PBS
Lessons - Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot!
Volcanoes are among the most spectacular geological features on the planet. Jump into an exploration of these amazing phenomenon with this multimedia lesson series. Working collaboratively in small groups, young scientists view videos...
Curated OER
My Friend, the Volcano
Working in cooperative groups, young scientists research and report on how undersea volcanic activity may benefit marine ecosystems. There are many links to websites that you can use to stimulate curiosity or for pupils to use for...
Curated OER
Mapping the Aegean Seafloor
Earth science learners create a two-dimensional topographic map of the floor of the Aegean Sea. They use it to then create a three-dimensional model of the ocean floor features. This comprehensive resource delivers strong background...
Curated OER
Volcano Contour Models Activity
Young scholars experiment with water levels and plastic topographic volcano models to determine the contour lines that would be used to create a topograpohic map of a volcano. They use the traced lines to actually develop the map.
Teacher Created Materials
A Volcano Awakes
Blow your pupils' minds with information about some of the world's most awesome natural occurrences: volcanos. Class members read a short article and respond to included questions. The focus of the resource is on understanding and...
Scholastic
Hill of Fire Teaching Plan
Some books are perfect for drawing connections between multiple subjects. The book Hill of Fire becomes the hub for three very different, yet related activity ideas. First the class hones their oral language skills by creating an...
California Academy of Science
Earthquakes and Tectonic Plates
Here is a comprehensive package in which middle schoolers learn about types of seismic waves, triangulation, and tectonic plate boundaries. Complete vocabulary, colorful maps, and a worksheet are included via links on the webpage. You...
Scholastic
Study Jams! Earthquakes
Have a seismic moment with your class as you show this animated video on earthquakes. Viewers find that quakes occur on faults and are caused by shifting of continental plates. They learn what properties are studied by seismologists and...
Curated OER
Where in the World Is That Volcano?
Identify the Earth's major volcanoes with an earth science instructional activity. Elementary and middle schoolers locate major volcanoes on a world map. Then, in groups, they research how the volcano affects the region in which it is...
Curated OER
Plate Tectonics - Evolution of the Earth
Tons of photographs, diagrams, animations, and satellite images fill the slides of an education earth science presentation. It begins with volcanic activity and earthquakes, and then moves into plate tectonics, boundaries, and driving...
Curated OER
Inside the Crater
Students explore and analyze what's inside the crater of an active volcano. They research the history of powerful eruptions and how they have helped to make our planet what it is today. Each student then illustrates, designs and...
Curated OER
Dante's Peak Movie Review
Middle or high school volcanologists watch the 1997 film, Dante's Peak. They make observations as they watch and then write a movie review, focusing on what was accurately represented. They also point out what facts were stretched by...
Curated OER
Is the Coast Really Toast?: A Lesson About Volcanoes, Phase Changes, and the Art of Estimation
Clever! Use a clip from the 1997 film, Volcano, to get your chemistry class knee-deep in heat concepts related to lava. In the movie scene, lava flow is stopped in the nick of time. Your class must use calculations to determine if this...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Spinning off of Eyjafjallajökull
The name itself may have your scholars' heads spinning: Eyjafjallajökull. Its recent volcanic eruption spurred many political cartoons on unrelated topics- using an analysis handout scholars examine the use of metaphor in 2 cartoons...
Curated OER
Survival Experts
Learners take on the role of survival experts as they research and produce brochures or guides to educate others about what to do in the event of a natural disaster.
Curated OER
Where Am I?
Students identify volcano locations by latitude and longitude. They analyze a world map, and complete a "Volcano Event Locations Chart."
Curated OER
Geographic Landforms
Each slide is a simple notebook page with one landform in blue and its definition in red. There are 26 vocabulary terms in all, some you may want to use, and others easily hidden. It is recommended that you add photos or other graphic...
Curated OER
Hill of Fire
Students examine Paricutin eruptions. In this science lesson, students locate Paricutin on a map and take a virtual tour of volcanoes around the world. Students email questions to a geologist and create a news report on the original...
Curated OER
Aerosol Lesson: Language Arts
Students construct a model of a volcano. They read "NASA Facts Atmospheric Aerosols" and discuss the impacts of volcanic eruptions. They write informative essays about how aerosols impact the Earth.
Curated OER
Volcano Lava Recipe--Experiment and Model
Middle schoolers build a volcano of clay around a container that is thin and tall. They experiment with two containers with different mixtures in each. Students write out their findings and use strong adjectives to describe how the two...
Curated OER
Volcano Contour Models Activity and Tracing the Highs and Lows in San Francisco
Learners investigate how to draw topographic contours and read topographic maps.They examine the topography of San Francisco and contrast the elevation of different points within San Francisco.
Curated OER
Volcano Tracking
Students study how to track seismic activity of the Montserrat volcano. They create graphs of the data, study the observation logs that accompany the data, and interpret the graphs in relationship to the logs.
Curated OER
Natural Disasters: An Adventure in Non-Fiction
Students study different natural disasters. In this natural disaster lesson plan students read a nonfiction book followed by a discussion, an experiment, then collect illustrations from their experience.
Curated OER
Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot!
Students study the different types of volcanoes and how they erupt. In this volcano lesson plan students identify where volcanoes are most prevalent and options for predicting eruptions.