In this activity, students pop a balloon in a container of sand to model caldera volcanoes and learn how lakes like Taupō and Rotorua were formed.
By the end of this activity, students should be able to:
- demonstrate how caldera volcanoes are formed
- demonstrate how depressions are left after the volcano erupts
- identify Lakes Taupō and Rotorua and discuss their formation.
Download the Word file for:
- introduction/background notes
- what you need
- what to do
- extension idea.
Related content
Watch this animated video to see how Lake Rotorua could have formed from a caldera eruption.
Extension idea
If students enjoyed making models of caldera volcanoes, try the Making a model of a cinder cone activity.
