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LESSON MINI

Exploring Volcanoes with Volcanologists

Grade:

6-8

Topic:

Science

Unit:

Volcanos
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Overview

Volcanic eruption with glowing lava and fiery sparks against dark sky.
© AZ68—iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images

In this lesson mini, students will explore volcanoes through video interviews with volcanologists. They’ll watch selected interviews and take notes on key information presented by the experts. Following the videos, students will participate in a whole-class discussion to share what they’ve learned. To reinforce their understanding, they’ll create brief visual summaries highlighting the main points from the interviews.

Ideas for Implementation
Science
Humanities
Library media
Intervention or enrichment
Interdisciplinary collaboration
Key Vocabulary & Definitions
active (adjective): describing a volcano that has erupted recently or is currently erupting
ash (noun): tiny rock fragments that are ejected in a great cloud that rises high into the air during a volcanic eruption
dormant (adjective): describing a volcano that is currently inactive but has erupted in the past and is likely to do so in the future
eruption (noun): an expulsion of molten rock, water vapor, and/or gases from a volcano
extinct (adjective): describing a volcano that is not erupting and is extremely unlikely to erupt in the future
lava (noun): the hot, fluid molten rock that flows on the Earth’s surface
magma (noun): molten rock beneath Earth’s surface
molten rock (noun): hot, liquified rock, called magma when it is underground and lava when it reaches the surface
pyroclastic flow (noun): a fast-moving and extremely dangerous mix of hot volcanic gases and hot volcanic fragments
vent (noun): an opening in Earth’s surface through which volcanic materials escape
volcano (noun): a mountain or hill formed by the accumulation of volcanic materials around a vent in Earth’s surface
volcanologist (noun): a scientist who studies volcanoes and volcanic phenomena
Authentic Learning Extensions
Authentic learning opportunities for studying volcanoes involve real-world experiences and practical applications that help students understand the role of volcanologists meaningfully. Here are some examples:
Active Volcano Monitoring Project: When possible, students can monitor an active volcano using webcams and real-time data, taking on the role of volcanologists. Consider having them collect and analyze data on seismic activity, gas emissions, and ground deformation, then use this information to assess hazards and create a basic emergency-response plan.
Careers in Volcanology: Assign students to research and present on different careers related to volcanology, such as geochemists, seismologists, or remote sensing specialists. This helps students understand the diverse job opportunities in this field.
Guest Speakers: Invite notable scientists, such as volcanologists or geologists, to give a talk to the class (in person or via video call) and share their professional experiences. This interaction allows students to engage with scientists and exchange meaningful thoughts and ideas about studying volcanoes.
Local Geology Connection: If your area has any volcanic features (even ancient ones), organize a field trip or research project about local geology. This helps students connect global volcanic processes to their local environment.
Virtual Field Trip: Organize a virtual field trip to an active volcano using online resources or virtual reality technology. This immersive experience allows students to explore volcanic landscapes safely and understand the work of volcanologists in the field. It also enhances students’ understanding on what it feels like to explore an active volcano.
Volcano News Report: Have students create a news report (video or written) about a recent volcanic event, using reliable sources. This project combines research skills with science communication.
Volcano Safety Campaign: Task students with creating public safety materials (such as posters, brochures, or videos) about volcano preparedness, as if they were working for a geological survey or emergency-management agency.

Choose Activity

Activity 1
Activity 2
Activity 3
Activity 4
Activity 5
3
Exploring Volcanoes with Volcanologists

Activity

1:

What Is a Volcano?

By the end of the activity, students will be able to describe volcanoes using key vocabulary from the text and video, and analyze how communities that are close to volcanoes can stay safe.

