Chapter 7 - Earthquakes

Schedule a class visit:

If youd like for your class to receive a visit from the United States Geological
Survey, you can reach out to the scientist, Dr. Erin Burkett, listed below. She offers a
choice of one large group but no interactivity or smaller groups with more interactive
materials. It is recommended that this be offered towards the end of the chapter so that
the students are able to ask educated questions and better understand the technical
terminology.
Dr. Erin Burkett
Staff Scientist
SAFRR Project: Science Application for Risk Reduction
Natural Hazards Mission Area
U.S. Geological Survey
https://profile.usgs.gov/eburkett
626-720-9939 (mobile)
626-583-7226 (office)
525 S. Wilson Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91106
eburkett@usgs.gov

Section 2: Earthquake Measurement

Activity 1: After reading page 239 Finding an Earthquake Epicenter, direct students to the website:
http://www.sciencecourseware.com/virtualearthquake/vquakeexecute.html to practice using triangulation
to find the epicenter of an earthquake.
1. Teacher should practice the activity before giving to students.
2. Give students 5-10 minutes to independently read the first page, stopping at the point where they
are asked to choose a location to generate an earthquake.
3. Working with shoulder partner, choose an earthquake location and continue along the simulation.
Try not to help. Rather, ask students to re-read the directions if they are confused. Often they
are in a hurry to get to the activity and do not read thoroughly.
4. The activity will give the students feedback as to how successful they were finding the epicenter.
If time allows, ask students to try again if they are not close enough.

Possible Assessments:
A. Quick check: 100% if they accurately find the epicenter. Smaller percentages depending on how
far away they calculate.
B. Have students write a summary explaining how to find an epicenter using triangulation. Text
vocabulary words must be accurately used: triangulation, P-wave, S-wave, epicenter,
seismometer.

Activity 2:
Read and discuss pages 240-241: Earthquake Magnitude and Intensity.
1. Print the following document:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/teachers/Mag_vs_Int_Pkg.pdf
2. Cut out and distribute individual earthquake narrative experiences. Give each
student a narrative.
3. Pass out one map to each table of 4-6 students.
4. Have each student read their personal narrative and discuss the level of intensity
with group. Color the zip code of the narrative on the groups map to show level
of intensity.
5. Exchange narratives with a different table to fill in more zip codes.
6. Discuss with group why the intensity is different but the magnitude is the same.
7. Summarize in class discussion the difference between magnitude and intensity.
Assessment: Have students write a quick paragraph explaining the definition of
magnitude and intensity, explaining why intensity if variable but magnitude is not.

Section 3: Earthquakes and Society; Earthquake Resistant Building

Technology
1. Read and discuss pages 244-247

2. Follow directions in experiment:

https://www.teachengineering.org/activities/view/earthquake_city
3. After discussing the skyscrapers, ask students to apply vocabulary from page
247. Do any of the blocks behave like a mass damper or base isolator? Why?
4. Have shoulder partners draw and label a picture of the skyscraper that stayed
erect the longest.
Sample: