Earthquakes: Causes and effects

This is a lesson plan designed to stimulate student interest in the forces of nature. The lessons culminate in a hands-on learning experience about earthquakes.

A lesson plan for grade 6 Science

By Tom Weakland

Learn more

• Understanding Earthquakes an earthquake quiz and firsthand accounts of earthquakes from history
• World-Wide Earthquake Locator shows the most recent quakes from all around the world
• Museum of Life and Science information on visits and exhibitions

Related pages

• Evaluate forces: Earthquakes: This lesson for grade six will help students to gain an understanding of geological processes including plate tectonics, faulting, and earthquakes. Students will explore careers related to earthquake analysis, measurement, and disaster management.
• Building a stratovolcano: Students will review the three types of volcanoes. Students will construct a stratovolcano and determine the composition of each type of volcano. Students will research examples of stratovolcanoes using internet resources.
• Minerals and math: Students will develop ways to create self-devised rules for classifying minerals and relate this information to scientific ways of classifying minerals according to their characteristics. They will then compile this information into a chart and convert parts of the chart into a line or bar graph.

Related topics

• Learn more about earthquakes, geology, hands-on, plate movement, and science.

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

• Define key concepts and terms associated with earthquakes.
• Recognize the cause and effect relationships present in nature.
• Make predictions and hypotheses.
• Recognize the value of historical scientific information.
• Build a model.
• Enjoy a hands-on learning experience.
• Use computers as tools for accessing information.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

2 hours

Materials/resources

Materials for each student:

• one eleven-by-eight-inch piece of cardboard (cut in half)
• one larger piece of cardboard to serve as platform (for transport)
• scissors
• four cups of dirt
• water to mix with dirt
• several small twigs
• earthquake research sheet/assessment

Technology resources

• computer with internet access

Pre-activities

• Discussion of various natural disasters around the globe.
• Discuss with students what they already know about earthquakes and determine what they want to learn more about.
• Visit seismograph at the North Carolina Museum of Life and Science.

Activities

1. Create a student generated list of vocabulary terms.
2. Provide opportunities for students to define vocabulary and/or teacher defines unfamiliar terms.
3. If possible, take students outdoors to collect dirt and twigs. Otherwise, pass out materials to students.
4. Mix dirt and water to form mud. Spread mud over two pieces of cardboard lying side by side (placed on top of larger piece of cardboard to make transport possible). Form a landscape, valleys and hills. Place twigs to represent trees.
5. Let dry overnight.
6. Review of vocabulary terms.
7. Conduct class discussion of predictions and hypotheses, “What will happen to the models when simulated earthquake or tremors occur?” Include concepts of building and landscape changes and safety.
8. Divide class into groups. Assign one group to simulate vertical plate movement and the other to simulate horizontal plate movement. During their simulated earthquakes individual students can be assigned different numbers of plate movements to make, as well as differing amounts of force to apply to their plate movements.
9. Facilitate class discussion. Students report observed differences and similarities in plate movement damage. Discuss the importance of historical scientific knowledge and implications for changes in building design and safety planning.
10. Students visit relevant earthquake-related websites to answer earthquake questions.

Assessment

• oral answers/predictions/inferences from class discussions of vocabulary and key concepts
• observations of individual student participation in model activity
• completion of earthquake questions/research

Supplemental information

Comments

The North Carolina Museum of Life and Science is located at 433 Murray Avenue between Duke Street and Roxboro Road in Durham. Phone number: 919-220-5429. Call ahead to make reservations for student groups.