Lessons Learned in Eight Years of Seismology Outreach in Arizona Schools
In this article from an E&O issue of Seismology Research Letters we describe our experiences with the most common instruments found in the classroom.
What Educational Seismology has to offer
One of the most exciting moments after installing a new seismic station in a high school classroom is recording an earthquake. Students leave their desks; teachers stop mid-sentence, as if the classroom beneath their feet were shaking! Earthquakes are a fascinating, powerful, and uncontrollable force that capture the attention of people young and old, and naturally lend themselves to engaging students in the classroom.
National Science Education Standards
Seismology offers unique opportunities to enrich earth science and physics curriculum. Beyond the specific content standards in earth science such as structure of the earth system, energy in the earth system and earth history, the national science education standards emphasize content standards in areas such as science and technology, science in personal and social perspectives, and the history and nature of science, all of which can be addressed with earthquake studies.
The most engaging method to teach earth science is to involve students in questioning and problem solving. A seismometer in the classroom raises awareness of earthquake activity around the world and promotes student questions about earthquake location and frequency of events. At the 7-12th grade levels, real-time seismic data can be used to explore earthquakes, plate tectonics and its driving forces. In physics classrooms seismic data can be used to teach lessons on force, friction, wave propagation, and engineering design.
What is the first step?
Teachers who attend a national or local one-day workshop on earthquakes are eligible to receive an AS-1 instrument. These workshops are regularly held at state and national science teacher meetings and focus on classroom activities for teaching about earthquakes and earthquake safety.