Optional Activities
Build a Volcano
Volcanoes are natural openings in the Earth's crust where melted rock from the mantle, called magma, pushes through cracks to reach the surface as lava. Often forming where tectonic plates meet or at volcanic "hotspots," these eruptions can happen suddenly or build up slowly over time to create new mountains and landforms. Create a baking soda and vinegar volcano, learners can visualize how pressure and chemical reactions mimic the way real lava bubbles up and changes the landscape around it.

Earthquake Engineering: The Jell-O Shake Test
This activity explores how the sudden shift of tectonic plates creates seismic waves that shake the ground and impact human-made structures. By building towers out of marshmallows and toothpicks and placing them on a tray of firm Jell-O, learners can simulate an earthquake by wobbling the tray to see how different designs handle the stress.

Supercontinent Puzzle
Print or draw outlines of the continents. Cut them out and try to fit them together like puzzle pieces to re-form Pangaea. Notice how the coastlines of South America and Africa almost interlock.