Lesson plan, experiments booklet and template
KS2
Years 3-6
Engage and excite KS2 pupils by using an app to truly bring volcanoes to life with this idea from teacher Karl McGrath…
Augmented reality has become a game-changer in the classroom. In this lesson, we’re going to use the Halo AR app to uncover and visualise the processes and mysteries of volcanic eruptions.
A few years ago, I discovered the potential of AR within teaching while using an app called Aurasma – now sadly discontinued – and realised how it could be an incredible engagement tool.
I was able to make the invisible visible, adding excitement and transforming abstract ideas into something tangible and memorable. Hopefully, today you’ll experience the same…
Learning objectives
- Use tablets and AR apps like Halo AR to visualise and interact with learning materials
- Explain the stages of volcanic eruptions and their connection to divergent plate boundaries
- Interpret digital information and apply it to geographic concepts
Starter activity
Start with retrieval linking back to previous learning. Ask the children what they know about volcanoes, and use a simple retrieval task like displaying images of Iceland’s map on your interactive whiteboard or using a visualiser, with the tectonic boundaries marked.
Ask pupils to describe what they see, and then predict why Iceland is a hotspot for volcanic activity. You can also provide pairs or groups with printouts of the map for annotation.
To ensure the AR is an integral part of the lesson (rather than an add-on), encourage them to write down questions they’d like the AR to help them answer. This light introduction sets the stage for curiosity, while allowing all children to engage.
Karl McGrath is a Year 6 teacher, curriculum task design lead, and computing lead. He is an NCCE facilitator, runs a CAS community of practice, and is the founder of the Primary Task Design Facebook Group.
Volcano & earthquake science experiments
The earth is an exciting, explosive place, so find out a bit more about how earthquakes and volcanoes work with this fun volcanoes KS2 science experiments resource.
The booklet contains nine earthquakes and volcanoes KS2 experiments. It also includes a ‘Make your own Volcano’ template to cut out and colour in.
Volcano experiments
Bubble Escape and Drag Race – Viscosity and Violent Volcanoes
Use 3 fluids of different viscosity (thickness) to see what differences runny or thick magma can cause in volcanoes
Vinegar Volcano – Escaping Gas and Eruptions
Start a chemical reaction that creates a gas, and see how the gas escaping drives an eruption
Coke Volcano – Dissolved Gas in Magma
Use coke to represent magma under a volcano and see what happens when all the dissolved gas is released
Exploding Canister – Trapped Gas and Explosive Eruptions
Trap more and more gas in a sealed container, in the same way gas can get trapped in a volcano, and see what happens
Eruption in a Fish Tank – Rising Eruptive Plumes
Create your own eruptive column in a fishtank and find out what it is that makes it rise
Wonderfully Waxy Volcano in a Cup – Igneous Intrusions.
See what happens when melted wax moves through layers of sand and water, just like magma moves though layers of rock to reach the earth’s surface
Earthquake experiments
Shaky Structures – Earthquake Resistant Buildings
Make some earthquake-proof buildings of your own, using cocktail sticks and marshmallows
Slinky Waves – Earthquake Body Waves
Make your own P and S earthquake waves by using a slinky
Earthquake Race – Earthquake Wave Speeds
Line up in teams and see which wave type reaches the front first
Find out more about the University of Cambridge Department of Earth Science on its website at esc.cam.ac.uk.
