Teaching Activities

Earth education activities from across all of the sites within the Teach the Earth portal.



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Results 1 - 10 of 33 matches

Episodic tremor and slip: The Case of the Mystery Earthquakes | Lessons on Plate Tectonics part of Geodesy:Activities
Shelley E Olds, EarthScope Consortium
Earthquakes in western Washington and Oregon are to be expected—the region lies in the Cascadia Subduction Zone. Offshore, the Juan de Fuca tectonic plate subducts under the North American plate, from northern California to British Columbia. The region, however, also experiences exotic seismicity— Episodic Tremor and Slip (ETS).In this lesson, your students study seismic and GPS data from the region to recognize a pattern in which unusual tremors--with no surface earthquakes--coincide with jumps of GPS stations. This is ETS. Students model ductile and brittle behavior of the crust with lasagna noodles to understand how properties of materials depend on physical conditions. Finally, they assemble their knowledge of the data and models into an understanding of ETS in subduction zones and its relevance to the millions of residents in Cascadia.

Grade Level: Middle (6-8), College Lower (13-14), High School (9-12)
Resource Type: Activities: Activities:Classroom Activity, Lab Activity, Activities
Subject: Geoscience:Geology:Geophysics:Geodesy, Seismology, Geoscience:Geology:Tectonics, Environmental Science:Natural Hazards:Earthquakes, Geoscience:Oceanography:Marine Hazards, Environmental Science:Natural Hazards:Coastal Hazards:Tsunami, Environmental Science:Natural Hazards
Activity Review: Peer Reviewed as Exemplary
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Explore Real Data from an Ice Core part of Teaching Activities
Jason Cervenec, Ohio State University-Main Campus; Stacy Porter, Wittenberg University
Ice core data allow students to explore a number of patterns while learning that researchers need to gather and interpret evidence to understand Earth's past. Students will explore core data collected in ...

Grade Level: College Lower (13-14), College Upper (15-16), High School (9-12)
Resource Type: Activities: Activities:Classroom Activity, Lab Activity
Subject: Geoscience:Oceanography
Activity Review: Peer Reviewed as Exemplary
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Reef Builders through Time part of Teaching Activities
Peg Yacobucci, Bowling Green State University-Main Campus
Students will use the Paleobiology Database (PBDB) to explore the history of reef-building animals through time. They will document diversity and extinction patterns through time for seven reef-building marine ...

Grade Level: College Upper (15-16)
Resource Type: Activities: Activities:Classroom Activity, Lab Activity
Subject: Environmental Science:Oceans and Coastal Resources, Geoscience:Oceanography:Marine Resources
Activity Review: Peer Reviewed as Exemplary
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Alaska Earthquake Hazard Inventory & Mitigation Planning part of EarthScope ANGLE:Educational Materials:Activities
Bonnie Magura (Portland Public Schools), CEETEP (Cascadia EarthScope Earthquake and Tsunami Education Program), and ANGLE Project
In this two-part activity, students/participants first: - Complete a Hazard Inventory for their city or area of interest in the event of a magnitude 7 or larger earthquake and tsunami. - Identify what critical structures and infrastructure will be affected. Then: - Write a summary statement assessing strengths and vulnerabilities of essential services or infrastructure. - Propose actions for mitigating vulnerabilities. - Create an Action Plan to address identified needs.

Grade Level: General Public, Middle (6-8), College Lower (13-14), High School (9-12)
Online Readiness: Designed for In-Person
Resource Type: Activities: Activities:Classroom Activity, Lab Activity, Project
Subject: Geoscience:Oceanography:Marine Hazards, Environmental Science:Natural Hazards:Coastal Hazards:Tsunami, Geoscience, Environmental Science:Natural Hazards, Natural Hazards:Earthquakes, Mass Wasting, Subsidence
Activity Review: Peer Reviewed as Exemplary
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Tsunami Vertical Evacuation Structures (TVES) part of EarthScope ANGLE:Educational Materials:Activities
Bonnie Magura (Portland Public Schools), Roger Groom (Mt Tabor Middle School), and CEETEP (Cascadia EarthScope Earthquake and Tsunami Education Program)
Students learn about tsunami vertical evacuation structures (TVES) as a viable solution for communities with high ground too far away for rapid evacuation. Students then apply basic design principles for TVES and make their own scale model that they think would fit will in their target community. Activity has great scope for both technical and creative design as well as practical application of math skills. Examples are from the Pacific Northwest, USA's most tsunami-vulnerable communities away from high ground, but it could be adapted to any region with similar vulnerability.

Grade Level: College Lower (13-14), Middle (6-8), High School (9-12)
Online Readiness: Designed for In-Person
Resource Type: Activities: Activities:Classroom Activity, Project, Lab Activity
Subject: Geoscience:Oceanography:Marine Hazards, Geoscience, Environmental Science:Natural Hazards:Earthquakes, Coastal Hazards:Tsunami, Environmental Science:Natural Hazards, Engineering, Environmental Science:Natural Hazards:Mass Wasting
Activity Review: Peer Reviewed as Exemplary
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Unit 1: Earthquake! part of GPS, Strain, and Earthquakes
Vince Cronin, Baylor University (Vince_Cronin@baylor.edu) Phil Resor, Wesleyan University (presor@wesleyan.edu)
In this opening unit, students develop the societal context for understanding earthquake hazards using as a case study the 2011 Tohoku, Japan, earthquake. It starts with a short homework "scavenger hunt" ...

