Layers of the Earth
K
éyah Math Project development team: Nancy Zumoff, Christopher Schaufele, Steven Semken, Tracy Perkins, Lynn Onken, Philippe Laval, David Gonzales, and Andrew Becenti (deceased).
K
éyah Math Project directed by
Steven Semken , Arizona State University; and Christopher Schaufele and Nancy Zumoff, Professors of Mathematics, Emeritus.
Archived at
Arizona State University School of Earth and Space Exploration.
This activity was selected for the On the Cutting Edge Reviewed Teaching Collection
This activity has received positive reviews in a peer review process involving five review categories. The five categories included in the process are
- Scientific Accuracy
- Alignment of Learning Goals, Activities, and Assessments
- Pedagogic Effectiveness
- Robustness (usability and dependability of all components)
- Completeness of the ActivitySheet web page
For more information about the peer review process itself, please see https://serc.carleton.edu/teachearth/activity_review.html.
Initial Publication Date: June 30, 2008 | Reviewed: July 6, 2017
- First Publication: June 30, 2008
- Reviewed: July 6, 2017 -- Reviewed by the On the Cutting Edge Activity Review Process
|
Cite thisZumoff, N., Schaufele, C., Semken, S., Perkins, T., Onken, L., Laval, P., Gonzales, D., Becenti, A., & Cho, Y. (2008, June 30).
Layers of the Earth. Keyah Math.
https://serc.carleton.edu/keyah/activities/layers_earth.html
Topics
Seismology Grade Level
College Introductory, College Lower (13-14)
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activities from Teach the Earth on a specific topic.
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Learning Goals
Objectives
Use graphs of travel times of seismic body waves.
Use data provided to compute velocity for one seismic wave and travel time for a second seismic wave from a station at a known distance from the epicenter of an earthquake.
Deduce the path of the second wave and recognize the implications for the internal structure of Earth.
Mathematical Skills
Use basic algebra (distance, rate and time) and geometry.
Apply Snell's law.
Context for Use
This activity consists of a set of quantitative problem-solving exercises that can be used as an in-class activity or an assignment in any introductory course with a unit on Earth structure, plate tectonics, or seismology, such as:
Physical geology or physical geography
Historical geology or Earth history
Environmental geology, natural hazards, natural disasters
Earth system science
Earth materials
Description and Teaching Materials
Teaching Notes and Tips
An Instructor's Guide to all K
éyah Math activities is available online from the
Instructor Resources page on the K
éyah Math website.
Assessment
Students record their work and answers in a word-processor document or a notebook, which can be submitted to the instructor for assessment. Solutions to these problems are available online from the
Instructor Resources page on the K
éyah Math website.
References and Resources
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