How do Earthquake waves travel through the Earth?

Find out by trying the two ELIs 'Waves in the Earth 1 - the slinky simulation and Waves in the Earth 2 - human molecules'

The former uses a long spring to find out how earthquake waves travel through the Earth and in the latter, pupils are pushed around to demonstrate the properties of seismic waves!
This demonstration can be used in the context of a lesson on wave motion for its own sake, or, as here, in explaining how seismic waves can be used to show the nature of the interior of the Earth.
There are many more activities your pupils can use to find out about the interior of the Earth - search on the ELI website.

Testing the strength of rocks - bouncing back

The new ELI is 'Testing rocks - 1 bouncing back; investigating the strength of rocks'. When engineers build structures such as dams, roads and tunnels, they need to investigate the properties of the rocks beneath and around them. One of the key properties is the strength of the rocks. This normally requires expensive equipment, but in this activity pupils can get quite a good idea by simply dropping a ball bearing onto a flat, cut sample of the rock. The height to which the ball bearing bounces back allows us to compare the relative strength of different rocks.
This is one many innovative teaching activities which you can download free from our website.

How to model the magnetic field of the Earth

Have you tried the ELI 'Magnetic Earth'? This modelling activity is a useful prelude to an understanding of the magnetic field of the Earth, albeit due to a very different
magnetic source. It can assist in pupils’ understanding of the magnetic evidence for the movement of continents and for sea-floor spreading (when remanent magnetisation is preserved in rocks), and hence a major part of plate tectonic theory.
There are many activities you can use when teaching plate tectonics. They are listed in 'Teaching strategies' on our website.

Geological time - sorting out Earth events

The latest Earthlearningidea is 'How long does it take? - quick to very, very, very slow'.  Some Earth processes are dangerously quick – but some are extremely slow. Help your pupils to understand how the rates of Earth processes differ by cutting out the scale and the cards provided, and fitting the cards in the best places on the scale.
This has been devised as a group activity to promote discussion – so the quality of
discussion is likely to be more important than the ‘right ‘answers.
This is one of the activities in our 'Geological time' category which helps pupils to better understand the enormity of geological time.
It is also our 150th activity!

Earthquakes and art

Earthquake Rose

A sand tracing pendulum, in Washington, USA, produced some very interesting patterns after an earthquake of magnitude 6.8. The smooth curves you can see on the outside are what you normally see when someone sets the pendulum in motion to make a tracing ... without seismic assistance. The earthquake's handiwork is the design in the centre.
The motions caused by the earthquake moving the pendulum's base started small, and the initial tracings were overwritten as the strength of the ground's motion increased. Once everything started to slow down after the shaking stopped, the pendulum slowed to a stop, gradually "writing" the pattern in tighter circles as it moved back to its natural centre. If you look at it closely, you can see that the pendulum was apparently centreing in one spot, and then moved a final time to come to rest in a slightly different location. This may be explained by last minute settling in the ground.
It's interesting to think that such a massive and very destructive release of energy can also contain such delicate artistry within its chaos. 
You could use this image to lead into a discussion about earthquakes and then try some of the following ELIs:-
- Earthquake prediction - when will the earthquake strike?
- Earthquake through the window - what would you see, what would you feel?
- Geobattleships (ELI+)
- Quake shake - will my home collapse?
- Shaken but not stirred?
- Surviving an earthquake
- Waves in the Earth 1: the slinky simulation (ELI+)
- Waves in the Earth 2: human molecules (ELI+)

How many for a million?

 

We can easily talk about a million years – but how can we give pupils an idea of how vast 1,000,000 actually is? Try our latest ELI 'How many for a million? How many sheets of graph paper for 1 million, or a 100 million, or a 1000 million?' Calculations to help pupils to visualise the enormity of a million years, and then 1000 million years.

There are other activities in this Geological time category. 

Forensic geoscience

Have you tried 'Innocent until proven guilty; using forensic geoscience to solve the crime'? This activity can be included in any lesson where problem-solving skills are required. It is adaptable to local conditions - local samples of soil, sand or rocks can be used. Also local suspects e.g. the teacher, can be used!
This is one of many practical Earthlearningideas available for free download from our website.