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| 1) Review with your students what they have learned about volcanoes. In discussing what they know about volcanoes, bring out the following background information: - At Earth's center is a core of hot liquid iron and nickel. - Earth is made up of interlocking pieces of land called tectonic plates. - Heat from Earth's core can escape to the outside through a gap between tectonic plates, or heat can "punch" through the middle of a tectonic plate, releasing pressure and heat to the outside. 2) Tell students they are going to create model volcanoes that will help them visualize what a real volcanic eruption is like. 3) Divide your class into groups, distributing materials to each group. 4) Have students in each group line their work area with newspaper and put on smocks or lab coats to prevent staining desktops or clothing. 5) Instruct students in each group to place the soda bottle in the baking pan, and mold the clay, dough, or soil into a "mountain" around the bottle. Students should be sure not to cover the bottle opening or to allow any material to get inside the bottle. 6) Tell students to fill the bottle almost to the top with warm water mixed with a little red food coloring. 7) Next, students should add 6 drops of liquid detergent to the bottle. 8) Have students add the baking soda to the bottle, using the funnel. 9) Also using the funnel, have students pour the vinegar slowly into the bottle. 10) Once the vinegar is added, students should see a red, foamy mixture rise over the top of the "volcano" and flow down its slopes. Tell students that the mixture represents the lava that flows down the sides of a real volcano. 11) Either explain to students how their model resemble a real volcano, or challenge them to do research to come up with their own explanations. Here is an example you might give: The molten metal that makes up Earth's core is called magma. Extreme heat can causes bubbles of carbon dioxide gas in magma to expand. The expanding gas pushes the magma into the vent, or opening, of a volcano and up to Earth's surface. A volcanic eruption occurs when the magma overflows. The overflowing magma is called lava.Vinegar and baking soda, when mixed together, react chemically to create carbon dioxide gas. The gas bubbles build up inside the bottle, forcing the liquid out of the bottle. In this way, the model is similar to a real volcano. |
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