6-9 year old

Preview audio:

storyj.mp/ahr6vw58ehbn

Today was the day!! Bob was so excited! All the other dinosaurs in his 4th grade class were also anxious. It was the big field trip to the volcano everyone was looking forward to all year. Their teacher was going to show them a real shield volcano!

Bob learned about the four types of volcanos. There are cinder cones, composite, lava dome, and shield volcanos. Most of the kids picked the shield volcano as their favorite, so the teacher is taking them to see one!

They grab their backpacks and they’re off! They arrive at the island of Kauai. It is one of many islands in Hawaii. The shield volcano is called Kilauea. It is the most active of the 5 volcanos in Hawaii. It is said that the volcanos are home to Pele, goddess of fire, lightning, wind, and volcanos.

Bob can’t wait to see more! He is eager to learn how this awesome volcano was made! Bob’s teacher takes them closer! Bob is a little nervous. After all, this IS a volcano. She explains that this all was made from mostly magma. Hot lava poured out and formed gentle slopes. Wow! How hot was that lava? To think that this rock was once moving and flowing as a liquid of sorts!

All Bob can think of is what it might have been like. He would have loved to see the hot, glowing lava moving down the hill. How close could he get? Not too close! It’s terribly HOT! For a moment, he giggles. How funny it would be if you could toast a marshmallow from the heat of the lava!

Teacher explains that the lava, flowing up and out created a gentle sloping hill. These volcanos are different from the other types. These flow slow the lava spreads further. This makes the shield volcano wide and not very steep. Over time, the tops of them flatten out. They are usually wider than they are tall.

The kids are learning a lot of good stuff about volcanos! It has been a busy day. The teacher says it’s time for a lunch break. The kids all gather around. They are all talking about how cool it is to be eating their lunch at the base of a REAL volcano! Bob wishes this day could last forever! I’m sure he’s not the only one!

After lunch, the learning continues. In these volcanos, lava tubes can form. They are sort of like caves! Once again, Bob imagination runs wild! This time, He imagines playing hide and seek in caves with his friends. He would bring his flashlight though! Maybe, they could play flashlight tag in there! He wonders how many lava tubes could be in Kilauea. How deep do they go?