Curated OER
Plotting Earthquakes
Young scholars plot earthquakes on a map. In this lesson on earthquakes, students will explore recent earthquake activity in California and Nevada. Young scholars will plot fault lines and earthquake occurrences on a map.
Curated OER
Earthquakes And Fault Lines
Students discuss major causes of earthquakes and identify famous fault lines, access and map information about ten largest earthquakes in world from 1989 to 1998, and theorize about location of these earthquakes as they relate to Earth's...
Science Matters
Spaghetti Fault Model
Does increasing the pressure between two moving plates provide a stabilizing force or create more destruction? The hands-on lesson encourages exploration of strike-split fault models. The sixth lesson in a 20-part series asks scholars to...
Science Matters
Earth Shaking Events
The world's largest measured earthquake happened in 1960 in Chile, reaching a terrifying 9.5 magnitude on the Richter Scale. The second activity in the 20-part series introduces earthquakes and fault lines. Scholars map where previous...
Science Matters
Up and Down Fault Blocks
The Sierra Mountains in Nevada and the Tetons in Wyoming originally formed as fault block mountains. In order to visualize these fault blocks, pupils use construction paper to create layers of earth. They cut the paper models and form...
Science Matters
A Model of Plate Faults
The San Andreas fault is one of the longest fault zones in the world. In a series of 20 lessons, the fourth lesson has pupils use a paper model to recreate various types of plate faults. Each is held in position then drawn into a science...
California Academy of Science
Earthquakes and Tectonic Plates
Here is a comprehensive package in which middle schoolers learn about types of seismic waves, triangulation, and tectonic plate boundaries. Complete vocabulary, colorful maps, and a worksheet are included via links on the webpage. You...
Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi
Earthquakes
What causes earthquakes? What are the effects and impacts of earthquakes? How are earthquakes measured? If there was an earthquake on Mars, would it still be considered an earthquake? Class members will find the answers to these and many...
Science Matters
Fault Formations
The San Andreas Fault moves about two inches a year, approximately the same rate fingernails grow—crazy! The third lesson in the series allows for hands-on exploration of various fault formations. Through the use of a Popsicle stick,...
Curated OER
The Fault Line
Pupils use cardboard models of the North American and Pacific plates and sand to investigate what happens when there is an earthquake or movement along the boundaries of the plates.
Curated OER
Earthquakes
Learners inspect the causes and effects of earthquakes and examine how seismic waves travel. In this earthquake lesson, students determine where earthquakes happen and why, before determining how to build an earthquake resistant...
EngageNY
Relationships Between Key Scientific Concepts: Planning What Causes Earthquakes
That is ground shaking news! Scholars read Earthquake in multiple reads to determine the gist, identify cause and effect relationships, and understand vocabulary. Learners complete graphic organizers to describe what happens before and...
Curated OER
Redefining an Earthquake
Ninth graders build an "Earthquake Machine" (a manipulative model of a fault line) and use it to explore stick-slip behavior of some faults and to develop a more accurate definition of an earthquake and its causes.
Curated OER
The New Madrid Earthquakes of 1811-1812: Shaking Our Misconceptions about Earthquakes in United States History
Students Examine how earthquakes work and what plate tectonics and fault lines are. In this earthquake lesson students complete an earthquake scavenger hunt.
Science Matters
Slip Sliding Along
The San Andreas Fault is the largest earthquake-producing fault in California. In the seventh lesson in the 20 part series, pupils create maps of California, focusing on the San Andreas Fault system. The comparison of where California is...
Curated OER
Structure of the Earth
Sixth graders investigate earthquakes and volcanoes. They demonstrate fault lines with a folded piece of paper, conduct an erosion experiment, and construct a volcano using clay, baking soda and vinegar.
Curated OER
Earthquakes- An Introduction
Sixth graders investigate the concepts related to creating an understanding of how earthquakes occur. They participate in a variety of activities that are tied to each other and focus upon the principle of plate tectonics. Then students...
Curated OER
Striking Earthquake!
Students simulate strike slip faults using CEENBoTs. For this earth science lesson, students identify the fault lines and tectonic plates on a world map. They label the different parts of a fault line.
Curated OER
Converging Earthquake!
Students identify the fault lines and tectonic plates on the map. In this earth science activity, students simulate landscape formation using robots. They take a quiz at the end of the activity to demonstrate mastery.
Curated OER
Puzzle of the Plates
Students research tectonic plates and their movement. In this plate instructional activity, students describe the motion of these plates and the boundaries between them. They look into the San Andreas Fault and explore the earthquakes...
Curated OER
Plate Tectonics
For this geology worksheet, students will cut a map of California along the San Andreas fault line to see how California might change in the future. Then students will compare a world map from 50 million years in the future with a...
Curated OER
Earthquake Science Project
Students simulate the Earth's plates moving like an earthquake by using newspaper and soil. For this earthquake lesson plan, students push and pull the newspaper together that has soil on top and observe what happens.
Curated OER
Basin & Range Faulting
Students identify that the crust of the earth is constantly moving and that with the exception of faults accompanied by earthquakes, this rate of movement is far too slow to notice. Then they print a copy of cross-section map A and...
Curated OER
Normal (dip-slip) Earthquake!
Students label the fault lines and tectonic plate boundaries on the world map. In this earth science lesson, students simulate ocean floor formation using CEENboTs. They explain the causes of earthquakes.