Book 12 activities
Try it at home: 150 science activities from Book 12
Every question in A Million Whys Book 12, The Volcano Expedition, ends with a "Think like a scientist" idea. Here they are in one place. Each one links to its question page, with the video and the full answer.
Expedition 1: Magma, Lava & Ash (25)
1. Why Is Earth’s Inside So Hot?
With a grown-up, pump a bike tire twenty times and then feel the pump barrel near the bottom. It is warm because squeezing air makes heat. Squeezing deep rock does something similar.
Do this with a grown-up2. How Can Scientists Tell Whether a Rock Was Once Magma or Lava?
Dissolve a spoonful of salt in warm water and pour a little into two saucers. Put one in a warm sunny spot and one in a cool place. After a day, use a magnifier to compare the crystals. Which grew bigger?
3. Why Does Lava Glow?
Ask a grown-up to make toast and watch the toaster’s wires glow red through the slot from a distance. Never touch them. Lava is much hotter than a toaster, and its glow is brighter.
Do this with a grown-up4. Why Does Some Lava Move Fast and Some Crawl?
Tilt a tray and let drops of water, cooking oil, and honey race down it. Which is the fastest? Which is the slowest? Now put the honey in the fridge for a while and race it again.
Do this with a grown-up5. Why Does Pahoehoe Lava Look Ropy?
Let a bowl of pudding sit until a skin forms. Slide a spoon gently under the skin and push. Watch it wrinkle into folds. That is how pahoehoe gets its rope pattern.
6. Why Does Aa Lava Look Spiky?
Crumple a sheet of paper into a jagged ball and compare it to a smooth sheet. Which looks more like aa? Which is more like pahoehoe? Think about what makes lava break.
7. Why Do Lava Tubes Form?
On a very cold day, look at a small stream or a gutter where the top has frozen but water still moves underneath. That is like a lava river under its crust. Or draw a cross-section of a lava tube.
8. What Is a Caldera?
Pile some flour on a tray and bury a partly blown-up balloon under it. Let the air out slowly and watch the surface sink into a bowl. The magma chamber emptying works the same way.
9. Why Do Eruptions Make Tall Umbrella-Shaped Ash Clouds?
With a grown-up, watch the steam from a boiling kettle from a safe distance. See how it rises, cools, and spreads out. Sketch the shape and compare it to a volcano’s ash cloud.
Do this with a grown-up10. What Is Pumice, the Rock Full of Bubbles?
Put a pumice stone and a pebble of similar size in a bowl of water. Which one floats? Why? Break a small corner off an old pumice stone and look at the bubbles with a magnifier.
11. Why Is Obsidian So Glassy?
Look at a clear hard candy with a magnifier. It is sugar glass, a lot like obsidian, with no crystals. Compare it with a rock salt crystal. Which one has neat flat faces?
12. Why Do Volcanoes Smell Like Rotten Eggs Sometimes?
If you ever smell rotten eggs indoors at home, tell a grown-up right away, because it can also be a sign of a gas leak. Practice saying what you would do: leave the room and tell an adult.
Do this with a grown-up13. Why Does Lava Harden Into Different Rocks?
Collect a few rocks on a walk. Sort them into light and dark piles and then by how big the grains are. Which ones might have cooled quickly? Which might have cooled slowly?
14. Why Do Cinder Cones Look Like Sand Piles?
Pour dry rice from a cup onto a tray to make a cone. Use a protractor to measure the slope. Pour more. Does the angle change? Why do all cones have a similar steepness?
15. What Makes a Volcano Go Dormant or Extinct?
Make three cards with the words active, dormant, and extinct. Write a kid-friendly definition on each. Sort pictures of volcanoes and explain which card fits. Why is “dormant” the hardest to decide?
16. What Was the Biggest Eruption People Have Ever Recorded?
Make a timeline strip of paper. Mark 1815 (Tambora), 1883 (Krakatoa), and 1980 (Mount St. Helens). Add the year you were born. Which one is closest to today?
17. Why Is Magma Full of Bubbles?
Pour cold sparkling water into a clear glass and watch bubbles form on the sides. The gas was dissolved under pressure. Why do you think the bubbles appear only after the bottle is opened?
