Science Matters
Earthquake Preparedness
Forty-five states and territories in the USA are at moderate to very high risk of earthquakes. The discussion-based instructional activity covers what to do before, during, and after an earthquake. The 14th instructional activity in...
Science Matters
Earthquake Building/Shaking Contest
Japan is one of only a handful of countries that constructs buildings that are almost earthquake proof. The 13th lesson in the 20-part series challenges scholars to build structures to test against earthquakes. With limited materials and...
Science Matters
Finding the Epicenter
The epicenter is the point on the ground above the initial point of rupture. The 10th instructional activity in a series of 20 encourages scholars to learn to triangulate the epicenter of an earthquake based on the arrival times of...
Curated OER
Understanding Lava Layers
Seventh graders view "Volcano" by National Geographic Video. They experiment with baking soda and study lava flow. They describe volcano and earthquake patterns. They analyze weather and climate changes and how they relate to the natural...
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
Earthquakes & Volcanoes I: What Causes Them and Where They Are
Students study the properties of volcanoes and earthquakes. In this earthquakes and volcanoes lesson students write a story on what they did during their experiment.
Science Matters
Up and Down Fault Blocks
The Sierra Mountains in Nevada and the Tetons in Wyoming originally formed as fault block mountains. In order to visualize these fault blocks, pupils use construction paper to create layers of earth. They cut the paper models and form...
Curated OER
Hazards: Kindergarten Lesson Plans and Activities
The last unit in the series allows kindergarteners to see the dangers and hazards associated with each of the natural disasters learned so far in the series—earthquakes and volcanoes. They listen to sounds associated with the...
Science Matters
Wave Watching
Seismologists use the direction and arrival times of p waves and s waves to determine the distance to the source of an earthquake. The engaging lesson has students line up to form human waves. Through different movements when attached,...
NOAA
Where There's Smoke, There's ...
A remotely operated vehicle approaching a volcano was engulfed by molten sulfur where the plumes of fluids contained the highest concentrations of aluminum ever recorded. This isn't science fiction or an April fools joke, though it did...
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...
Curated OER
Plate Tectonic - Volcanoes (1)
Students learn the different shapes of Volcanoes and discuss why volcanoes only have a few shapes.
Curated OER
Volcanoes and Urban Planning
Students analyze satellite image data of Volcan Villarica. In this earth science lesson, students identify dangerous areas surrounding the volcano. They propose a new safe location for the town.
Curated OER
Model Volcanoes
Pupils discover what causes earthquakes, volcanoes and floods. Using this information, they discuss how these natural disasters change the surface of the Earth. In groups, they make models, draw pictures and make them erupt.
Curated OER
The Volcano Factory
Students examine the process of tectonic plates and why the Mariana Arc is active with volcanoes. They create a model of the Mariana Arc out of clay.
Curated OER
Volcanoes
Third graders study the concept of plate tectonics. In the process they embark in research and construction of a volcano. They complete a web quest while assessing how to research, give oral reports, and create a product.
Curated OER
Volcano! Is That a Volcano on Your Plate?
Students investigate where volcanos come from. For this volcano lesson, students watch videos do Internet research and participate in experiments to discover the cause of volcanos.
Curated OER
Earth and Space Science: Let it Flow
Students engage in a lesson in which volcanoes be explored and examined. After watching a video, students create volcanoes out of clay.
Curated OER
Volcano!-Is That a Volcano on Your Plate?
Young scholars explore how and where volcanoes form. They also explore how the interactions between oceanic and continental crust create volcanoes and other mountains and earthquakes in a simulation activity using cardboard of two...
Curated OER
Mount St. Helens Shakes and Burps
Students uncover the nature of volcanoes and locate some of the world's active, dormant, and extinct volcanoes. They also discover how scientists detect, measure, and predict volcanic activity.
Curated OER
Water 1: Water and Ice
Students explore the states of water. In this science activity, students use observation, measurement, and communication skills to describe water as it changes from a solid to a liquid.
Curated OER
Plate Tectonics: Movin' and Shakin'
Students are introduced to the causes of plate movements and the hazards they present. They plot the location of 50 earthquakes and 50 volcanic eruptions on a map and explore the relationships between plate tectonics, earthquakes, and...
Curated OER
Slinky Lab- Simulating the Motion of Earthquake Waves
Sixth graders simulate primary and secondary waves. In this earthquakes waves lesson, 6th graders experiment using a slinky to gain understanding of how waves are created during an earthquake. Students record observations in drawings....
Curated OER
Volcanic Activity in the U.S.
Learners locate and map ten volcanoes in United States, create chart comparing volcanoes by last eruption, type of volcano, location, and interesting fact, and create Powerpoint slide show describing basic
information about volcanoes and...