STEM for Teachers
Tsunami!
How does the depth of an ocean affect the speed of a tsunami's waves? Use Jell-o, graham crackers, and marshmallows to model the effects of an underwater earthquake and its resulting tsunami. The lesson includes hands-on activities,...
Curated OER
Tsunami
Students explore tsunami through various hands-on activities. For this earth science lesson, students explain how they are formed. They create tsunami and earthquake models in the lab to observe how they are generated.
Columbus City Schools
Totally Tides
Surf's up, big kahunas! How do surfers know when the big waves will appear? They use science! Over the course of five days, dive in to the inner workings of tidal waves and learn to predict sea levels with the moon as your guide.
Curated OER
TE Activity: Survive That Tsunami!
Young scholars examine the causes of tsunamis and observe a table top wave making machine. They make model houses while working in groups so that the can see how different construction types work. They discuss how engineers can design...
Curated OER
TE Lesson: Tsunami Attack!
Learners examine how earthquakes, volcanoes, and landslides can trigger tsunami waves. They determine how engineers use sensors to detect the dangerous wave, and how they help design building that will survive the wave force and water.
Curated OER
Mini-Landslide
Young scholars explore how different materials (sand, gravel, lava rock) with different water contents on different slopes result in landslides of different severity. They measure the severity by how far the landslide debris extends into...
NASA
Hurricanes and Hot Towers with TRMM
Take cover because a wild presentation on hurricanes is about to make landfall in your classroom! An outstanding PowerPoint presentation is the centerpiece of this lesson. Not only does it provide information and photographs, but several...
Curated OER
Earthquake Experiments
Students discuss the effects of earthquakes. For this earth science lesson, students create earthquake models and earthquake-proof buildings. They construct their own seismograph.
Curated OER
Slush Rush
Young scholars navigate software to help students understand the benefits of computer models. In this computer models activity, young scholars use computer inquiry tools to record simulated events and how they affect objects such...
Curated OER
Ocean Planet: Sea Secrets
Students identify ocean features and draw a profile using data points on a map. Through discussion and research, they discover the importance of oceanography and plot a profile of the ocean floor in search for a vessel full of precious...
Curated OER
Hazards: Fifth Grade Lesson Plans and Activities
After comparing earthquake and volcanic hazards to one another, fifth graders take a closer look at damage associated with a volcanic eruption. They then create a simulation of mudslides due to a volcanic eruption. Using different...
Curated OER
Puzzle of the Plates
Students research tectonic plates and their movement. In this plate lesson plan, students describe the motion of these plates and the boundaries between them. They look into the San Andreas Fault and explore the earthquakes associated to...
Curated OER
Earthquakes
Students 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...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Survive That Tsunami!
Students use a table-top-sized tsunami generator to observe the formation and devastation of a tsunami. They see how a tsunami moves across the ocean and what happens when it reaches the continental shelf. Students make villages of model...
Columbia University
Scientific Background on the Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami
This site features information and related links that can be used by students and scientists to understand the events that led to the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.