What needs to be covered?
The national curriculum states that students must "understand, thought the use of place-based exemplars at a variety of scales, the key processes in: physical geography relating to ....plate tectonics".
What are Earthquakes
Tectonic hazards are hazards to humans that arise from plate movement. Plate movement can cause earthquakes.
Earthquakes
What are earthquakes and why do they occur
Earthquakes are sudden movements of the plates due to plate tectonic movement.
Earthquakes are sudden movements of the plates due to plate tectonic movement.
The image above shows what happens when two plates move.
Earthquakes are usually caused when rock underground suddenly breaks along a fault. This sudden release of energy causes the seismic waves that make the ground shake. When two plates are rubbing against each other, they stick a little. They don't just slide smoothly; the rocks catch on each other. The rocks are still pushing against each other, but not moving. After a while, the rocks break because of all the pressure that's built up. When the rocks break, the earthquake occurs.
The spot underground where the rock breaks is called the focus of the earthquake.
The place right above the focus (on top of the ground) is called the epicenter of the earthquake.
(http://www.geo.mtu.edu/UPSeis/why.html)
Earthquakes are usually caused when rock underground suddenly breaks along a fault. This sudden release of energy causes the seismic waves that make the ground shake. When two plates are rubbing against each other, they stick a little. They don't just slide smoothly; the rocks catch on each other. The rocks are still pushing against each other, but not moving. After a while, the rocks break because of all the pressure that's built up. When the rocks break, the earthquake occurs.
The spot underground where the rock breaks is called the focus of the earthquake.
The place right above the focus (on top of the ground) is called the epicenter of the earthquake.
(http://www.geo.mtu.edu/UPSeis/why.html)
Pedagogical /teaching ideas
- Produce a news report on an earthquake present it to the group
- Mind video - this is where students place their heads on the table and shut their eyes while the teacher reads a 'story' and the students have to visualize what is happening. They then draw the image that comes to them at the end of the story and discuss with their partner. (See document 3)
- Role play - each person in a group has a character e.g.farmer , government official and they have to debate with the others over why people should or should not live near a fault line
- Have an image of the aftermath of a earthquake and as them to put the 5 W's around it - Where, What, Who, When and How. This gets students to think about the image and how it might relate to the lesson. (see document 2)
- Case study - tables or room carousel. This is where information is dotted around the room and students have to go around the room in pairs or groups to find out information ( usually answering questions they have already been given)
- Find a documentary on an earthquake and give students a notes page ( see document 1)
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