Earthquakes
An earthquake is a sudden shaking of the ground. It happens when rocks along a crack in Earth's crust, called a fault, suddenly slip past each other.
Geography · Ages 8–11 · 60 minutes
How volcanoes work
Children label the main parts of a volcano, explain that magma rises from deep inside the Earth and erupts as lava, ash and gas, and locate some well-known volcanoes on a world map.
Success criteria
- I can label the parts of a volcano
- I can explain the difference between magma and lava
- I can describe what happens in an eruption
Key vocabulary
- volcano
- magma
- lava
- crater
- vent
- ash
- eruption
- active
- dormant
- extinct
- tectonic plate
- crust
You will need
- volcano cross-section diagram
- world map
- sticky dots
- modelling clay or a plastic bottle in a tray
- bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- white vinegar
- washing-up liquid
- red food colouring
- safety goggles
- paper towels
Practice sheets
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Countries and continents
Volcanoes are dramatic, which makes them easy to get excited about and easy to misunderstand. Children often think volcanoes are mountains full of fire. This lesson explains what is really happening underground, then uses a kitchen-cupboard model so they can see how gas pushes material out of a vent.
1.Starter
7 minutesShow a photo of a volcano erupting. Ask pairs: "What do you think is coming out of the volcano? Where does it come from?" Take three answers and write them up without correcting yet; come back to them in the plenary. Seven minutes.
2.Teach
10–15 minShow a cross-section diagram and explain from the bottom up:
- "Deep under the ground it is very hot. Some rock melts into a thick, hot liquid called magma."
- "The ground we stand on, the crust, is broken into giant pieces called tectonic plates. Many volcanoes form where plates move apart or push together, because magma can find a way up."
- "Magma collects underground, and gas in it builds pressure. When the pressure is big enough, the magma bursts up through a vent and out of the crater."
- "Once magma comes out of the ground, we call it lava. Eruptions also throw out ash and gas."
Then classify: "An active volcano has erupted recently or could erupt soon. A dormant one is sleeping but could wake up. An extinct one is not expected to erupt again."
Mark some volcanoes on the world map with sticky dots: Mount Etna (Italy), Mount Fuji (Japan), Mount St Helens (USA), Mount Cameroon (Cameroon), Krakatoa (Indonesia). Ask: "Do you notice a pattern?" Three of these lie around the edge of the Pacific Ocean, where many of the world's volcanoes are found. This area is often called the Ring of Fire.
volcano
mountain
fire
rock
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