Are We On Solid Ground?

Unit Description before LInC

Summary Scenario Student Pages Rubric Index of Projects

Subject: Science

Learner Outcomes:

  1. Students will define earthquakes, locate Earth’s earthquake belts on a map, contrast three different types of forces associated with earthquakes, and differentiate between faults and fractures.
  2. Students will differentiate between focus and epicenter, define earthquake intensity and describe the scales (Richter and Mercalli) used to measure earthquake damage. They will also recognize that awareness is the key to earthquake safety. Students will use a tuning fork to demonstrate how a seismograph records vibrations. Students will also define magnitude as the energy released at the focus of an earthquake and describe how it is determined.
  3. Students will differentiate between P-, S-, and L-waves, explain how earthquake waves provide information about the earth’s interior, and describe the current model of Earth’s interior using a drawing.
  1. Students will make a seismic-risk map of the US, study the occurrence of earthquakes in the US, and determine which area is earthquake prone.
  2. Students will compute the distance of five different seismograph stations from a strong earthquake and use this information to compute the location of the epicenter of an earthquake.

Student Task: Students took notes, viewed demonstrations and video, as well as participated in class discussions. Students participated in pen-pencil activities on seismic risk and locating an epicenter using printed data from lab manual.

Teacher Role: The teacher presented information in the form of lecture and video. Demonstrations of wave types were presented with a slinky. Seismograph waves were demonstrated through the use of a tuning fork with a straight pin taped to the end and held over a piece of wax paper. Fault types were demonstrated though the use of cardboard models. Questions from the text were assigned to students and checked by the teacher.

Grouping: Whole group instruction for lecture, video and demonstrations. Small groups (2-3 students) for seismic risk and locating epicenter activities.

Hook: Earthquake video, news clippings from current earthquakes

Student-Directed Learning: none

Use of Technology: none

Assessment: Written test