Lesson Plan
National Association of Geoscience Teachers

Nagt.org: A Kinesthetic Demonstration for Locating Earthquake Epicenters

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A kinesthetic activity for students to understand the technique for locating the epicenter of an earthquake. It is performed indoors and outdoors in three lessons.
Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Earth Science: Locating Earthquake Epicenters

For Students 9th - 10th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] How to find the epicenter of an earthquake.
Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Earth Science: Locating Earthquake Epicenters

For Students 9th - 10th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] How to find the epicenter of an earthquake.
Unit Plan
University of California

Earthguide: Mystery Detectives: Mystery Epicenter: Earthquake

For Students 6th - 8th
Students analyze seismograms to locate mystery earthquake epicenters as they produce a news story about a major local earthquake to complete their mission.
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Subduction Zone Earthquakes

For Teachers 9th - 10th
For this lesson, students manipulate a model, consisting of templates on a piece of paper and an overlaying transparency, in order to explore the characteristics of subduction zone earthquakes. In the process, they develop an...
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Earthquakes Living Lab: Epicenters and Magnitudes

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students learn how engineers characterize earthquakes through seismic data. Acting as engineers, they use real-world seismograph data to locate earthquake epicenters via triangulation and determine earthquake magnitudes.
Handout
US Geological Survey

U.s. Geological Survey: Earthquake Center: Glossary

For Students 3rd - 8th
This resource provides definitions of important earthquake related terms.
Activity
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Virtual Earthquake

For Students 9th - 10th
An activity-based program designed to introduce the concepts of how an earthquake epicenter is located and how the Richter magnitude of an earthquake is determined.
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Earthquakes Living Lab: P Waves, S Waves and More

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students learn what causes earthquakes, how we measure and locate them, and their effects and consequences.
Activity
Read Works

Read Works: Earth Science Earthquakes

For Teachers 5th Standards
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about earthquakes. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Earth Science: Earthquake Characteristics

For Students 9th - 10th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Presents an overview of earthquakes.
Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Earth Science: Earthquake Characteristics

For Students 9th - 10th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Presents an overview of earthquakes.
Unit Plan
Scholastic

Scholastic: Study Jams! Science: Landforms, Rocks & Minerals: Earthquakes

For Students 3rd - 5th
A video and a short multiple-choice quiz on earthquakes, how they form, how they are measured, and the ways they can change the surface of the Earth.
Interactive
Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology

Iris: Pacific Northwest Earthquake Locations: Flash

For Students 9th - 10th
The Pacific Northwest is host to three kinds of earthquakes revealed in this interactive.
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: An Earthquake Lab for Physical Geology

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This article from the Journal of Geological Education describes an activity in which students locate the epicenter of several earthquakes, plot the trends of the two faults involved, and determine the sense of motion along the plane of...
Interactive
US Geological Survey

U.s. Geological Survey: Search Earthquake Catalog

For Students 9th - 10th
Use this interactive map to find out about earthquakes which have happened around the world since about 1970.
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: The 2004 Sumatra Earthquake and Tsunami

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Using real seismic recordings from a number of seismic stations, students find the location of the epicenter of the 2004 Sumatra earthquake. They next determine the path of the tsunami triggered by it, and calculate how much lead time...
Handout
US Geological Survey

U.s. Geological Survey: Rock'n on Shakey Ground [Pdf]

For Students 3rd - 8th
The basics of earthquake science including factual information about how and why they happen. Also includes some hands-on activities and experiments for students.
Website
Other

Vibrationdata: Alaska Earthquake 1964

For Students 9th - 10th
Time, date, and size of the Alaskan 1964 earthquake. Photos of the damage caused by the quake and the tsunami, location of the epicenter, and a description of the landslides.
Handout
Michigan Technological University

How Do I Read a Seismogram?

For Students 9th - 10th
When you look at a seismogram, there will be wiggly lines all across it. So which wiggles are the earthquake? This site answers this question.
Graphic
Curated OER

Merriam Webster: Visual Dictionary Online: Earthquake

For Students 9th - 10th
Labeled diagram illustrating key terms associated with earthquakes.
Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Earth Science: Earth's Tectonic Plates

For Students 9th - 10th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Earth's tectonic plates and how they move.