Activities
Under ConstructionEarthquake! Where was it?
When a seismologist sees a trace on their seismograph, they know immediately there has been an earthquake. But where? In this activity, students use seismograph traces from real earthquakes and must collaborate with others to determine the location of the epicenter.
Under ConstructionTotal Eclipse! How does the moon cover the sun so exactly?
The diameter of the sun is almost 400 times larger than the diameter of the moon: But when the moon crosses between earth and sun, we can see a total eclipse where the moon appears to cover the sun almost exactly. Why can this happen? This hands-on activity allows students to explore eclipses and how size and distance play a role in what we see on the earth's surface during an eclipse. Students use paper models of the moon and sun to determine the relationship between the sizes of a moon and sun, and their distance from a planet in order to cause an eclipse. Cutting paper, setting the up the viewing, and adjusting to create a perfect eclipse all result in a beautiful data set for students to admire and learn from.