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Subject: Physical Science
Lesson Topic: Earthquakes and Volcanoes
Author: Erin Spruill
Grade Level: 6
Summary of Activity/Lesson: Students use models to see the affects of earthquakes and
volcanoes in a marine environment versus a terrestrial example.
NCSCOS: 6th grade competency goal # 3.01, 3.02, 3.03
Activity:
Goals: Competency Goal 3: The learner will build an understanding of the geological cycles,
forces, processes, and agents which shape the lithosphere.
3.01 Evaluate the forces that shape the lithosphere including:
o Crustal plate movement
o Folding and faulting
o Deposition
o Volcanic Activity
o Earthquakes
3.02 Examine earthquake and volcano patterns.
3.03 Explain the model for the interior of the earth.
1) Review what students have learned about earthquakes and volcanoes

Definition
o Earthquake - sudden movement of the Earth's surface. Result from release of
elastic strain energy that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes typically result from
the movement of faults, zones of deformation within the Earth's upper crust.
o Volcano - landform usually created by the eruption through a planet's surface of
magma from the planet's interior

Where they occur
o Earthquake - where the stress builds up from motion of the Earth’s plates exceeds
the strength of the crust. Most frequently found at the boundaries of the tectonic
plates.
o Volcano - tend to occur near the boundaries of crustal plates.
2) Compare and contrast – students will draw on previous lessons to write what they know about
earthquakes and volcanoes into the terrestrial oval. The instructor can encourage students to
put down guesses in the ocean oval.

Terrestrial and marine earthquakes
In order to give students a background into how waves function
in water, conduct the following demonstration:
(Activity adapted from http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/dynamicearth/)
1) Explain that a wave is energy traveling through water, and that
the most common source of energy that causes waves is wind
motion.
2) Then explain that earthquakes can also send waves of energy
through the water.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Tsunami_comic_book_style.png
3) Fill a large fish tank or some other plastic see through
container with water. Make sure water is deep enough to properly see the wave action, but be
sure to not fill it so much that it will spill over. You may want to put a plastic sheet (neat sheet?)
under the table or work area to prevent clean up disasters.
4) Have students perform tests with different objects dropped in the water, directions and
intensities striking the container, and any other combinations they may come up with. (If you
have time and resource, create different landforms that the water will eventually crash into and
students can predict and carry out tests about the impact of the water on the coast).
5) For each test, have students write down their observations in their science notebook.

Terrestrial and marine volcanoes
Once we have discussed the characteristics of land volcanoes to establish what students
already know, we will observe a candle wax volcano to see how volcanoes behave under the
ocean.
(Activity adapted from http://www.chemsoc.org/networks/learnnet/jesei/volcano/home.htm)
CANDLE WAX VOLCANO
You will need:
Clean sand (very important so you can see the wax come through the sand)
Red/purple/hot pink candle wax (already softened at least once before)
One 500 cm3 or 600 cm3 Pyrex™ beaker
Heating element
a) Hot plate OR
b) Bunsen burner (if you don’t have a Bunsen burner or access to a gas
line, a portable crème brulee torch is comparable)
If you use the Bunsen burner you will need:
Heat proof mat
Tripod
Gauze
Safety screen
Safety goggles
This demonstration should take about 10 minutes. You can set it up and then begin a
discussion about the differences between volcanoes on land and under the sea (shapes of
cooled lava, destruction, island formation, etc.). Be sure to explain the importance of each
element you add to the demonstration.
1) Melt red candle wax into the base of the beaker to about 1 cm depth.
2) Cover the wax with a layer of clean sand about 1 cm thick.
3) Add cold water to fill the beaker about three quarters full.
4) Apply a strong source of heat to one part of the base of the beaker and let it cool to form a
solid layer.
5) Students need to concentrate because the ‘eruption’ often happens without much warning,
other than an ominous crackling sound as the wax melts!
6) The heat source is removed while there is still some wax left on the bottom of the beaker
since this allows ‘lava tubes’ and intrusions to form more effectively.
7) If you allow the eruption to continue throughout your discussion, an island will form on
the top of the beaker connected to the source “lava” at the bottom of the beaker.
Conclude the demonstration allowing students to explain the process in their lab notebooks
or in a free writing assignment. Ask students to also illustrate the process along with their
written summary. Be sure they label the parts (wax, sand, water) and explain their
significance.
Disclaimer: These lesson plans were compiled, edited, written, and/or prepared by Erin Spruill,
UNCW Coastal Ocean Research and Monitoring Program (CORMP). CORMP is a NOAA grant
funded program, located at the UNCW Center for Marine Science, Wilmington, NC. Feel free to
update or adapt the existing lesson plans to fit your needs. We ask that you credit the authors
and editors of these activities. In addition, please contact us with new methods and activities you
implement in the classroom. Continual collaboration and revision will allow us to provide
educators with the most useful and current resources for classroom use. Thank you.