The Homeschool Resource

• Geographical studies in early elementary grades helps students to better understand and visualize the physical characteristics of the world around them.

• Teaching kids about volcanoes in a variety of ways, such as books, videos, visual information, and reinforcement activities, ensures that your child will better understand and grasp the lesson.

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Teaching Geographical Features

Geographical studies begin in early elementary grades. In as early as the first grade, students begin learning basic concepts such as continents and oceans. This is built upon over the next few years to include landforms like mountains, plains, valleys, and rivers. Once a student reaches upper elementary and middle school grades, the focus is shifted slightly to include regional climates, local geography, and the relationships between geography and different societies.

Geographical features are an important concept to cover as it helps students to better understand and visualize the physical characteristics of Earth and enhances their special awareness. It also introduces the relationship between the environment and human settlement patterns as well as economic activities and cultural diversity. Gaining a deeper understanding of how geographical features form as well as how they interact with one another encourages critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Being knowledgeable in geography is important for students to make informed decisions about sustainability and environmental protection and is relevant in various fields of study such as agriculture, urban planning, and international relations.

What are Volcanoes?

As far as geographical features are concerned, volcanoes are one of the most interesting ones. A volcano is an opening in the Earth’s surface where hot melted rock, called magma, can escape from beneath the surface. The opening may be visible as a small bowl-shaped depression at the top of a mountain. As magma forces its way up it from magma chambers deep underground, it breaks through the earth’s crust and erupts. When an eruption happens, hot magma, ash, and gases come rushing out and into the air. Eruptions can last from anywhere between a few hours to several years, affecting the area around the volcano. Most submarine volcanoes, or volcanoes that are underwater, do not disturb the ocean’s surface. However, hundreds of islands across the globe have been formed by these volcanic eruptions including the Hawaiian and Indonesian islands. There are about 1,500 active volcanoes on Earth right now.

How to Teach About Volcanoes

To teach children about volcanoes, you can cover concepts such as how volcanoes form and what happens when they erupt. You may also want to introduce famous volcanoes from around the world like Mount Fuji in Japan, Mauna Loa of Hawaii, and Mount St. Helens in Washington. These can be covered in a variety of ways such as age-appropriate books and videos, informative passages, and supportive worksheets.

Some popular children’s books about volcanoes include:

• I’m a Volcano! (Science Buddies) by Bridget Heos
• National Geographic Kids Volcanoes! by Anne Schreiber
• Volcano Eruptions by Julie Murray
• Magic Treehouse Vacation Under the Volcano by Mary Pope Osborne
  

Some of these books are easy readers for younger students while others are chapter books. All of these books are appropriate for 6-10-year-olds. They can be borrowed from the library (either in person or online) or bought from shops such as Amazon or your local bookstore.

Age-appropriate videos:

• Volcanoes for Kids by Learn Bright
• Blippi Goes Inside a Volcano! by Blippi
• Volcano playlist by Nat Geo Kids
• Mountains and Volcanoes by SciShow Kids
• Science Trek: Volcanoes by PBS
• And I would be remiss not to mention The Magic School Bus Blows Its Top

Educational videos such as these are a great way to get your child engaged in learning about volcanoes. They are fun as well as informative and are well suited for elementary-aged children. Offering a variety of ways of learning a concept, such as books, videos, visual information, and reinforcement activities, ensures that your child will better understand and grasp the material.

My Geographical Features: Volcanoes Pages

Geographical studies is a requirement for all students. Lessons about different habitats, landforms, and the processes that contribute to the formation of the Earth’s surface should not only be educational but should also be fun. That’s why I created the Geographical Features packets. Each packet focuses on a different landform or geographical feature and has a variety of worksheets and activities.

My volcano pages are a great way to introduce your child to awe inspiring world of volcanoes. The packet includes a volcano diagram with vocabulary words that you can use as a handout and a corresponding volcano fill-in diagram for your student to complete on their own as well as a vocabulary matching worksheet.

I have also included a reading passage. This reading passage is an informative piece introducing volcanoes, explaining the different types and how they erupt. It has a corresponding comprehension questions worksheet, in which they can use the reading passage to answer. Also included is a fun facts about volcanoes page with a true/false questions worksheet to go with it, as well as answer keys. This is to help incorporate ELA into the science lesson for a more well-rounded learning experience.  

All of my Geographical Features packets can be found here on my TeachersPayTeachers store if you are looking for some worksheets or posters to go with your geographical features/landforms teaching unit.

Volcano Experiment

This would be a great time to do an awesome volcano science experiment with your child. You can use an empty bottle or can as the “magma chamber” and “vent”. Place 1/2 cup or more (depending on how big you want your explosion) of baking soda in the bottle. Put the bottle on a flat surface such as a baking tray or aluminum pan for easy cleanup. Your child can then build a mountain around the crater with dirt, sand, play dough, or clay. However, make sure that they do not cover the opening. If you want to go all out, have them add in plastic trees, animals, or even dinosaurs onto the tray.

Once the volcano is made, pour a small amount of vinegar in a cup and add a drop or two of red or orange food coloring (food coloring is optional, it just adds to the fun). Let your child use a dropper, spoon, or just pour the vinegar from the cup into the bottle. Stand back and watch the fun.

*If you want to, have the child point out the magma chamber (bottom of the bottle or can), the crater (the top of the mountain they built), lava flow, and vent.

Have you helped your child make a science experiment volcano? If so, share your tips and tricks with the community in the comments below.