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Young Americans Prepare: Becoming Disaster Ready
Earthquakes
Introduction: While earthquakes are thought to occur largely in the Western U.S., in fact many states are vulnerable for quakes, including Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas, even New England. Drop and cover (get on the floor, get under heavy furniture and cover your head) drills are the best hands-on activity to teach students of all ages how to prepare. Practicing in the classroom and then recommending practice at home can save lives.
Earthquakes also are fascinating to study. They incorporate earth science, history, writing, art, math, geography and other school subjects. Below are some lecture materials, suggested classroom exercises, and sources of more information that you can include in your lesson plans. We hope you will use this information especially during the week that encompasses October 14, 1998, which is celebrated as World Disaster Reduction Day in this country and around the globe. The lecture information provided here is only a sample of what can be found in two excellent curriculum guides available free from FEMA. "Tremor Troops" is geared for K-6 grade and "Seismic Sleuths" is for 7th through 12th graders. See FEMA resources below for ordering information.
Lecture #1: Earthquake measurement (Science, geology, geography, physics)
Earthquakes occur along faults in the earth. A fault is a break in the earth's rocky surface. Faults that are near the earth's surface can be seen firsthand, on aerial photographs or in geologic maps. Most of the larger and more active faults have names, like the San Andreas fault of California or the Wasatch fault of Utah.
Some faults lie well below the surface and are difficult to locate with existing technology. These hidden faults may have caused such unexpected earthquakes as the 1811 earthquake in New Madrid Missouri.
No matter how deep the fault, vibrations from the release of strain energy travel in all directions. The earthquake vibrations are transmitted through the surrounding earth and rock in wave-like motions. There are two kinds of earthquake waves - body waves and surface waves.
Body waves travel through the body of the earth. They are important because they allow scientists to know the epicenter of the earthquake - the exact place where the earthquake occurred. Surface waves travel at or near the surface. They can spread for thousands of square miles around an earthquake's epicenter. They are responsible for the strongest shaking of the ground and most of the damage to buildings in large earthquakes.
The Richter Scale is a measure of the magnitude of earthquakes. The scales use measurements from a seismograph - an instrument used to record earthquakes - to give the earthquake a magnitude number. The higher the number the more severe the earthquake is.
Earthquake Severity
Richter Magnitures Earthquake Effects
Less than 3.5 Generally not felt, but is recorded by seismographs
3.5 to 5.4 Often felt, but usually causes only minor damage. Some things will fall off shelves
5.5. to 6.0 Slight damage to buildings. Furniture inside houses may be damaged.
6.1 to 6.9 Can be destructive in areas where people live.
7.0 to 7.9 Major earthquake. Causes serious damage to roads, buildings.
8 or great Great earthquake. Total destruction to nearby communities.
Lecture #2: What to do during an earthquake? (Subject: Physical education)
Stop, drop and cover is the best drill for students. They stop what they are doing, drop to the floor and take cover under a heavy piece of furniture, while also covering their head with their hands. Some day care centers use this drill and call it "rabbits in the hole." When playing outside, the drill is the same, to stay away from overhanging lights and powerlines if possible.
Lecture #3: How often to earthquakes happen in 1997? (Subjects: Geography, science)
There were 17 major earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or higher in the world in 1997, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. This is lower than the average of 20 major earthquakes per year. But the earthquakes caused more people to lose their lives in 1997 than in the year before.
In 1996, 449 people were reported to be killed by earthquakes around the world. The total number of people reported killed by earthquakes in 1997 was 2,913. The worst earthquake of 1997 was in northern Iran on May 10. It was a 7.1 magnitude quake and it caused 1,567 deaths, 2,300 injuries and left 50,000 people homeless.
The strongest earthquake in the U.S. was a 4.9 magnitude earthquake that struck the state of Washington. It caused slight damage to the towns of Bremerton and Poulsbo. The biggest earthquake of 1997 was a magnitude 7.9 earthquake that struck on November 8 in Tibet. The area does not have many people and did not cause very much damage.
