Final Project: Lesson Plan

Module X: Final Project






Lesson Plan: Earthquakes

Overview

In this lesson, students will learn about the geology that makes earthquakes happen. Because we live in one of the most active earthquake areas on the planet, Alaskan students will benefit from a better understanding of this phenomenon. Through various digital resources and activities, students will explore the earth’s basic structure and how it is responsible for the ‘earth’s quaking’.

Objectives

• Identify the main layers of the Earth
• Understand that Earth’s crust is made up of tectonic plates
• Understand that earthquakes happen when the plates move
• Tie to Alaska geology

Grade Level: 2-4

Suggested Time:
Four class periods

Multimedia Resources
Teacher’s Domain (free)
Discovery Learning (site license needed)
Various websites

Materials
• Computer with Internet access
• Projector compatible with a computer
• Hard-boiled egg
• Layers of the Earth worksheet (download from HaveFunTeaching.com)
• Colored pencils and crayons
• Ingredients for gelatin earthquake


The Lesson

Part I

1. Begin with a KWL chart or discussion of what students know or want to know about earthquakes. Accept all answers and record on a wall chart or the computer.
2. Tell students they will watch a short video and when it is finished, they will try to answer the question:

• Why do earthquakes happen?

Show the Earthquakes: Our Restless Planet, Part 1, Discovery Learning Streaming Video. Collect their thoughts on the question. Add any new comments to the wall chart. (will need license to view)


Part 2

1. Let’s examine the Earth. Explain that the Earth is made up of 4 main layers, the inner core, the outer core, the gelatinous mantle and the crust. Use Geology for Kids to provide illustrations as you go through each layer. Explain that earthquakes have a lot to do with the crust and the mantle.
2. Pass out the worksheet and review each layer as you color.

Part 3
1. Start by showing the kids a hard-boiled egg. Tell them it represents the Earth.
Gently roll the egg between your hands to crack the shell. Do it in such a way that you will be able to use the shell segments to illustrate tectonic plates.
2. Introduce the idea of Earth’s tectonic plates. Show the TD video, Plate Tectonics:
An Introduction. This video is an engaging motion picture of plate movement. It vividly illustrates Earth’s plates.
3. Color and label the 7 main plates. (Depending on your grade level, this may be done whole group or as an independent activity.) Identify the plate that Alaska is situated.

3. Use Google Maps/Google Earth to explore these boundaries visually. Discussion.
Question. Exploration.

Part 4

1. Introduce the idea of plate movement by showing the TD interactive source, Tec-
tonic Plates, Earthquakes, and Volcanoes.

2. Further explore the movement by viewing Discovery Learning video, Earthquakes: Our Restless Planet. The segments in this video can be broken down into smaller lessons. The full video takes you through the entire process of moving plates to cracks in the crust to damage of buildings.
3. Phun Physics
Plate Movement Model

Make a pan of gelatin according to the directions. Steps 1-3.
(4) Cut some of the plastic wrap in half and lay the two halves on the counter so that they're touching each other.
(5) Take your pan out of the fridge, and warm it up a little bit from below so that the gelatin will come out. Don't heat it too much. Just so that it comes out.
(6) Slide the gelatin out of the pan and onto the plastic wrap so that each side of the split wrap gets half the gelatin mix.
(7) Using a knife, cut the gelatin slab along the same cut in the plastic wrap.
(8) This is the actual demonstration part! Slide the two chunks of gelatin past each other (with slight pressure between them. The chunks of gelatin will act like Earth's plates. When they slide past each other, you will see an earthquake form along the "fault," and see little seismic waves jiggle the gelatin.

OR Google plate tectonic models to find a variety of ideas.

Part 4

1. Now it is time to tie this to Alaska. Watch the TD video, 1964 Alaska Earthquake.
Discuss. Other pertinent videos from TD would be Tectonic Plate Movement in Alaska and Alaska Tsunami.
2. Revisit the wall chart and add or delete to the student provided information.
3. If a computer lab is available, students can independently explore earthquakes at
the USGS site for kids on Earthquakes.



***Brainpop and Brainpop, Jr. are also excellent digital resources. The format uses animated images to explain and illustrate a variety of subjects. Both require individual or site licenses.