Let's Look Inside the Earth part of Teaching Activities
David Zelenka
Students will analyze USGS seismology data in the classroom using spreadsheets and scatter plots to look for patterns and structure in the Earth's crust. Before analyzing data, students will learn about the ...

Volcano Monitoring with GPS: Westdahl Volcano Alaska part of EarthScope ANGLE:Educational Materials:Activities
Maite Agopian, EarthScope; Beth Pratt-Sitaula, EarthScope
Learners use graphs of GPS position data to determine how the shape of Westdahl Volcano, Alaska is changing. If the flanks of a volcano swell or recede, it is a potential indication of magma movement and changing ...

World Map of Plate Boundaries part of EarthScope ANGLE:Educational Materials:Activities
Bonnie Magura (Portland Public Schools) and Chris Hedeen (Oregon City High School)
The plate tectonics mapping activity allows students to easily begin to identify basic tectonic processes on a global scale. As students become aware of plate movements, they begin to identify patterns that set the stage for deeper understanding of a very complex topic. The activity uses a simple "Where's Waldo" approach to identify tectonic symbols on a laminated World Plate Tectonic map.

Monday Morning Meeting (II): Monitoring Mount St. Helens 2004 dome growth using authentic data part of Teaching Activities
Rachel Teasdale, California State University-Chico
This jigsaw activity groups students first as volcano monitoring experts of either RSAM seismic data, earthquake locations, or GPS data, and then regroups students into interdisciplinary teams. The teams discuss ...

Unit 3 Hazards at Divergent Plate Boundaries part of Living on the Edge
Rachel Teasdale, California State University-Chico; Laurel Goodell, Princeton University; Peter Selkin, University of Washington-Tacoma Campus
Students work in small groups to examine data and videos of earthquakes, submarine volcanic eruptions, and black smokers at submarine divergent plate boundaries, and then predict similar processes at subaerial ...

Unit 6 Hazards and Risk at Convergent Plate Boundaries (Day 2 of activity) part of Living on the Edge
Rachel Teasdale, California State University-Chico; Peter Selkin, University of Washington-Tacoma Campus; Laurel Goodell, Princeton University
In this two-day activity, students monitor a simulated evolving volcanic crisis at a convergent plate boundary (Cascadia). Using monitoring data and geologic hazard maps, students make a series of forecasts for the ...

Mt. St. Helens Volcanic Ashfall Eruption part of Teaching Activities
Eileen Herrstrom, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
This activity takes place outside of the classroom and requires ~1 hour to complete. Students recreate the map of the Mt. St. Helens ash plume of 1980 and use their maps to answer a series of questions about this ...

Using "Dante's Peak" to Discuss Response to Risk part of Integrate:Workshops and Webinars:Teaching about Risk and Resilience:Activities
Michael Phillips, Illinois Valley Community College
In this classroom activity, students watch the movie "Dante's Peak" up to the point where Harry Dalton's supervisor arrives and talks to the town council. Students then compare and contrast Harry's assessment and advice to that of his supervisor, discuss the reaction of the town council members, and develop their own recommendations for how the scientists and town should proceed.

Old Sticks in the Mud: Hazards of Lahars from Mount Rainier Volcano part of Curriculum for the Bioregion:Activities
Patrick Pringle, Centralia College
Volcanic debris flows (lahars) flow long distances, bury and aggrade river valleys, and cause long-term stream disturbances and dramatic landscape changes. Students will evaluate the nature, scale, and history of ...

Taking the Pulse of Yellowstone's "Breathing" Volcano part of Structural Geology and Tectonics:Structure, Geophysics, and Tectonics 2012:Activities
Beth Pratt-Sitaula, EarthScope; Shelley E Olds, EarthScope Consortium
In this activity, students learn about volcanism in Yellowstone National Park, focusing on its history of eruptions, recent seismicity, hydrothermal events, and ground deformation. They learn how scientists monitor ...