Some people believe the world is having more earthquakes now than in the past, but the scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey say that is not true. They say the number of major earthquakes of 7.0 or higher magnitude have remained the same throughout this century. It may seem like there are more earthquakes because communication and monitoring is better now and the public learns about the quakes.
The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that several million earthquakes happen around the world every year, but many of them go undetected because they are in remote areas or are very small.
Lecture #4: Telling earthquake fact from fiction (Science, reading)
Fiction: Earthquakes usually happen in the morning.
Fact: Earthquakes happen in both the day and the night. There is no pattern.
Fiction: There is such a thing as "earthquake weather."
Fact: There is no connection between earthquakes and weather. Remember,
earthquakes happen deep in the earth, far away from the weather!
Fiction: Earthquakes are on the increase.
Fact: It may seem like we're having more earthquakes because there are
more reporting stations, but the truth is we're not.
Fiction: We can prevent earthquakes from happening.
Fact: No. You can protect yourself by doing things to secure buildings,
like your home, but earthquakes can't be prevented -- or predicted.
Lecture #5: Earthquake Math
A small earthquake hit Northern California on a Tuesday afternoon. It was felt by people in three cities: Los Manos (population 3,482), Mount Good (population 4,210) and Meganville (872). How many people felt the earthquake? Answer: 8,564
The news also said that Bigburg also felt the quake. Its population is 2,998. Now how many people felt the quake? Answer: 11,562
It takes a strap 50 inches long to strap a water heater to the wall to keep it from falling over during an earthquake. There are 420 homes in Los Manos. If every single home in Los Manos strapped their water heater to the wall, how many inches of strap would it take? Answer: 21,000.
If you convert those inches into feet, how many feet would it take? Answer: 1750
There have been three earthquakes to hit Los Manos in the past 10 years. In the first, 10 homes were damaged; in the second 23 homes were damaged; in the third 6 homes were damaged. What is the average number of homes that were damaged from earthquakes in the past 10 years. Answer: 13
Lecture #6: Earthquake Legends (Reading, arts, cultures, geography)
- India: The earth is held up by four elephants that stand on the back
of a turtle. The turtle is balanced in turn on a cobra. When any of
these animals move, the earth trembles and shakes
- Assam (Between Bangladesh and China): There is a race of people living
inside the earth. From time to time, they shake the ground to find out
if anyone is still living on the surface. When children feel a quake,
they should "Alive, Alive!" so the people inside the earth will know
they are there and stop shaking.
- Mexico: El Diablo, the devil, makes giant rips in the earth from
the inside. He and his devilish friends use the cracks when they want
to come and stir up trouble on earth.
- Siberia: The earth rests on a sled driven by a god named Tuli. The
dogs who pull the sled have fleas. When they stop to scratch, the earth
shakes.
- Japan: A great catfish, or namazu, likes curled up under the sea,
with the islands of Japan resting on his back. A demigod, or daimyojin,
holds a heavy stone over his head to keep him from moving. Once in a
while, though, the daimyojin is distracted, the namazu moves, and the
earth trembles.
- Mozambique: The earth is a living creature, and it has the same kinds
of problems people have. Sometimes, it gets sick with fever and chills
and we can feel its shaking.
- Greece: According to Aristotle, and also to William Shakespeare in
a play called Henry IV, strong, wild winds are trapped and held in caverns
under the ground. They struggle to escape, and earthquakes are the result
of their struggle.
- Belgium: When people on earth are very, very sinful, God sends an
angry angel to strike the air that surrounds our planet. The blows produce
a musical tone that is felt on the earth as a series of shocks.
- American Indian: Once a Chickasaw chief was in love with a Choctaw
princess. He was young and handsome, but he had a twisted foot, so his
people called him Reelfoot. When the princess' father refused to give
Reelfoot his daughter's hand, the chief and his friends kidnapped her
and began to celebrate their marriage. The Great Spirit was angry and
stomped his foot. The shock caused the Mississippi River to overflow
its banks and drown the entire wedding party. (Reelfoot Lake, on the
Tennessee side of the Mississippi, was formed as a result of the New
Madrid earthquake of 1812.)
