Download Earth`s Amplifiers Exercise

UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENT AMPLIFIERS
Earth’s Natural Amplifiers
Grade Level: 3-12
Content Focus:
Science TEKS: Sec. 112.36 (c, 8, a) “in all fields of science, analyze, evaluate, and critique scientific
explanations by using empirical evidence, logical reasoning, and experimental and observational testing,
including examining all sides of scientific evidence of those scientific explanations, so as to encourage
critical thinking by the student”
Time: 2 Hours
Set Up: 15 minutes for the computer URL’s to be displayed; alternately, internet images may be printed
and ready for use on a document projector
Materials: Worksheets, a colored crayon/marker/pencil; Teacher Copy of journal articles describing major
earthquakes which have occurred in Oklahoma, Peru and Italy, and any damages which resulted from the
ground shaking.
Key Vocabulary: The teacher and students will identify and discuss key vocabulary including: earthquake,
fault, seismic catalog, magnitude, sedimentary rocks, igneous rocks, metamorphic rocks. amplifiers
Teacher Background Information
<insert teacher’s or textbook’s specific background on subject >
Explore
TEACHER: will prepare students for discussion by explaining how earthquakes are created (faults) and
what earthquake catalogs are listed or mapped. The teacher will also describe the tree different types of
rocks found on Earth: sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic (see http://geology.com/rocks/)
1. Review the Earth Rock and Minerals poster
2. Shows the current global seismic map at “ds.iris.edu/seismon”
STUDENTS are asked to identify where earthquakes are occurring in the last 30 days
“ds.iris.edu/seismon” with respect to plate tectonic boundaries, mountains, islands, ocean trenches.
ACTIVITY
Students will identify earthquakes with similarities and where they occur:
a. Earthquake’s with similar magnitudes – the circles will be similar in radius
b. Where the majority of the earthquakes occur
Authored by K. Fink
Copyright by Texas Educational Seismic Project ©
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Engage
TEACHER: There are many earthquake’s which occur around the world.
STUDENTS:
1. Where are earthquakes occurring?
2. How does the picture show us how large an earthquake magnitude is? Are there more small
magnitude earthquakes OR more large earthquakes? See “iris.edu.seismon”
3. Compare big earthquakes in Peru (igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks), Italy (igneous
and sedimentary rocks), and areas of Oklahoma (sedimentary rocks).
STUDENTS: Students will use their markers to identify areas where earthquakes happen on their
worksheet. They will mark where the earthquakes are occurring (1) very frequently AND (2) large
earthquakes have occurred.
Explain
TEACHER: teaches students about the three different types of rocks which make up the geologic
materials of the Earth.
STUDENTS:
1. Re-focus: What types of rocks can be found in Japan? California? Mexico? HINT: look for
mountains, volcanos and trenches on the Global Plate Tectonic Map (Attachment D).
2. Which location(s) earthquakes do you think the ground motion might be large enough to cause
damages and human losses?
ACTIVITY: Students, labeled “listeners” will (1) choose a metal, ceramic, plastic or Styrofoam cup,
(2) kneel down on the floor and place the cup upside down on the floor in front of their knees, and (3)
hold it in with their fingers while placing their ear on the top of the cup.
Two different students will jump about 2-feet in front of the “listeners”. The “listeners” will report to the
rest of the class if they were able to hear and/or feel the jumps using their cups. The class will make
notations on a chart with the results.
The process will then repeat at a further distance of 4 feet away from the listeners, then 6 feet away,
and continue until the listeners can no longer feel or hear the simulated earthquake of the jumpers.
The class will continue to record the observations of every scenario.
Next, the activity will be repeated for each different cup material: ceramic, plastic or Styrofoam. The
class will finish a total of 4 tables, one for each cup.
1. Class discussion will compare what happened during the experiment of jumping “close” or” far” to
the “listeners” – which cup could “feel” the earthquake the farthest away from the listeners?
Which cup had the hardest time hearing/feeling earthquakes?
2. Class discussion will focus on any patterns, if any, are observed?
The teacher will introduce the concept of an amplifier and its role in changing the loudness and additional
motion in an earthquake.
Authored by K. Fink
Copyright by Texas Educational Seismic Project ©
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Elaborate
TEACHER: The definition of an amplifier will be used in context with explaining the difference in
sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks. Different geology will be discussed at the three preselected sites. What type of rocks are predominantly found at each location? Do you think the types of
rocks at a location affect how loud you could feel it?
STUDENTS: Students will rank each cup - #1-#4, on how effective the cup was at transmitting, or
amplifying, the jumping. Which amplifier (cup) allowed the students to feel/hear the earthquake the
longest distance away? What about the cup which had the shortest distance to not hearing/feeling the
earthquake?
.
Evaluate
Review written observations in summary tables – correctness is more valued than completeness. The
goal is to teach children to Observe! Think! Question! Hypothesize! Did the children make the link and
association between the strongest amplifier and where large or shallow earthquakes occur?
What other areas are noted for having many earthquake’s? what role do the geologic amplifiers
have on the amount of damages in that area? If time allows, the teacher cam show different
photographs of damages which earthquakes have caused across the world (Attachments A, B, C,
D,E)
Attachment A: Oklahoma Damages
Attachment B: Peru Damages
Attachment C: Italy Damages
Attachment D: Global Plate Tectonic Map
Attachment E: Observations’ Table
Authored by K. Fink
Copyright by Texas Educational Seismic Project ©
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ATTACHMENT A
Oklahoma, September 16, 2016, Magnitude 5.8
Photo courtesy of NBC
Photo courtesy of PBS
Authored by K. Fink
Copyright by Texas Educational Seismic Project ©
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ATTACHMENT B
Lima, Peru; September 15, 2016, Magnitude 5.8
Photo courtesy of AGENCIA ANDINA / EPA
Authored by K. Fink
Copyright by Texas Educational Seismic Project ©
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ATTACHMENT C
Italy, August 24, 2016, Magnitude 5.8
Photo Credit: Roberto Salomone/European Pressphoto Agency
Authored by K. Fink
Copyright by Texas Educational Seismic Project ©
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ATTACHMENT D
Global Plate Tectonic Map
Authored by K. Fink
Copyright by Texas Educational Seismic Project ©
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ATTACMENT E: OBSERVATIONS‘ TABLE
Which cup is a better amplifier?
CUP 1
CUP 2
CUP 3
CUP 4
2 Steps
Away
4 Steps
Away
6 Steps
Away
8 Steps
Away
Authored by K. Fink
Copyright by Texas Educational Seismic Project ©
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