Curated OER
Earthquakes and Seismic Waves
Students investigate the Richter scale and seismology in a teacher-led lab in which they are introduced to the concept of seismic waves and epicenter location. They further investigate the inner workings of a seismograph and practice...
Curated OER
Name That Tune
Students complete a fingerprint oil lab in order to simulate how geologists use the oil and natural gas in rocks to hear sound waves that signify there are oil in those rocks. In this rocks lesson plan, students learn that the rock...
Curated OER
Energy Motion in the Ocean
Students explore the wave energy that is generated and transferred in the ocean. Through the use video and the Internet, students explore the aspects of a wave and how its energy affects the ecology of the seashore.
Curated OER
Making Waves: A Study of Earthquakes and Tsunami
Students examine plate tectonics and the causative effect of earthquakes. In this tectonics lesson students differentiate between the types of energy waves that cause earthquakes and tsunamis and how waves travel at different speeds.
Curated OER
Can You SEA Walls?
Learners explore how wave energy that is generated and transferred in the ocean. They explore the aspects of a wave and how its energy affects the ecology of the seashore. Students engage in an activity that uses the nature of science...
Curated OER
Seeing Sound & Sonar
Students make inferences based on different sounds that they hear. In this inferences lesson plan, students will hear sounds of different objects and describe the sounds based on what they hear. They will answer various questions about...
Curated OER
Keep on Standing!!
Students construct an earthquake simulator and create building models to test. For 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 use it...
Curated OER
Wave Types and Characteristics
Ninth graders identify the different parts of a wave. In this physics instructional activity, 9th graders observe wave behavior as it travels through a boundary. They determine the relationship between wavelength, frequency and velocity.
Curated OER
The Science of Tsunamis: Seeking Understanding in the Wake of Tragedy
Students use Internet research, articles, discussion and models to explore the dynamics of a tsunami. They focus on the 2004 Asian Tsunami and create posters illustrating their understanding of this phenomenon.
Curated OER
Looking into Earth with GIS
Students work with data from a seismic wave model in a freely available GIS (geographic information system) program, ArcVoyager SE. Using a GIS, they examine maps and produce graphs to explore variations in seismic wave velocities at...
Curated OER
Survival Still
Lead your class to construct a solar still on campus to demonstrate how water can be extracted from the soil. The power of solar energy is emphasized, as is the concept of how capillary water can be recovered and purified by using a...
California Academy of Science
What Kind of Geologist Am I?
Transform your class into young geologists as they learn about six different branches of geology. Using the included geology career descriptions and picture cards, learners work in small groups deciding which tools and locations fit...
Curated OER
Incorporating 3D Visualizations into Your Classroom
Students make observations through 3-D visualizations. They explore scientific and geologic processes through the use of 3-D pictures.
Curated OER
Locate-a-quake
Student, use seismic readings of the same earthquake from three recording stations and locate the epicenter of an earthquake on a map.
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...
Curated OER
Electromagnetic Spectrum
Students define electromagnetic radiation, list major categories and uses of electromagnetic waves, identify potential health risks with electromagnetic waves, and demonstrate understanding of Plank's constant by solving quantitative...
Curated OER
Virtual Earthquake
Students visit a website that features online interactive geology and biology simulations. They observe and estimate the amplitude of the largest wave and transfer the information to a nomogram. Based on the nomogram students will...
Curated OER
Circles
Tenth graders explore and define the radius and diameter of a circle. In this geometry lesson, 10th graders calculate the circumference and area of a circle using real world objects and shapes. They discuss chords and lines tangent to a...
Curated OER
Seeing Sound and Sonar
Students grasp how underwater animals can "see" using sound waves. They practice making inferences, and build a conceptual understanding of sonar radar.
Curated OER
Hazards: Kindergarten Lesson Plans and Activities
The last unit in the series allows kindergarteners to see the dangers and hazards associated with each of the natural disasters learned so far in the series—earthquakes and volcanoes. They listen to sounds associated with the disasters.
Curated OER
Earthquake on the Playground
Students investigate earthquakes by examining chart data. In this disasters lesson, students identify the waves that are recorded when an earthquake arises by reading sample graphs in class. Students participate in an earthquake...
Curated OER
Seismology in the Classroom
Students work together to use a sample seismograph. They role play the position of an engineering firm that is to analyze the machine. They discover how engineers develop new machines to take measurements.
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
Roots of the Hawaiian Hotspot
Students explain the processes of plate tectonics and volcanism that resulted in the formation of the Hawaiian Islands. They describe, compare, and contrast S waves and P waves. They explain how