Predict the Flow Activity Source: NASA and AGI. Adapted with permission for the American Geophysical Union. Ever play with clay? Using a common modeling compound, you can form a “volcano” and examine its topography to predict which way lava will flow down its slopes. You could also investigate mud flows or debris flows. Materials 2 containers of modeling compound or clay Clear plastic bin Dark colored water (make sure that your modeling compound is a contrasting color from your water) Clear clipboard 2 transparencies and transparency marker Safety scissors Dish detergent Baking soda Vinegar Dropper Metric ruler Tiny plastic cup (about 2 oz. [Read More]

Ring of Fire Activity Source: National Park Service. Adapted with permission. A plate boundary is a line on a map that defines the edge of a tectonic plate, usually indicating where one plate meets another. Plate boundaries are further divided by the direction that they are moving relative to one another. When plates are moving towards one another, the point of contact is called a convergent plate boundary. When plates are moving away from each other, it is called a divergent plate boundary. [Read More]

Seismic Calendar Activity Source: Barker, J. (2005) Student-centered experiments with earthquake occurrence data. The Earth Scientist 21(2), 21-23 (Spring 2005) Background This activity allows you to investigate how often earthquakes of various magnitudes happen within a geographic region of your choice. You will use the online resources of the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) to do the investigation. These resources are available at http://www.iris.edu Materials For a group of four: [Read More]

Seismic Mapping Activity Source: The Society of Petroleum Engineers. Adapted with permission. Scientists use seismic technology to map patterns of rock formations below the surface of the Earth. Different types of rocks affect sound waves. Geologists use these sound waves to locate rocks that may contain oil and/or natural gas. You can explore this principle with a tuning fork and various rocks. Gently strike a fork against the rocks. Note variations in sounds produced by different rocks. [Read More]

ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning Activity Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Adapted with permission. Have you ever felt an earthquake? What was it like? Where were you? What did you do? More than 143 million people are exposed to potentially damaging shaking in the United States. When an earthquake happens, seismic waves travel outward in all directions. Primary (P) waves travel faster than secondary (S) waves, which do most damage. But electronic information can be sent faster than P and S waves. [Read More]

Take the Pulse of Your Classroom Activity Source: Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) and Suitable Systems Background Elastic waves that move through the Earth are called seismic waves. Want to study them more closely? SeisMac is a free application that displays the output from the Sudden Motion Sensor in recent Mac laptops as a real-time, three-axis, acceleration graph, or, more commonly, a seismogram. Once your class has received some instruction on seismic waves, the following activity can leverage SeisMac technology to help students understand how a seismometer records ground motions. [Read More]

The Mountain Blows its Top Activity Source: USGS Learning Web Lesson Plans Background A volcano is a vent in the surface of the Earth through which magma and gasses erupt. Volcanic eruptions are among the Earth’s most powerful and destructive forces, but volcanoes are also creative. Volcanoes have also shaped the Earth’s landscape, as many of our mountains, islands, and plains have been built by volcanic eruptions. Mount St. Helens was one of the most powerful volcanic eruptions in recent memory. [Read More]

What Lies Beneath the Upper Crust? Activity Source: JOI Learning, 2006. Adapted with permission. Background Bombarded by Web sites, the evening news, newspapers, and popular magazines, citizen scientists often have to interpret scientific information directly from the media. Sometimes this can be a confusing process. How can you, as a citizen scientist, figure out whether science information you get from the media is reliable? More importantly, how can you find out what the information means for your life and the decisions you make? [Read More]

What’s Down There? Activity Source: SEED (Shlumberger Excellence in Educational Development) with permission. Throughout the Earth’s history, the cycle of erosion and deposition by water and wind has added layer upon layer of rock, soil, and organic material to the surface. Most sedimentary rock is beneath the surface. To learn about sedimentary rock layers that we cannot see, geoscientists drill and bring up core samples of rock layers. Information from core samples, combined with that from other imaging techniques, allows geoscientists to map the depth and thickness of sedimentary rock layers below the surface. [Read More]