Ring of Fire

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

Juan loved living near the beach in his native Mexico.

He loved walking to the beach whenever he wanted. Some days, when his grandmother was not busy, she would walk with him. He cherished those times with her.

They would walk along the ocean edge, and she would share stories and memories with him about her childhood, Juan's deceased grandfather, and his mother when she was Juan's age. However, once in a while, Juan's grandmother would look into the distance at a nearby volcano during their walks, and sadness — and even fear — seemed to fill her face.

Juan knew. Of course, he knew the threat of earthquakes and volcano eruptions that everyone in his town worried about. Although he did not experience either in his young life, those older than he had.

Juan lives in an area known as the Ring of Fire. View the image below of the Ring of Fire.

• What do you notice about the red line showing where the Ring of Fire is located?

You may have noticed that the Ring of Fire extends along where the Pacific Ocean meets land.

The red line, known as the Ring of Fire, experiences 90% of the world's volcanoes and 75% of the world's earthquakes! No wonder Juan's grandmother was concerned when looking at a volcano threatening the towns where she and her loved ones lived.

Proceed to the Got It? section to learn more about this part of the world.