18. How Do Geologists Measure How Big an Eruption Is?
Make a VEI poster using cups of dry rice. Start with one spoonful for a small eruption and use ten times more for each step. How soon do you run out of rice?
19. Why Does Lava Crust Over While Still Moving?
With a grown-up, warm some milk or cocoa and watch a skin form on top while it cools. The skin traps heat underneath. Lava’s crust works in a similar way, but lava is far hotter.
Do this with a grown-up20. Why Do Volcanoes Make Lightning in Ash Clouds?
Rub a balloon on your hair and bring it near small bits of paper. They jump up, because of static charges. Volcanic lightning is a giant version of this.
21. Why Is Fresh Lava Dangerous Long After It Stops Glowing?
With a grown-up, watch a baked potato being cut open. The skin cools quickly, but the inside steams. Keep your face back. Lava is the same idea, but a lot hotter and for much longer.
Do this with a grown-up22. Why Do Scientists Wear Special Suits Near Lava?
Wrap one ice cube in foil with the shiny side out and put it next to an unwrapped one in a sunny spot. Check after ten minutes. Which melted more? How does a shiny coat help?
23. Why Does Cooling Lava Crack?
Mix cornstarch with a little water into a thick paste, spread it in a dish, and let it dry for a day. Look for cracks. What shapes do they make? Why do they form?
24. Why Do Volcanic Bombs Exist?
Roll a ball of soft clay, flatten the ends, and toss it gently onto a towel. Make one with a long twisty tail. Which one looks more like a spinning bomb?
25. Why Do People Study Ash Layers in Soil?
Pour layers of different colored sand into a jar, with the oldest on the bottom. Label each layer with an imaginary eruption year. Which layer is the oldest? Which would you dig through first?
Expedition 2: When Earth Shakes (25)
26. Why Does Earth Have Thousands of Tiny Earthquakes Every Day That We Never Feel?
Look at a seismograph recording online with a grown-up, or draw one with a pencil. Make lots of tiny wiggles with a few bigger ones. Why do instruments find more quakes than people do?
Do this with a grown-up27. Why Does the Ground Wave in a Quake?
Tie one end of a rope to a doorknob and shake the other end up and down to send a wave. Then send a push-pull wave with a slinky. Which one is more like a P wave?
28. How Do We Measure How Strong an Earthquake Is?
Stack paper: one sheet for energy of a magnitude 1 step, then 32 sheets for the next step. How many sheets for three steps? About how tall would that stack be?
29. Why Do We Feel Aftershocks?
Stretch a rubber band and let go. See how it wiggles a few times before it stops. The wiggles are like aftershocks. How long does it keep wiggling?
30. Why Do Seismographs Draw Squiggles?
Hang a washer or marker from a string over a piece of paper, so the tip touches it. Gently shake the table and see how the line wiggles. Which wiggles are larger and which smaller?
31. Why Can Sensors Feel Earthquakes That People Can’t?
Fill a cup with water and set it on a table. Tap the table lightly nearby. You may see ripples that you can barely feel. What does this tell you about measuring tiny shakes?
32. Why Does Shaking Feel Worse on Soft Soil?
Set a block on a tray of gelatin and another on a wooden board. Tap the table next to each. Which block wiggles more? How does that explain why soil type matters?
33. Why Do Buildings Get Special Earthquake Designs?
Build two towers from blocks or craft sticks. Add diagonal braces to one. Gently shake the table under each. Which one holds up better? Why do triangles make structures stiff?
34. Why Should You Drop, Cover, and Hold On?
With a family member, do a 20-second drill at home. Drop, cover under a table, and hold on. Pick a sturdy spot in each room. Use a timer to see how fast you can get into position.
35. Why Do Tsunamis Follow Some Undersea Quakes?
Fill a tub with water. Push the bottom of a flat lid or a book up and down under the water and watch the waves spread. What happens when the waves hit the side of the tub?
36. Why Is “Tidal Wave” a Misleading Name?
Write a name card for each: “tide” and “tsunami.” Under each, list what causes it and how long it lasts. Which one is regular and which is a surprise?
