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...
Curated OER
USGS Seismometer
A large black-line diagram of a seismometer fills this page. It is not a worksheet, but rather an explanation of how a seismometer works. You could make a transparency of it or display it via a video screen when teaching about seismic...
Curated OER
Earthquakes: Third Grade Lesson Plans and Activities
Introduce third graders to energy waves with a hands-on geology activity, in which they answer questions and compare seismograms in the San Francisco Bay area. After a demonstration that shows how bigger waves indicate a high-intensity...
Artisan Global
QuakeFeed Earthquake Map, Alerts and News
Amateur seismologists explore Earth's earthquakes in real time using a variety of map styles and parameter selections.
Curated OER
Earthquake Alphabet Activity
In this earthquake activity worksheet, students examine 10 earthquake-related terms and then put those terms into alphabetical order.
Curated OER
Earthquakes: Sixth Grade Lesson Plans and Activities
Young seismologists learn more about plate tectonics with a set of pre-lab, lab, and post-lab lessons plans on earthquakes. After exploring how waves travel through various materials, sixth graders record their observations and draw...
Curated OER
Earthquakes: Fifth Grade Lesson Plans and Activities
After learning about P waves and S waves, fifth graders view the intensity of earthquakes by examining seismographs and images of earthquake damage. Young scientists then forecasting future quakes by analyzing data about earthquakes...
Curated OER
The Earth Moves Under My Feet
Students study earthquakes, monitor seismic activity using the Web, and plot real-time activity. They examine movement of the Earth's tectonic plates. They create an earthquake preparedness project.
California Academy of Science
Earthquakes and Tectonic Plates
Here is a comprehensive package in which middle schoolers learn about types of seismic waves, triangulation, and tectonic plate boundaries. Complete vocabulary, colorful maps, and a worksheet are included via links on the webpage. You...
Curated OER
Volcano Tracking
Learners study how to track seismic activity of the Montserrat volcano. They create graphs of the data, study the observation logs that accompany the data, and interpret the graphs in relationship to the logs.
Curated OER
Earthquakes: Second Grade Lesson Plans and Activities
What causes earthquakes? Second graders learn about stresses from plate movement with a set of hands-on activities. After tracing fault lines on a map with yarn, class members create a paper plate model of Earth to show its layers and...
It's About Time
Monitoring Active Volcanoes
The fastest growing volcano in recorded history grew more than 150 meters in less than a week and to more than 424 meters in less than a decade. How do we safely monitor active volcanoes? Young scientists design an instrument to measure...
Scholastic
Study Jams! Earthquakes
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...
Curated OER
Seismic Waves
In this seismic waves activity, students read and study the science of earthquakes using online resources to complete 8 short answer questions.
Nature
Structural Hazards
The scientific explanation of seismic waves is detailed in the introduction. A fictional scenario is also provided for your class to discuss. Pictures and handouts that are meant to be included, however, they are not accessible....
Curated OER
Earthquakes: Fourth Grade Lesson Plans and Activities
Examine earthquake intensities and ways to measure an earthquake through the comparison of the Mercalli and Richter scales. After completing the pre-lab worksheet, fourth graders compare high and low intensity quakes by testing the...
Curated OER
Earthquakes and Seismic Waves
Students explore earthquakes and seismic waves. They investigate how energy is released in the subsurface to create seismic waves. Students explore the inner workings of a seismograph and how they are used to determine the location of an...
Curated OER
Earth Science: In Depth Look at Earthquakes
Students engage in an interactive Internet instructional activity covering the reasons and results of earthquakes. After reading eyewitness accounts and viewing animations, they use seismograms to measure and locate the epicenters. In an...
Curated OER
All Shook Up
Students measure movements in the Earth's crust due to seismic activity. Students calculate the amount of displacement in horizontal and vertical direction due to an earthquake.
Curated OER
Take the Pulse of Your Classroom
Students discuss seismic waves. In this science lesson, students investigate the acceleration of the floor in the classroom similar to a seismograph. Students observe a three-component seismogram from an earthquake and determine what it...
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...
Curated OER
Earthquakes
Learners inspect the causes and effects of earthquakes and examine how seismic waves travel. In this earthquake lesson, students determine where earthquakes happen and why, before determining how to build an earthquake resistant...
Columbus City Schools
Earthly Waves
How did scientists discover what lies beneath the earth's surface? Dig a hole? X-ray vision? Guide your class through the types of seismic waves and how these waves helped shed light on Earth's many layers. The included resources provide...
Curated OER
Seismic Waves
Learners identify the four types of seismic waves, their characteristics and effects. Then they predict the level of damage each wave might cause in a residential area and test their predictions against several computer animations. ...