Curated OER
A Whole Lot of Shakin' Goin' On!
Pupils gather data about the 1906 and 1989 earthquakes, make comparisons between the two, and determine the factors that influence the amount of shaking that occurs in an area due to an earthquake. They identify that the distance is...
Curated OER
Where Are We?
Students use Cartesian coordinates or degrees of latitude and longitude to locate important locations within their specific countries. They Use a grid to apply the concept of latitude and longitude, or positive and negative Cartesian...
Curated OER
Lesson 3 Activity 1: On the Trail of Knowledge
Students plot the earthquake epicenter data on the base map of the North Atlantic ocean floor using different symbols or colors to characterize different values.
Curated OER
Roots of the Hawaiian Hotspot
High schoolers 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
Curated OER
Follow the Falling Meteorite
Students use triangulation method to locate meteorite landing site on the map. For this earth science lesson, students participate in a meteorite treasure hunt set up by the teacher. They explain how this method is used by scientists to...
Curated OER
Conducting Research
Sixth graders write research reports about trains. They focus on mechanical features of trains.
Curated OER
Follow The Falling Meteorite
Students investigate the supposed traveling path of a meteorite. They use sound in order to triangulate the path. The results of the experiment are written on a map to display the path of the meteorite. The culminating activity is when...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: The 2004 Sumatra Earthquake and Tsunami
Using real seismic recordings from a number of seismic stations, young scholars find the location of the epicenter of the 2004 Sumatra earthquake. They next determine the path of the tsunami triggered by it, and calculate how much lead...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Subduction Zone Earthquakes
For this lesson, students manipulate a model, consisting of templates on a piece of paper and an overlaying transparency, in order to explore the characteristics of subduction zone earthquakes. In the process, they develop an...
National Association of Geoscience Teachers
Nagt.org: A Kinesthetic Demonstration for Locating Earthquake Epicenters
A kinesthetic activity for students to understand the technique for locating the epicenter of an earthquake. It is performed indoors and outdoors in three lessons.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: An Earthquake Lab for Physical Geology
This article from the Journal of Geological Education describes an activity in which young scholars locate the epicenter of several earthquakes, plot the trends of the two faults involved, and determine the sense of motion along the...
Science and Mathematics Initiative for Learning Enhancement (SMILE)
Smile: Earthquake Waves and Their Destructions
Looking for the epicenter of an earthquake and measuring the magnitude of waves are goals for students in this lesson plan for intermediate to middle school students. Students get to analyze the P and S waves.
Purdue University
Purdue University: An S and P Wave Travel Time Simulation
A classroom simulation modeling how earthquake waves travel through Earth at different speeds. A graph is constructed to demonstrate the relationship between the distance and time of travel of seismic waves, and then used to locate the...