Volcano Eruption
Supplies, instructions, resources, and worksheets are below!
Volcano Eruption
Project Description
Earth’s volcanoes occur because its crust is broken into 17 major, tectonic plates that float on a hotter, softer layer in its mantle. Volcanoes are generally found where tectonic plates are diverging or converging, and most Volcanoes are found underwater. In this STEM project, you’ll learn all about volcanoes and why and how they erupt.
Activity Time
1 Day
Note: parent supervision required when using cutting. Do your project in an area where
Supplies Recommended
Investigative Worksheet
Things you can build your volcano with:
mud
play dough
paper mâché (such as magazines or newspaper)
plastic drinking bottle or plastic cup (place in the interior of the volcano)
scissors or knive (optional)
A box lid is helpful to place the volcano on to avoid mess
For the explosion you will need:
baking soda
vinegar
dish soap
red food coloring
Learning Objectives
Understand why and how volcanoes erupt
Understand plate tectonics
Understand chemical reactions
Vocabulary Terms to Understand
Look up each word and write their definition on paper.
ash
ash fall
vent
composite volcano
compound volcano
conduit
crater
dormant volcano
eruption
fault
fissures
geyers
lava
hot spot
magma
magma chamber
mantle
crust
ring of fire
stratovolcano
molton
caldera
tectonic
temperature
tephra
Instructional Videos
Instructions
1. Print the Investigative Worksheet..
2. Watch the instructional videos above.
3. Read through the resources below to learn about volcanoes.
4. Build your volcano.
5. Put the ingredients in the plastic container that’s in the center of your volcano as shown in the videos above, and watch what happens!
6. Document your findings on the Investigative Worksheet.
Questions
How do volcanoes form?
Why do volcanoes erupt?
What types of volcanoes are there?
Resources
Anatomy of a Volcano
What are the Different Parts of a Volcano?
Ducksters: Volcano
Volcano Overview
Britannica: Volcano
Types of Volcanos
Types of Volcanic Eruptions
How Do Volcanoes Erupt?
Volcanoes
How Does a Volcano Form?
Volcano Tectonic Environments
Current Volcano News: VolcanoDiscovery.com
