Are We On Solid Ground?
Student Pages
Hook:
You have just listened to an earthquake survivor
tell about their experience during an earthquake. It is hard for
us to imagine what living through one is like. You can visit the
following site(s) to get some idea:
Charleston
Earthquake
Natural
Hazards Slides Vol. 1 - Earthquakes - General Topics: Main Menu
Natural
Hazards Slides Vol. 2 - Earthquake Events: Main Menu
Photographs from
the San Francisco earthquake
Earthquake Images
- see photos of damage caused by earthquakes
Listening to Earthquakes
- (USGS) Introduction and plug-ins Listen
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Task:
Your task is to design an earthquake awareness product.
This product will be in a format that you decide on - video, web page,
brochure, etc. You and your teacher will decide which of your class
members will comprise your research team.
What will earthquake awareness product contain?
-
An explanation of earthquakes, how and why they occur,
with additional information the public might find useful in understanding
these forces.
-
Guidelines for earthquake preparedness on several levels:
personal, community (i.e. building codes) land-use, including agriculture,
and emergency management.
You will market your product towards a community that
you predict may soon have an earthquake. Be prepared to justify your
choice of area.
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Activities:
Completion
of these activities will help you obtain the information needed to complete
the task of designing an earthquake preparedness product.
-
Each member of the research team will contact an earthquake
survivor by e-mail. Use the list of prepared questions from
the
group
brainstorming to interview the survivor. As a team decide
how best to share this information with the class during the weekly group
summary.
-
Each member of research team needs to understand the
basics of how and why earthquakes occur. Download a copy of The
Basics and locate resources within the classroom (Internet,
text and reference books, newspapers, periodicals, videos, laser discs)
that will help you. Turn in completed activity sheet to your teacher.
-
Can earthquakes be predicted? Research earthquake predictions
and how accurate the prediction was. Contact an expert and find out what
scientists currently say about earthquake prediction. Can we somehow contribute
to the science of earthquake prediction? If so, determine how and then
develop a plan for implementation. As a team decide how best to share this
information with the class during the weekly group summary.
-
Part of your task is to determine what areas are most
likely to have an earthquake and are not prepared. As a research
team, complete the activity Seismic
Risk to determine which areas are at the most risk.
-
Now that you have an idea of where seismic activity
is likely to occur, decide as a research team which communities you will
contact. Develop a plan on how to determine if the community is prepared.
This should be e-mailed to each team member and your teacher. Upon teacher
approval, each member should then contact at least two different
communities using the same overall plan. Log your contacts and responses
in your journal. Be prepared to share your findings during the weekly group
summary.
-
Earthquake preparedness occurs on several levels: personal,
community (i.e. building codes), land-use, including agriculture, and emergency
management. Use classroom resources to determine guidelines for each level.
Keep in mind the comments you received from earthquake survivors. Record
guidelines in your journal along with the correct bibliographic
citation for the source.
-
You are now ready to prepare the earthquake awareness
product. Your group has already selected the type of format. If you need
help, you may visit the tutorials pertaining to the project and/or ask
your teacher for help.
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Starting Points
USGS
- Hazards Program - Stuff for Kids - These web pages were created especially
for students. They contain information about earth structure, earthquakes,
plate tectonics, and earthquake preparedness.
Federal Emergency
Management Agency - government agency for disasters
South
Carolina Geological Survey - State agency with earthquake information
specifically for SC
Ask a Geologist (SC)
(USA)
Savage
Earth Restless Planet - PBS series that explores the "explosive tics
and fiery spasms of our not so "terra firma.""
Earthquake
Shake - TheTech online museum exhibit
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On-Line Tutorials:
Microsoft PowerPoint Tutorial
On-line tutorial for PowerPoint 97
Web Page Creation--Frontpage
2000
On-line tutorial for Frontpage 2000
Web Page Design Tips
PowerPoint Show on Web Page Design
Video Tutorials
Learn how to edit, take screen shots, etc.
Creating
a Pamphlet in Word
Shows how to create a pamphlet in Word 97
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Graphics:
www.fema.gov/kids/
www.thetech.org
Created for the Fermilab
LInC program sponsored by Fermi National
Accelerator Laboratory Education
Office and Friends of
Fermilab, and funded by United States
Department of Energy, Illinois
State Board of Education, North Central
Regional Technology in Education Consortium which is operated by North
Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL), and the National
Science Foundation.
Author(s): Starr Bright, Theresa
Owens, Lu Anne Smith
School: Branchville High School, Orangeburg, SC
Created: March 21, 2001 - Updated: April 10, 2001
URL: /lincon/w01/projects/earthquakes/student2.html