do you notice about the object's condition or the people's expressions or appearance?

5. Why would the person choose this particular scene to capture?

6. What information do the words accompanying the image provide?

7. What is missing from the image?

8. What problems for people are suggested by the images?

9.  What is interesting or surprising about this image?

10. What additional information about the event did you learn from  this image?
 
 


 

Personal Account Analysis:

1. When and where did this interview take place?

2. What encounter with nature is described in this personal account?

3. How long after the event occurred was this inteview made?

4. What words or phrases best create a visual image of the event?

5. What attitude towards this event does the person seem to have?

6. Who or what at does this person seem to believe is responsible for this event occurring?

7. What problems or effects does the event seem to have had on people's lives?

8.  What lesson does this person seem to have learned from this event?

9. Is there anything interesting or surprising to you about this person's reaction to the situation?

10. What new insights into the natural event does this interview provide you?
 


 Lyrics Analysis:
 

1. If there is a cover to this piece of sheet music, examine it carefully.  What message does the cover give you about the event?

2. What natural event is this song about?

3. Read through the lyrics. Write a  summary describing the main idea of the song.

4. List any words in the song with which you are not familiar. Find their meanings in a dictionary.

5. Choose one or two phrases of the song that are interesting to you. Explain why they caught your attention.

6. Who or what does the song writer feel is responsible for the event?

7. What problems or effects of the event are mentioned in the song?

8. What new insights does this song give you about the event described?

9. What surprises you about the song?

10. What questions do you have?
 


Additional Resources:
 

  1. What additional information
  about the event did the other sources provide? 
 

Abandoned vehicles in Green River valley. The northward directed lateral blast, loaded with volcanic debris, caused widespread devastation as far as 19 miles from the volcano. An area on the fringe of the devastation is shown here. In this zone referred to as the seared zone, the trees remained standing but were singed by the hot gases of the blast. A similar laterally directed explosion is thought to have occurred at Mount Saint Helens about 1,100 years ago. The photo was taken on May 24, 1980. Photograph Credit: Dept. of Natural Resources, State of Wash.
 
 

Source


Personal Account:

Click here to read and hear a personal account of one man's experience with the eruption of Mt. St. Helen's. Click the back button to return to this page.
 
 

Source document.


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Lyrics:

The Legend of Harry and the Mountain
By Ron Shaw and the Desert Wind Band

I can see smoke upon the mountain,
And I can feel the trembling of the ground.
Yes, there's smoke upon the mountain.
It's a fire enough to burn the mountain down.

For fifty years old Harry lived where he wanted to stay
At the foot of Mt. St. Helen's by a clear blue mountain lake.
And he was told, "You gotta leave, 'cause it ain't safe for you."
He answered, "If my mountain dies, I hope God takes me too."

Now there's smoke upon the mountain,
I can feel the shaking of the ground.
Yeah, there's smoke upon the mountain.
It's a fire enough to burn the mountain down.

In the month of March she trembled hard, but made it anyway
On through the month of April, 'til the 18th day of May,
Then came the great eruption that filled the morning sky.
With a mighty roar and ash galore, she turned that day to night.

Now Harry, as I bow my head, I'll say a prayer for you.
We all know what happened; you're the one who saw it through.
As rivers, lakes, and valleys now are gone and torn apart,
Legends are made by men just following their heart.

Now there's smoke upon the mountain,
And I can feel the trembling of the ground.
Yes, there's smoke upon the mountain.
Fire finally burned the mountain down.
Yes, the fire burned old Harry's mountain down.

Pacific Challenger Records, Inc.
1980
 
 



Other Resources:

Mt. St. Helen's Nat. Monument
Volcano world
Another Mt. St. Helen Song


Back to Nature's Fury Part 2

Nature's Fury web pages published and maintained by P. Solfest & K. Wardean
E-mail comments welcome at:
psolfest@altoona.k12.wi.us
kwardean@altoona.k12.wi.us