Science · 6th Grade

Active learning ideas

Natural Hazards: Earthquakes and Tsunamis

Active learning works because earthquakes and tsunamis are abstract but have clear, measurable causes and effects. Students need to connect plate movement to ground shaking, then to wave formation, and finally to human impact. Mapping, building, and discussing let them see these connections in real data and concrete contexts rather than just listening to explanations.

• Common Core State Standards
• MS-ESS3-2

• 20–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Case Study Analysis
• 35 min · Small Groups

Data Analysis: Mapping Earthquake and Tsunami Risk

Provide students with world maps showing tectonic plate boundaries and historical earthquake epicenters. Students overlay tsunami runup data from NOAA's database for three to four major events (e.g., 2004 Indian Ocean, 2011 Japan, 1964 Alaska). Groups identify patterns in where tsunamis originate and which coastlines are most vulnerable based on geography.

Explain how earthquakes generate tsunamis.

Facilitation Tip

During Mapping Earthquake and Tsunami Risk, have students color-code risk zones on a printed map and mark plate boundaries with highlighters to reinforce the link between geology and hazard.

What to look for

Provide students with a scenario: 'An M8.0 earthquake occurred on an undersea fault near a coastal city with loose soil and steep cliffs.' Ask students to write two sentences explaining how this earthquake could cause a tsunami and one factor that might affect the tsunami's impact on the city.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Simulation Game
• 50 min · Small Groups

Simulation Game: Building for Seismic Resistance

Using spaghetti, marshmallows, and index cards, student teams build structures of a specified height, then test them on a simulated shake table (a tray of jello or a board on wheels that is pushed side to side). Teams record the mode of failure, modify their designs, and test again. Debrief connects design features to real seismic engineering principles like base isolation and moment frames.

Analyze the factors that determine the severity of earthquake damage.

Facilitation Tip

During Building for Seismic Resistance, circulate with a decibel meter to show how structural changes affect shaking intensity, making the simulation’s results measurable and memorable.

What to look for

Display a map showing several coastal areas with different geological features (e.g., wide continental shelf, narrow shelf, volcanic islands). Ask students to label two areas as 'High Tsunami Vulnerability' and 'Low Tsunami Vulnerability,' justifying their choices with one sentence each.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 20 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Earthquake Damage Factors

Present three brief scenarios: a M6.5 earthquake in the Tokyo metropolitan area, a M7.8 in a rural Himalayan village, and a M8.2 offshore of a well-prepared Pacific coast city. Ask: Which would likely cause the most deaths and why? Pairs discuss, then share reasoning with the class, drawing out the role of building quality, population density, preparedness, and soil type.

Predict the areas most vulnerable to tsunamis based on geological features.

Facilitation Tip

During Think-Pair-Share: Earthquake Damage Factors, provide a one-sentence scenario on each table to anchor the discussion and prevent abstract drifting.

What to look for

Facilitate a class discussion using the prompt: 'Imagine you are advising a town council on a coast prone to both earthquakes and tsunamis. What are the top three most important factors they should consider when planning for these hazards, and why?'

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach this topic through layered modeling: start with tectonic forces, then simulate their effects on land and water, and finally analyze human systems. Avoid relying only on videos or lectures, as students often confuse magnitude with impact. Use real-time or near-real-time data from USGS or NOAA to anchor discussions in current events, which increases relevance and retention.

By the end of these activities, students explain how tectonic forces create earthquakes and tsunamis, evaluate risk factors beyond magnitude, and recommend practical preparedness actions. They use evidence from maps, simulations, and discussions to support their reasoning and adjust their initial misconceptions.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Think-Pair-Share: Earthquake Damage Factors, watch for students who assume all strong earthquakes kill many people.

  Use the Haiti vs. California example from the activity prompt to guide students to compare building codes, population density, and soil types, then revise their initial claims in writing.

• During Simulation: Building for Seismic Resistance, watch for students who believe swimming or boats can escape a tsunami.

  Pause the simulation after the first wave and ask students to calculate how long it would take to swim 100 meters versus how fast a tsunami travels, using the speed information provided in the activity materials.

• During Data Analysis: Mapping Earthquake and Tsunami Risk, watch for students who think earthquakes only happen at known plate boundaries.

  Ask students to add intraplate zones like New Madrid and Charleston to their maps and explain in a margin note why these areas are at risk despite not being on plate edges.

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Methods used in this brief

• Case Study Analysis
• Simulation Game
• Think-Pair-Share