Lesson Plan

Tsunami!

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

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, online portals, and group discussion for kids to truly grasp the concept of plate tectonics in several days of group experiments.

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Additional Tags
Instructional Ideas
  • Use with your unit on natural disasters or plate tectonics
  • Have kids come up with their own models for earthquakes or tsunamis
Pros
  • Provides both formative and summative assessments
  • Creative and engaging for all levels of science learners
  • Includes links to literature connections, extensions for engineering, resources for investigating and researching tsunamis, and 12 pages of printable lab sheets
Cons
  • None