The Effects of Earthquakes

Overview

  • This lesson helps students learn about where earthquakes of varying intensities commonly occur and the destruction they can cause.

Estimated Time

  • 45 minutes.

Materials

  • Blank print-outs of maps for the USA and the world
  • Computers, or one central computer the whole class can see
  • Coloring supplies (colored pencils, crayons, markers)
  • Earthquakes in Hawaii Worksheet

Objectives

  • Students will learn about local, national, and global seismicity.
  • Students will learn about the destructive powers of earthquakes.

National Standards Addressed

Math (Presented by National Council of Teachers of Mathematics in 2000)
Geometry
  • Specify locations and describe spatial relationships using coordinate geometry and other representational systems
Data Analysis and Probability
  • Develop and evaluate inferences and predictions that are based on data
Connections
  • Recognize and apply mathematics in contexts outside of mathematics
Representations
  • Use representations to model and interpret physical, social, and mathematical phenomena
Science (Presented by National Research Council in 1996)
Physical Science
  • Structure of the earth system
Natural Hazards
  • Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
Technology (Presented by the International Society for Technology in Education in 1998)
Social, ethical, and human issues
  • Students understand the ethical, cultural, and societal issues related to technology
Technology productivity tools
  • Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity
Technology research tools
  • Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources.

Engagement Activity (optional)

Have students close their eyes and rest their heads on their desks. Tell students you’re going to hit the floor a number of times and have each of them count how many times you hit the floor. Using a shoe covered in a towel (so it won’t make noise), walk around the room and hit certain parts of the floor, sometimes softly, sometimes with great force. Keep track of how many times you pound the floor. Have students open their eyes. As a class, create a tally of how many times students thought you hit the floor. There should be a discrepancy between the number of times you hit the floor and the student responses. Ask students how many have ever felt an earthquake? Explain that even though students may not have felt an earthquake, they may have experienced one.

Instructional Plan

  • Inform students that every day there are hundreds of earthquakes in the United States - some of which we can’t feel.
  • Hand out maps of the USA and the world, and arrange students into groups of 3-4 (depending on computer availability).
  • Have groups of students go to USGS- Earthquakes
    • To access the maps, students should click on one of the maps.
    • Size of boxes indicates magnitude of the earthquake.
    • Size of boxes indicates magnitude of the earthquake.
    • Colors vary from the world map to the map of the USA.
  • Students should shade each of their maps to show frequency of earthquakes using the data shown in the maps.
  • In their groups, students will research the earthquake that occurred in Hawaii in 2006.
  • Hand out worksheets labeled Earthquakes in Hawaii.
  • In their groups, students will follow the exploration through a few websites relating to the earthquake, and answer questions about the earthquake, based on the information provided on the websites.
  • After answering the questions as a group, students will work individually to write a news report on the earthquake. Creativity is encouraged.

Sustaining, Concluding, or Extending Activities (optional)

Concluding:

  • After answering the questions as a group, students will work individually to write a news report on the earthquake. Creativity is encouraged.
  • The reports should be between 2-3 minutes.
  • At the conclusion, ask students if there was any information provided by another classmate that they had not thought about.

Extending:

  • Have students search the internet more to find other stories, photos, and information related to the earthquake.

Evaluation and Assessment

Students will be able to:

  • Describe how earthquakes affect people.
  • Describe how earthquakes affect the earth.

E-Resources, Print Materials, and Hands-on Activities

  • USGS earthquake data from the last 2 weeks.
  • USGS information on the October 2006 Hawaii Earthquake.
  • Census data for Hawaii.
  • USA Today article about October 2006 Hawaii Earthquake.
  • USGS information on the October 2006 Hawaii Earthquake.
  • Blank print-out of the USA.
  • Blank print-out of the World (click on world, then continents).