- West Africa: The earth is a flat disk, held up on one side by an
enormous mountain and on the other by a giant. The giant's wife holds
up the sky. The earth trembles when he stops to hug her.
- Mongolia: The gods who made the earth gave it to a frog to carry
on his back. When this huge frog stirs, the earth moves directly above
that part of him that moves: hind foot, head, shoulder or whatever.
- India: Seven serpents share the task of guarding the seven sections
of the lowest heaven. The seven of them also take turns holding up the
earth. When one finishes its turn and another moves into place, people
on the earth may feel a jolt.
- Latvia: A god named Drebkuhls carries the earth in his arms as he
walks through the heavens. When he's having a bad day, he might handle
his burden a little roughly. Then the earth will hear the shaking.
- Columbia: When the earth was first made, it rested firmly on three
large beams of wood. But one day the god Chibchacum decided that it
would be fun to see the plain of Bogota underwater. He flooded the land,
and for his punishment he is forced to carry the world on his shoulders.
Sometimes he's angry and stomps, shaking the earth.
- Scandinavia: The god Loki is being punished for the murder of his
brother, Baldur. He is tied to a rock in an underground cave. Above
his face is a serpent dripping poison, which Loki's sister catches in
a bowl. From time to time, she has to go away to empty the bowl. Then
the poison falls on Loki's face. He twists and wiggles to avoid it,
and the ground shakes up above him.
- New Zealand: Mother Earth has a child within her womb, the young
god Ru. When he stretches and kicks as babies do, he causes earthquakes.
- East Africa: A giant fish carries a stone on his back. A cow stands
on a stone, balancing the earth on one of her horns. From time to time,
her neck begins to ache, and she tosses the globe from one horn to the
other.
- Central America: The square earth is held up at its four corners
by four gods, the Vashakmen. When they decide the earth is becoming
overpopulated, they tip it to get rid of surplus people.
- Romania: The world rests on the divine pillars of faith, hope and
charity. When the deeds of human beings make one of the pillars weak,
the earth is shaken.
- West Africa: A giant carries the earth on his head. All the plants that grow on the earth are his hair, and people and animals are the insects that crawl through his hair. He usually sits and faces the east, but once in a while he turns to the west and then back to the east, with a jolt that is felt as an earthquake.
Activity suggestion: Have students find the countries or locations on
a globe or map.
Activity suggestion: Have students write their own legends about earthquakes.
Activity #1. Tasty Quake
Materials you will need:
One metal pan of prepared gelatin dessert (recipe below)
Sugar cubes or dominoes
Plastic wrap
Cups and spoons for serving and eating dessert
Recipe for gelatin dessert:
Two (6 oz) boxes of red or purple gelatin dessert
Two one-serving envelopes of unflavored gelatin
Four cups of boiling water
Four cups of cold water
One 9 X 12 METAL baking pan
Empty the gelatin dessert and the unflavored gelatin into the baking pan. Add the boiling water and stir until all the powder is dissolved. Add the cold water and mix. Chill in the refrigerator for at least three hours or until set.
For the students: When rocks break in the earth's crust they release energy in the form of waves -- waves that can go through rock and dirt. Gently tap the side of the gelatin pan. You will see waves traveling through the gelatin. This is what an earthquake wave is like when it goes through the earth. Tap the pan harder and see how the waves become bigger.
Now cover the top of the gelatin with plastic wrap (make sure the wrap is right on top and touching the gelatin). Use sugar cubes or dominoes to make "buildings" on the gelatin. What do you think will happen when you tap on the pan to cause "earthquake" waves through the gelatin? Try it. What happened? Make the buildings again and tap the pan harder or softer than the first time. Did something different happen? You can do this over and over. When you're done, take off the plastic wrap and have a gelatin snack!