>40

Minutes

Materials

Images of volcanoes
Whiteboard or display
Writing utensils

Resources

Britannica School Volcano article (one printed copy per student) https://school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/volcano/277623
Britannica School Volcanoes video https://school.eb.com/levels/middle/assembly/view/286918
Volcanoes Guiding Questions handout (one per student and one for teacher display)
Volcano Vocabulary handout (one per student and one for teacher display)
1
Tell students that during today’s activity they will be learning specific vocabulary related to volcanoes.
2
Begin the activity by showing different images of volcanoes found in ImageQuest, Britannica School, or another royalty-free resource source. Ask students to describe what they see and share what they know about volcanoes.
3
Provide each student with a copy of the Volcano article, and instruct students to read the introduction independently and highlight key vocabulary words.
4
Ask for volunteers to share the main ideas found in the introduction and write their responses on the board.
5
Invite students to share the vocabulary words they highlighted in the article. Write these words on the board and ask for volunteers to paraphrase the definitions orally. Encourage students to refer back to this list throughout the activity.
Sample vocabulary from text: ash, eruption, lava, magma, molten rock, vent, and volcano.
6
Display the Volcanoes video and provide the Volcanoes Guiding Questions handout for students to complete as they watch. Before playing the video, review the questions with the class to set a purpose for viewing.
7
After the video is done, discuss the questions together and write the key ideas on the whiteboard.
8
Divide students into pairs and invite them to read the “Studying Volcanoes and Forecasting Eruptions” section from the Volcano article.
9
Have each pair write a paragraph answering the following questions while drawing about what they learned from the video and text:
How do you think communities can stay safe when living close to potentially active or even erupting volcanoes? How important is the role of a volcanologist?
10
Ask each pair to share their answers with the rest of the class.
11
Conclude the activity by providing each student with a Volcano Vocabulary handout to complete independently to review key vocabulary, while referring to the Volcano article and Volcanoes video
Mixed Grouping (for Pair Work): Assign students to work in mixed grouping assignments to support students who need more guidance with tasks. This gives students the opportunity to interact with classmates to improve their reading comprehension and engage with the text effectively.
Vocabulary Practice: Encourage students to practice writing sentences with key vocabulary words as a way to practice using them in context. This helps students develop their writing and critical thinking skills.
Volcano Article Reading: For a deeper exploration, instruct students to read the whole Volcano article in pairs instead of focusing on two sections. This gives students the chance to engage with the text and build on their knowledge about volcanoes. Consider using a jigsaw reading strategy, in which students are assigned different sections of the article to become “experts” on and later share with their classmates.
Concept Map or Mind Map: As an extension, have students create a mind map or concept map connecting the vocabulary words and main ideas from the activity. Consider offering templates or digital tools (if available) to support students who might struggle with organizing information visually.
Team Teaching: For collaborative teaching and learning environments, this learning activity is well suited to a Team Teaching strategy. In this model, both teachers deliver instruction together, often alternating or integrating their teaching styles seamlessly, sometimes referred to as “tag team teaching.” This collaborative approach provides students with multiple perspectives and teaching styles, enriching their learning experience. By modeling effective teamwork and communication, this approach demonstrates how different viewpoints can enhance understanding and create a dynamic and interactive classroom environment. Evidence indicates that team teaching can enhance student engagement and provide a richer, more diverse educational experience.
Activity Introduction: Teacher A introduces students to volcanoes through an image exploration and discussion, while Teacher B provides students with the Volcano article and assists students as they highlight key vocabulary words in the article introduction.
Article Introduction Reading and Discussion: Teacher A facilitates the sharing of main ideas from the reading, while Teacher B writes responses on the board. Teacher A then leads the vocabulary discussion, with Teacher B writing the words on the board.
Video Viewing: Teacher A displays the video and shares the guiding questions, while Teacher B ensures all students understand the concepts discussed pre-, during, and post-video.
Pair Work: Teacher A assigns student pairs and instructs them to read the “Studying Volcanoes and Forecasting Eruptions” section from the Volcano article to answer the provided questions. Both teachers circulate among groups, providing support as needed.
Reflection and Conclusion: Teacher A reassembles the class and asks each group to share their answers and share something they learned about volcanoes. Teacher B provides each student with a copy of the Volcano Vocabulary handout.
Exploring Volcanoes with Volcanologists

Activity

2:

Meet Expert Volcanologists

By the end of the activity, students will be able to explain what volcanologists do and how volcanologists can keep communities safe from dormant and active volcanoes.

