Volcanic eruptions are driven by gas dissolved in molten rock (magma) underground trying to escape upwards. But what happens if the gas gets trapped and can't get out?

In this experiment you can trap more and more gas in a sealed container, in the same way gas can get trapped in a volcano, and see what happens...

Download the instructions and information sheet

To make your zine you will need:

• a sheet of paper
• coloured pencils or pens
• coloured paper
• some glue
• fossils, rocks, pebbles for inspiration

Download the zine folding instructions and watch the video below

This experiment and video were made by Nick Barrett. Nick is a PhD student at the University of Cambridge Earth Science
Department and The British Antarctic Survey investigating the resistance of Antarctic marine species to predicted freshening and
lower salinity in the Southern Ocean.

Download the instructions or watch the video below

Volcanoes form when hot molten rock (magma) under the ground erupts at the surface, but what causes the molten rock to erupt? Eruptions are often driven by gases escaping…

In this experiment you can start a chemical reaction that creates a gas, and see how the gas escaping drives an eruption.

This experiment and video was devised by the Volcano Seismology group in the Earth Science Department, University of Cambridge.

There are many different types of volcanoes. Shield volcanoes have a broad rounded shape and gentle splattery eruptions often described as fire fountains. Strato volcanoes are sharp and steep sided and have violent explosive eruptions. But what makes these two types of volcano look and erupt so differently? It is mainly controlled by how think (viscous) or runny the magma in the volcano is...

In this experiment you can use 3 different thickness (viscosity) liquids to see what differences runny or thick magma can cause in volcanoes.

It might not look very exciting but flint gravel has a story to tell of a warm chalky sea that covered a lot of England about 90 million years ago. That’s when dinosaur were around although they were not living in this particular sea. Sometimes it filled the holes made by borrowing animals and sometimes, if we’re lucky it enclosed the remains of sea creatures meaning it is great place to look for fossils.

This resource comes from our bank of Look, Think, Do resources on the Fitzwilliam Museum website.

Maybe you have heard of Emperor Hadrian - who built Hadrian's wall near the Scottish/English border. But have you heard of the man he loved, Antinous? Listen to this story about how much Hadrian cared for Antinous.

This resource comes from our bank of Look, Think, Do resources on the Fitzwilliam Museum website.

Have a look at this penny coin that was stamped by a Suffragette in the early 1900s with a very important message. And what about these signs that show what people care about now? Make your own with this guidance.

This resource comes from our bank of Look, Think, Do resources on the Fitzwilliam Museum website.

Take a look at this incredible 500 year old jar from China and have a go at making a dragon shadow puppet inspired by its decorations.

This resource comes from our bank of Look, Think, Do resources on the Fitzwilliam Museum website.

Make like sculptor Barbara Hepworth and have a look at things abstractly - even just out your window! You can use this guide.