Grade Level: College Upper (15-16)
Online Readiness: Online Adaptable
Resource Type: Activities: Course Module, Activities:Classroom Activity:Short Activity:Think-Pair-Share, Activities
Subject: Geoscience:Geology:Structural Geology:Stress/Strain/Strain Analysis, Regional Structural/Tectonic Activity, Geophysics and Structural Geology, Geoscience:Geology:Geophysics:Seismology, Geodynamics, Geography:Geospatial, Human/Cultural, Geoscience:Geology:Geophysics:Geodesy, Geoscience:Geology:Tectonics, Environmental Geology, Environmental Science:Natural Hazards:Earthquakes, Coastal Hazards:Tsunami, Environmental Science:Policy:Environmental Economics, Environmental Science:Energy:Energy Infrastructure, Nuclear Energy, Geoscience:Oceanography:Physical , Marine Geology and Geophysics, Geography:Physical, Geoscience:Oceanography:Marine Hazards
Activity Review: Peer Reviewed as Exemplary
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GETSI Developed This material was developed and reviewed through the GETSI curricular materials development process.
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Unit 2: Ocean Conditions: Ancient to Modern part of Ocean Sustainability
MICHELLE KINZEL, Southwestern College; Astrid Schnetzer, North Carolina State University; Cara Thompson, Arizona State University at the West Campus
Students will be provided with seawater pH and carbon dioxide concentration (pCO2) data spanning as far back as 1850. They will describe trends in pH, pCO2 and atmospheric CO2 concentration, outline why these ...

Grade Level: College Lower (13-14):College Introductory
Online Readiness: Online Adaptable
Resource Type: Activities: Activities:Classroom Activity:Short Activity:Think-Pair-Share, Activities, Course Module
Subject: Geoscience:Oceanography:Ocean-Climate Interactions, Chemical, Geoscience:Geology:Environmental Geology, Geoscience:Oceanography, Biology:Biogeochemistry:Carbon Cycling, Environmental Science, Global Change and Climate:Climate Change:Impacts of climate change, Biology:Biogeochemistry, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climate Change:Impacts of climate change, Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate:Climate Change
Activity Review: Peer Reviewed as Exemplary
On the Cutting Edge Exemplary Collection This activity is part of the On the Cutting Edge Exemplary Teaching Activities collection.
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InTeGrate Developed This material was developed and reviewed through the InTeGrate curricular materials development process.
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Seasonal variation in light, mixing depth and primary productivity in temperate northern hemisphere waters part of Oceanography:Activities
Lauren Sahl, Maine Maritime Academy
In this exercise students work with light, temperature, and phytoplankton biomass proxy (chlorophyll a concentration) data to; Become more skilled in reading and interpreting semi log graphs, temperature profiles, ...

Grade Level: College Lower (13-14):College Introductory, College Lower (13-14)
Resource Type: Activities: Activities:Classroom Activity, Activities
Subject: Geoscience:Oceanography, Oceanography:Biological, Chemical, Biology:Ecology:Habitats:Marine, Water Column, Biology, Ecology, Geoscience:Oceanography:Physical , Biology:Ecology:Habitats
Activity Review: Peer Reviewed as Exemplary
On the Cutting Edge Exemplary Collection This activity is part of the On the Cutting Edge Exemplary Teaching Activities collection.
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Iceberg of Antarctica part of IODP School of Rock 2020:Teaching Activities
Turtle Haste, Desert Ridge Middle School; Diane Nihart, Albuquerque Public Schools
After exploring the various hands-on, art, kinesthetic activities, and electronic resources after reading the book: Iceberg of Antarctica by Marlo Garnsworthy, students will develop, create, and produce their own ...

Grade Level: Intermediate (3-5), Middle (6-8)
Resource Type: Activities: Activities:Lab Activity, Project, Classroom Activity
Subject: Geoscience:Oceanography:Ocean-Climate Interactions, Marine Resources, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climate Change:Impacts of climate change, Geoscience:Paleontology:Biostratigraphy/Biogeography , Environmental Science:Oceans and Coastal Resources, Global Change and Climate:Climate Change:Impacts of climate change, Paleoclimate records, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climate Change:Paleoclimate records, Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate:Sea Level Change
Activity Review: Peer Reviewed as Exemplary
On the Cutting Edge Exemplary Collection This activity is part of the On the Cutting Edge Exemplary Teaching Activities collection.
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Melting ice cubes part of Oceanography:Activities
Mirjam Glessmer, University of Bergen
Explore how melting of ice cubes floating in water is influenced by the salinity of the water. Important oceanographic concepts like density and density driven currents are visualized and can be discussed on the ...

Grade Level: General Public, College Lower (13-14), Intermediate (3-5), Primary (K-2), Middle (6-8), High School (9-12)
Online Readiness: Online Adaptable
Resource Type: Activities: Activities:Classroom Activity, Lab Activity, Project, Activities
Subject: Geoscience:Oceanography:Physical , Geoscience:Geology:Environmental Geology, Geoscience:Atmospheric Science:Climate Change, Environmental Science:Global Change and Climate:Climate Change, Environmental Science
Activity Review: Peer Reviewed as Exemplary
On the Cutting Edge Exemplary Collection This activity is part of the On the Cutting Edge Exemplary Teaching Activities collection.
Learn more about this review process.