37. Why Do Animals Sometimes Act Odd Before Quakes?
Match each tool with its job: seismometer measures shaking, GPS measures slow ground movement, and an early-warning system sends alerts seconds before strong shaking arrives. Draw an arrow from each tool to a job.
Do this with a grown-up38. Why Can’t We Predict Exact Quake Times Yet?
Roll a die 20 times and write down each result. Could you predict each roll? How many sixes did you get? Why is that like earthquake forecasting?
39. Why Do Transform Faults Slide Sideways?
Press two pieces of sandpaper together with the rough sides facing and slide them slowly. They stick and then jump. That is how a fault builds up stress and then slips.
40. Why Do Normal Faults Drop Blocks Down?
Cut a block of soft clay or playdough at an angle with a plastic knife. Slide the top piece down along the cut. You have made a normal fault. See the step it makes?
Do this with a grown-up41. Why Do Reverse Faults Shove Rock Up?
Cut a block of clay at an angle like before. This time, push the two ends together so the top block rides up over the bottom. How is it different from a normal fault?
Do this with a grown-up42. Why Is the “Ring of Fire” So Quake-Y?
Trace the Pacific Ocean on a world map with your finger. Draw a dot where volcanoes and big earthquakes are found. Does it form a ring? Where is Canada on it?
43. Can People Cause Small Earthquakes?
Press two pieces of sandpaper together and slide them. Add a small weight on top and try again. Does it take more pushing to make it slip? Faults behave a little like this.
44. Why Do Old Brick Buildings Crack in Earthquakes While Wooden Houses Bend?
Bend a green twig and a dry stick. Which bends and which snaps? Think about why a flexible frame can survive a shake that cracks something rigid.
45. Why Do Bridges Need Expansion and Motion Joints?
Look for the gaps between slabs on a sidewalk or at the edge of a bridge with a grown-up. Why are they there? Do you think the gaps are wider in summer or in winter? Why?
Do this with a grown-up46. Why Do Emergency Kits Include Shoes By the Bed?
Tonight, with a grown-up, place a pair of shoes and a flashlight next to your bed. Check that the flashlight works. Make a list of other things that belong in your emergency kit.
Do this with a grown-up47. Why Do Grown-Ups Learn Where the Gas Shutoff Is?
Ask a grown-up to show you where your home’s gas shutoff is. Look but do not touch. Practice the plan for what to do if you smell gas: get out, stay out, and tell a grown-up.
Do this with a grown-up48. Why Are Some Earthquakes Deep Underground and Others Close to the Surface?
Tap a table with your ear close to it and then with a friend standing far away. Which is louder? How is that like a shallow and deep quake? Draw a diagram of a deep and a shallow focus.
49. Why Can Distant Quakes Still Make Chandeliers Wobble?
Notice a heavy truck rumble past your home. Can you feel the floor hum? That is a small version of distant waves. Why do tall buildings and hanging lamps move more?
Do this with a grown-up50. Why Do Scientists Love GPS for Quakes?
Place a strip of tape on a table. Ask a friend to move a pencil by about one millimeter. Can you see the change? What tool would you need to measure it?
Expedition 3: Plates That Move Continents (25)
51. How Many Big Plates Does Earth Have, and Where Are They?
Ask a grown-up to boil an egg. When it has cooled, tap it gently all over to crack the shell, without peeling it. The pieces are like plates floating on a soft inside.
Do this with a grown-up52. Why Is There a Mid-Atlantic Ridge?
Make a “seafloor spreader” by cutting two slots in a sheet of paper and feeding a strip up through the gap. Pull the two halves apart to see new strip appear. Color the strip in stripes.
53. How Did the Rocky Mountains Form?
Lay several towels flat on a table in different colors. Push the two ends toward each other and watch them fold into ridges. What happens to the layers? How is it like the Rockies?
54. How Fast Do Tectonic Plates Move?
If a plate moves 4 centimeters a year, how far does it travel in your whole life if you live to 90? How far in a million years? Show your math and compare it with the width of your classroom.
55. Why Is Iceland So Volcanic?
Find Iceland on a globe. Notice how it sits in the middle of the ocean, along the ridge. Draw an arrow showing which way the two plates are moving apart.
