Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Peru's Earthquake

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students identify the patterns of earthquakes by mapping USGS data and comparing it to mapped tectonic plates. They discover the relationship between earthquakes and the moving plates of the Earth's crust.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Researching Intermountain West Earthquakes

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Learners research earthquakes using the internet and newspapers. They discover the earthquake's effect on people and buildings. They report their findings to the class.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earthquake Plotting

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students become familiar with map coordinates. They establish the frequency of earthquake occurrences and study the location and magnitude of earthquakes. To establish the location of plate boundaries.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

It's a Gas! Or is it?

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Young scholars discover the principles of solubility and phase state and their influence on chemical phenomena observed around deep-sea volcanoes. They describe the effect of temperature and pressure on solubility of gasses and solid...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Seismic waves

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students discover the differences between P- and S-waves using a slinky. They see that when displacement occurs along a fault, the built up strain of energy is released in the form of seismic waves.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earthquakes

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners research statistics about the last five large earthquakes. They compare data in small groups and present their information orally to the class. They also attempt to predict the next large earthquake.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earthquakes

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students examine why earthquakes happen, and where most earthquakes occur in the world. They discuss how engineers and architects try to construct stronger buildings, then design and build an earthquake-proof structure.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plot That Quake!

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders collect and analyze data on earthquake locations.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Learning from history: can it save lives?

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students research and document lessons learned from this disaster, then compile and synthesize information. They write effectively for public education purposes and use visual communications tools
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earthquake Analysis

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students analyze and plot the coordinates for several recent earthquakes on a world map. They learn not only about research and geology, but about map-making and data analysis. They think of other ways to analyze the data given.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earthquake Waves

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders pour three cups of sand on the top of a plastic table near the edge. They tap the table lightly with the rubber mallet. When they tap the table lightly they see the sand ump into the air.
Interactive
Concord Consortium

Concord Consortium: Stem Resources: Earthquakes Around the World

For Students 6th - 8th
In this interactive, students manipulate a computer model that shows where earthquakes and volcanic eruptions have occurred since 1960, to make predictions, collect data and look for patterns. Includes career connection, and a question...
Website
Exploratorium

Exploratorium: Earthquake Faultline Why the Earth Shakes

For Students 9th - 10th
This website provides an explanation of earthquakes in words and pictures, beginning with this lesson on plate tectonics.
Activity
Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education, Stevens Institute of Technology

Ciese: Musical Plates: A Study of Earthquakes and Plate Tectonics

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This activity has students access USGS earthquake information to plot the their locations on a world map. Doing this will help students discover for themselves the boundaries of tectonic plates.
Unit Plan
Burke Museum

Burke Museum: The Big One

For Students 9th - 10th
This is the introduction to the Burke Museum's online exhibit on earthquakes and natural disasters. This is part of the Burke Museum's collection of geology. Topics that are covered include an introduction to quakes, quake science, quake...
Handout
Burke Museum

Burke Museum: Tsunamis

For Students 9th - 10th
The information on tsunamis provided at this site is part of the Burke Museum's online exhibition on earthquakes and geology. Prevention is discussed, along with famous tsunamis in history.
Website
Scholastic

Scholastic: Severe Weather and Natural Disasters

For Students 3rd - 5th
Learn about severe weather and natural disasters through experiments, witness accounts, vocabulary, and much more.
Lesson Plan
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Liquefaction & Seismic Activity

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Earthquake damage can be intensified in areas that are subject to soil liquefaction. For example, in these areas, soil movement may cause foundations to collapse, while structures in nearby areas built on more stable soil or bedrock may...
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: How Fast Do Seismic Waves Travel?

For Students 6th - 8th
Here's a geology project that uses historical seismograph data that you can collect from the comfort of your own computer. You'll use a web interface to a network of seismometers run by the Northern California Earthquake Data Center, at...
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Bridges That Can Take a Shake!

For Students 9th - 10th
Building a bridge in San Francisco has to take into account the possibilites of earthquakes. This Science Buddies science project asks that you use different virtual bridge designs to withstand virtual earthquakes. The Science Buddies...
Lesson Plan
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Locating the Epicenter of an Earthquake

For Teachers 9th - 10th
When an earthquake happens, how are scientists able to determine the original location of the quake? In this project, you'll use archived data from a network of seismometers to find out for yourself. You'll create your own seismograms...
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Ring of Fire 2: What Earthquakes Tell Us About Plate Tectonics

For Students 6th - 8th
The theory of plate tectonics revolutionized geology in the 1960's. In this project you can explore the connection between plate tectonics and earthquakes by mapping historical seismic data.
Lesson Plan
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Measuring the Earth's Core With Seismic Waves

For Teachers 9th - 10th
When an earthquake occurs, seismic shock waves travel out through the earth from the source of the event. The shock waves travel through the earth (body waves), or along the Earth's surface (surface waves), and can be recorded at remote...
Lesson Plan
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Set Your Table for a Sweet and Sticky Earthquake Shake

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Earthquakes can have different affects depending on their location. This week long exercise asks you to build a model house and a special table to shake it on, and see how different soil types can amplify shaking.