Activity #2. School Hazards Hunt
Find and correct possible hazards in the classroom or around the school
- Cabinets or books shelves (Should be attached to wall studs)
- Heavy hanging plant over a place where people sit (should be light,
unbreakable pot and make sure all plants hang from ceiling studs)
- A mirror on the wall (Make sure it is well fastened to the wall)
- Heavy objects on wall shelves (should be moved to bottom shelves
or secured)
- Unsecured TV on a rolling cart (Make sure cart wheels are blocked
so TV can't roll)
- A hanging light above where people sit (Light should be secured with
extra wire or chain, or moved.)
- Cabinet doors not fastened to stay closed (Install latches)
- Unattached water heater (Attach water heater to the wall studs)
- Gas stove with rigid feed line (Replace gas line with flexible connectors)
- Heavy wall clock (Attach to wall studs)
- Buildings not bolted to the foundation. (Foundation should be bolted)
This same activity can be done at home. Students can also draw pictures of hazards and what should be done to correct them.
Activity #3. School Writing Assignments
Imagine that an earthquake has struck your community. You and your family must evacuate your home and come to your school for safety until the disaster is over and it is announced that is it safe for everyone to return home.
- Plan and write an escape route for your family to take from your
house to school. Give clear travel directions.
- Plan and write down a list of materials for the disaster supply kit
you will bring with you to the school. All the supplies for the kit
must fit in an average sized gym bag.
- Imagine that you and your entire family must stay at school for three days. There is no electricity or telephone service. There are 300 to 400 other people staying in the school. What do you do to pass the time safely? What do you do about meals and sleeping?
Activity 4: Mitigation measures (writing)
There are many things you can do to safeguard a house against earthquakes. Here are some ideas:
- Bolt or strap cupboards and bookcases to the walls and keep heavy
objects on the lower shelves so they don't fall on people.
- Strap your water heater to a nearby wall. This will keep your gas
water heater from falling on someone or starting a fire from a broken
gas main.
- Have your home bolted to the foundation. Anchor bolts cost as little
as $2 each. They should be installed every six feet on the outer edges
of your house.
- Have students write poems about things they can do to protect their home.
Earthquake Publications
To order these FEMA publications or other materials, call 1-800-480-2520.
8-0860 Teachers Package: Earthquake Safety Activities for Children
2-0008 Family Earthquake Safety Home Hazard Hunt and Drill
8-0704 Tremor Troops - A Teacher's Package for K-6
0-0122 Seismic Sleuths - A Teacher's Package for 7-12 grades
2-0004 Earthquake Safety Poster
8-0799 Adventure of the Disaster Dudes video
To order these U.S. Geological Survey publications, fax to 303 202 4693 or write to: USGS Information Services, Box 25286, Denver, CO, 80225. Some publications can be downloaded from the USGS Web site at www.usgs.gov.
OF89-640 A (paper copy $1.50) or OF 89-640B (diskette $10) How to Construct a Paper Model Showing the Motion that Occurred on the San Andrea Fault During the Loma Prieta Earthquake
OF 90-257 A (paper copy $6.25) or OF 90-257 B (diskette $10) How to Construct Seven Paper Models that Describe Faulting of the Earth
OF 93-380 A (paper cpy $2.25) or OF 93-380 B (diskette $10) Make your Own Earth and Tectonic Globes
OF 94-214 A (paper cpy $2.25) or OF 94-214 B (diskette $10) Northridge Earthquake: A Report with animations and paper model
92-TDE This Dynamic Earth: The Story of Plate Tectonics ($4)
94-0050 Earthquake: This 20-page booklet explains the nature and causes of earthquakes
Order the following publications from our local American Red Cross Chapter
ARC4455 Are You Ready for an Earthquake?
ARC 2201 After the Quake Coloring Book
ARC 5006 (urban) or ARC 5007 (rural)
Internet Resources:
