Build a Volcano on Your SMART Board

It emits smoke, ash, and noxious gases. No, it’s not your grandfather after Superbowl Sunday. It’s a volcano. Volcanoes are like huge machines that shape the Earth. Plus, kids love them and they make Earth Science even more interesting. You can make a virtual volcano in your classroom with three different interactive sites. They all work on the same basic premise; pick the type of volcano, pick the characteristics of the lava, and watch the eruption. They each provide useful information on the different kinds of volcanoes and the different aspects of a volcanic eruption. Each also provides links to images, and information about volcanoes around the world. There are cool sounds and animations to make the eruptions fun. Check them out and have a… blast!

This interactive volcano from Discovery Kids is better suited for elementary grade levels. The animations and sounds are very good. Only three types of volcano are introduced.

This National Geographic interactive volcano may be better suited for higher grade levels. It provides more in-depth information on types of volcanoes and how plate tectonics plays a role in their formation.

Finally, check out the Volcano Maker from ChannelOne.com. You’ll be able to create a volcano based on criteria like cone size, gas, and silica.

This entry was posted on Monday, October 26th, 2009 at 12:10 pm and is filed under Web Resources. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.