This guide is designed for teachers, other educators, and anyone interested in volcanoes. Topics covered by this guide include plate tectonics, hot spots and mantle plumes, the evolution of Hawaiian volcanoes, volcanic landforms, landforms of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, lava, tephra, calderas, pit craters, minerals, magma, volcanic rocks, monitoring volcanoes, eruption types and details about ... Full description.

This lesson plan is part of the DiscoverySchool.com lesson plan library for grades K-5. It focuses on plate tectonics and volcanoes acting as a cooling vent for the inner core of the Earth. Students build model volcanoes and use them as comparisons for actual volcanoes. Included are objectives, materials, procedures, discussion questions, evaluation ideas, suggested readings, and vocabulary. There ... Full description.

This site gives an in-depth look at the theory of plate tectonics and how it works. The structure of the Earth is discussed, with brief rock type descriptions. The structure of the lithosphere, plate boundaries, interplate relationships, and types of plates are all covered in detail. Full description.

This is the on-line version of a general interest publication prepared by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). It provides a general introduction to volcanoes and volcanology. Topics include types of volcanoes; types of eruptions; submarine volcanoes; and features associated with volcanic terrains (geysers, hot springs, etc.). There is also discussion of volcanoes and their association to plate ... Full description.

This teacher's guide provides directions for building three-dimensional models from foam blocks to demonstrate plate tectonic principles, plate boundary interactions and the geometry and relative motions of faulting of geologic layers. References are included. Full description.

At this site students use the Web to explore places they would not otherwise be able to visit. Here they get to visit a volcano erupting approximately 2,300 meters (1.5 miles) below the surface of the sea. During their research, they investigate the dynamic forces at work in the deep seas, including the submarine volcanoes and earthquakes that are the direct result of plate tectonics. To conduct their ... Full description.

Volcanoes of Other Worlds explores and compares volcanism on other planets. What do we know about plate tectonics on other planets? Planetary bodies highlighted include the Earth's Moon, Mars, Venus and Jupiter's moon Io. Users can also link to Volcano World, an excellent web-source of volcano information. Full description.

This lesson will help to acquaint students with the characteristics and effects of volcanic activity. In addition to Internet research, students will conduct experiments on fluid viscosity as it relates to lava and the volume of ejecta produced by a volcano. They will explore how plate tectonics relates to volcanoes, and how volcanoes are formed. They will be able to list the parts and several characteristics ... Full description.

Early evidence showing striking similarities between regions on opposite sides of vast oceans suggested that in Earth's distant past what are now separate continents may once have been connected. However, this evidence said nothing about how the continents could have moved to their present positions. This video shows how seafloor spreading creates new oceanic crust and how the crust is destroyed by ... Full description.

This activity has students read and answer questions based upon the article 'The plate tectonic story: a scientific jigsaw.' The article starts with the continental drift theory of Alfred Wegener and adds the evidence from the seafloor to arrive at plate tectonics. It concludes with remarks about mantle dynamics and the future ability to predict earthquakes. Full description.