Download Task 3 - Earthquakes and Tsunamis

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The following instructional plan is part of a GaDOE collection of Unit Frameworks, Performance Tasks, examples of Student
Work, and Teacher Commentary. Many more GaDOE approved instructional plans are available by using the Search Standards
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Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Earth Science – 6th Grade
Subject Area: Earth Science/ Earthquakes and Tsunamis
Standards (Content and Characteristics):
S6E5. Students will investigate the scientific view of how the Earth’s surface is formed.
e. Recognize that lithospheric plates constantly move and cause major geological events
on the Earth’s surface.
f. Explain the effects of physical processes (plate tectonics, erosion, deposition, volcanic
eruption, gravity) on geological features including oceans (composition, currents, and tides).
S6CS6. Students will communicate scientific ideas and activities clearly.
c. Organize scientific information using appropriate tables, charts, and graphs, and
identify relationships they reveal.
S6CS10. Students will enhance reading in all curriculum areas by:
c. Building vocabulary knowledge
Demonstrate an understanding of contextual vocabulary in various subjects.
Use content vocabulary in writing and speaking.
Explore understanding of new words found in subject area texts.
d. Establishing context
Explore life experiences related to subject area content.
Discuss in both writing and speaking how certain words are subject area related.
Determine strategies for finding content and contextual meaning for unknown words.
Enduring Understanding:
Some changes in the Earth’s surface are abrupt (such as earthquakes) while other changes
happen very slowly (such as deposition, weathering and erosion)
Earthquakes occur along plate boundaries and are a result of tectonic plate movement.
Tsunamis are most commonly the result of earthquakes associated with movement of oceanic
crust.
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Natural Disasters  6th Grade  Earthquakes and Tsunamis
July, 2008  Page 1 of 7
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Earth Science – 6th Grade
Essential Questions:
Why do earthquakes occur?
Why do tsunamis not commonly occur on the east coast of the United States?
Are natural disasters random or evenly dispersed?
ADMINISTRATION PROCEDURES
Outcome /
Performance
Expectations:
Students will be able to locate earthquake danger zones.
Students will be able to associate earthquake occurrence with tsunami formation.
Students will demonstrate knowledge of the causes of earthquakes.
General
Teacher
Instructions:
Teacher Background Information:
EARTHQUAKES: Most earthquakes happen near the boundaries of tectonic plates,
where the plates either spread apart or grind together. Along plate boundaries, the
Earth’s lithosphere fractures along faults. As plates move, blocks of crust shift along
the faults. There are various kinds of faults. The San Andreas is a "strike-slip" fault.
Along this fault, the plates slide past each other. The other major family of faults is
called "dip-slip" faults where blocks of crust either push together or pull apart
causing one block to slide either up or down a sloped fault plane. Stress builds up in
fault zones when crustal blocks stick together causing the rocks on either side of the
fault to store the building stresses until the rocks move suddenly along the fault,
releasing the stresses. This causes seismic waves to move into the surrounding rock.
Seismic energy travels through the crust in the form of waves. There are two basic
kinds of seismic waves: body waves and surface waves. Body waves travel outward
in all directions, including downward, from the quake's focus. Surface waves are
only found in the upper layers of crust and travel like ripples on the surface of water.
Surface waves are slower than body waves. Following an earthquake, the body
waves strike first. The fastest kinds are the primary waves, or P-waves. Then the
secondary, or S-waves, arrive. Finally, the surface waves strike.
TSUNMANIS: Tsunamis are ocean waves caused by large earthquakes and
landslides that occur near or under the ocean in oceanic crust. Tsunami waves are
unlike typical ocean waves generated by wind, storms, or tides. They do not "break"
like the curling, wind-generated waves. Even "small" tsunamis (for example, 6 feet in
height) are associated with extremely strong currents, capable of knocking someone
off their feet. Tsunami waves can persist for many hours. As with many natural
phenomena, tsunamis can range in size from micro-tsunamis detectable only by
sensitive instruments on the ocean floor to mega-tsunamis that can affect the
coastlines of entire oceans, as with the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004.
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Natural Disasters  6th Grade  Earthquakes and Tsunamis
July, 2008  Page 2 of 7
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Earth Science – 6th Grade
Teacher Demonstration:
Teacher will show video on Earthquakes from http://gpb.unitedstreaming.com or
http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/search/assetDetail.cfm?guidAssetID=E
819C802-A01E-44AB-B7FE-854C06678BDE . This video contains information
about earthquake formation, measurement, and prediction. There is also a
section about how to build more earthquake-proof structures.
