EARTHQUAKES AND VOLCANOES

LESSON PLANS

This page archived in August 2008

1. Be a seismologist, at VIRTUAL EARTHQUAKE - this is quite a long activity, and will take about 45 minutes or so to work through and needs some reasonable numeracy skills. It is perhaps for top sets only (good with GCSE and AS groups too) - do a search as the URL changes around quite often.

2. Here's a VOLCANO DIAGRAM. Print it off, and try to add labels. I also use a POP UP volcano from the Geog Dot series Teacher guide. Students like to see it popping up when they open their book, assuming they have

3. Lesson here on the eruption of MOUNT SAINT HELENS.  More on the eruption HERE too.

4. There is an excellent set of materials and resources at the JESEI site. This is the Joint Earth Science Education Initiative, launched at the annual meeting of the Association for Science Education. There are materials from a whole range of organisations. The details of various Earth Science areas are listed on the site. Recommended.

Some of the materials are listed below (check them out on the JESEI site...)

Carbon Cycle

Weathering: Limestone

The Earth's Crust: thinner than you think

Earthquakes & Plate Tectonics

Formation of Sedimentary , Metamorphic and Igneous Rocks

Weathering of Gravestones: an Investigation (Excellent!)

and many more....

5. Prepare an (illustrated) list of the items that people who live in earthquake prone countries or areas should have in an easily accessible place in their home so that they can get to it quickly in case an emergency occurs. An EARTHQUAKE KIT: here are some suggestions for possible contents:

Torch and batteries

Battery operated radio (I have one of the wind-up radios with solar panels which are excellent - no need for any batteries)

First Aid kit and basic handbook

Medication

Wrenches for shutting off necessary utilities

Water

Canned food and CAN OPENER

Sturdy shoes and gloves and spare clothes

Emergency phone numbers

Money etc....

6. An extension of the above.

Have each person come up with a product they think should be in an emergency kit in the case of an earthquake, or hand them an illustrated card with the item on it - obviously include some items which you would not normally expect to be there e.g. a Barbie video (or something...)

Each person has a few minutes to prepare a reason why their item should be part of the kit - a little like a 'balloon debate' - and the best ones are chosen to go into the kit.

For a comprehensive list of items which could be included in a SURVIVAL KIT FOR 4 PEOPLE, visit the HOFS HOME SAFETY site - see the SIDE BANNER for plenty more advice.

7. NOT ACTUALLY A LESSON PLAN BUT A SUGGESTION.

When you start the work on TECTONIC PLATES, it is often said that they move at the same rate as your fingernails grow, so in the first lesson make sure that they are nice and short and show them to the kids...

Then don't cut them for the duration of the series of lessons on plates: maybe 2 or 3 weeks. By the end of the first week or so you'll be able to show them that actually they are growing. You can't see them growing, but given enough time, there is some movement....

Of course I do this every time, and my nails are now 6 inches long....

8. TOKYO EARTHQUAKE PROTECTION ADVICE MANUAL

Download it HERE (88 pages) - bilingual - some useful advice and images. Students could add their own captions perhaps.

9. JUICY GEOGRAPHY SHAKER MAKER

Head over to JUICY GEOGRAPHY to see Noel Jenkins' guide to building a device to simulate earthquakes. One for DIY fans.

10. An e-mail I was sent recently. As Keith Barrett would say, it's "just a bit of fun"

DISASTER IN ******** - AN APPEAL FOR YOUR HELP

>A major earthquake measuring 8.5 on the Richter scale, hit in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Epicentre, ********, Yorkshire, England. News of the disaster was swiftly carried abroad by the towns 35,000 racing pigeons as victims were seen wandering around aimlessly muttering "choofinnorah".

The earthquake decimated the town causing £30 worth of damage. Several priceless collections of mementos from the Balearic Isles and the Spanish Costa's were damaged beyond repair. Three areas of historical burnt out cars were disturbed. Many locals were woken well before their Giro arrived. Radio ******** reported that hundreds of residents were confused and bewildered, still trying to come to terms with the fact that something interesting had happened in ********. One resident, 15 year old mother-of-three, Tracey Sharon Braithwaite, said "It was such a shock my little Chardonnay Madonna came running into my bedroom crying. The twins, Tyler-Morgan and Megan-Storm slept through it all. I was still shaking when I was watching Kilroy the next morning".

Locals were determined not to be bowed as looting, muggings and car crime carried on as normal. So far, whilst the British Red Cross has managed to ship 4000 crates of Sunny Delight to the areas to relieve the suffering of stricken locals, rescue workers searching through the rubble have found large quantities of personal belongings including benefit books, jewellery from Elizabeth Duke at Argos and bone china from Poundstretcher.

CAN YOU HELP?

Please respond generously to our appeal for food and clothing for the victims of this disaster. Clothing is needed most of all - especially -

Burberry or Fila baseball caps

Kappa tracksuit tops (his or hers)

Shell suits (female)

White sports socks

Any product sold at Primark

Culturally sensitive food parcels are harder to put together, but your efforts will make a difference. Microwave meals, tinned beans, ice cream and cans of Colt 45 or Special Brew are ideal. Please so not give anything that needs peeling.

REMEMBER

22p buys a biro for filling in compensation claims

£2 buys chips, crisps and a blue fizzy drink for a family of 9

£5 will pay for a packet of B & H and a lighter to calm a child's nerves

URGENTLY REQUIRED

Tinned whippet food

Bones for Jack Russells

Please do not send tents for shelter. The sight of such posh housing will cause discontent in the surrounding Yorkshire communities.

Could you do a similar spoof account for your own town or village. With the aid of software, you could also create a spoof website...

11. THE STRUCTURE OF THE EARTH.

An updated version of a worksheet produced some time ago by former colleague Adrian Francis. Word document.

12. TURKEY EARTHQUAKE ASSIGNMENT for Year 9 pupils.. Various documents. Thanks to Miss Davidson.

13. Mount PINATUBO, Philippines

15th June 1991 was 'Black Saturday' as the volcano erupted.

My Year 9 groups produced a collaged strato-volcano (composite cone) using sugar paper. They also suggested some of the weblinks below:

www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/mshnvm/education/teachers-corner/library/documents/other-pinatubo-lahars.pdf

14. VOLCANO COVER LESSON

This lesson was added in January 2007 as I was away for a lesson with 2 Year 9 groups and had a chance for a room change into an ICT lesson. It's not particularly inspired, but has potential...

15. CASE STUDY HAZARDS GRID

For organising your notes. Thanks to Mr. Bilbie for this. (Word Document) - more to come soon hopefully...

RETURN TO TECTONIC HAZARDS