Curated OER
Hazards: Fourth Grade Lesson Plans and Activities
Learn about damage associated with earthquakes and materials that best withstand a quake. A lab engages class members in the experimental design and construction of sturdy structures that can endure various earthquake intensities. Groups...
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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.
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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.
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Finding Epicenters 1
In this finding epicenters worksheet, students complete a table given the "P" and "S" wave arrival times of 6 different earthquakes. Students calculate the difference in arrival time of the waves, the distance to the epicenter, the "P"...
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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...
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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...
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Hazards: Fifth Grade Lesson Plans and Activities
After comparing earthquake and volcanic hazards to one another, fifth graders take a closer look at damage associated with a volcanic eruption. They then create a simulation of mudslides due to a volcanic eruption. Using different...
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...
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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.
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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.
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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Earthquake Power
For this earthquakes worksheet, students learn about the measurements of earthquakes on the Richter scale. They answer six questions about the magnitudes and sizes of earthquakes using two tables of data about earthquakes and the Richter...
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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.
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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.
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Tomography
In this tomography instructional activity, students read about how tomography is used to help oceanographers learn more about the Earth's surface below the ocean. Students complete 3 short answer questions based on the reading.
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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...
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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.
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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.
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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
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Let the Sunshine in
Students collect and analyze data to study wavelengths of visible light. They cover Styrofoam cups with three different colors of sun filtering products and shine a lamp directly on the cups. They determine the most effective filtering...