Materials
Needed:
Safety
Precautions:
Task with
Student
Directions:
Resources:
Teacher Demonstration: Computer with internet access, television for viewing
United Streaming video.
Student Task: Computer with internet access, Earthquakes and Tsunamis
Webquest Handout (see end of Task Template), physical outline map of the
United States
None
1.) Students may visit http://www.weatherwizkids.com/earthquake1.htm to
read about causes of earthquakes, types of faults, plate tectonics,
earthquake measurement, and tsunami formation.
2.) Students use
http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Glossary/PlateTectonics/Maps/map_quakes_vol
canoes_plates.html to complete a worksheet found at
http://www.cdli.ca/CITE/earth_quakes_4.PDF about the location of
earthquakes and their relation to tectonic plate boundaries.
3.) Students will create of map of historical Tsunami activity in the United
States using the following physical outline map
http://www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/pdf/usphys.pdf . Information may be
gathered from
http://map.ngdc.noaa.gov/website/seg/hazards_pacific/viewer.htm by
checking “All Tsunami Runups” on the menu to the right of the page.
http://gpb.unitedstreaming.com
http://www.cdli.ca/CITE/earthquakes_activity.htm#Introduction
http://www.weatherwizkids.com/earthquake1.htm
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/geology/anim1.html
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/savageearth/animations/tsunami/
http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Glossary/PlateTectonics/Maps/map_quakes_volcanoes
_plates.html
http://www.cdli.ca/CITE/earth_quakes_4.PDF
http://map.ngdc.noaa.gov/website/seg/hazards_pacific/viewer.htm
http://www.thirteen.org/savageearth/earthquakes/index.html
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Natural Disasters  6th Grade  Earthquakes and Tsunamis
July, 2008  Page 3 of 7
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Earth Science – 6th Grade
Homework /
Extension:
Students can conduct internet research on earthquake safety including research on
engineering of earthquake-proof structures.
Students can conduct internet research on the geographical and financial impact
of historical tsunamis.
Students can conduct internet research on U.S. tsunamis.
Students can create a map of earthquake activity in the southeastern region of the
United States within the previous month.
Students can create an earthquake safety booklet.
Students can create a tsunami safety booklet.
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Natural Disasters  6th Grade  Earthquakes and Tsunamis
July, 2008  Page 4 of 7
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Earth Science – 6th Grade
Earthquakes and Tsunamis Webquest Handout
Use the following website to learn about Earthquakes and Tsunamis:
http://www.weatherwizkids.com/earthquake1.htm
Earthquakes:
1. What is an earthquake?
2. According to the map, what type of tectonic plate boundary is along the west coast of the
United States? Be careful; there is more than one type there.
3. Follow the directions where it says, “Click Here” to see an animation of an earthquake.
a. What is the name for the underground starting point of an earthquake?
b. What are the two types of body waves produced by an earthquake?
c. Which type of body wave travels faster?
d. Which type of body wave cannot travel through liquid?
4. What is a fault?
5. What is the main difference between a dip-slip fault and a strike-slip fault?
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Natural Disasters  6th Grade  Earthquakes and Tsunamis
July, 2008  Page 5 of 7
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Earth Science – 6th Grade
6. What is plate tectonics? Be sure to refresh the page to see the animation of how scientists
think the continents have drifted over Earth’s history.
7. When an earthquake occurs, what is it that causes the damage?
8. What should you do if an earthquake strikes your area?
Tsunamis:
9. How are tsunamis different from tidal waves?
10. Follow the directions where it says, “Click Here” to see an animation of an earthquake
and resulting tsunami.
a. What is a subduction zone?
b. What causes a tsunami to form?
c. How fast do tsunamis travel in deep water?
d. What happens to a tsunami when it approaches the shore?
e. List all the reasons tsunamis are difficult to predict.
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Natural Disasters  6th Grade  Earthquakes and Tsunamis
July, 2008  Page 6 of 7
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved
One Stop Shop For Educators
Georgia Performance Standards Framework for Earth Science – 6th Grade
11. Look back at the map of Tectonic Plate Boundary Types. If tsunamis occur as a result of
earthquakes under the ocean floor, on the coast of which ocean would a tsunami most
likely make landfall? Remember, they most often occur at subduction zones where two
plates are compressing together.
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Natural Disasters  6th Grade  Earthquakes and Tsunamis
July, 2008  Page 7 of 7
Copyright 2007 © All Rights Reserved