Students work collaboratively to investigate, collect data, and explain processes that shape our Earth in this inquiry based, hands-on lab.

The lab includes 25 pages of the following:

Student Lab Directions giving detailed instructions for students to follow.

Teacher Pages of notes giving you instructions, hints, and lists of needed materials for each step.

Grade Sheet that makes grading easy for you, keeps students focused on the criteria, and gives students immediate feedback on each step.

Historical Record Booklet where students keep a record of each lava flow, use a grid to draw a bird’s eye view of their volcano, and research shield volcanoes.

Thinking Sheets that help students reflect on what they’ve learned.

Drawing Cards to use as students excavate an unknown volcano, take core samples and make river valleys and faults. To make this more exciting, students are given an account and must keep a financial record of their expenditures during excavation. The drawing cards create more gains and losses.

Excavations Field Notes and Map of Discoveries kept by students during excavations and used in comparing their accumulated information to the actual history of their unknown volcano.

RAFT (Role, Audience, Format, Topic) for students to use in writing an informational article to present their discoveries.

Photo Pages of students following procedures in creating and excavating their volcanoes.