56. Why Do Hotspots Make Island Chains?
Hold a marker still under a sheet of paper while a friend slides the paper steadily across. Press a dot every few seconds. You have made a line of “islands” from a hotspot.
57. Why Is the Mariana Trench So Deep?
Use a measuring tape or string with 1 meter for every kilometer. Mark 8.8 meters for Mount Everest and 11 meters for the trench depth. Stand at the end of each. How much taller is the trench?
58. Why Can You Find Seashells on Top of Mountains?
Layer clay with a small shell or button in the middle. Push both ends toward each other and watch the layers fold up. Where did the shell end up? How is that like the Burgess Shale?
59. Why Do Matching Rock Belts Appear Across Oceans?
Tear a piece of newspaper in two, then rearrange the pieces. Can you match the torn edges and words? Geologists match rocks across oceans the same way, using clues.
Do this with a grown-up60. Why Is Seafloor Younger Near Ridges?
Draw a long strip with a ridge in the middle. Color the youngest stripe in the center in red and the older ones in orange, yellow, and blue as you go outward. Where is the oldest?
61. Why Are Some Rocks in Canada Billions of Years Old?
Stretch a string 4.5 meters long to show Earth’s age, with one meter for each billion years. Mark where the oldest Canadian rocks are, about 4 meters. Where would humans appear?
62. Why Does Mantle Rock Move If It’s Solid?
Roll a ball of putty or playdough. Leave it on a table and watch it slowly flatten. Then pull a piece of putty fast and see it snap. Why does the speed matter?
63. Why Do Rift Valleys Form?
Flatten a strip of soft clay and pull the ends slowly apart. Watch the middle sink and thin. What happens to the sides? Is it a valley? Compare it with a picture of the East African Rift.
64. Why Are There Volcanoes Near Trenches?
Sprinkle salt on an ice cube and watch it melt faster and form tiny channels. Salt lowers the melting point of ice, and water lowers the melting point of hot rock in a similar way.
65. Why Do Continents Have Deep Roots?
Float wooden blocks of different heights in a tub of water. Which block sticks out the most? Which one sinks the deepest? That is like mountains with deep roots.
66. Is Earth Shrinking as It Cools?
Compare a grape and a raisin. The wrinkles come from shrinking. Early scientists thought mountains formed the same way. Why does plate tectonics explain mountains better than shrinking?
67. Why Do Magnetic Stripes Decorate Seafloors?
Draw a ridge down the middle of a paper. Color stripes on one side, alternating black and white. Then make the mirror image on the other side. What does the pattern tell you?
68. Why Do Plate Maps Look Like Jigsaw Puzzles?
Trace the outline of the Pacific plate on a printed world map. Mark the volcanoes and earthquakes along its edge with dots. What shape do you see?
69. How Do Scientists Know What Is Inside Earth When Nobody Has Ever Dug That Deep?
Spin a raw egg and a hard-boiled egg (cooled, from a grown-up). Stop each with a finger and let go. Which one keeps moving? Which wobbles? You can tell what is inside without cracking it.
Do this with a grown-up70. What Is a Microplate?
On a map of the west coast of Canada, find Vancouver Island and the ocean off it. Draw the Juan de Fuca plate with a pencil and arrows showing where it moves under the land.
71. What Does the Word “Tectonic” Mean?
Write the word “tectonic” in your notebook with a kid-friendly definition. Then list three things tectonic forces build. Draw a picture of a “builder” working on a mountain.
72. Why Do Some Earthquakes Happen Far Away From Plate Edges?
Squeeze both edges of a flat sponge with a few chalk lines drawn across it. Notice that the lines in the middle shift too. How does a push at the edge reach the middle?
73. Why Does the Seafloor Get Recycled But the Continents Don’t?
Drop a cork and a stone into a bowl of water. Which floats, and which sinks? Which one is like a continent? Which one is like the seafloor?
74. Why Will Maps Look Different in 50 Million Years?
Sketch what you think the world map might look like in 50 million years. Make the Atlantic wider and move Australia north. Explain one change to a friend.
