Fourth-grade students in Stacey Venzel’s class at PBE experimented with two types of “lava” to understand different types of volcanoes.

To kick off the experiment, the students got dirty collecting dirt and mud in small groups. For the lava experiment, they collected mud in one cup and had water in the other cup to represent the different types of lava from the two different types of volcanoes. They tested the properties of the lava: which was easiest to blow bubbles in with a straw? Which one allowed you to blow only one bubble at a time? They used a spoon to see which was easiest to stir, and then scooped some of each onto a plate to see how easy it was to form a mound.

 

 

 

Another part of the project was the Jamboard presentations. Students researched the most famous, most active and most beautiful volcanoes. They practiced their speaking and listening skills as each student presented their research to the class. This presentation was preparation for when students will perform the erosion songs they wrote to conclude this science unit on processes that shape the earth.