Lesson Planet
Search educational resources
  • Sign In Try It Free
  • AI Teacher Tools
    • Discover Resources Search reviewed educational resources by keyword, subject, grade, type, and more
    • Curriculum Manager (My Content) Manage saved and uploaded resources and folders To Access the Curriculum Manager Sign In or Join Now
    • Browse Resource Directory Browse educational resources by subject and topic
    • Curriculum Calendar Explore curriculum resources by date
    • Lesson Planning Articles Timely and inspiring teaching ideas that you can apply in your classroom
    • Our Story
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Testimonials
    • Contact Us
  • Pricing
  • School Access
    • Your school or district can sign up for Lesson Planet — with no cost to teachers
      Learn More
  • Sign In
  • Try It Free

Hi, what do you want to do?

Create a lesson plan
Create a lesson plan
Generate resources with 80+ AI teacher tools
Generate resources with 80+ AI teacher tools
Search 200,000 instructional videos
Search 200,000 instructional videos
Find a teaching resource
Find a teaching resource
Finding the Epicenter Lesson PlanFinding the Epicenter Lesson Plan
Publisher
Science Matters
Resource Details
Curator Rating
Educator Rating
Not yet Rated
Grade
6th
Subjects
Science
2 more...
Resource Type
Lesson Plans
Audience
For Teacher Use
Duration
1 hr
Instructional Strategies
Direct Instruction
1 more...
Technology
Calculator
Usage Permissions
Fine Print: Educational Use
Lesson Plan

Finding the Epicenter

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet
This Finding the Epicenter lesson plan also includes:
  • Introduction and Conceptual Flow Narrative
  • Grade Six Planning Guide
  • Conceptual Flow Graphic
  • Activity
  • Worksheet
  • Map
  • Join to access all included materials

The epicenter is the point on the ground above the initial point of rupture. The 10th lesson in a series of 20 encourages scholars to learn to triangulate the epicenter of an earthquake based on the arrival times of p waves and s waves. The teacher walks through the process step by step in order to facilitate mastery.

22 Views 19 Downloads
CCSS: Adaptable

Concepts

earthquakes, epicenters, compasses, map scales, p waves, s waves, seismic waves

Additional Tags

science

Instructional Ideas

  • View recent earthquakes throughout the world https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/

Classroom Considerations

  • It would be helpful if students have prior experience with using a compass to measure and draw a circle
  • Some of the questions required on the conclusion worksheet were not covered in the lesson as written, but they should be answered in all standard text books

Pros

  • Uses a 5E lesson format to provide familiarity throughout the series
  • Includes cross-curricular connections to math and science

Cons

  • Finding the Epicenter worksheet is fuzzy and difficult to read

Common Core

RST.6-8.4

See similar resources:

Activity

Teacher's Guide to Science Projects

Chemical Education Foundation
Do you find the idea of having a science fair with all of your students intimidating? Use a guide that provides everything you need to know to make project-based learning manageable. The resource includes options for four...
6th - 12th Career & Technical Education
CCSS: Adaptable
Lesson Plan

Earthquake Preparedness

Science Matters
Forty-five states and territories in the USA are at moderate to very high risk of earthquakes. The discussion-based lesson covers what to do before, during, and after an earthquake. The 14th lesson in the series includes how to...
6th Science
Assessment

Earthquakes and Volcanoes Pre-Assessment

Science Matters
See how much your class knows about earthquakes and volcanic activity and how these events shape geologic features. The first lesson in the series of 20 is a pre-test to find out what pupils already know. It includes 10 vocabulary...
6th Science
Lesson Plan

Wattsville and Mercalli Booklet

Science Matters
There has been an earthquake! Can you listen to the description of damage given by callers in order to determine the epicenter? The 11th of 20 lessons has pupils read a script of one emergency caller. The class records the information on...
6th Science
CCSS: Adaptable
Worksheet

Metric Conversion: Stair-Step Method

Northwest High School Science
Elevate young scientists' skills with unit conversion using the stair-step method. Detailed instructions and a neat stair-step diagram are on the first page. Four pages of practice problems follow, mostly with real-world applications....
6th - 12th Math
Interactive

Study Jams! Earthquakes

Scholastic
Have a seismic moment with your class as you show this animated video on earthquakes. Viewers find that quakes occur on faults and are caused by shifting of continental plates. They learn what properties are studied by seismologists and...
4 mins 5th - 9th Science
Interactive

Earthquakes and Volcanoes

PBS
Earth's surface constantly changes thanks to a variety of geological forces; in fact, Australia currently moves faster than GPS technology. Scholars connect the idea of continental drift to earthquakes and volcanoes with the help of an...
6th - 8th Science
Website

Earthquakes Tremors From Below

American Museum of Natural History
Earthquakes are really no one's fault. A thorough lesson explains the different types of earthquakes how they happen. Learners interact with the online lesson to simulate earthquakes and examine their results. The lesson is appropriate...
6th - 12th Science
eBook

CK-12 Earth Science Concepts for Middle School

CK-12 Foundation
Explore a variety of science concepts in an interactive textbook created for middle school scholars. A lengthy table of contents takes readers to pages comprised of a subject overview, outline, and summary. Follow links further to find...
6th - 8th Science
Activity

Earthquakes Living Lab: The Theory of Plate Tectonics

Teach Engineering
Find out if your class agrees with Ice Age: Continental Drift ... or if it's just a fun family movie! Class members research the theory of continental drift, examine evidence of plate tectonics, connect...
6th - 8th Science
Try It Free
© 1999-2026 Learning Explorer, Inc.
Teacher Lesson Plans, Worksheets and Resources

Sign up for the Lesson Planet Monthly Newsletter

Open Educational Resources (OER)

  • Health
  • Language Arts
  • Languages
  • Math
  • Physical Education
  • Science
  • Social Studies
  • Special Education
  • Visual and Performing Arts
View All Lesson Plans

Discover Resources

  • Our Review Process
  • How it Works
  • How to Search
  • Create a Collection

Manage Curriculum

  • Edit a Collection
  • Assign to Students
  • Manage My Content
Contact Us Site Map Privacy Policy Terms of Use