75. Why Do Plates Help Explain So Many Things About Earth?
Draw a map of one plate boundary and label what happens there: a volcano, an earthquake, a mountain, a trench, or a ridge. Teach someone younger what the three kinds of boundaries are.
Expedition 4: Hot Springs & Living Rock (25)
76. Why Do Hot Springs Bubble Up in Banff and Yukon?
Draw a cross-section of a mountain. Show rain soaking in, going deep, getting warm, and rising up along a crack to a pool. Add arrows along the whole path.
77. What Lives in Hot Springs That Would Be Too Hot for Most Animals?
Make a chart with different temperature zones, from cool to very hot. Use colored pencils to show where different microbes and snails might live. Why do the hottest zones have the fewest animals?
78. Why Does a Coffee Percolator Work Like a Tiny Geyser?
With a grown-up, watch how a stovetop percolator works from a safe distance. Draw a picture of its tube, bubbles, and spray. Then draw a geyser the same way. Never touch a hot percolator.
Do this with a grown-up79. Why Do Hot Springs Have Bright Colors?
Draw a bull’s-eye with crayons. Make the center blue, then yellow, then orange, then brown at the edge. Label which ring is the hottest. If the spring cooled, how would the rings move?
80. Why Can You Cook Food in Some Hot Springs (Historically)?
With a grown-up, watch a pot of water heat on the stove with a cooking thermometer. Notice the temperature when it starts to boil, and keep back. Which springs would be hot enough to cook?
Do this with a grown-up81. Why Do Mud Pots Plop?
Blow air through a straw into thick, cooled pudding or oatmeal and watch the bubbles plop. How does a thick mix change the way bubbles look?
82. Why Do Fumaroles Hiss?
Blow air through a drinking straw and then pinch the straw to make it narrow. Hear the hiss get louder? The narrow cracks in the ground do the same thing to steam.
Do this with a grown-up83. Why Is Geothermal Energy Useful?
Blow on a paper pinwheel to see how moving air spins it. Steam spins a turbine the same way. Find three countries that use geothermal power on a map.
Do this with a grown-up84. Why Is the Water in Some Springs Warm But Not Boiling?
Ask a grown-up to help you mix some cold water and some hot tap water in a cup. Use a thermometer to find the temperature of each cup, and of the mix. Which combination makes warm?
Do this with a grown-up85. Why Do Black Smokers Exist on the Seafloor?
Hold a tea bag in a glass of warm water and another in cold water. Watch the dark color rise. Which plume moves faster? Hot water rises quickly, just like the vent water does.
Do this with a grown-up86. Why Do Strange Animals Live By Vents Without Sunlight?
Draw a vent food chain: chemicals, then microbes, then tube worms, then crabs. Compare it with a food chain on land that starts with the Sun. What do the two have in common?
87. Why Is Yellowstone Called a Supervolcano System?
Find Yellowstone on a map and measure how far it is from your home. Then imagine a scientist’s control room: which instruments would you put around the caldera, and why?
88. Why Do Travertine Terraces Form?
Dissolve lots of salt in warm water and pour a little onto a dark plate. Let it dry for a day. Look at the white crust left behind. How is this like a travertine terrace?
89. Why Are Some Springs Blue Like Paint?
Fill a tall clear glass with water and set it on white paper. Look down through it. Does the water have a hint of blue? How would this change in a pool that is very deep?
90. Why Must You Stay on Boardwalks in Geothermal Parks?
Practice walking down a hallway at home as if it were a boardwalk, staying on the path. Make a sign to remind visitors to stay safe, with a picture of boiling water.
Do this with a grown-up91. Why Do Minerals Color Rocks Red or Yellow Near Vents?
Put a steel nail or a piece of steel wool in a dish with salty water. Leave it for a few days and watch it turn reddish. What does it tell you about iron and oxygen?
92. Why Do Volcanoes Create Fertile Soil Later?
Plant bean seeds in two pots, one with rich garden soil and one with plain sand. Water them equally. After two weeks, compare the plants. What do the plants need from the soil?
93. Why Do People Bathe in Safe Hot Springs?
With a grown-up checking the temperature, take a warm, not hot, bath. Notice how your muscles relax. Why is it important that the water isn’t too hot? Remember to rest and drink water.
