Did You Feel the Earth Move?

While the earth isn’t really alive, it is certainly dynamic. And it can be a moving experience. The following activities focus on geologic disasters: earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, sinkholes, avalanches and landslides. We can’t prevent them, but we can be prepared for them.

CONNECT:

•  Learn lots of facts and have fun at from the U.S. Geological Survey: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/kids/
• Stromboli is not a pasta dish; it’s an active volcano in the Mediterranean. Stroll through Stromboli at http://www.swisseduc.ch/stromboli/volcano/index-en.html
• Can yelling cause an avalanche? Get the facts by watching Avalanches 101: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcr1Sl-T9S0
• What’s a sinkhole, and how does it happen? Watch this video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqKuSKCO6o8

CREATE:

• Make a homemade volcano following the directions at https://www.learning4kids.net/2012/04/11/how-to-make-a-homemade-volcano/
•  Ever think of lava as cake batter? To understand some of the geological processes and the structures that form as lava flows across planetary landscapes, you can use cake batter as an analog for lava, at http://www.spacegrant.hawaii.edu/class_acts/CakeLava.html
• Use a computer to simulate an earthquake at http://qcnexplorer.org/
•  Create a model of an avalanche; to see how they work, go to https://sciencing.com/create-model-avalanche-4866747.html

CARE:

• Did you feel the earth move? The government collects information from people who felt an earthquake and creates maps that show what people experienced and the extent of damage.  Report local earthquakes at https://earthquake.usgs.gov/data/dyfi/
• Practice earthquake safety by following the tips at http://www.weatherwizkids.com/weather-safety-earthquake.htm
• Landslides can be disastrous. What can prevent landslides? Watch the causes and interventions at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCxvbosa4fU
• You never know when a disaster might come, so be prepared by building a family disaster kit: https://www.ready.gov/kids/build-a-kit

CAREERS:

The earth can provide a solid foundation for a great career! Be a mover and shaker by pursuing careers such as a geophysicist, meteorologist, and disaster relief expert.

https://content.wisestep.com/jobs-created-by-natural-disasters-calamities/

https://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/kids/become.php

http://www.sciencemag.org/careers/2005/08/careers-science-disasters

https://www.workitdaily.com/career-paths-disaster-management/

https://www.environmentalscience.org/career/disaster-management-specialist