Once upon a time, on a faraway planet, there was a volcano named Mount Magma. It was a very special volcano because it was dormant, which means it was sleeping and not erupting. All around the mountain, there was a big crater filled with debris, or broken pieces of rock and dirt.

Every day, the debris would accumulate, or pile up, in the crater. The debris was made up of cinders, which are small pieces of volcanic rock. The cinders would fall from the vent, or opening, of the volcano.

One day, something amazing happened. The volcano started to stir, and the magma, or melted rock, started to rise inside. The magma pushed up against the cinders and debris, and before long, the magma was coming out of the vent, just like it used to.

The eruption was very big and powerful, and the magma flowed down the sides of the mountain. It filled the crater, and the volcano formed a caldera, or a big, bowl-shaped depression in the top.

From that day on, Mount Magma was no longer dormant. It erupted every few years, but the cinders and debris would always accumulate in the caldera, reminding everyone of the power of the volcano.

And that, children, is the story of Mount Magma.

Reflections

1. What does "dormant" mean?
2. What is magma and where does it come from?
3. Why did the volcano form a caldera after the eruption?
4. What is a vent in a volcano?
5. Why is it important to remember the power of a volcano like Mount Magma?
6. What can we learn from the debris and cinders that accumulate in the caldera?
7. What would happen if a volcano like Mount Magma erupted near where you live?