Do this with a grown-up94. Why Does Steam From Hot Springs Look Bigger on Cold or Damp Days?
Breathe out slowly on a warm day and then on a cold day. When can you see your breath? Breathe on a cold window and watch the fog form. Why does cold help?
95. Why Do Sinter Terraces Look Different From Travertine?
Look at salt and sugar crystals with a magnifier. Draw each. Do they look different? Think of how different minerals build different shapes in hot springs.
96. Why Do Scientists Sample Spring Water Chemistry?
With a grown-up, chop red cabbage, soak it in hot water, and strain it to get purple juice. Add a few drops to lemon juice and to baking soda water. What colors do you see? That shows acid and base.
Do this with a grown-up97. Why Does the Ground Stay the Same Temperature All Year a Few Meters Down?
Feel the air in a basement and in an attic on a warm day, or in winter. Which one is more steady? Why does being underground help keep a steady temperature?
98. Why Do Lava Fields Look Lifeless Then Bloom Later?
Look for weeds growing in the cracks of a sidewalk or a wall. What is the first thing that lives there? Take photos each week for a month and see how it changes.
99. How Do Diamonds Come Up From Deep Inside Earth?
Draw a kimberlite pipe like a tall carrot-shaped tunnel from deep underground to a crater at the surface. Label the diamonds, the mantle, and the crust. How deep is the diamond’s home?
100. How Do Volcanic Landscapes Keep Changing?
Pick a rocky or wild place near you. Take a photo or draw a sketch every week for a month. What changes? What stays the same? Show your changes in a flip book.
Expedition 5: Volcano Detectives (25)
101. Why Do Tiltmeters Watch Volcanoes?
Put a marble in a shallow dish on a hardcover book. Gently press one side of the book and see where the marble rolls. Now press the other side. How sensitive is your marble to tiny tilts?
102. Why Do Scientists Measure Volcano Gases?
Pour vinegar into a bottle and quickly put a balloon over the top with some baking soda inside. Watch the gas inflate the balloon. How can the size of a balloon tell you how much gas was made?
103. Why Do Seismometers Listen for Magma Earthquakes?
Tap a table sharply and then rub your hand across it for a steady rumble. Feel the two kinds of shaking. Which one is like a rock cracking? Which one is like fluid moving?
Do this with a grown-up104. Why Do Scientists Use Heat Cameras on Volcanoes?
Fill one jar with warm water and another with cold. Hold the back of your hand near each without touching. Can you feel the difference? A thermal camera does this with every point in a picture.
105. Why Do Drones Help Volcanologists?
Design a drone for a volcano. Draw it with a heat shield, a camera, and a gas sensor. What parts would you protect from heat and ash? What else would it need?
106. Why Do Ash Samples Get Studied Under Microscopes?
Look at a pinch of sand, salt, and sugar with a magnifier. Draw how each grain looks. Which ones are jagged and which are smooth? Which would be hardest on your lungs?
107. Why Are Hazard Maps Colorful?
Draw a volcano on paper and shade rings around it. Color the closest ring red, the next orange, then yellow, then green. Add a river valley as a special danger zone. Where would you build a school?
108. Why Do Lahars Scare Scientists?
Mix flour and water in a tray. Tilt the tray and watch the “lahar” flow. Add more water to make it runnier. Which version travels farther? Why do valleys guide the flow?
109. What Is a Volcano Observatory, and What Happens Inside It?
Make a “control room” out of a cardboard box. Draw four screens: shaking, tilt, gas, and camera. What changes on each screen would make you worry? What would you do next?
110. Why Do Volcanologists Sometimes Say “Restless”?
Make a three-word status card for a volcano: quiet, restless, erupting. Under each word, write signs the scientists would see and what people should do. Which one is the hardest to decide?
111. Why Do Past Eruption Deposits Guide Future Forecasts?
Build a bumpy sand hill in a tray and pour water down it a few times. Do the streams follow the same paths each time? Why do old flows help predict new ones?
112. Why Is Volcano Tourism Guided Carefully?
Make a safety checklist for visiting a volcano park: sturdy shoes, water, stay on the trail, listen to rangers, and never go past signs. Why does each item matter?
