Volcano Picture Books

• Introduce volcanoes to your students by reading engaging picture books about this topic. Fill your classroom library shelves with books on this subject, such as "When the Giant Stirred, Legend of a Volcanic Island" by Celia Godkin, which explores volcanic activity in the Pacific, or "The Hottest Boy Who Ever Lived" by Anna Fienberg, the story of a boy who lived near a volcano. As you delve into your study of volcanoes, continue to read books aloud with your students or let them explore the books independently.
  
  

Volcano Map

• Have your students hunt for volcanoes and create a volcano map with their help. Place a large world map on a classroom wall and arm students with round stickers. Divide students into groups, assign each group a continent or two and tell them to research the presence of volcanoes on their assigned continents. As students locate volcanoes, they can use the stickers to mark the locations on the map. In the process, they will likely begin to see that some sites, such as the Ring of Fire in the Pacific, are rife with volcanoes, while others are nearly volcano-free.
  
  

Volcano Vocabulary Wall

• Teach your students related terminology by creating a volcano vocabulary wall. Write terms that you will use when discussing volcanoes, such as "magma" and "stratigraphic," on sentence strips. Have students look up these words and write the definitions on separate sentence strips, then place their strips below the terms. Your students will learn vocabulary terms and, in the process, you'll provide a handy place for them to glance if they require a vocabulary refresher.
  
  

Volcano Models

• No volcano unit is complete without creating models. As the study of volcanoes draws to a close, ask your students to work independently or as teams and make volcano models. Guide them through this process, showing how to create a cone of cardboard and use paper mache to give the cone a rough texture, or let them craft a volcano in any fashion they see fit. Plan an eruption day, when you mix vinegar and baking soda, making each volcanic creation spew lava.