Science · Year 3

Active learning ideas

Earthquakes: Shaking the Ground

Active learning works for this topic because students need to see, feel, and test how forces move Earth’s crust. Simulating faults and waves lets them experience the abstract at a concrete level, building lasting understanding of a complex process.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9S3U02

• 20–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Hot Seat
• 45 min · Small Groups

Shake Table Challenge: Building Resilient Structures

Provide materials like spaghetti, marshmallows, and straws for students to construct tall buildings. Shake the table by pulling a string or using a motor to simulate quakes. Groups test designs, measure stability, and redesign for better performance.

Explain how the movement of Earth's plates causes earthquakes.

Facilitation Tip

During the Shake Table Challenge, remind students to keep their structures lightweight and symmetrical for reliable comparisons between trials.

What to look for

Provide students with a diagram showing two tectonic plates moving. Ask them to label the type of plate boundary (convergent, divergent, transform) and draw arrows indicating the direction of movement. Then, ask them to write one sentence explaining what happens at this boundary.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Hot Seat
• 30 min · Pairs

Clay Plate Boundary Models

Divide clay into plates and push, pull, or slide them together on a table. Students observe fault formation and 'earthquake' moments when pieces break. Record sketches and explanations of boundary types.

Analyze the different types of damage caused by earthquakes.

Facilitation Tip

When building Clay Plate Boundary Models, press gently with the tools to avoid tearing the clay, which can distort the fault lines.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine an earthquake has just occurred in your town. What are three different types of damage you might see?' Facilitate a class discussion, encouraging students to consider damage to buildings, roads, and the natural landscape.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Hot Seat
• 20 min · Whole Class

Seismic Wave Relay

Use ropes or slinkies to demonstrate P-waves and S-waves: one student sends compressions, another transverse shakes. Class times wave travel and discusses material differences like solids versus liquids.

Design a structure that could withstand a moderate earthquake.

Facilitation Tip

In the Seismic Wave Relay, have students stand far enough apart so the relay takes at least six seconds to complete, making the timing differences clear.

What to look for

On an index card, have students draw a simple representation of a P-wave and an S-wave. Below their drawings, they should write one key difference between the two types of seismic waves.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 04

• Hot Seat
• 25 min · Small Groups

Earthquake Damage Sort

Print images of earthquake effects like cracks, fallen bridges, and tsunamis. Students sort into categories, discuss causes, and propose safety fixes in groups.

Explain how the movement of Earth's plates causes earthquakes.

Facilitation Tip

For the Earthquake Damage Sort, limit each category to five examples so students focus on key differences rather than quantity.

What to look for

Provide students with a diagram showing two tectonic plates moving. Ask them to label the type of plate boundary (convergent, divergent, transform) and draw arrows indicating the direction of movement. Then, ask them to write one sentence explaining what happens at this boundary.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should start with simple models and move to more complex ones, using guided questions to bridge observations to concepts. Avoid overloading students with too many details at once. Research shows that hands-on fault models help students visualize invisible forces, while wave simulations clarify abstract energy transfer. Emphasize that earthquakes are not random but follow patterns at plate boundaries.

Successful learning looks like students explaining plate motion with evidence, predicting wave behavior in different materials, and applying their knowledge to design safer structures after testing. They should connect their observations to real-world effects like cracks and landslides.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Clay Plate Boundary Models, watch for students creating wide chasms that swallow the landscape.

  Use the fault models to measure displacement with a ruler, showing students that cracks are usually less than a meter wide and rarely swallow objects.

• During the Clay Plate Boundary Models, listen for students linking earthquakes to volcanic eruptions.

  Have students simulate plate movements without adding magma or volcanic features to emphasize that most quakes result from tectonic stress, not magma.

• During the Seismic Wave Relay, note if students believe waves travel at the same speed in all materials.

  Use different mediums like a rope, a slinky, and a pool noodle to show how wave speed changes with material, letting students time the relays for evidence.

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Methods used in this brief

• Hot Seat