113. Why Do Webcams Sit on Crater Rims?
Draw three webcam frames showing a quiet crater, then a growing steam plume, then an ash cloud. What small changes between frames would catch your eye first?
Do this with a grown-up114. How Can Microphones Hear Volcanoes From Far Away?
Put your hand on a table next to a speaker playing deep notes at a low volume. Do you feel the table hum? Sounds that are even deeper can be felt but not heard.
115. Why Do Rockfalls Not Always Mean Magma?
Make a T-chart. On one side, list causes of rockfalls from weather, like rain and freezing. On the other side, list causes from magma. Which signs help you tell them apart?
116. Why Do Some Volcanoes Erupt Again and Again for Years?
Squeeze a tube of toothpaste in small, steady pushes and watch it emerge in bursts. A volcano with a steady supply of magma works like that. What happens if you stop squeezing?
117. Why Do Airplanes Avoid Ash Clouds?
Rub a piece of fine sandpaper lightly over a plastic ruler and look at the scratches under a magnifier. Imagine that happening to a jet’s windshield. Why is ash so hard on machines?
118. Why Do Volcanoes Exist on Other Planets and Moons?
Measure out 22 meters of string for Olympus Mons and 8.8 meters for Mount Everest, using one meter for each kilometer. Stand at the end of each. How much taller is the Martian volcano?
119. Why Do Tree Rings Near Volcanoes Tell Stories?
Draw a tree stump with a dozen rings. Make some wide and some narrow. Mark a narrow ring as an eruption year. How could you find out how many years ago it happened?
120. How Can Ordinary People Help Scientists Measure Ash?
Make a mock ash report form with spots for date, time, location, color, thickness, and weather. Practice filling it out for a pretend ash fall, with a ruler and a grown-up’s help.
Do this with a grown-up121. Why Do Labs Recreate Magma in Furnaces?
With a grown-up, melt chocolate chips gently in a bowl set over hot water. Notice how thick they are. Stir in a spoonful of cooking oil. How does it change the flow?
Do this with a grown-up122. How Do Scientists Study a Volcano’s Crater Lake or Glacier?
Put an ice cube in a glass of cold water and another in warm water. Time how long each takes to melt. Why would melting ice be a worry on a hot volcano?
123. Why Do Volcano Scientists Admit What They Don’t Know?
Write down one question about volcanoes that scientists can’t answer yet. How could they find out? What tool would you invent to help?
124. Why Do Museums Keep Eruption Artifacts?
Make a mini museum at home with three rocks or objects. Write a label for each one that says what it is, where it came from, and what it can teach us about the past.
125. What Jobs Study Volcanoes?
Make a list of five skills a volcano scientist needs, like patience, math, careful observing, hiking, and teamwork. Which ones do you already have? Which would you like to practice?
Expedition 6: Living Near Fire Mountains (25)
126. Why Do People Live Near Volcanoes Anyway?
Ask a grown-up why people choose to live where they do, such as near a river, the sea, or a mountain. What good things and what risks does your own neighborhood have?
Do this with a grown-up127. Why Are Some Beaches Green?
Mix a spoonful of sand with some tiny green beads or sprinkles in a jar of water. Swirl it and let it settle. Which sink first? Why would waves leave the heavy crystals behind?
128. Why Do Building Codes Matter in Lava Zones?
Sprinkle flour on a flat tray and on a tilted tray. Which one holds more? Why would a steep roof be better in an ash fall?
129. How Do Towns Near Volcanoes Keep Their Water Clean When Ash Falls?
Mix a spoonful of soil into a jar of water. Pour it through layers of sand and a coffee filter into a clean jar. Is it clearer? Do not drink it. Filtering helps, but real water systems test as well.
130. Why Do Special Masks Help When Ash Is in the Air?
Sprinkle a little flour on a coffee filter over a bowl, and see what stays on top. Filters catch dust, but never breathe in flour dust. Talk with a grown-up about where your family keeps masks.
Do this with a grown-up131. Why Is Heavy Wet Ash a Danger to Roofs?
Weigh a dry sponge on a kitchen scale, then soak it and weigh it again. How much heavier is it? Now imagine a whole roof covered in wet ash. Why does it matter?