30-40

Minutes

Materials

Whiteboard and display
Writing utensils

Resources

Britannica School Meet an Explorer! video https://school.eb.com/levels/middle/assembly/view/307636
Britannica School Meet a Volcanologist! video https://school.eb.com/levels/middle/assembly/view/287100
Think-Pair-Share instructional strategy
Volcanologist Discussion Questions handout (one per student and one for teacher display)
1
Tell students that during today’s activity they will learn about volcanologists through two video interviews and reflection questions.
2
Begin by asking for volunteers to share what they know about volcanoes and the scientists who study them.
3
Explain that the scientists who research volcanoes are called volcanologists. Ask students to predict the different things volcanologists study when looking at volcanoes and describe what they think a typical day at work might be like for them.
4
Provide each student with a Volcanologist Discussion Questions handout that they will use throughout the activity as a discussion guide. Briefly review the handout with the class to ensure understanding.
5
Tell students they should answer the guiding questions found in the handout while watching the video. Play the Meet an Explorer! video. Consider pausing the video at key points to allow students time to write their answers.
6
Discuss the answers to the questions together and write students’ responses on the board. Use this as an opportunity to clarify any misunderstandings.
7
Instruct students to reflect on this statement and write what it means to them: “Keep curious and ask questions. We are all born scientists!” Students can write their thoughts in their Volcanologist handout. Encourage students to discuss their answers with a classmate.
8
Play the Meet a Volcanologist! video. While watching the video, students should answer questions found in the handout.
9
Discuss the answers to the questions together and write students’ responses on the board. Use this as an additional opportunity to clarify any misunderstandings.
10
Instruct students to reflect and write about what this statement means to them: “Being a scientist means figuring out things that haven’t been figured out before, and then applying those things to help society.” Students can write their thoughts in their Volcanologist handout. Encourage students to discuss their answers with a classmate.
11
Conclude by asking for volunteers to summarize the main ideas covered in both videos and share their thoughts on the job of volcanologists. Consider using a Think-Pair-Share instructional strategy to have students think individually for a minute, then discuss with a partner, before sharing with the whole class.
Visual Aids: Create a visual glossary with key terms and concepts related to volcanology to support visual learners and reinforce vocabulary. This approach enhances student learning by catering to different learning styles and reinforcing key concepts through multiple modalities.
Video Viewing: Provide students the opportunity to watch the videos twice in order to increase comprehension and engagement with the content. Consider asking students to first watch the video without taking notes, and then watch the video a second time and answer the guiding questions in the handout. This supports different processing speeds and allows for deeper engagement with the content.
Reading Support: Provide a simplified version of the Meet a Volcanologist! video transcript for English language learners or students who may struggle with auditory processing. This benefits student learning by ensuring all students can access the content, regardless of their language proficiency or learning differences.
Role-Play: Have students create and perform short skits depicting a day in the life of a volcanologist, encouraging creativity and deeper engagement with the material. This approach enhances learning by allowing students to embody the role of a volcanologist, leading to better retention and understanding of the profession.
Station Teaching: For collaborative teaching and learning environments, this learning activity is well suited to a Station Teaching strategy. In this model, students rotate among different stations, each managed by a teacher who teaches a specific part of the content. This keeps students engaged through varied activities and teaching methods. It also allows teachers to focus on their strengths and teach content in a more in-depth and specialized manner. This approach ensures that students receive a comprehensive and dynamic education by catering to different learning styles. Research supports that multifaceted teaching strategies cater to diverse learning styles, enhancing students’ comprehension and retention.
Activity Introduction: Both teachers introduce the activity with a discussion on volcanologists and distribute related handouts to students.
Student Grouping: Teacher A divides the class in half and explains that one group will study volcanologist Jess Phoenix, while the other group will study volcanologist Janine Krippner
Station Work: Students watch interviews, discuss questions, and complete reflections on their assigned volcanologist.
Activity Conclusion: After completing the Phoenix and Krippner stations, teachers reconvene the class to summarize and discuss the main ideas from both videos.
Exploring Volcanoes with Volcanologists

Activity

3:

Exploring Active Volcanoes

By the end of the activity, students will be able to describe what it feels like to visit an active volcano.

