Rocks & Volcanoes

Learning goal: Land is made of rocks and soils. The surface of the earth changes due to slow processes (erosion) and rapid processes (volcanic eruptions).

• Reading= A Gift from the Sea by Kate Banks, Stone Soup retold by Heather Forrest and Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig. Letter of the day: V is for volcano.
  
• Science= Many rocks come from volcanoes that erupted a long time ago (called igneous rocks). Make your own volcano erupt using baking soda and vinegar (see instructions below). Explain that land is made of rocks and soils and the shape of the land changes over time. Begin an erosion experiment by building a large "mountain" made of soil (2-3 feet tall) in your backyard. Take measurements of the mountain's height and width once per week for a few months. What factors caused erosion?
  
• Art= Melt crayon wax on warm rocks to make a colorful design. Heat smooth rocks in the oven for 30 min. at 250 degrees. Remove paper from old Crayola crayons and press crayons to the rock. Melt and swirl orange and red colors together for a rock that looks like hot lava. Alternatively, do sand art using colored sand from a craft supply store. Simply use a funnel to fill a clear bottle with layers of sand in a variety of colors. (This activity can also be used to discuss sedimentary rock formation.)
• Play= Make stone soup for lunch, start a rock collection, or visit a natural history museum to discover a variety of rocks and minerals.
  

Fun facts: Rocks are classified into three categories based on how they were formed: igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic. View photos of rocks at an online gallery.

Instructions= Build a model of a volcano from play dough. (This is a great way to use up old play dough that is discolored and a little dry.) Insert a small container at the top of the volcano; drip a small amount of dishwashing soap into the bottom of it. Next, give your child two small cups. In the first cup, dissolve 1T baking soda into 2T water and add yellow food coloring. In the second cup, mix 2T vinegar with red food coloring. Combine the two solutions by pouring them into your volcano. A rapid explosion of bubbly orange lava will result. Kids will want to do this again and again, so be prepared!