Volcanoes and types of lava

Surely every child loves to learn about volcanoes! The rice crispie volcano models are always a hit.

Stratovolcano inside

Viscosity of lava—the amount of gases each type will dissolve determines that lava's characteristics.

Frosting island chain?? Or cornstarch and water demo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaKMlAawumE

Viscosity levels of lava: blowing bubbles, sliding down a slope (milk vs corn syrup)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwR64Zqov3k eruptions

https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0DQ23G8NS/ref=atv_sr_fle_c_Tn74RA_14_1_14?sr=1-14&pageTypeIdSource=ASIN&pageTypeId=B0DQ25V2H7&qid=1752458813444 documentary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNGUdObDoLk volcanoes 101

Iceland volcano https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95wvk34Pi2Q 

Underwater volcano https://www.mombrite.com/underwater-volcano-experiment/

Mt. Vesuvius: https://www.howitworksdaily.com/pompeii-how-are-casts-of-the-dead-created/

Tornadoes, Hurricanes, Floods, Tsunamis

Links:

Some of our previous activities: https://nielsonschool.blogspot.com/2013/12/tornadoes-hurricanes-convection.html

Make a levee in dirt https://levees.sec.usace.army.mil/levee-basics/how-levees-work/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yNoy4H2Z-o flood risk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBivwxBgdPQ why rivers move

*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_ZLyzByj98 hydraulic flume—structures in rivers

*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yNoy4H2Z-o coastal defenses and flood risk

Convection currents in a tub

Turbulence as the currents mix

Cold and hot water separating into layers

We got out the tornado bottles, of course.

"Underwater volcano" erupting

Natural Disasters Unit plan; Plate tectonics; Earthquakes

 

Our second "Summer School" unit was Natural Disasters, another perennial favorite topic among especially little boys (though my little girls have never complained about it either!). (Posts from the Old Days)

First was earthquakes, with this demonstration of plate tectonics on a molten cocoa earth (you just heat water with a layer of cocoa powder on top and then watch the convection currents break it up and move it around).

More plate tectonics and types of faults

Wow, some great buckling here

Testing different building heights and compositions for stability

Towers and liquefaction

Building earthquake-resistant structures (or trying to!!)

Clementine made gnomes, of course

Starting small :)

A little more daring

Ziggy was excited to try this earthquaking this tall tower I made (he anticipated what was coming)

Another gnome?? Does she do nothing but make gnomes? (Gnope.)

Some more avant-garde designs