Key Ideas & Details
Where is Mount St. Helens located?
How long has the volcano been quiet?
For more than 100 years.
Which words are especially important to this story and how do you know?
Volcano, erupted, earthquake, avalanche
They are in boldface print.
1. What was the first clue that Mount St. Helens might erupt?
A. smoke
B. earthquakes
C. an avalanche
B. earthquakes
What is a landslide?
Rock and soil that slide down from the side of a mountain.
What 3 details does the author give about the ice cap?
It is near the top of the mountain.
There is a hole in it.
The lava could melt it.
What words or phrases does the author use in the first entry on page 8 to signal sequence?
May 15, 1980...
For the past month...
Now...
What is ash?
2. What is the biggest risk to people if Mount St. Helens erupts?
A. fires
B. storms
C. flooding
C. flooding
What is a volcano?
A hole in the earth that steam, ash, and lava come through.
How does the earthquake on May 18 affect the mountain?
It causes a landslide, taking down most of one side of the mountain.
How does the author describe the fact that the forest is gone?
By telling that you could see only a few dead trees.
What kind of damage do the lahars do?
Pull trees up by their roots.
Bury land.
Destroy homes and bridges.
3. What happened to the trees around Mount St. Helens?
A. They were burned in a fire.
B. They were covered in hot lava.
C. They were knocked over by wind.
C. They were knocked over by wind.
What is an avalanche?
Large mass of snow and ice that slides down a mountain.
How does the explosion affect the shape of the mountain?
The mountain is shorter.
Why are scientists still recording changes to the mountain?
To be ready for any future eruptions.
What other word on page 15 explains why the author called Mount St. Helens a bubbling volcano?
Steam
4. What happened to Mount St. Helens after it erupted?
A. It got shorter.
B. It grew taller.
C. It stayed the same.
A. It got shorter.
What does erupt mean?
To throw out lava, ash, and gases suddenly.
How does the wind help to return life to Mount St. Helens?
It carries plant and flower seeds that grow in the new soil.
What do police and firefighters do in the case of an eruption?
Tell people to leave town and set up roadblocks.
What is lava?
Melted rock that runs out of a volcano.
5. Why do scientists keep watching Mount St. Helens?
A. so they can stop it from erupting again
B. so they can warn people if it is about to erupt
C. so they can tell when earthquakes will happen
B. so they can warn people if it is about to erupt
What are lahars?
Huge walls of mud.