EARTHQUAKES

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In this project, students will create a project that reduces the impact of earthquakes on humans.

1. QUESTION : How can the impact of Earth’s natural processes on humans be reduced? 2. RESEARCH : Visit the URL for each source. Complete the activity that follows each resource. A: Watch two videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7ho6z32yyo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oPb_9gOdn4

B: Read about earthquakes:

1. Read this article from National Geographic Kids: http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/science/earthquake/#earthquake-houses.jpg 2. Choose 3 facts from the right side of the article to insert into your presentation.

C. Watch a video:

1. http://pbskids.org/dragonflytv/show/earthquakes.html 2. Create a slide for your presentation about the surface evidence of earthquake activity.

D. Career Resource:

What does a geophysicist do? http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/kids/become.php

J. Geophysicist activity:

In the research section of your project lab guide, choose one type of geophysicist and answer the following questions: o Describe one real world problem that this type of geophysicist would be hired to solve. o What is one possible way that the geophysicist would solve this problem?

3. CHOOSE YOUR PROJECT : Create a project that shows how to reduce the impact to humans from earthquakes or volcanoes. You can choose one of the following or create a unique solution of your own: o o o o

Create a building that is safe from earthquakes or volcanoes Create a device for detecting when an earthquake is coming or when a volcano is about to erupt Design a system for getting help to the people who are affected by earthquakes or volcanoes. Design a system for rescuing people from the aftermath of an earthquake or volcano.

GET YOUR IDEA APPROVED before going on. 4. HYPOTHESIS : Complete this sentence for your hypothesis and transfer it to your project lab report: If humans are effected by earthquakes/volcanoes because ____________________________________________, then one way to reduce the impact of earthquakes/volcanoes on humans is _______________________________________________. Sample hypothesis: If humans are effected by earthquakes/volcanoes because buildings can fall down in an earthquake, then one way to reduce the impact of earthquakes/volcanoes on humans is to create earthquake safe buildings.

5. CREATE YOUR PROJECT : Document the creation of your project in one of 3 ways: o Making a video recording of the process on your iPad o Writing detailed, step-by-step directions o Drawing a blueprint of your project with directions and/or details. ***SAVE IMAGES OF YOUR FINISHED PROJECT, YOU AREN’T DONE YET!

6. SHOW DATA : Test your solution and provide evidence that your idea can work to reduce the effects of earthquakes or volcanoes on humans. To show evidence, you might: o o o o

Make a video of the testing of your project Write about the results of your test Tell how pieces of your plan have worked in other countries/regions Choose a unique way to explain how your design/plan/creation would work

7. ANALYSIS & CONCLUSION : This project is about reducing the impact of earthquakes or volcanoes on humans. Through this project, you will have discovered that earthquakes and volcanoes can impact the lives of humans significantly, but there are many science ideas that can be used to reduce that impact. Answer the following questions in your project presentation: o What are 3 ways that earthquakes impact humans? o How was your project designed to reduce the effects of earthquakes? o How did your project show that the effects of earthquakes can be reduced? o How can this information be used on a larger scale in the real world? Who would need to get involved? o What suggestions do you have for further research in this area? o What suggestions do you have for students who are just beginning this project?

NGSS Standards: 4-ESS3-2

Generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the impacts of natural Earth processes on humans.

Science and Engineering Practices: Generate and compare multiple solutions to a problem. Crosscutting Concepts: Cause and Effect Cause and effect relationships are routinely identified, tested, and used to explain change. Common Core Standards Connections: English Language Arts RI.4.1 RI.4.9

Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. (4-ESS3-2) Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably. (4-ESS3-2)

Mathematics MP.2 MP.4 4.OA. A.1

Reason abstractly and quantitatively. (4-ESS3-2) Model with mathematics. (4-ESS3-2) Interpret a multiplication equation as a comparison, e.g., interpret 35 = 5 × 7 as a statement that 35 is 5 times as many as 7 and 7 times as many as 5. Represent verbal statements of multiplicative comparisons as multiplication equations. (4-ESS3-2)