Earthquakes and Volcanoes

What a timely module!  I will be finishing up my research geology project my 8th graders have been working on and hope to get into the ol' library to do some old fashioned kind of research of a volcano from around the world.
My previous blog about earthquakes and the huge tsunamis we have had up here in Alaska might have been better suited for this weeks module.
I can only add that the video and graphics that help explain the process of plate tectonics and Alaskan geology, have been a great resource for introducing and strengthening my lessons in geology. This past week I have introduced sections in our textbook with those TD videos and I can't believe how much they follow each other.

The Google Earth lesson was another lesson worth saving for next years students.  I didn't know about that measuring tool and came up with some great pictures to share:

(I had to use the metric system though, the kids might find out I used feet when I try and tell them to think METRIC!)
This week I am collecting the geology project my gifted students have been working on for the past month.  It was their job to find 50 earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis that have occurred since Sept 26th to around October 26th.  I was expecting big things from these kids and some did not disappoint.  These 50 events needed to be plotted on a map of their creation, and a key was to be created defining what symbols they used for each type of event.  I wanted them to also list in an excel program all of the events.  Then I asked them to answer three open ended questions for the final essay part of the project.  1.  Do the different events occur along particular spots around the world?  2. What landforms might one see at these particular places around the world?  3.  What theories and evidence for can you cite that supports your research and what you found.   I was hoping the students would take what we have been doing in class and use that information in their essay.  I even gave them a rubric with what I wanted and some of them even looked at it!
A great website shows a modified lesson you can do with Dynamic Earth. The only problem is getting a map through the site. 
Other great sites I found this week for my classes included using Google Earth and geology, and the  IRIS website that has countless great lessons for Geology.
Next week I am in the library with my kids and volcano research is the topic.  My gifted kids are making their research into a Volcanic Resume, that I have found refreshing and fun to do.  Email me if you want a copy.  I stole it from the NSTA Science Scope magazine.

http://www.nsta.org/middleschool/