30-40

Minutes

Materials

Markers and colored pencils
Poster board or digital poster tool (one per group)
Whiteboard or display
Writing utensils

Resources

Britannica School Visiting Active Volcanoes video and transcript (one copy of the transcript per group) https://school.eb.com/levels/middle/assembly/view/290253
Visiting Active Volcanoes Guiding Questions handout (one per student and one for teacher display)
1
Tell students that today they are going to learn about active volcanoes. They will watch a video about visiting active volcanoes, answer discussion questions, and then create a poster summarizing the video interview in small groups.
2
Begin with a quick “What do you know?” activity about volcanoes to assess prior knowledge. Then, invite students to think about how they would feel visiting an active volcano. Show images of active volcanoes from around the world to activate their thinking using ImageQuest, Britannica School, or another royalty-free source.
Consider showing images of Mount Etna in Italy, Mount Fuji in Japan, Mount Mayon in the Philippines, Mount Merapi in Indonesia, Mount Saint Helens in the United States, Villarrica in Chile, and White Island in New Zealand.
Ask students to share one word that describes their feelings about these images.
3
Distribute a Visiting Active Volcanoes Guiding Questions handout to each student. Review the questions as a class to ensure understanding. Tell students they will be answering these questions during the video.
4
Play the Visiting Active Volcanoes video. While watching the video, remind students they should answer the questions in the handout. Consider pausing at times to allow students to finish writing.
5
After students have watched the video, have them participate in a think-pair-share activity to discuss their answers to the guiding questions. First, they think about the answers by themselves. Then, they discuss them with a classmate. Finally, call on different students to share their answers with the whole class.
6
Divide the class into groups, with three to four students in each group. Invite groups to create a poster to represent Jess Phoenix’s experiences visiting an active volcano. Provide each group with a copy of the Visiting Active Volcanoes video transcript and a list of key points to include in their visual summaries.
7
Set a time limit for poster creation (e.g., 20 minutes). Have students present their posters to their classmates. Use a gallery walk format in which groups take turns presenting and viewing other posters. Encourage audience members to give feedback and ask questions about the content presented. Provide a feedback guide with prompts such as “One thing I learned…” and “I wonder…”
8
Conclude the activity by asking students what they learned about visiting active volcanoes. To check for understanding, have students write a short statement answering this question: “What surprised you most about visiting active volcanoes?”
Video Viewing: Provide students the opportunity to watch the Visiting Active Volcanoes video twice in order to increase comprehension and engagement with the content presented. Consider asking students to first watch the video without taking notes, and then watch the video a second time and answer the guiding questions.
Kawah Ijen Research: As students create their posters, invite them to use digital tools to research additional information about Kawah Ijen to add more details to their posters. This encourages students to explore primary and secondary sources and strengthen their research skills.
Further Reading: Instead of creating a poster about Jess Phoenix’s work, ask students to read the Britannica School Java article independently to further expand their knowledge about the Indonesian island of Java. Consider asking students to use the Summarization Note-Taking graphic organizer found on the Teach Britannica Instructional Strategies page.
Team Teaching: For collaborative teaching and learning environments, this learning activity is well suited to a Team Teaching strategy. In this model, both teachers deliver instruction together, often alternating or integrating their teaching styles seamlessly, sometimes referred to as “tag team teaching.” This collaborative approach provides students with multiple perspectives and teaching styles, enriching their learning experience. By modeling effective teamwork and communication, this approach demonstrates how different viewpoints can enhance understanding and create a dynamic and interactive classroom environment. Evidence indicates that team teaching can enhance student engagement and provide a richer, more diverse educational experience.
Activity Introduction and Prior Knowledge Assessment: Teacher A leads the “What do you know?” activity about volcanoes, while Teacher B records key points on the board. Teacher A then shows different images of active volcanoes, as Teacher B facilitates the one-word-feeling responses from students.
Video Viewing and Guiding Questions: Teacher A distributes and reviews the Guiding Questions handout with the class, while Teacher B sets up the video. During viewing, both teachers circulate to ensure students are engaged and answering questions.
Think-Pair-Share Activity: Teacher A explains the think-pair-share process, while Teacher B keeps time for each phase. Both teachers circulate during the pair discussions, then alternate calling on students to share with the whole class.
Group Work: Teacher A divides the class into groups and explains the poster-creation task, while Teacher B distributes materials, including video transcripts and key points lists. Both teachers circulate among groups, providing support and answering questions as needed.
Poster Presentations: Teacher A sets up the gallery walk format, while Teacher B distributes and explains the feedback guides. Both teachers circulate during presentations, ensuring audience members stay on task, ask thoughtful questions, and provide constructive feedback.
Reflection and Conclusion: Teacher A leads the class discussion on what students learned about visiting active volcanoes, while Teacher B To checks for understanding, and has students write a short statement answering this question: “What surprised you most about visiting active volcanoes?”
Exploring Volcanoes with Volcanologists

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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum .
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