Volcanoes like this one often cause earthquakes after or in the wake of an eruption.
Earthquakes have many facts and a long history to base activities around for teaching students. The movement of the earth's crust over the mantle, called plate tectonics, causes earthquakes when pressure buildup and friction release in violent forces rising to the surface, moving the land under our feet. The awesome power, frequency and potential violence of earthquakes makes them intriguing for students and teachers alike.
Coloring Pages
The U.S. Geological Survey offers many free drawings about earthquakes, their history, nature and science for teachers to use in the classroom. These drawings are made to be colored. Through this activity, the students learn about an interesting aspect of earthquake study, such as a map of the plates of the earth, a hazard map that shows the frequencies of earthquakes in different regions of the United States, and an image of the first seismograph, which was used by the ancient Chinese.
Plate Tectonics Vocabulary
The Quia website offers a free concentration game for vocabulary about plate tectonics. The game reviews terms and definitions about plate tectonics, an integral concept for understanding earthquakes. Some terms include asthenosphere, subduction zone and the Himalayan Mountain Range, the tallest mountains in the world that have created massive collisions of plates.
Word Search
The Association of Bay Area Governments in and around San Fransisco Bay created a number of activities to teach kids be safe during an earthquake. One of these is a word search for terms related to emergency supplies that you should have in case of an earthquake. These supplies include a blanket, radio, water and food. Another word search relates to earthquakes themselves, with terms like magnitude, waves, shaking and fault.
Tags: plate tectonics, about plate, about plate tectonics
