Erupting Apple Volcano Science Experiment
The volcano science experiment is classic for a reason — students love them!
It’s so important to peak students’ interest in the STEM field from a young age. Studies have shown that early interest and experience in STEM skills is tied to continued interest and success in academics.
American University states, “Early STEM education can promote ongoing academic success, and children who learn STEM concepts throughout their education are better prepared to meet increasingly technology-focused professional requirements.”
STEM activities for younger classrooms don’t have to consist of anything too fancy or advanced. Even practicing lower-level STEM skills like making predictions, observations, and drawing conclusions are excellent ways to pique their natural senses of curiosity and see the benefits of STEM throughout their days in school!
If you’re looking for easy ways to incorporate more STEM activities in your classroom, I’ve got tons of science experiments for younger kids prepped for you — including this Erupting Apple Volcano Science Experiment!
This apple volcano experiment can be used in so many different units across the school year. Use it for a festive fall unit, an apple unit, or a unit on volcanoes. Or, just because! Your class will erupt with joy during this experiment, no matter the occasion!
How does the Erupting Apple Volcano Science Experiment work?
Warning: your classroom will light up with excitement when you try this Erupting Apple Volcano Science Experiment with your students! In this experiment, your students will be able to observe what happens when a simple chemical reaction between baking soda and vinegar takes place.
Best of all, you or your students likely have the ingredients required for this experiment lying around your house right now — and if not, they are super inexpensive to get your hands on!
All your students will need for this apple volcano experiment are…
● Baking soda
● Vinegar
● An apple
● A dish
● A knife
First, students will ask an adult to cut out a hole at the top of their apple with the knife. Safety first!
Next, students will add the baking soda to the hole that the adult created.
Finally, students will pour in the vinegar and observe the “eruption” of their volcanoes!
The entire journey of this process covers the core elements of the scientific method, so students will get the chance to make predictions about the results of the experiment, write down their observations, and propose why they think the reaction happened! They will feel like real scientists!
What’s included in the Apple Volcano Science resource?
With your download of this apple volcano science experiment, you’ll receive everything you need to easily conduct the experiment — just provide the supplies!
The paper version comes with simple printouts explaining every step of the process. Each page is meant to be printed front to back and folded to create a booklet that students can fill out and take home with them!
For the teachers, the resource includes…
● Cover page
● Teacher tips
● Complete list of directions
Each kids’ booklet includes…
● Page 1: Guiding question and hypothesis
● Page 2: Experiment details and instructions
● Page 3: Observations with writing space
● Page 4: Conclusions
● Page 5: Explanation of the science behind the experiment, including a fill in the blank option
But wait, there’s more! Each download of this resource also includes a digital version of the experiment, so kids can practice their STEM skills and stay on top of their curriculum during distance learning!
How does the digital version of the Erupting Apple Volcano Science Experiment work?
The digital version of apple volcano science is formatted on Google Slides for easy access at home. Each of the pages of the print booklet gets a different slide in the digital version, so students are able to click their way through every step of the process!
All of the slides have premade text boxes, so students can type their observations and predictions right into the activity. The activity also comes with editable directions towards the side of the screen, so you can customize the instructions for your own students if needed!
Whether you are teaching remotely, drawing up a distance learning syllabus, or wanting to send kids home with a bonus activity, it doesn’t get easier than this digital experiment! You can teach live on Zoom, pre-record yourself performing the experiment and upload it for students to follow along, or simply send the activity home and let them follow the directions.
Action Step: Download the Done-For-You Activity Book
For a super fun way to exercise those younger STEM skills, this Apple Volcano Science Experiment has got you covered! Thanks to easily accessible, cheap materials and both paper and digital versions, this experiment is perfect for pretty much every classroom. Enjoy, and happy experimenting!
Do you have a volcano unit in your classroom? How do you practice STEM skills with your younger students? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!