Lesson Plan

Richter Scale

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This Richter Scale lesson plan also includes:

The 12th lesson plan in a series of 20 opens with a demonstration of exponential functions using pasta. This concept is connected to the Richter Scale, which is also an exponential function. Scholars compare the exponential scale that measures earthquakes with exponential time in order to understand the magnitude difference between each number.

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CCSS: Adaptable
Additional Tags
Instructional Ideas
  • Show a graph of the exponential function
  • Try to align the Richter Scale with the Mercalli Scale from the previous lesson
Classroom Considerations
  • Requires prior knowledge of units of time (seconds, minutes, hours) and conversion factors
Pros
  • Provides cross-curricular connections to science and math
  • Connects smoothly from the previous lesson on measuring earthquakes
Cons
  • None