Volcanoes: the Big Boom! by The Painting Panda

Welcome to Volcanoes: The Big Boom!

Here's a riddle: what is as old as the dinosaurs, can be beautiful and scary at the same time, and keeps growing?  Answer: A volcano!  
Science has been and is still one of my favorite subjects in school.  I loved learning about all kinds of things growing up.  Now that I'm an adult, I can go to the library and check out as many books on whatever topic that I choose, sit down and read and discuss with anyone willing to join in the fun with me.  I love looking at and reading up on volcano facts, they are some of my favorite natural creations, and not just because Earth isn't the only planet to have them.  Volcanoes are one of the world's most amazing natural phenomenons: because they have been around for ever...seriously like dinosaur old! So the big question: "How much do you know about Volcanoes?  Have you ever visited one?  Have you seen one in a movie or on TV?  Do they excite you or scare you?  How are they made, why do they form and where they are located?  What are some of the most dangerous explosions from volcanoes?  What are some famous volcanoes? What's up with them barfing up lava, and belching rock, and coughing up smoke?"

In my class we'll cover each of those questions and more.  I am a visual person, and have found that doing something hands on while learning helps retain information, so with this class we'll be doing what I call "Notebook Journaling".  Basically, the students will get to create hand drawn images, label diagrams and turn it into a study guide on Volcanoes.  I use a combination of library books, power points, images, video clips, and in-class hands on work. 

Here is a list of topics we'll explore about volcanoes: the different types of volcanoes: how they form,  where they form, what types of explosions they do, and of course we'll discuss and see images of famous volcanoes that have or have not erupted.  What is so dangerous about a volcano, magma vs. lava,  what's in the air/ cloud, smoke,  what type of damage can be done by a volcano, and how long are the affects of said damage last, and of course we'll see images of famous volcanoes and how much damage they created.  We'll incorporate into our Volcano notebook the following information: How do scientists know or predict a volcanic eruption: scientific technology that is used to test lava temps, and what scales, graphs, time, nature scientists use to help learn about volcanoes past, present and future.

We get to put our notebooks together, including adding a hand drawn cover page.  Then we get to create a hands on science experiment with a volcanic explosion complete with sound!  Adult help may be needed for this part.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                  
A side note: This will require some writing, so if the student has trouble writing quickly, reading, or doing copy work, feel free to email me before hand and let me know.  I can easily make sure every child is comfortable with the assignments, as I have had children of my own who struggled with both.