Modeling Earthquake Motion

This article describes how to make a model of an Earthquake that helps students to redefine their understanding of earthquakes. Students are asked to critique their definitions based upon ex... See More

This article describes how to make a model of an Earthquake that helps students to redefine their understanding of earthquakes. Students are asked to critique their definitions based upon experiences with the model. The model can help students understand an abstract concept better.

Modeling Earthquake Activity

Students have many misconceptions about what an earthquake is whether they live in an earthquake prone region or not. The Earthquake Machine Lite is a mechanical model of stick-slip fault s... See More

Students have many misconceptions about what an earthquake is whether they live in an earthquake prone region or not. The Earthquake Machine Lite is a mechanical model of stick-slip fault systems that enable students and teachers to explore the causes of earthquakes. IRIS (Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology) has designed a number of activities that challenge students misconceptions about earthquakes and show the role of models in the development of scientific understanding. Web links are given that show the instructions for making an EML. Well developed lesson plans of the activities are also included.