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Learn More About VOLCANOES

How do they happen? Where do they happen? When do they happen? Why do they happen? This month we've picked an explosive and current subject -- volcanoes -- for our LittleClickers topic. Make sure you try the Volcano Explorer simulation activity at the Discovery Kids website. Also, our YouTube playlist contains eight hand-picked videos on the topic.

1. How many active volcanoes are there right now? a) 359 b) 1900 c) 820 When you take the quiz at National Geographic Kids (http://bit.ly/bzoXt6), you'll discover that scientists believe there are about 1,900 active volcanoes on earth.
2. There are four types of volcanoes. Can you name them? Each type (cinder, cone, shield and lava) is described here http://bit.ly/aPPHZn, at Kid’s Cosmos.
3. What planet has the largest volcano? (Hint: it’s not on Earth). a) Jupiter b) Mars c) Venus Answer: (B) Mars. Visit Worsley Central School’s website at http://bit.ly/aYTisJ, and you'll learn that the Olympus Mons is an extinct ‘shield’ volcano that is bigger than the entire state of Washington.
4. Coming back to Earth, which country has the most active volcano? (study the URL for a hint). a) USA b) Iceland c) Japan Answer: A. See http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/kilauea/update/images.html. The world’s most active volcano is Kīlauea, located on the big island of Hawaii.
5. Which Roman God inspired the name “volcano?” At http://bit.ly/52fVag, you find out that the word 'volcano' comes from Roman mythology and refers to Vulcan, a god of fire.
6. What is the most explosive type of volcano? a) Shield b) Fire Fountain c) Plinian Visit Discovery Kids and you can adjust the gas pressure and viscosity (thickness) of the lava, to make different types of volcanoes. If you turn the settings all the way up - BANG - you’ll learn the answer. http://kids.discovery.com/games/pompeii/pompeii.html.
YouTube videos. Visit Children's Technology Review's (CTR) YouTube page at http://www.youtube.com/user/childrenstech#g/c/25C50AD92F1E78ED. This month’s LittleClicker’s playlist includes seven videos of active volcanos. You can even see a person roasting a marshmallow over hot lava!

Hey Teachers! This column will be available as an 8 1/2 x 11-inch handout, in PDF form.