Science Matters
Seismic Activity and California Landforms
By the 19th lesson in the 20-part series, scholars realize volcanoes and earthquakes are related to plate boundaries. The lesson extends and applies the knowledge by having individuals create a bumper sticker for one specific area of...
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Volcanoes, Earthquakes, and Tsunamis
Middle schoolers work in groups to research a tsunami, earthquake, or volcano. They use the internet to find information, and create a presentation. Each presentation should include a definition of their phenomenon, an illustration,...
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Plate Tectonic Cycle
Students explore the Earth's movements by completing worksheets. In this plate tectonics lesson, students define such natural disasters as volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis and mudslides and discuss their connections to plate tectonics....
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Friendly Volcanoes
Students discuss the benefits of volcanic activity on marine life. They explain the process of tectonic plates.
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Let Me Tell You About...
Students comprehend the differences between flat maps and relief or topographical maps. They recognize how forces such as earthquakes, volcanoes, water, and wind-as well as human actions--have altered the Earth's surface. Students work...
Science Matters
Ring of Fire
Over a period of 35 years, earthquakes and volcanoes combined only accounted for 1.5 percent of the deaths from natural disasters in the United States. The 15th lesson in a 20-part series connects the locations of earthquakes and...
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 lesson in the 20-part series introduces earthquakes and fault lines. Scholars map where previous...
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
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...
Curated OER
Volcanic Activity in the U.S.
Students locate and map ten volcanoes in United States, create chart comparing volcanoes by last eruption, type of volcano, location, and interesting fact, and create Powerpoint slide show describing basic
information about volcanoes and...
Curated OER
Plate Tectonic - Volcanoes Post Lab
First graders draw an erupting volcano. They learn the components of an erupting volcano.
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Plate Tectonic - Volcanoes Pre Lab
Second graders draw and compare parts of volcano. They investigate parts of a volcano and distinguish between magma and lava.
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Volcano Lesson Plans
Volcano and earthquake lessons can provide a great way to link science instruction to current events.
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Earth Forces
Learners use geological techniques such as plate tectonics, mountain building, earthquakes, and volcanoes, in order to explain the earth.
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Earth Movers
Students read an online article about an earthquake and follow up with a series of discussion questions about earthquakes. They answer questions in their science journals about continental drift, plate tetonics, and their influence on...
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My Friend, The Volcano
Young scholars describe the positive impacts of volcanic activity on marine ecosystems. In this volcano lesson plan students explore the process that causes volcanic activity along the Mariana and Kermadec Island Arcs.
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The Changing Earth
Learners explore the Earth's crust. In this earth science lesson, students participate in 2 activities that demonstrate physical and chemical weathering. Learners also play Jeopardy with topics including volcanoes, earthquakes,...
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Volcanoes!
Middle schoolers study the Mount St. Helens eruption and how it occurred. In this experimental lesson students complete a lab that shows the eruption of Mount St. Helens.
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Quiz on Earthquakes
In this earthquakes worksheet, students complete an on-line quiz, choosing questions and matching answers. Students score 1 point for each correct answer; a printed version is available.
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What's Shaking?
In this Earth movements worksheet, students compare and contrast earthquakes and volcanoes. Students write a short essay about the similarities and differences and then complete 4 matching questions.
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Plate Patterns
Students read about a volcano and use the latitude and longitude information to plot and describe the volcano on the map. They discuss patterns seen on the map. In addition, they color code a map according to zones, plates, etc.
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Plate Tectonics: Movin' and Shakin'
Students are introduced to the causes of plate movements and the hazards they present. They plot the location of 50 earthquakes and 50 volcanic eruptions on a map and explore the relationships between plate tectonics, earthquakes, and...
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Disaters!
Students read a fiction and nonfiction accounts about different types of disasters. The class uses iChat AV and iSight camera to interview students in a different part of the country about natural or manmade disasters in their area....
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Geologist
In this geologist instructional activity, students identify and collect five geologic specimens that have important uses, giving an example of each. Also, they create a drawing that shows the cause of a volcano, a geyser, or an...