This is the plan for my earthquake lesson, which I'll be doing late-Feb to early-March, depending on the availability of the computer lab!
Attached are the Investigation Template and the handouts for kids. Feel free to use them if they're helpful and to offer any feedback!

And here is the next attachment for my lesson...

Amy:

This looks quite ambitious but fun! I'm optimistic that your students will absorb the GIS technology skills you introduce right along with the EQ/Plate Tectonics content.

I liked how you built in relevance for students by asking them to consider their chances of getting into college based on poplution density. I'm wondering if there's a layer that shows how many colleges there are in Massachusetts though: I'm pretty sure your state has about 10 colleges to every 1 in AZ! Sincerely though, I think the whole activity builds rather nicely as you start at the largest view, zoom in, and then scale up again.

Will you walk students through each lesson on the projector, or only the first one? It seems that students will move through it at different speeds. I'm hopeful that the kids who are fastest will be intrigued enough to explore some of the rich datasets available in AEJEE.

Impressed smiles,
LuAnn

Hi Amy,

This is a well thought out and detailed lesson. The kids will benefit from your step by step instructions and guided questions.

One thing I have wished I added to lessons (and this takes time!) is snapshots of the screen for certain instructions because I think this would reduce the number of the same question from students :)

I think it is good that you are prepping the data beforehand instead of having the kids doing it. I agree with your rationale on that.

Time wise, I'm sure I don't need to tell you that computer lab work always takes longer than you think! One option you could do to help manage the time is keep the volcano portion of the lesson as an extension for those who finish the earthquake portion. That way, you don't have to wait for everyone to finish, and you can have those kids be experts on the volcano connection - or you could present it as a class demonstration/discussion.

Good luck! I think I may try it or parts of it too! Johanna

Hi Amy,

I like the way you guide students through the activity with numerous questions to keep them on track and not skipping steps. I too plan to implement an earthquake GIS activity, but I'm till working out the details with another teacher on my team...your work here will help us hammer out our own plan! It will be interesting to see how everyone's plans go - so similar and yet unique.

Sue T.

Amy,
The three lessons are relavant for my students. I am concrened about how long this will take. Any idea how long each take.

I want to thank you. I have a great dael of trouble writting up these step by step labs. I have downloaded this and will try next fall with my students.

I am concerned like Dianna of the million and one questions as students work at their own pace. I have used the technique suggested at the summer workshop of having the students raise their hands as the reach a specific step and then asked to act as roving experts and assist the students that have lost their way.

I will be looking at working this step by step myself - I appreicate all your worksheets.