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Exploring the topic of volcanoes makes way for so many learning opportunities. Children pick up important geography concepts along the way. And who doesn’t love conducting a volcano experiment with bicarb of soda and vinegar? We used to make a volcano landscape in our classroom out of salt dough that children painted once it was dry. It was a perfect invitation to play set up for little preschoolers that also included dinosaur figures.
About Volcano
A volcano is a geological formation that occurs when magma, ash, and gas escape from beneath the Earth’s surface. There are several types of volcanoes, including stratovolcanoes, shield volcanoes, and cinder cones. Some volcanoes are dormant for a long time, while others are active and erupt frequently. Volcanic eruptions can cause a variety of hazards, including lava flows, ashfall, pyroclastic flows, and lahars. Despite the risks, volcanoes can also create new land and provide important mineral resources. Scientists study volcanoes to better understand the processes that shape our planet.
Stages of a volcano eruption
There are typically four main stages of a volcanic eruption: the precursory stage, the explosive stage or the effusive stage, the paroxysmal stage, and the waning stage. The precursory stage involves an increase in volcanic activity, such as earthquakes and gas emissions.
The explosive stage can produce ash, lava bombs, and pyroclastic flows. The effusive stage involves the steady flow of lava. The paroxysmal stage is the most explosive, producing large amounts of ash and tephra. Finally, the waning stage involves a decrease in volcanic activity and eventual return to dormancy.
parts of a Volcano and stages of a volcano eruption printables
In this printable, I included Parts of the Volcano poster with labels, a poster for inserting labels, and label cards. Blackline master can be used along with the three-part cards or with the poster. Parts of the Volcano’s photographic cards feature a slightly different set of vocabulary but both resources – poster, and cards – complement each other nicely.
Here is what’s included
- Stages of a Volcanic Eruption poster
- Stages of a Volcanic Eruption 3 part cards
- Stages of a Volcanic Eruption information cards
- Stages of a Volcanic Eruption coloring, cutting, and pasting worksheet
- Stages of a Volcanic Eruptiontracing strips
- Parts of a Volcano diagram
- Parts of a Volcano 3 part cards
- Parts of a Volcano booklet (independent writing)
- Parts of a Volcano student activity page
- Parts of a Volcano labels
- Parts of a Volcano tracing & independent writing
Age: Preschool ages 3 – 6 years
Subjects and uses in the classroom: Volcano Unit, Cosmic Education, First Great Lesson, Dinosaur Unit, Science Centers, Fine motor, Prewriting
How to use this resource:
Parts of a Volcano – Gather books about volcanoes for children to explore. Print posters and label cards on cardstock and laminate. Cut individual label cards. Attach clear velcro to the poster without labels and label cards.
Present the poster – name all parts and invite the students to share their thoughts on the various functions of each part and make their own research. Then read each label and invite the student to match it to the corresponding part of the volcano.
Stages of a Volcanic Eruption poster – print on cardstock and laminate. Present all stages of a Volcanic Eruption. Invite the children to retell them or tell their own story that features all the stages.
Stages of a Volcanic Eruption 3-part cards – Print on cardstock and laminate if you wish to preserve colors and card quality for future use. Place picture cards in a column and invite the children to match the picture to the picture and the word to the word. Present control cards and invite the child to lay the stages of a volcanic eruption in the correct order.
Stages of a Volcanic Eruption line art – supply scissors, glue, and coloring pencils. Invite the student to color and cut cards and glue them into the correct sequence.
Stages of a Volcanic Eruption tracing/labeling and coloring worksheets – print on cardstock and laminate. Supply an erasable pen. Invite the child to trace the words and color corresponding images. Alternatively, print pages on regular printing paper and invite the child to trace or label the stages of a volcanic eruption.
