Shake Out Time! Students learn about the importance of Earthquake Science and Safety
Originally Published December 3, 2019
The Young Scientists Program (YSP) at the University of Southern California, in conjunction with the USC Earth Science Department and Dr. Emily Cooperdock, hosted an after-school workshop at the Dr. Theodore T. Alexander Jr. Science Center School in Los Angeles. This event covered the underlying science of earthquakes and similar geological phenomena, including plate tectonics, P and S waves, and seismology. Our featured speaker was Geosciences graduate student Brianna Birkel, whose work focuses on data-driven computational techniques to improve our geophysical models of the earth for the sake of more accurate hazard assessment and mitigating natural hazards.
In addition to Brianna, a number of other USC’s Earth Sciences Department graduate students that supported the event including Cullen Scheland, Rachel Kelly, and Anahi Carrera assisted with the implementation of each of the hands-on stations students rotated through during the workshop. Third-fifth grade students that participated in the workshop engaged with hands-on demonstrations and activities that focused on specific methods and tools used by geologists and seismologists. Below is a summary of each of the stations students participated in.
Station 1: Retrofitting
Students learned about seismic retrofitting, which is the modification of existing structures in order to make them more resistant to damage that can be done by earthquakes. Students were given the task of creating a structure out of popsicle sticks that could survive a simulated earthquake. The earthquake was simulated using a shake table constructed from plywood and attached to a frame by rubber bands.
Station 2: Seismograph
A seismograph is an instrument that is used to measure the intensity of an earthquake and produce a seismogram. The students got to create their own seismograms using a DIY seismograph made of a sharpie suspended over paper by a cup and string. One student created the waves by shaking the seismograph while the other student pulled a long strip of paper underneath the marker. A fourth grade student at this station commented that they liked the seismograms because “they were fun to create and look like a heart rate wave.”
Station 3: Earthquake Safety
At our earthquake safety station, the students learned how to stay safe during an earthquake and what supplies are important to have on-hand in case of an emergency. The students then made their own earthquake preparedness kits, which included things like water and bandaids. They then went on a scavenger hunt to find all of the necessary parts of their survival kit. One student commented, after completing this station, that they will “tell (my) family about information and things that (my) parents need to get for an earthquake”, highlighting the importance of earthquake preparedness in our daily lives in California.
Station 4: Plate Boundaries
Guest speaker Brianna Birkel taught the students about different types of tectonic plate boundaries and how earthquakes happen. There are three types of boundaries: divergent, transform, and convergent, each unique in how they are formed. After the students learned about each type of boundary, they were able to demonstrate plate tectonics through a hands-on activity using graham crackers and whipped cream. The crackers represented the tectonic plates and the whipped cream represented the magma that exists under Earth’s crust. By moving the cracker around on top of a layer of whipped cream, the students could see the different ways that plates can interact with each other.
The Young Scientists Program would like to acknowledge State Farm for their financial support of this workshop.