O V E R V I E W O F T H E U N I T S
Unit 1.
This three-part introductory unit sets the stage for
what follows. Every teacher should take time to include
some of the materials contained in this unit. The
introductory lesson assesses students’ knowledge of
earthquakes. In lesson two students describe their own
experiences and tell how they would prepare for an
earthquake. Lesson three requires students to make contact
with emergency personnel in their community to ascertain
emergency preparedness plans. Lessons in this unit are
referred to in future units.
Unit 2.
This five-part unit moves students beyond their
personal survival into the causes of earthquakes. This unit
sketches the big picture, building on students’ knowledge
from earth science or other science classes. The unit begins
with students modeling stress buildup in the crust,
followed by lessons on how earthquakes and other
evidence tell scientists about the structure of the Earth. In
the third lesson, students contrast historic time with the
vastness of geologic time and simulate techniques of
paleoseismology. The unit concludes with lessons on some
potential side effects of earthquakes, such as tsunami,
liquefaction, and landslides. Students study how the
geology of an area influences the destructive effects and
how high population density at unsafe sites can increase
the amount of damage during an earthquake.
Unit 3.
In this four-part unit, students learn about the
different wave motions during an earthquake and how
these motions are studied. A historical piece on the
development of seismology adds background to students’
knowledge. Students study and simulate the measurement
of earthquakes using the Richter andMercalli scales to find
out how seismologists arrive at earthquake measurements.
This unit concludes with activities that plot the distribution
of earthquakes worldwide, then focuses in on local
earthquakes, first in Japan, then in the United States. It
offers a variety of lessons in science, mathematics, and
social studies.
Unit 4.
This five-part unit is designed to allow students to
construct an understanding of how buildings respond to
earthquakes. Lessons on building design and how
earthquake forces act on various designs provide students
with information on how to build earthquake resistant
structures. Students then apply this knowledge by
constructing testing devices and testing their designs. This
unit is critical for developing students’ understanding of
why buildings collapse and what can be done to make
buildings safer.
Unit 5.
This five-part unit focuses students’ attention on
what to do before, during, and after an earthquake. By
studying historical earthquakes as reported in the press,
students learn how people have responded to earthquakes in
the past. Students then learn what their response should be
during an earthquake by planning and practicing earthquake
drills. Students conduct safety assessments of their home,
classroom, and community and see how secondary disasters
associated with earthquakes can also be alleviated.
Unit 6.
This concluding four-part unit offers a variety of
summing-up and assessment activities. Writing activities, a
fast paced quiz game, and a high pressure simulation allow
students a chance to show off what they have learned in this
curriculum. An extensive resource list provides detailed
instructions for conducting a community-wide disaster
simulation that becomes realistic and dramatic with the
involvement of community disaster officials.
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