Initial Publication Date: February 17, 2009

Teaching the Process of Science:

Mercalli Earthquake Activity

this page written by Anne E. Egger, based on an activity written by Kaatje Kraft

In this activity, students are asked to read first-hand accounts of experiences living through earthquakes in order to determine a quantitative measurement of shaking intensity.

Mercalli earthquake activity is a description of the activity.

Integrating the process of science into the activity

Design philosophy

Students are asked to act as scientists; in fact, they are exactly replicating the work that scientists do to determine magnitude and shaking intensity of historical earthquakes.

Key components

As you introduce this activity, you can emphasize the authenticity of this activity.

Assessing understanding of the process of science

In order to assess your students' understanding of the process of science, you could ask them to reflect on how geologists have come to understand past events, such as the New Madrid Earthquake.