Volcanoes! February 20th.
Great Websites:
http://volcano.und.edu/ (Volcano World)
http://kids.discovery.com/games/pompeii/pompeii.html
Equipment:
Playdo
BlowUp Earth
Stickers (small stars or circles)
Plastic knife
Chocolate covered m&m’s
Baking Soda
Vinegar
Liquid Detergent
Plastic Bins
Colored Paper/Drawing Paper
Pens and crayons
Elmer’s Glue
Small bottles (the size of film containers works bests)
Scotch Tape
In order to understand how Volcanoes work and why they exist, we must first understand
the Earth! This activity is split into three sections: Learning about the Earth’s layers,
understanding that the earth has plates that move, and building (and exploding) a
volcano.
1) What does the Earth look like on the inside?
a. Ask the students what they think the Earth looks like. Show them the
“blow-up” earth and ask them what is “inside”.
b. Ask them if it is all solid or liquid? How do they know?
c. Tell them we are going to make our own “model of the Earth”
d. Now have each student take a chocolate m&m (don’t let them east it!)
e. Take sections of one of the playdo containers (and give them a piece of the
SAME color). Make them flatten the playdo (try for a thin layer) on the
table, and then roll up the m&m inside it –forming a ball. Repeat with
another “color” of playdo (Make this one Thick). Do this one more time
with another thin layer (For a total of THREE colors and 1 m&m). Take
bits of the last color and tell them to arrange it on our Earth in the way
they think the continents look like. Show them the blow up Earth as a
guide. Tell them that the “continents don’t have to be completely smooth
– Ask them why! (i.e. is the Earth nice and round and smooth???).
f. Now – tell them that this is their model Earth. Ask them what it looks like
inside?
g. Carefully take the plastic knife and cut their Earth in half. What does the
Earth look like? What are those layers? Now explain the Earth to them:
i. Inner mantle is solid – this is the m&m and this is really hot!!!
(5500 degrees C.)
ii. Outer layer is a LIQUID (yes a liquid!) why is that? (It’s really
hot)
iii. Mantle (upper and lower –not enough playdo colors)
iv. Crust (which has ocean and continents)
h. Give them an another m&m. Tell them to carefully cut it in half with their
teeth. (they can eat the other half). Ask them what they see? Tell them
that the “nut” is actually the core, mantle, etc. and only the chololate
covering is the “earth’s crust –where we live!)
i. Hand them Paper and the different colored pens and ask them to draw
what they see on their “half Earth” –label the drawings - to show to their
parents.
2) Where do Volcanoes occur?
a. Show them our globe again. Ask them one at a time, where they think
volcanoes occur?
b. Hand them each a map (make them write their name in the top corner.
c. Hand them the stickers and tell them to place them where think volcanoes
happen. Compare the maps!
d. Hand out the “ring of fire map”. What do they notice about the map?
What are jagged dark lines? Those are the boundaries of the “plates” The
crust and upper mantle (The lithosphere), is divided into a set of plates that
actually move! Each plate has some oceanic crust, some continental crust
that sits on top of the mantle. Like a series of puzzle pieces! Show them
the Map of Pangea. Show them the earth today. What do they notice
about what the plates look like (they used to fit together!).
e. Volcanoes occur where the plates MEET, and some of the hot mantle
escapes to the Earth’s surface!!
f. I will bring my computer and show them the “plates” movie, as well
movies of volcanic eruptions.
3) Make a volcano!
a. Ask them what type of volcano they are going to build:
i. Composite Volcanoes: Steep sided and very sharp, explosive
eruptions!
ii. Shield Volcanoes: Flatter and rounder, lava flows down the slope
b. Hand each student a plastic container.
c. Carefully glue the small bottle at the center using Elmer’s Glue.
d. Now –take the playdo and carefully “build up the volcano –making sure
not to cover the little bottle inside.
e. Have the students name their volcano. Cut out houses, trees, etc. using the
pen and paper provided, and glue or tape it to the volcano top (it’s going to
get covered in lava later!). Is the volcano on land? In the ocean? (ask
them if it matters! –yes, the magma will be different, and the type of
volcano will be different). Take some time with this as it allows
everything to harden up before we explode it.
f. Exploding the volcano! Go OUTSIDE.
i. Stay Back to watch the clothing….
ii. Mix 1 tbsp. of liquid dish washing soap, 1 tbsp. baking soda and a
few drops of red food coloring in a bottle.
iii. Pour 1/4 c. white vinegar into the bottle and stand back to watch
your volcano erupt!
iv. For you nerds, the chemical reaction is:
NaHCO3 + CH3COOH --> Na+ + H2O + CO2 + CH3COOCarbon dioxide is released creating the “fizz”.