1389: "Krakatoa"

Interesting Things with JC #1389: "Krakatoa" – In 1883, a single island roared so loud it was heard 3,000 miles away. Krakatoa tore the Earth, shook the seas, and painted the skies blood red. One day when the whole world felt it.

Curriculum - Episode Anchor

Episode Title: Krakatoa

Episode Number: 1389

Host: JC

Audience: Grades 9–12, college intro, homeschool, lifelong learners

Subject Area: Earth Science, History, Geography

Lesson Overview

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Define what a volcanic eruption is and explain its effects on Earth’s systems.

• Compare the local and global impacts of Krakatoa’s eruption.

• Analyze how natural disasters influence human societies, cultures, and art.

• Explain how scientific data (shockwaves, barometers, atmospheric dust) revealed Krakatoa’s worldwide reach.

Key Vocabulary

• Volcano (vol-KAY-no): A mountain or opening in Earth’s crust where lava, ash, and gases escape. Krakatoa was a volcanic island in Indonesia.

• Tsunami (tsoo-NAH-mee): A series of large ocean waves caused by underwater disturbances such as volcanic collapse. The Krakatoa eruption triggered waves over 100 feet high.

• Atmosphere (AT-muh-sfeer): The layer of gases surrounding Earth. Krakatoa’s ash cloud spread through the atmosphere, affecting global sunsets.

• Shockwave (SHOK-wayv): A sudden pressure wave created by an explosion. Krakatoa’s shockwaves circled the Earth seven times.

• Global Cooling (GLO-buhl KOO-ling): A temporary drop in world temperatures caused by volcanic dust blocking sunlight. Krakatoa cooled Earth by more than one degree Fahrenheit.

Narrative Core

• Open: The eruption of Krakatoa was one of the loudest and most destructive events in human history.

• Info: On August 27, 1883, the volcano erupted with explosive force, heard 3,000 miles away.

• Details: Shockwaves circled the globe, tsunamis destroyed coastal towns, and tens of thousands died.

• Reflection: The eruption darkened skies worldwide, inspired art like The Scream, and showed Earth’s interconnected systems.

• Closing: These are interesting things, with JC.

Cover art for “Interesting Things with JC #1389: Krakatoa.” A volcano erupts at night, glowing red with bright streams of lava and ash shooting upward. Large bold red text reads “KRAKATOA” above the eruption.

Transcript

On August 27th, 1883, the island of Krakatoa in Indonesia erupted. It wasn’t just another volcano—it was one of the loudest and deadliest events in recorded history.

The blast was heard three thousand miles away, the distance from New York to San Francisco. In the Indian Ocean, sailors had their eardrums burst. Shockwaves from the explosion circled the Earth seven times, moving barometers in cities as far away as London and Washington.

The eruption tore Krakatoa apart. Most of the island collapsed into the sea, and that collapse triggered tsunamis over a hundred feet tall—thirty meters—that smashed into the coasts of Java and Sumatra. Entire towns were wiped away. At least thirty-six thousand people died, with later counts pushing the number even higher.

The volcano threw ash twelve miles into the sky. Dust spread across the globe, turning sunsets a deep red for months. Years later, the painter Edvard Munch recalled skies so blood-red in Norway that they helped inspire the colors in The Scream. The veil of ash also cooled the Earth by more than a degree Fahrenheit, about half a degree Celsius—enough to damage crops and change weather patterns worldwide.

The eruption even reached Europe. Tsunami readings showed up in the English Channel, and the haze in the atmosphere made the moon look blue or even green.

Krakatoa showed how much force sits inside the Earth. In a single day, it shook the ground, pushed the seas, and dimmed the sun. August 27th, 1883, was the day the whole world felt it.

These are interesting things, with JC.

Student Worksheet

1. How far away was Krakatoa’s eruption heard, and what modern U.S. distance is it compared to?

2. How did Krakatoa’s collapse into the sea trigger tsunamis?

3. What global changes occurred in weather and climate after the eruption?

4. How did artists such as Edvard Munch respond to the skies after Krakatoa?

5. Imagine being in London in 1883. Write a diary entry about seeing red sunsets and hearing news of the eruption.

Teacher Guide

• Estimated Time: 1–2 class periods (45–90 minutes)

• Pre-Teaching Vocabulary Strategy: Preview terms such as “tsunami,” “shockwave,” and “global cooling” with visual diagrams.

