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
Wattsville and Mercalli Booklet
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...
Curated OER
Volcanoes
Third graders study the concept of plate tectonics. In the process they embark in research and construction of a volcano. They complete a web quest while assessing how to research, give oral reports, and create a product.
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Earthquakes and Volcanoes
Students explore plate tectonics, earthquake faults, and the types of volcanoes.
Science Matters
Earthquake Waves: Wave Notes
A multi-part lesson opens with a review of p waves and s waves. Then scholars use a simple s wave simulator to view the way the wave travels. Next, pupils use cups and various fluids to simulate p waves moving through different mediums....
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Volcano! Is That a Volcano on Your Plate?
Students investigate where volcanos come from. In this volcano lesson, students watch videos do Internet research and participate in experiments to discover the cause of volcanos.
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Slinky Lab- Simulating the Motion of Earthquake Waves
Sixth graders simulate primary and secondary waves. In this earthquakes waves lesson, 6th graders experiment using a slinky to gain understanding of how waves are created during an earthquake. Students record observations in drawings....
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Volcano's Deadly Warning
Students view a video clip on volcanoes. They work together to discover the concept of sine waves. They plot points on a chart and connect them to create the complex wave. They answer questions to complete the lesson.
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The Volcano Factory
Learners examine the process of tectonic plates and why the Mariana Arc is active with volcanoes. They create a model of the Mariana Arc out of clay.
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Volcano!-Is That a Volcano on Your Plate?
Students explore how and where volcanoes form. They also explore how the interactions between oceanic and continental crust create volcanoes and other mountains and earthquakes in a simulation activity using cardboard of two thicknesses.
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Recent Earthquakes and Volcanic Eruptions
Students study the recent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. In this recent earthquakes lesson students complete an activity while working in groups.
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Hazards: Kindergarten Lesson Plans and Activities
The last unit in the series allows kindergarteners to see the dangers and hazards associated with each of the natural disasters learned so far in the series—earthquakes and volcanoes. They listen to sounds associated with the disasters.
Science Matters
Richter Scale
The 12th instructional activity 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...
Science Matters
Finding the Epicenter
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....
Science Matters
Slip Sliding Along
The San Andreas Fault is the largest earthquake-producing fault in California. In the seventh lesson in the 20 part series, pupils create maps of California, focusing on the San Andreas Fault system. The comparison of where California is...
Science Matters
Wave Watching
Seismologists use the direction and arrival times of p waves and s waves to determine the distance to the source of an earthquake. The engaging lesson has students line up to form human waves. Through different movements when attached,...
Curated OER
Earth Forces
Students use geological techniques such as plate tectonics, mountain building, earthquakes, and volcanoes, in order to explain the earth.
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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...
Curated OER
Building for the Big One
Students build and test structures that can best withstand earthquakes. They create their structures from playdough, cornstarch, grape-nuts and popsicle sticks and place their structures on a "shake table."
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Forces of Nature: Ring of Fire
Third graders will research the Ring of Fire and be able to share their findings with their partner. They will also demonstrate volcanic eruptions using a baking soda and vinegar volcano model. Then they will discover how continental...
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Rock My World
Students conduct a hands-on experiment designed to demonstrate how continents and oceans formed and why the manner of formation is relevant to a study of volcanoes.
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Surfing for Earthquakes and Volcanoes
Students search the Internet for data pertaining to the world's volcanic and seismic activity.
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Plate Tectonics
Students use lecture, maps and video to analyze the distribution of earthquakes and volcanoes. They relate this distribution to the theory of plate tectonics and conduct several experiments to illustrate the forces at work in this theory.
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Plate Tectonic - Volcanoes (1)
Students learn the different shapes of Volcanoes and discuss why volcanoes only have a few shapes.