sSs-H-AaA-K-E!!
an Internet Treasure Hunt on Earthquakes!

created by Wouter Laleman - 2001
Nagoya International School / Rev. 2002

Introduction | The Questions | Internet Resources


Introduction

Surf's up!

This is where you have to surf to find out about earthquakes.

Here's a list of 19 questions. The answers to all these questions can be found by surfing to the links listed below.

Don't be a cHiCken without a HeAd running all over the web!
Develop a sensible S E A R C H S T R A T E G Y.

STEP 1: Read all the questions before you start. Think about which questions will be easiest to answer. You will try to find answers to these questions first

STEP 2: Read the titles of all the links before you start clicking on any. Debate in your group which link would be most likely to hold the answer to your question. Then surf to this link to find the answer.

STEP 3: When your group agrees on an answer, type it in the answer template available in the grade 5 folder.

IMPORTANT: WORK HARD AND HAVE FUN!



Questions

  1. Look at the damage done by the 1957 Aleutian Tsunami in Hawaii. Describe what happened in the three pictures. How strong was the earthquake that caused this tsunami? How far was the epicenter of the earthquake from the place where this house stand. If you measure the same distance from Nagoya, where in the world could you go to? (name a country or city).
  2. Agadir: Look at the picture of the Saada Hotel before the earthquake of 1960. Describe the damage done. What would have happened to the people who were in the hotel?
  3. Look at Frequency of Earthquakes Table. This table is based on observations since 1900. In your own words, what does the number 800 in the third column mean?
  4. Do the Fault Stress Exercise. When you have finished, describe why you think more stress would result in a stronger earthquake.
  5. Look at the Current World Quake Report to see which earthquake has happened most recently anywhere in the world. What day did it happen? At what time? Where did it happen? What was the magnitude? What was the depth? Click on the location to see on the world map where this earthquake took place.
  6. Describe what a seismograph is used for and how it works.
  7. Kathy Henriksenís Rumble Tumble is a story a child wrote after she experienced a minor earthquake. Read the story. Where did Johnnyís mother take him to learn about earthquakes? What is Johnnyís mother explaining to him when she talks about a puzzle?
  8. Take a look at the world's ten strongest earthquakes of this century. Find the strongest one of these earthquakes. Find more information by clicking on it. This will take you to another webpage that has detailed information on this earthquake. Describe
    - the strength of the earthquake
    - the damage done by the earthquake
    - how many people died
  9. Which earthquake is the world's most destructive earthquake ever? Where did it happen? How many people died?
    Compare the number of people that died during the strongest earthquake ever with the number of people that died during the world's most destructive earthquake. What did you learn?
    While you're here... what was the most devastating earthquake on record ever to hit Japan? How many people died? When did it happen?
  10. Who compiled the original scale for measuring the severity of earthquakes? Where did he/she come from? In what year did he/she compile the scale. On this scale explain what happens on level 1, level 7 and level 12. While you're here... what does the Richter Scale measure?Each successive unit in the Richter Scale is how many times more powerful tan the previous one?
  11. What is the difference between P waves and S waves?
  12. Explain the Theory of Plate Tectonics in your own words. Look at the map. Which three major plates converge around Japan?
  13. Explain how seismic waves are like ripples in a pond caused by drops of water falling in.
  14. How is seismology useful in monitoring nuclear testing worldwide?
  15. Use the following words to describe where earthquakes happen: fault, focus, epicenter.
  16. Why do earthquakes happen?
  17. Why do scientists predict a major earthquake will hit Tokyo soon?
  18. What is an earthquake?
  19. There is no way to predict earthquakes. Which two ways do scientist currently use to try vaguely predicting earthquakes?



The Internet Resources



The Big Question

We will get to 'The Big Question' at a later stage in our unit.