Science // Area
Volcanoes & Earthquakes
Age coverage
Ages 5 to 14
Starts at age 5 // 6 topics
Starting at age 5
Your child is learning about powerful forces that shape our Earth — understanding what volcanoes and earthquakes are, how they change the landscape, and important safety rules to follow during earthquakes.
- What Is a Volcano
Know what a volcano is: an opening in Earth's surface where hot melted rock (lava) comes out
Ages 5 to 7Concept - What Is an Earthquake
Know what an earthquake is: a sudden shaking of the ground that can be strong or weak
Ages 5 to 7Concept - Earth Is Made of Rock
Understand that Earth is made of rock and other solid materials
Ages 5 to 7Concept - Fast & Slow Earth Changes
Understand that Earth's surface changes: some changes are quick (eruptions, earthquakes) and some are slow (wind, water wearing away rock)
Ages 5 to 7Concept - Power of Eruptions
Appreciate that volcanic eruptions are powerful events that can change the landscape
Ages 5 to 7Concept - Earthquake Safety
Know basic earthquake safety: drop, cover, and hold on; move away from windows; tell a trusted adult
Ages 5 to 7Method
Starts at age 7 // 8 topics
Starting at age 7
Your child is learning about what's inside volcanoes and earthquakes, how Earth has different layers, and exploring dramatic geological events like the story of Pompeii and tsunamis.
- Ring of Fire
Recognise that volcanoes and earthquakes tend to happen in certain places — especially around the edges of the Pacific Ocean (Ring of Fire) — not randomly…
Ages 7 to 9Concept - Earth's Layers
Know that Earth has layers — a thin outer crust, a thick hot mantle, and a core at the centre — and that the inside of the Earth is extremely hot
Ages 7 to 9Concept - Why Earthquakes Happen
Understand that earthquakes happen when rocks underground suddenly move or break, releasing energy that shakes the ground
Ages 7 to 9Concept - Types of Rock
Know the three main types of rock — igneous (formed when lava or magma cools), sedimentary (formed from layers pressed together), and metamorphic — and that…
Ages 7 to 9Concept - Inside a Volcano
Understand the inside of a volcano: magma is hot melted rock underground, lava is the same material after it reaches the surface, and volcanoes have a magma…
Ages 7 to 9Concept - Active, Dormant & Extinct
Classify volcanoes as active (could erupt any time), dormant (sleeping but could wake up), or extinct (will not erupt again)
Ages 7 to 9Concept - Pompeii & Vesuvius
Know the story of Pompeii: a Roman city buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, preserved under volcanic ash, and rediscovered by archaeologists…
Ages 7 to 9Concept - Tsunamis
Know what a tsunami is: a very large, fast ocean wave caused by an earthquake or volcanic eruption under the sea, which can cause great damage when it reaches…
Ages 7 to 9Concept
Starts at age 9 // 9 topics
Starting at age 9
Your child is exploring how Earth's powerful forces work — understanding what causes volcanoes and earthquakes, how scientists monitor them, and how communities prepare for these natural events.
- Earthquake-Resistant Design
Know that buildings can be designed to resist earthquakes, tsunami warning systems alert coastal communities, and communities prepare through evacuation plans…
Ages 9 to 11Method - Plate Boundaries
Explain how plate boundaries cause earthquakes and volcanoes: plates pushing together, pulling apart, or sliding past each other create the forces that trigger…
Ages 9 to 11Concept - Tectonic Plates
Understand that Earth's crust is broken into large pieces called tectonic plates that float on hotter, softer rock beneath and move very slowly — a few…
Ages 9 to 11Concept - Famous Eruptions & Pangaea
Know about famous eruptions and their global effects: Mount St Helens (1980), Eyjafjallajökull (2010), and how large eruptions can affect weather and climate…
Ages 9 to 11Concept - Eruption Types & Volcano Shape
Understand that not all volcanic eruptions are the same: some flow gently (effusive) and some explode violently (explosive), depending on the properties of the…
Ages 9 to 11Concept - Natural Disaster Solutions
Generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the impacts of natural Earth processes on humans, such as earthquakes, floods, or volcanic eruptions
Ages 9 to 10Method - Monitoring Volcanoes
Understand how volcanologists monitor volcanoes by looking for warning signs — gas emissions, ground swelling, small earthquakes — and that prediction involves…
Ages 9 to 11Thinking skill - Measuring Earthquake Strength
Know that scientists measure earthquakes using seismometers, that earthquakes release energy that travels as waves through the ground, and that a magnitude…
Ages 9 to 11Concept - The Rock Cycle
Understand the rock cycle: rocks slowly change from one type to another over millions of years — igneous rock weathers into sediment, sediment becomes…
Ages 9 to 11Concept
Starts at age 11 // 2 topics
Starting at age 11
- How Tectonic Plates Move
Understand that convection currents in the molten mantle drive the movement of rigid tectonic plates; distinguish between convergent (collision/subduction)…
Ages 11 to 12Concept - Seismic Waves & Earth's Interior
Distinguish between P-waves (compression, travel through solids and liquids) and S-waves (shear, cannot pass through liquids); explain why a seismic shadow zone…
Ages 11 to 13Concept
Starts at age 12 // 2 topics
Starting at age 12
- Supervolcanoes & Volcanic Winter
Describe calderas such as Yellowstone and Toba as supervolcanoes capable of erupting thousands of cubic kilometres of ash; explain how sulphur dioxide aerosols…
Ages 12 to 13Concept - Hazard Assessment & Evacuation
Explain probabilistic hazard assessment using eruption recurrence intervals and fault slip rates; describe how volcano observatories monitor ground deformation…
Ages 12 to 14Concept
Starts at age 13 // 1 topic
Starting at age 13
- Volcanoes & Mass Extinctions
Explain how large igneous provinces (LIPs) — massive outpourings of lava over millions of years — caused global warming and ocean acidification that drove mass…
Ages 13 to 14Concept