In fact, some well known mountains are actually volcanoes. For example, Mount Fuji, Mount Rainier, and Mount St. Helens. Composite volcanoes are the most explosive because they hold reservoirs of magma deep within the earth's crust. Eventually, these reservoirs erupt and produce lava, ash, bombs, and various other materials known as pyroclastics. The accumulation of these materials form the volcano we see as a mountain.
Shield volcanoes are non-explosive volcanoes with gentle slopes in the form of a cone.
When these volcanoes erupt, lava gently pours down the sides of the volcano and onto the land. The slow moving lava eventually will harden and this is what causes the gentle slopes. Most shield volcanoes occur in the ocean. For example, Kilauea and Mauna Loa are both volcanoes on the island of Hawaii. After the unit plan on volcanoes has been completed, student should be able to tell the difference between lava and magma.