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
Seismic Waves
Students identify the four types of seismic waves, their characteristics and effects. Then they predict the level of damage each wave might cause in a residential area and test their predictions against several computer animations. ...
California Academy of Science
Earthquakes and Tectonic Plates
Here is a comprehensive package in which middle schoolers learn about types of seismic waves, triangulation, and tectonic plate boundaries. Complete vocabulary, colorful maps, and a worksheet are included via links on the webpage. You...
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...
Curated OER
Seismic waves
Students discover the differences between P- and S-waves using a slinky. They see that when displacement occurs along a fault, the built up strain of energy is released in the form of seismic waves.
LABScI
Acoustics: The Sound Lab
If the delay between a sound and its echo is less than 1/10th of a second, the human ear can’t distinguish it. Through the use of a Slinky, rubber band guitar, and straws, scholars explore where sound comes from and how it travels....
Curated OER
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....
Curated OER
Keep on Standing!!
Students construct an earthquake simulator and create building models to test. In this earthquake lesson, students use the Internet and a slinky to demonstrate P and S waves. They construct an earthquake simulator as a class and use it...
Curated OER
Wave Types and Characteristics
Ninth graders identify the different parts of a wave. In this physics lesson, 9th graders observe wave behavior as it travels through a boundary. They determine the relationship between wavelength, frequency and velocity.
Curated OER
Locate-a-quake
Student, use seismic readings of the same earthquake from three recording stations and locate the epicenter of an earthquake on a map.
Curated OER
Motions
Ninth graders differentiate between energy waves transmitted from a quarry or mine as opposed to energy waves transmitted by an earthquake. They analyze seismograms of blast events from at least two quarries or mines. The energy waves...
American Geosciences Institute
American Geosciences Institute: Earth Science Week: Modeling Earthquake Waves
Students model earthquake waves with a slinky toy.