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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's Crackin' Under New Zealand

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students construct a model of the Earth using clay and oranges. In this earth science lesson, students explain the causes of earthquakes and volcanic activity. They write their findings in their science journal.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth's Plate Tectonics

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students identify the different layers of the Earth. In this earth science lesson plan, students create a model of the crusts and continents. They explain how plates movement cause earthquakes and volcanoes.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plate Tectonics: Recycling the Seafloor

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Young scholars classify earth's layers and plates using Ocean Seismicity data. In this plate tectonics lesson, students outline where the plate boundaries are on the world map. They then compare these predicted boundaries with USGS map...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

The President Wants YOU!

For Students 5th - 8th
In this earthquakes worksheet, students answer short answer questions about earthquakes to provide information to the President. Students complete 8 questions.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Towers

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders study the different methods to build a shake table.  In this earthquake lesson students build their own shake table and experiment with their own structure design. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Model of Three Faults

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students investigate faults. In this science lesson, students explore the many stresses and strains in the earth's layers and research the types of faults in their state.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

World's Most Powerful Explosions

For Students 9th - 12th
In this explosions worksheet, students review some of the most powerful explosions that have taken place around the world throughout history. This worksheet has 17 short answer questions.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Destruction by Earthquakes

For Students 7th - 12th
In this earthquakes learning exercise, students review terms associated with earthquakes such as Richter scale, seismographs, and the Moho scale. This learning exercise has 10 fill in the blank questions.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Earth's Crust in Motion

For Students 5th - 8th
In this Earth's crust worksheet, students will review the different ways the crust is moving including soil erosion and earthquakes. Students will complete 6 word scramble/fill in the blank, 3 multiple choice, and 11 short answer questions.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Active Faulting in Idaho

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students use CAD maps to explore active faults in Idaho. Through observation of maps, they explore the layers of the Quaternary and Holocene faults. Individually, or in groups, they identify characteristics of faults such as scarps,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Borah Peak Earthquake

For Teachers 7th - 12th
students use the internet, an atlas map, and other sources to explore a map of Idaho. They locate the Lost River Range and Mt. Borah. Students read the atlas map to locate earthquake faults, find the magnitude, fault, and epicenter of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Geology of Connecticut

For Teachers 8th - 9th
Students examine the geology of Connecticut, including plate tectonics, glaciation, and fossil formation. After reviewing past lessons, they write essays about what life may have been like in the Mesozoic Period. Following a field...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earthquakes!

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students experiment with the concept of earthquakes while completing a lab with marshmallows, toothpicks, modeling clay and firm Jell-O and rectangular pan. They explore what kind of soil earthquakes do the most damage in and how...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earthquake Shake Table

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Students build an earthquake shake table. They design and build the table and test their completed structures using sandbags.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The BIG One

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students observe an earthquake demonstration. They research an earthquake and use color dots to plot the location of each of their earthquakes on the large map.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Whole Lot of Shakin' Goin' On!

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students 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...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Shake, Rattle and Erupt

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students study myths regarding four earthquakes myths. They receive a list of supplies each family should have at home to prepare for an earthquake and construct an "Earthquake Preparation" poster showing some of the most important items...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earthquakes and Seismic Waves

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students investigate the Richter scale and seismology in a teacher-led lab in which they are introduced to the concept of seismic waves and epicenter location. They further investigate the inner workings of a seismograph and practice...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earthquake Introduction

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students investigate basic principles and properties of earthquakes, including vocabulary, causes, and types of faults. They examine history of seismic activity in their home state, and complete "Locating Patterns of Distribution" lab.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Erosion in Different Soils [Erosion Races]

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders review how erosion can happen by wind, water, and gravity which they studied in previous lesson. They attempt to discover if all soils erode at the same rate. In small groups, 4th graders experiment with three different...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Musical Plates

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders engage in a study of the plates and how they are part of the formation of the ever changing landscape of planet earth. They access web sites that have applications for observation and conducting different activities. The...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Solid Earth Socratic Questions

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students participate in a whole class discussion to relate what they know about earthquakes to the processes of plate tectonics. They respond to prompts that lead them to conclusions about the layers of the earth.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earthquakes of the World

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students observe data of earthquakes with a magnitude of 7 or greater on the Richter scale from 1900-1989. The data is evaluated and assumptions are made about the interpretation.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Looking into Earth with GIS

For Teachers Higher Ed
Students work with data from a seismic wave model in a freely available GIS (geographic information system) program, ArcVoyager SE. Using a GIS, they examine maps and produce graphs to explore variations in seismic wave velocities at...