Introduction
Earthquakes are one of the most feared natural disasters, primarily because of all the destruction they cause. However, unlike hurricanes that can be predicted and give time for preparation, earthquakes are still hard to predict. Although some gains have been made, warning times are still in the seconds, not giving much time to prepare.
You will work in groups of 3 students to explore what earthquakes are, the different causes of an earthquake, and how they are measured and the degree of destruction they cause based on the Richter scale The end product will be a narrated powerpoint presentation (powerpoint) that includes images and videos. You will also use google docs to aid in collaboration. There 3 tasks to be performed are (1) understanding and explaining what an earthquakes is, (2) understanding and explaining the different causes of an earthquake, and (3) understanding, explaining and applying the Richter scale to describe the degree of destruction caused by earthquakes. All these areas must be presented in the narrated powerpoint presentation. The tasks will guide your exploration and topic presentation.
Task
TASK 1: INTRODUCTION To EARTHQUAKES
Objective: To understand the basics of earthquakes and what they are
TASK 2: CAUSES OF EARTHQUAKES
Objective: To understand the different causes of earthquakes
TASK 3; MEASURING EARTHQUAKES
Objective: To understand the Richter scale and how potent earthquakes are based on the scale
Process
TASK 1; INTRODUCTION TO EARTHQUAKES
1. Watch this video about earthquakes.
2. Discuss as a group the basics of what an earthquake is. Each member of the group should collect videos showing cameras capturing an earthquake as it occurs and the shaking produced. You should go worldwide and not judt a specific region.
3. Use google docs to paste the links to your videos. Select ONE video that best captures what an earthquake is as you will be including this in your narrated powerpoint presentation.
TASK 2: CAUSES OF AN EARTHQUAKE
1. Watch this video on faults:
2. Discuss how plates move as discussed in the video. Your group should come up with examples of plates that demonstrate the different types of motion. Answer the following questions: A) What type of motion does the San Andreas fault exhibit? (B) The Cascadian fault?
3) Use google docs to collaborate on the information. Make up narrated slides on powerpoint showing images and describing the different ways plates move with respect to each other.
TASK 3: MEASURING EARTHQUAKES
1. Watch this video on measuring earthquakes:
2. Watch this video on the Richter Scale:
3. Discuss as a group what the different numbers on the Richter scale mean. How much stronger is a magnitude 7 earthquake than a 5? Why? Use google docs to write your response. Find examples of a category 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 on the Richter scale. Where did they occur? What type of destruction did they cause? These images will be incorporated in your narrated powerpoint presentation.
4. Watch the video on hypocenter and epicenter:
5. Watch this video on p amd s waves:
6. Discuss as a group. What are the hypocenter and epicenter of an earthquake? What are p- and s- waves? You will need to define these terms. Is a shallower earthquake more damaging or less damaging than a deeper one? Answer these questions in your google docs. You will also be incorporating this into your narrated powerpoint.
Evaluation
| Criteria |
Exceptional 5 pts |
Very Good 4 pts |
Satisfactory 3 pts |
Needs Improvement 2 pts |
Unsatisfactory 1 pt |
| Task Content |
Addresses all 3 tasks exceptionally well and defines ALL terms clearly.
|
Addresses all 3 tasks well but fails to define one term |
Addresses 2 tasks and corresponding terms. | Addresses 1 task and corresponding terms. | Does not address any task. May or may not address terms. |
|
Powerpoint
|
Powerpoint is well narrated and organized. Videos and/or images correspond well to tasks. Must have 3 images and 3 videos corresponding to tasks. |
Powerpoint addresses all tasks but may have lapses in narration. Must have at least 3 images and 3 videos corresponding to tasks. | Powerpoint addresses 2 tasks. May have lapses in narration. Must have at least 2 images and 2 videos corresponding to tasks. | Powerpoint addresses 1 task and may have lapses in narration. Must have at least 1 image and 1 video. | Powerpoint attempts to present something related to earthquakes. |
|
Collaboration |
All 3 students take turns narrating powerpoint. Each one addresses a task. All 3 contribute to google docs. | 2 students take turns narrating powerpoint. At least 2 students contribute to google docs. | 1 student does all the work narrating powerpoint and all 3 contribute to google docs | 1 student narrates entire powerpoint and 2 students contribute to google docs | 1 student does all the work both narrating and google docs. |
Conclusion
By completing this web quest, you should now have a solid understanding of what earthquakes are, the causes of them, and how they are measured using the Richter scale. For further investigation, students may want to investigate how far the science of prediction has come and if there are human causes of earthquakes.
Credits
Videos: All 3 videos were found on youtube
Technological toots: Microsoft Powerpoint and Google Docs