teaching earthquakes ks2

Volcanoes & Earthquakes – KS2

Volcanoes & Earthquakes is an exciting Geography unit designed for students in KS2.

The planning overview, topic title page and vocabulary page can be downloaded for free  here . Lessons include:

L1 – Understanding the structure of the Earth

L2 – Investigating the structure of a volcano

L3 – Locating the world’s famous volcanoes

L4 – Investigating the five deadly features of a volcanic eruption

L5 – Understanding tectonic plates

L6 – Exploring the effects of volcanic eruptions on Montserrat

L7 – Why do people live near volcanoes?

L8 – Understanding the causes of earthquakes

L9 – Investigating the five deadly features of an earthquake

L10 – Researching the world’s biggest earthquakes

L11 – Locating the world’s biggest earthquakes using latitude & longitude

L12 – Writing a fact file about a famous earthquake

Each lesson includes a presentation and differentiated activities/worksheets.

A FREE  newspaper report template  is also included in this unit.

If you like this resource, please review it. We will happily send you a free resource of your choice in return for useful feedback. Contact us at [email protected] .

£ 7.00

• Reviews (8)

8 reviews for Volcanoes & Earthquakes – KS2

Sophie Cook – April 21, 2020

I downloaded this bundle for my Year 3 geography unit and has save many me many hours of work! The worksheets are suitably differentiated for different year groups and the PowerPoints are thorough with great images. All work links clearly to the NC and for £7 it is a bargain! I will be looking through his other units next time I plan! Thanks again, Sophie

Brenda Buman – August 22, 2021

Extremely satisfied!

Maxine Al Agouri – June 27, 2022

Brought this recently for my Year 3 class as I wanted something which was engaging, well sequenced and fully meets the NC objective. I wasn’t disappointed. The children have really enjoyed the lessons so far and have learnt lots. The best aspect of all this though has to be the time it has saved me doing this for myself. Thanks for the resources. I’m looking forward to finishing the unit with the children.

Lucy Smith – October 25, 2022

Really great resource, some of the files don’t work but they appear twice in each folder which is great!

Ed Bray – October 26, 2022

Hi Lucy! Thank you for the lovely review. We’re concerned to hear that some of the files aren’t working in this unit. Is there any chance you could send us a screenshot of the files in Windows Explorer so we can address this issue? If possible, could you send this to [email protected] ? It would be most appreciated! Ed, Teach It Forward

Annette B. – February 4, 2023

Really comprehensive ideas with a great set of resources for teaching the subject

Emily – November 12, 2023

Great resources for KS2 with great adaptations.

Anonymous – March 23, 2024

Really liked the use unit and particularly the resource using lines of longitude and latitude.

Anonymous – April 13, 2024

Good value for money. Good quality resources. Clear learning objectives.

Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.

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Earthquakes and Volcanoes

This list consists of lesson plans, activities and ideas to support the teaching of science through the topic of Earthquakes and Volcanoes. It contains ideas for how to link science to the topic, tips on using the resources, suggestions for further use and background subject knowledge to support teachers in delivering the science objectives through this topic. Resources support the teaching of the topics: Evolution and inheritance, Earth and Space, properties and changes of materials and forces.  This enables teachers to choose which aspect of science they would like to teach within the overarching topic.

Visit the primary resources for cross curricular topics webpage to access all resource lists: https://www.stem.org.uk/cross-curricular-topics-resources

The Splitting Earth

Quality Assured Category: Design and technology Publisher: Natural Environment Research Council - UKRI

A great introduction to the topic of Earthquakes and Volcanoes, this video discusses how the movement of tectonic plates impacts on the Earth's crust.  Children could research the types of animals that live in volcanic regions and how they are adapted to their surroundings.  Certain types of shrimp, for example, have adapted to feed of the nutrients that come from hardening larvae. 

What is a Volcano?

Quality Assured Category: Science Publisher: Twig

Although aimed at older children, this video introduction to volcanoes includes some fantastic images of volcanoes.  

Children could discuss whether or not the melting of rock is a reversible change.  Children will often hold the misconception that rock cannot be melted.  It is rare for children to be able to see this phenomenon.  

Is There Anyone Out There?

Quality Assured Category: Science Publisher: ESERO-UK

Is There Anyone Out There is a resource which gives children the opportunity to investigate whether or not there are aliens.  

On Page 29, there are two options for 'making' volcanoes on Mars.  There is also a wealth of background information for teachers.  

Both options allow children to consider reversible and irreversible changes.  Option B, which uses chocolate, could also be linked to DT food technology objectives.  