132. Why Do Farmers Watch Wind Forecasts Around Vents?
Make a wind vane by tying a ribbon to a stick and pushing it into the ground. Check it each day. Which way does the ribbon point? If a volcano were upwind of you, where would the ash go?
133. Why Do Towns Near Volcanoes Paint Evacuation Signs Along Their Roads?
Draw a map of the route from your home or school to a safe meeting place. Add arrows and signs like the ones in real towns. Walk the route with a grown-up and time it.
Do this with a grown-up134. How Do Scientists Find Out When a Volcano Last Erupted?
Stack sheets of colored paper to make layers. Number them from oldest on the bottom to youngest on top. Which layer was laid down first? Why must the layers on top be younger?
135. Why Do Volcano Danger Zones Keep People Out?
Draw a volcano with three rings around it. Label the inner ring “no entry,” the middle ring “be ready,” and the outer ring “watch for news.” Why do the zones need to change?
136. Why Do Ships Care About Underwater Volcanoes?
Sprinkle puffed cereal on the water in a tub and push a toy boat through it. Is it harder to move? That is a mini pumice raft. How might sailors avoid one?
137. How Do Towns Near Volcanoes Warn People Quickly?
Make a family alert plan: decide where to meet and what each signal means. Practice with a grown-up. What would you do if you heard a siren? What if the phone buzzed?
Do this with a grown-up138. Why Do Schools Teach Volcano Units in Risky Regions?
Ask your teacher what natural hazards your area has, like floods, storms, or earthquakes. What does your school practice? Make a poster about one hazard with three tips.
139. Why Does Staying Calm Help in an Emergency?
Practice three slow, deep breaths: in through your nose for four counts, and out through your mouth for four counts. Try it before a drill, a test, or any time you feel nervous.
140. Why Do Pets and Farm Animals Need a Plan During an Eruption?
Make a checklist for a pet or a pretend farm animal: food, water, leash or carrier, ID tag, and medicines. Where would you keep it? Ask a grown-up to review it with you.
Do this with a grown-up141. Why Do Artists and Scientists Both Love Volcanoes?
Sketch a volcano from a safe photograph. Add color for the glow, the smoke, and the rock. Then add three labels, as a scientist would, to show what you see.
142. Why Do Sibling Volcanoes in a Chain Erupt Differently?
Draw two neighboring volcanoes: a wide, gentle one and a steep, tall one. Label each with the type of lava it makes and how it erupts. Which one is more likely to erupt explosively?
143. What Can Volcanic Rock Be Used for in Everyday Life?
Look at a bag of potting soil. The little white puffy bits are often perlite. Feel how light they are. List three other things at home that might be made of volcanic rock.
144. Why Do Kids’ Questions Help Whole Towns?
Write two questions about emergency plans, such as “Where do we meet?” or “Who do we call?” Ask a grown-up, or visit your city’s emergency website together to find the answers.
Do this with a grown-up145. Why Do Scientists Celebrate Quiet Years Too?
Spend a week writing down simple things you notice about your neighborhood, such as sounds and weather. After a week, what does “normal” look like? What change would stand out?
146. Why Will New Islands Keep Appearing Sometimes?
Invent a new island and name it. Draw it with a volcano, a beach, and the first plants and birds to arrive. How would seeds get to a faraway island?
147. How Tall Can a Volcano Grow?
Pour dry sand onto a tray to make a cone. Keep pouring. Does the cone get taller or wider? What limits the height? Measure the height and the width with a ruler.
148. How Do Scientists Decide When to Warn People About a Volcano?
Role-play with two friends: one reports earthquakes, one reports gas, and one reports ground tilt. Decide together whether to raise the alert. Why is it better to have several experts?
149. Why Can People Feel Hopeful Living Near Volcanoes?
Make a list of three things that make volcano areas safer today, like monitoring, alert systems, and drills. Which one do you think matters most? Why?
150. Why Is Earth the Only Planet We Know with Moving Plates?
With a grown-up, fill a big cup and a small cup with the same warm water. Check the temperature after 15 minutes. Which cooled faster? That is why small planets lose heat sooner.
Do this with a grown-up