Lesson Plan

Types of Volcanic Eruptions

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

Blow the roof off your classroom with this multimedia science activity on volcanic eruptions. A short online video teaches young geologists about shield and composite volcanoes and explores the examples of Kilauea and Mt. Vesuvius, before children are asked to complete a Venn diagram comparing these two types of volcanoes.

2 Collections 263 Views 195 Downloads
CCSS: Adaptable
Additional Tags
Instructional Ideas
  • Watch this video during an introductory lesson on volcanoes in the upper-elementary or middle school grades
  • Have students watch the included video and complete the Venn diagram as homework in your flipped classroom, discussing their work in class the following day
  • Extend learning by having learners research any volcanoes that the USGS map indicates are active
Classroom Considerations
  • If computers are not available in your classroom, schedule time in the computer lab for students to watch the video and complete the Venn diagram worksheet independently
Pros
  • Resource provides a link to a US Geological Survey map that shows the current activity of North American volcanoes
  • A Venn diagram is provided for comparing the eruptions of shield and composite volcanoes
Cons
  • None
NGSS