Danger: Volcanic Ash

Quality Assured Category: Earth science Publisher: Twig

When  Eyjafjallajökull  errupted in 2010, the giant ash cloud produced prevented planes from flying all over Europe.  

One of the reasons that planes cannot fly through ash clouds is that the ash is frozen at such a great height.  Children could investigate at what height other materials freeze and why this is.  They could also carry out investigations into reversible and irreversible change.  

Pulleys are often used to help rescue people after earthquakes and other emergencies.  Providing a context for children to design a product involving pulleys can help to keep them engaged in what can be a tricky area of the curriculum.  

This video shows a group of children using pulleys to move a truck.  Children could investigate what heavy items they could move using pulleys, for example they could lift a large container filled with water.  Any activity involving lifting heavy items should be properly risk assessed.  

Children could also be taken climbing when learning about pulleys.  This could be linked to rescuing people after an earthquake.  

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Earthquakes.

According to the United States Geological Survey each year there are more than 10,000 earth quakes and in many years the number reaches above 30,000. That's a lot of movement! The good news is that most of those earthquakes measure 4.9 or less in magnitude and aren't really felt by humans.

But that doesn't make them any less scary. Earthquakes can be extraordinarily frightening for both children and adults alike. However, when you understand what causes earthquakes and how very frequent they actually are, children can begin to set aside their fear and discover some of the many wonders of the Earth and geology.

Teaching about Earthquakes

Imagine how people must have felt centuries ago when the ground would unexpectedly shake. Today, earthquakes are often predicted as is the potential destruction they may cause. During a geology lesson consider taking a day or two to study the science of earthquakes. Discuss why they happen and how scientists measure and predict them. Teacher Planet can help.

Teacher Planet offers lesson plans on epicenters, real time data projects and how scientists predict earthquakes. They also offer hands on activities to help those tactile learners in your classroom. Worksheets, printables and additional teaching resources help round out your unit on earthquakes and other natural disasters.

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Volcanoes and Earthquakes

To learn more please access the resources below.

What are Volcanoes?

A volcano is an opening in the Earth’s crust that allows magma, hot ash and gases to escape. Volcanoes can look like mountains or small hills, depending on what type they are.

Magma is molten rock - rock that is so hot it has turned into liquid. When magma reaches the surface of the Earth it is called lava and comes out of the volcano as a volcanic eruption, along with gases and ash.

The Royal Geographical Society - There is an average of 25 eruptions per year and approximately 600 million people living on or in the vicinity of volcanoes.'

Volcanic Eruptions

Most volcanic eruptions are caused by tectonic plates moving towards each other, which usually produces violent eruptions. Other volcanoes, such as Mauna Loa in Hawaii are caused by hot spots in the Earth’s crust. These do not erupt violently and lava usually flows slowly out of them.

Eruptions from volcanoes can be very dangerous. They can produce:

• pyroclastic flows - fast moving clouds of hot ash, gas and rock
• ash clouds - small pieces of rock and glass that can be carried in the air for many kilometres
• volcanic bombs - large bits of very hot rock blown out of a volcano

Volcanoes can, however, help people living near them earn money by bringing in tourists to the area and improving the soil so that crops can be grown.

Learner Guides - Volcanoes

The structure of the earth.

The Earth is made up of different layers:

• the core at the centre, which is mainly metal
• the mantle, which is mainly rock
• the crust, which is the part we can see

The crust (together with the upper layer of the mantle) is made up of different pieces, called plates. These plates fit together like a jigsaw and are moving at a rate of a few centimetres a year, in different directions and at different speeds.

Some plates slide past each other, others move away from each other and some bump into each other. Sometimes these plates lock together when they meet. This is called a plate boundary or a fault line.

What are Earthquakes?

As plates carry on moving in different directions over long periods of time, friction causes energy to build up. Eventually it becomes so great that the energy is released, which creates a shock wave - an earthquake. If the earthquake is beneath the ocean it can create a huge tidal wave, called a tsunami.

There are thousands of earthquakes across the world each day and some are so small that they can only be detected by specialist equipment. Others can be so intense that they can create lots of damage and destroy towns and cities. The Richter magnitude scale is used to measure the size of earthquakes.

Many earthquakes occur around the Pacific Ocean. People who live there, in countries such as Japan, are used to earthquakes happening and build earthquake-resistant buildings that sway with the shock waves rather than fall down.

Although there are earthquakes in the UK, they are rare and so small that most people do not feel them.

Learner Guides - Earthquakes

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• Volcano And Earthquake Science Experiments Booklet For Ks2

Volcanoes KS2 – Volcano & earthquake science experiments

Nine earthquake and volcano experiment ideas, plus a 'Make your own volcano' template

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 .

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