echoesof.science · Ages 6–7
When the ground shakes
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the game and the quiz
echoesof.science/school/earthquakes/ages-6-7/
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The outside of the Earth is made of huge pieces, like a puzzle. They are called plates. They move very, very slowly.
Where plates meet, their edges are rough and get stuck. Then they suddenly slip. The ground shakes: that is an earthquake.
The shaking spreads out through the ground in waves, a bit like ripples in a pond.
Scientists use a machine called a seismometer to feel and record the shaking.
Experiment: Shaky towers
- Build a tall, thin tower on the tray.
- Next to it, build a short, wide tower with the same number of blocks.
- Guess: which tower will fall first when the 'ground' shakes?
- Gently slide the tray back and forth, a little faster each time.
- Which tower fell first? Try again to check.
| Tower | Our guess | Did it fall? When? |
|---|---|---|
| Tall and thin | ||
| Short and wide |
Questions
Draw the Earth's plates as puzzle pieces. Draw a star where two plates meet.
🍎Which tower fell first: the tall thin one or the short wide one?
tall and thin / short and wide
What are the three safety words for an earthquake?
Sources for every fact on this sheet: echoesof.science/school/earthquakes/sources/