Science Matters
Earthquake Waves: Wave Notes
A multi-part lesson opens with a review of p waves and s waves. Then scholars use a simple s wave simulator to view the way the wave travels. Next, pupils use cups and various fluids to simulate p waves moving through different mediums....
Columbus City Schools
Earthly Waves
How did scientists discover what lies beneath the earth's surface? Dig a hole? X-ray vision? Guide your class through the types of seismic waves and how these waves helped shed light on Earth's many layers. The included resources provide...
Science Matters
Finding the Epicenter
The epicenter is the point on the ground above the initial point of rupture. The 10th lesson in a series of 20 encourages scholars to learn to triangulate the epicenter of an earthquake based on the arrival times of p waves and s waves....
Science Matters
Earthquakes and Volcanoes Post Assessment
The final lesson in the 20-part series is a post assessment covering earthquakes and volcanoes. Twenty-three questions incorporate each of the previous lessons through multiple choice, justified multiple choice, expanded multiple choice,...
Science Matters
Wave Watching
Seismologists use the direction and arrival times of p waves and s waves to determine the distance to the source of an earthquake. The engaging instructional activity has students line up to form human waves. Through different movements...
Curated OER
Earthquakes: Kindergarten Lesson Plans and Activities
Beginning with a pre-lab, kindergarteners trace the letters in the word earthquake and discuss what happens in an earthquake. The lab portion allows young scientists realize that earthquakes trigger shaking of different intensities...
Teach Engineering
Earthquakes Living Lab: FAQs about P Waves, S Waves and More
Let's talk about earthquakes .... Using the Internet, pupils research what causes earthquakes, how scientists measure them, their locations, and their effects. The resource is not only informative, but it also builds crucial research...
Teach Engineering
Earthquakes Living Lab: Finding Epicenters and Measuring Magnitudes
Pairs use an online simulation to determine the epicenter and magnitude of an earthquake. Using real data about the earthquake's maximum S wave amplitudes, they then determine the magnitude. The resource provides a great career...
Mr. E. Science
Earthquakes
Learn about the causes of earthquakes, as well as the value of seismographs, with an informative presentation. From the Richter Scale to the Mecalli Scale, learners discover elements that make an earthquake occur.
Curated OER
Earthquakes: Fourth Grade Lesson Plans and Activities
Examine earthquake intensities and ways to measure an earthquake through the comparison of the Mercalli and Richter scales. After completing the pre-lab worksheet, fourth graders compare high and low intensity quakes by testing the...
Curated OER
Earthquakes: Fifth Grade Lesson Plans and Activities
After learning about P waves and S waves, fifth graders view the intensity of earthquakes by examining seismographs and images of earthquake damage. Young scientists then forecasting future quakes by analyzing data about earthquakes...
Curated OER
Earthquakes: Sixth Grade Lesson Plans and Activities
Young seismologists learn more about plate tectonics with a set of pre-lab, lab, and post-lab lessons plans on earthquakes. After exploring how waves travel through various materials, sixth graders record their observations and draw...
Curated OER
Stressed Out!
Have your class engage in lessons on earthquakes. Learners explore the science behind earthquakes using interactive websites and video clips. Then, they review the layers and parts of the Earth before delving into the causes of...
Mr. E. Science
Characteristics of Waves
Waves, waves, and more waves. Here, class members look at the many types and characteristics of energy waves including transverse, longitudinal, standing, seismic, p-waves, s-waves, and l-waves.
Curated OER
Keep on Standing!!
Young scholars construct an earthquake simulator and create building models to test. In this earthquake lesson, students use the Internet and a slinky to demonstrate P and S waves. They construct an earthquake simulator as a class and...
Curated OER
Seismic Waves
In this seismic waves worksheet, student will read information about the different types of waves that occur during an earthquake: P (Primary) waves, S (Secondary) waves, and shear waves. Then middle schoolers will complete 2 short...
Curated OER
Earthquake Waves
In this earthquake waves worksheet, students are given the three types of waves and they match the type with their definition.
Curated OER
Forces in Earth
In this Earth's forces worksheet, students will review the characteristics of earthquakes, including types of faults. Students will interpret a seismograph read-out from an earthquake. Students will complete 10 fill in the blank...
Michigan Technological University
Michigan Technological University: Up Seis: Seismology and Seismic Waves
Definitions and descriptions of a variety of seismic waves such as S, P, Love, and Rayleigh waves, as well as diagrams and speeds.
PBS
Wnet: Thirteen: Savage Earth: Earthquake!
This animation shows the movement of seismic waves as they moved from Bolivia to San Juan Puerto Rico during a 1994 earthquake.
Other
Nevada Seismological Laboratory: Seismic Waves
This resource describes the two different types of seismic waves and how they travel through the earth, offers diagrams of the waves, their speeds, and how seismograms are used to locate earthquakes.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Plix: Earthquake: Earth's Interior
[Free Registration/Login Required] A look inside the Earth to see what happens as an earthquake propagates through it. Also on the site is a short quiz based on seismic waves.