Why do volcanoes erupt?

🦊 Made for Ella · Ready for a little discovery

🌎The big picture

Take a peek beneath Earth’s surface! Discover how moving plates, hot magma, and pressure work together to create one of nature’s most spectacular events.

🎯By the end, we’ll be able to…

Explain the difference between magma and lava.
Describe how pressure causes an eruption.
Identify where volcanoes are commonly found.

💡Big ideas, little lightbulbs

Magma is melted rock below Earth’s surface; it becomes lava when it reaches the surface.

Earth’s outer layer is divided into moving tectonic plates.

Gas and pressure can push magma upward through a volcano.

Volcanoes can create new land as lava cools.

Scientists monitor volcanoes to help keep nearby communities safe.

💬Let’s talk about it

1. What is the difference between magma and lava?

Parent answer guide

Magma is below the surface. Lava has reached the surface.

2. Why do many volcanoes occur near plate boundaries?

Parent answer guide

Moving plates can create openings or conditions that allow magma to rise.

✂️Build a paper volcano!

Create a labeled cutaway model to explain what happens beneath the surface.

What you’ll need

Paper or cardboardColored pencilsGlue stickChild-safe scissors

Let’s get making

With an adult, cut a triangle from cardboard.

Draw a magma chamber below the triangle.

Connect the chamber to the top with a central vent.

Draw lava flowing down one side.

Label your model and explain it to someone in your family.