• Anticipated Misconceptions:

  • Students may think volcanoes only affect local areas.

  • Some may assume global cooling lasted decades (in fact, it was temporary).

• Discussion Prompts:

  • How does Krakatoa compare to modern disasters (e.g., 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami)?

  • How can one event in Indonesia affect Europe and the entire globe?

• Differentiation Strategies:

  • ESL: Provide word banks and visual aids for vocabulary.

  • IEP: Use guided graphic organizers to chart cause-and-effect.

  • Gifted: Research how other eruptions (Tambora, Pinatubo) compare with Krakatoa.

• Extension Activities:

  • Create an infographic showing Krakatoa’s global impacts.

  • Explore how atmospheric changes influence art and literature.

• Cross-Curricular Connections:

  • Physics: Sound waves and shockwaves.

  • Sociology: Human impacts of natural disasters.

  • Art History: How nature inspired artists like Munch.

Quiz

1. How many times did Krakatoa’s shockwaves circle the Earth?
   A. 2
   B. 5
   C. 7
   D. 10
   Answer: C

2. How tall were the tsunamis caused by Krakatoa?
   A. 10 feet
   B. 30 meters
   C. 200 feet
   D. 3 meters
   Answer: B

3. What happened to most of the island of Krakatoa?
   A. It grew larger
   B. It collapsed into the sea
   C. It turned into a desert
   D. It became a mountain range
   Answer: B

4. What artwork was partly inspired by the skies after Krakatoa?
   A. Mona Lisa
   B. The Starry Night
   C. The Scream
   D. The Persistence of Memory
   Answer: C

5. How much did global temperatures drop after Krakatoa erupted?
   A. 0.1°F
   B. 1°F
   C. 5°F
   D. 10°F
   Answer: B

Assessment

1. Explain how the eruption of Krakatoa demonstrates the interconnectedness of Earth’s systems (geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere).

2. Compare Krakatoa’s impact on people in Indonesia with its effects on people in Europe.

3–2–1 Rubric

• 3: Accurate, complete, and thoughtful explanation with evidence.

• 2: Partially correct but missing detail or clarity.

• 1: Inaccurate or vague with little evidence.

Standards Alignment

• NGSS HS-ESS2-2: Analyze geoscience data to explain feedbacks among Earth’s systems, such as volcanic eruptions.

• NGSS HS-ESS3-1: Construct an explanation based on evidence for how natural disasters affect human societies.

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.2: Determine central ideas of a text and analyze their development.

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2: Write explanatory texts to examine complex ideas clearly.

• C3.D2.Geo.12.9-12: Evaluate the impact of human settlement on physical systems.

• ISTE 3a: Students plan and employ effective research strategies to explore complex issues.

UK National Curriculum (Geography, KS4): Understanding how human and physical processes interact to influence landscapes and environments.
IB MYP Sciences (Year 5, Criterion B): Inquiring into scientific knowledge and applying it to explain natural phenomena.
Cambridge IGCSE Geography (0460, Theme 2): Understanding earthquakes and volcanoes, their effects on people and the environment.

Show Notes

In this episode of Interesting Things with JC, listeners travel back to August 27, 1883, when Krakatoa erupted with cataclysmic force. Heard thousands of miles away, the eruption produced tsunamis over 100 feet high, destroyed coastal towns, and killed tens of thousands. Shockwaves circled the globe, skies turned blood-red, and the world’s climate temporarily cooled. The disaster left a cultural imprint, inspiring Edvard Munch’s The Scream, and highlighted the interconnectedness of Earth’s systems. This lesson is vital for students today because it demonstrates how one local event can ripple across the entire planet, offering insights into natural disasters, climate effects, and human resilience.

References

• Winchester, S. (2003). Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883. HarperCollins. https://www.harpercollins.com/products/krakatoa-simon-winchester

• Self, S., Rampino, M. R., Newton, M. S., & Wolff, J. A. (1984). Volcanological study of the great 1883 eruption of Krakatau. Nature, 294, 699–704. https://doi.org/10.1038/294699a0

• Smithsonian Institution Global Volcanism Program. (2023). Krakatau (Indonesia). https://volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=262000

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